18 lagunabeachindy . com MARCH 24 , 2023
GUEST OPINION :
Laguna Art Museum Is Having Some Serious Fun
By GAry stewArt
Saturday night ’ s “ sold out ” Laguna Art Museum event kicked off three different but equally well-curated exhibits : traditional California art , a quirky , personal collection donated by local private philanthropists , and a global art phenomenon , complete with thumping bass and techno-rock .
First is a collection of never-before-seen art from the Sherman Gardens in Corona del Mar ( who knew ?). California art collected by the garden ’ s founder , Moses Sherman , included works by Frank Cuprien and Anna Hills that rival the museum ’ s own collection . My two favorites are the masterful Rex Brandt watercolor that says so much with so little , next to an unusually bold William Wendt landscape sporting his iconic greens .
Secondly , the lower level displays intriguing contemporary works donated by serious , dedicated collectors Judy Vida-Spence and Stuart Spence . Over several decades , this psychiatrist and high-tech businessman ( dozens of patents for 3D printing ) focused on “ low-
brow ” art that , for example , featured surfing and graffiti .
They collected cutting-edge works such as the Kim Abeles elongated pen drawing “ A Mile A Minute ( Los Angeles to Del Mar As Seen From A Moving Train ).” Mostly works by artists lesser known to the general public , there are samples of the always-needling Baldessari , plus a Raymond Pettibone that is , shall we say , beyond impolite . And no , the pair of modified bean-bag chairs are not cupcakes . Executive director Julie Perrin warmly thanked the Spences for their generous donation and kindly invited Ms . Vida-Spence to offer a few personal remarks .
The heart of the evening was the career-spanning exhibit of lithographs from Shepard Fairey . ( The fourth new exhibit of works from Laguna College of Art and Design students was not yet installed .) Even if Fairey ’ s name is not familiar , his art is , including the HOPE image of Barack Obama , and the OBEY clothing line .
Fairey began as a street artist anonymously plastering stickers in public spaces of an imperious facial image of the wrestler André the Giant ( of The Princess Bride fame ), taken from a tabloid ad , later modified to OBEY GIANT . Fairey ’ s intrepid dedication to his art , despite multiple arrests , having type 1 diabetes , and other challenges , vaulted him from street art subversive to global muralist ( Tunisia , Canada , Korea , Germany , etc .).
His hyper-dramatized colors and images reminiscent of 60s concert posters are instantly recognizable . He paints a societal vision he credits to the anti-authoritarian media critic and global public intellectual Noam Chomsky . One lithograph explicitly nods to Chomsky , portraying him as a cultural icon and stating , “ I lived with the system and took no offense , until Chomsky lent me the necessary sense .”
His lithographs are consistently eye-catching and offer additional details upon close inspection , whether
Artist Shepard Fairey entertains Laguna Art Museum members with a special DJ set during their open house event on March 18 . Photo / Clara Beard showing images of strong women or unwisely worshipped political leaders or highlighting the corrosive effect of normalized corruption and the need to recognize and resist illegitimate authority . A dedicated environmentalist , the lithograph he released this week calls out the disinformation campaign of the fossil fuel industry , putting profits over the environment .
The artist himself was in the house and offered some brief introductory remarks in which he fully acknowledged the irony that an “ outside ” street artist was being featured in a museum that , while not necessarily representing “ the system ,” was definitely “ inside .” He humbly expressed his optimism that this line-crossing could serve to introduce to the “ inside ” his “ outside ” messaging while also suggesting to those outside that there can be value found inside if one looks carefully .
He returned to the stage later in his role as DJ and spun his personal choice of vinyl , dominated by heavily rhythmic dance music . Mostly newer music , I recognized kick-ass songs from Led Zeppelin , Jimi Hendrix , David Bowie and The Eurythmics . A hardy group of dancers , notably including director Perrin , who has moves , took up the challenge , as the room literally heated up and the jackets started coming off .
As a fitting end to the evening , a young man in the museum gift shop commented that we should honor Fairey by buying all the stickers on sale and plastering them all over town . His mom was not appalled – she was totally on board . I suspect Mr . Fairey would be pleased to know that the generation has been bridged .
Gary is an internal medicine physician and climate activist with a wide range of interests , including art , music and literature . He resides in Laguna Beach and is a member of the Laguna Beach Museum .
Laguna Plein Air Painters Association Launches 19th Annual “ Best of Plein Air ” Juried Art Show
By LB Indy Staff
Laguna Plein Air Painters Association has launched its 19th Annual Best of Plein Air exhibition and sale as a unique virtual , and on-site gallery exhibition of works created “ en plein aire .”
The association received more than 371 entries by 140 artists for this show juried by LPAPA Signature Artist Suzie Baker , LPAPA Signature Artist , board member Anthony Salvo , and LPAPA Executive Co-Director , Bonnie Langner . Chosen were 52 original paintings created by LPAPA signature and artist members for the show ’ s coveted LPAPA Gallery spots . An additional 31 top-scoring semi-finalists were included in the online exhibition . Jean Stern , Director Emeritus of The Irvine Museum , served as awards judge .
This year ’ s award winners included first place “ Jitterbug ” by Geoff Allen , second place “ Morning Glow ” by Mark Fehlman , third place “ La Jolla Cove ” by Michael Hill , honorable mention “ Sunset Trail ” by Jason Li and Facebook fans people ’ s choice award “ Crystal Cove ’ s Legacy ” by Mark Fehlman .
The first-place award-winning artist will also receive an invitation to participate in LPAPA ’ s 25th Annual Laguna Beach Plein Air Painting Invitational , held from Oct . 7 to 15 .
“ In creating a work of art for the “ Best of Plein Air ” show , LPAPA artists are challenged to create their best plein air painting , knowing that they are competing against the best of the best artists . Only works created in plein air are included in this show ,” LPAPA ’ s Senior Executive Director Rosemary Swimm said .
Proceeds from the sale of artwork benefit participating artists and the nonprofit LPAPA , helping sustain its mission of painting the landscape , preserving Laguna ’ s artistic legacy and promoting the plein air painting tradition . LPAPA strives to enhance the livelihood of its artist members and inspire the next generation of plein air painters .
The LPAPA Gallery is on Gallery Row in Laguna Beach at 414 N . Coast Highway . Gallery hours are Thursday through Monday , 11 a . m . to 5 p . m . and by appointment . The association can be reached by phone at ( 949 ) 376-3635 or by email info @ lpapa . org .
This year ’ s first place painti “ Jitterbug ” by Geoff Allen . Submitted image .