Fallen Star Provides New Perspective

Fallen Star- Suh

Everyone has felt out of place and a little disjointed with one's present location. That feeling of alienation and changing perspective is captured in Do Ho Suh’s odd house called “Fallen Star.” It is the eighteenth commissioned sculpture for UCSD's Stuart Collection, in La Jolla. This off-kilter house is an expression of Suh’s own feeling of cultural displacement.  He left Korea in 1991, leading him to explore the idea of ‘home’ and memory.

Upon leaving the doors on the seventh floor of Jacobs Hall, one is immediately transported to a new environment. A path leads through a small, perfectly manicured, garden and up to a blue house that seems to be falling off the corner of the green balcony. This ‘home’ not only sits off the side of Jacobs Hall, the interior itself is slanted. The floor, ceiling, and furniture all sit at odd angles. Looking around the space, it is hard to figure out what is plumb and what is not. There is no real guideline to base these judgments on. The only object in the room that hangs properly is the chandelier, and even so it looks crooked as well. One’s balance is completely thrown off and a sense of vertigo is always hovering in the back of the viewers mind.  The space is a unique experience that has a lingering affect.

“Fallen Star” is a spectacular place to visit. With so many visitors to La Jolla, everyone can find a connection to Suh’s meaning. After experiencing “Fallen Star,” stop by Thumbprint Gallery, on Kline Street in La Jolla, to see contemporary and lowbrow art by local artists. The gallery is open 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

Source:

http://stuartcollection.ucsd.edu/artists/suh.shtml

Read, Write, Think, Dream of La Jolla

Read/Write/Think/Dream -Baldessari

Entrances to buildings have been an important and central part of architectural and artistic design for what seems like eternity. It is the first thing someone will see upon entering and the last thing as they leave. It is a portal, a transition from one space to the next. John Baldessari understood the conceptual and visual impact of an entrance and employed his style and vision into the main entrance to Geisel Library at UCSD in La Jolla. Baldessari used students as the focal point in this piece, entitled “Read/Write/Think/Dream.”

Primary-colored automatic doors are flanked by ten-foot tall portraits of UCSD students. Erect like pillars, they stand on bases of shelved classic books. As the doors to the library open, the primary colors blend, turning green and orange. It is a transition of color as well as space. Above the doors the paneled glass reads: READ, WRITE, THINK, DREAM. It is Baldessari’s reminder to the students that the library itself is a gateway to higher thinking, understanding, and imagination.

Baldessari used the foyer in his designs as well. Glass panels featuring seated students are directly opposite the automatic doors. To the left are giant writing utensils of various colors ordered in a rainbow. Through a second set of doors with Southern California palm trees is a photomural of the beach, which is clearly a nod to the beauty of the La Jolla coastline.

Baldessari uses color, image, and text to bring together the complexity of the Geisel Library: the students and books that inhabit the building, the concept of the library and university, and the stunning location of the school itself. Once you have seen Baldessari’s “Read/Write/Think/Dream” visit Thumbprint Gallery, on Kline Street in La Jolla, to see more art by local la jolla artists. The gallery is open 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

Source:

http://stuartcollection.ucsd.edu/artists/baldessari.shtml

A Table Laid with Thought

Green Table-Holzer

Jenny Holzer is an internationally renowned artist whose opinions and truths are the foundation, and form, of her controversial work. Text is her primary means of artistic expression. Her truisms have been on posters, scrolling LED screens, projected onto buildings, and installed in various museums around the world. UCSD commissioned Holzer to construct a sculpture for the La Jolla campus as part of the Stuart Collection. The product of this commission is entitled “Green Table” and resides in the Muir College Quad.

This oversized granite table is borderline monumental. Besides it’s size, the entire surface is carved with text. True to Holzer’s repertoire, some of it is humorous observations and commentary, while others are political criticisms. This table, which provides space for students and faculty to sit, eat, study, and congregate also has several conversation starters spread out before them.

Some of the text reads:

“Expiring for love is beautiful but stupid”

“Change is valuable when the oppressed become tyrants”

“Abuse of power comes as no surprise”

Longer stretches of text cover the top of the dark grey table. These messages are in a sense Holzer’s way of providing “food for thought,” presented at a table in a place of learning, UCSD. It is an interesting way of expressing ideas, inspiring discussion, and encouraging thought outside the classroom or laboratory. 

To experience more local, thought provoking, contemporary and lowbrow art, visit Thumbprint Gallery, on Kline Street in La Jolla. The gallery is open Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Source: http://stuartcollection.ucsd.edu/artists/holzer.shtml

'Something Pacific' about La Jolla

Something Pacific-Paik

Technology is a process of improvement and replacement. Once a newer, better, faster, model is released, the older models become obsolete and are then replaced. The growth of technology and dependence in the United States has shaped our culture and social lives as well. This is a theme in Nam June Paik’s sprawling installation “Something Pacific” at UCSD in La Jolla.

Nam June Paik is inspired by Dadaism and was part of the Fluxus movement of the post World War II era. His work using televisions quickly became a signature for his work.

In "Something Pacific,” Paik uses old and ruined televisions and incorporated them into the landscape surrounding UCSD's Media Center. Some have Buddha and figural companions blankly staring at the empty screens. A copy of Rodin’s ‘Thinker’ sits atop an old Walkman near the entrance to the building. This TV graveyard can take many meanings. It is a reminder that tv and media have shaped the landscape and environment of modern times. It is also a warning to students of the cyclical nature of technology.

The lobby of the Media Center has one of Paik’s interactive TV displays. Students can change what is being viewed on the banks of screens using a control panel. Video sequences of Paik’s or MTV can be manipulated on the multiple screens. The colorful changing screens are a striking contrast to the almost macabre scene outside the Media Center doors.

To learn more about art in La Jolla and local contemporary and lowbrow artwork, visit Thumbprint Gallery on Kline Street. The gallery is open Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Source:

http://stuartcollection.ucsd.edu/artists/paik.shtml

A Walk Along a La Jolla 'Terrace'

Terrace-Ferrara

Architecture and landscape design are both ways of dividing space into harmonious and functional areas. College campuses have an enormous amount of space in which to work with. Jackie Ferrara did a project for the Stuart Collection at the La Jolla campus of UCSD, creating a terrace space for the Cellular and Molecular Medicine Facility. The ‘Terrace” was designed with the help and consultation of the architects from Moore Ruble Yudell and landscape designer Andrew Spurlock. With their advice during the early development of the project, the Terrace became functional and aesthetically appealing.

The Terrace has three main parts, the large northern terrace, the central space dominated by circular stairs, and a smaller southern terrace. Each section flows into the other. Black, red, and green slate tiles are used to pave the walkways between the three areas. The walkways are surrounded by Australian willow trees and benches; encouraging scientists to rest in the sun and contemplate. The terraces link the two wings of the building, creating an overall pleasant cohesive look to the facility.

The linear patterns of the walkway combined with the consecutive curvature of the staircase juxtaposed with the stone and grassy landscape create an interesting blend of hard and soft. The Terrace is a feat of architectural and landscape design. Once you have finished contemplating the complexities of cellular division on the Terrace, drop by Thumbprint Gallery, on Kline Street in La Jolla, to see contemporary and lowbrow art. The gallery is open Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 12 p.m. to  4 p.m.

Source:

http://stuartcollection.ucsd.edu/artists/ferrara.shtml

Color Runs Through UCSD Campus

Two Running Violet V Forms-Irwin

As with all mediums, there is a limit to how much one can do with it. Some types of paint will remain transparent no matter what, while others are difficult to thin out or create impasto. Artist Robert Irwin found these limitations frustrating and gave up on painting all together. He began to experiment with architectural sculpture and incorporating the qualities and effects of paint into a three dimensional environment. His sculpture for the Stuart Collection at UCSD in La Jolla, “Two Running Violet V Forms” expresses Irwin’s goals.

With the man-made eucalyptus forest between the Mandeville Center and the Faculty Club as his site, Irwin constructed two running chain link fences in the shape of V’s. Each fence is approximately 25 feet high and the links are covered in blue-violet colored plastic. The fences do not reach the ground, allowing ample space for pedestrians to walk beneath. Purple flowering ice plant has been planted under the fences, accenting the color.

The V Forms illustrate Irwin’s ideas about light and dimension. The fences weave between the trees in straight lines providing a different perspective to each individual as they move around the eucalyptus grove. As the day progresses, light catches and reflects off the chain link in different ways, changing the color and visual qualities of the V Forms.

The “Two Running Violet V Forms” are an interesting translation of painting into a thee dimensional space, well worthy of experiencing. Once you have seen the color and light qualities of the Forms, visit Thumbprint Gallery, located on Kline Street, to see more local contemporary art in La Jolla. The gallery is open Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Source:

http://stuartcollection.ucsd.edu/artists/irwin.shtml

The Sun God of UCSD

Sun God-de Saint Phalle

Art creates ideas, promotes thought, and can easily become a symbol. This is the case of Niki de Saint Phalle’s “Sun God” statue at the University of California, San Diego. As part of the Stuart Collection, the statue was commissioned for a specific location on the La Jolla campus; namely the Mandeville auditorium. Its central location and vivid colors draw a stunning amount of attention.

Niki de Saint Phalle is a wildly famous sculptural artist. Her work is mainly in Paris and Northern Italy. Her spreading fame with her “Nanas,” or earth mother sculptures, shows her fascination with modern feminism. Her work has a distinctive colorful palette with curvilinear lines creating form and depth. The “Sun God” was her first sculpture in the United States. The brightly colored fourteen-foot bird is perched atop a fifteen-foot arch. Golden plumage shoots out from its head in rays, resembling the sun.

The students of UCSD adopted this bird as their own mascot. It has been incorporated into the UCSD culture and events. The statue has been clothed in caps and gowns, sunglasses, given a machete and headband, etc. Some students joke that it is actually a dormant Pokemon, waiting for someone to awaken it with a Sunstone. The largest annual Student Association sponsored event has been named after the statue: Sun God Festival. The statue has become a meeting point for student gatherings, rallies, and events. The statue has also been transcribed onto memorabilia for the campus: coffee mugs and t-shirts.

After seeing the unofficial mascot of the University of California, San Diego, stop by Thumbprint Gallery, on Kline Street in La Jolla, to see colorful lowbrow, contemporary, local art. The gallery is open from 12-4pm Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

UCSD's Stone Poetry

UNDA-Finlay

Many different forms of art cross over and flow from one form to another. Poetry can be translated into paintings; myths are carved into sculptures, and vice versa. Some of the most fascinating pieces of art incorporate two or more artistic forms into one cohesive whole. Ian Hamilton Finlay was a Scottish artist who is well known for his sculpture and poetic writing. In his commissioned sculpture for the Stuart Collection at the University of California, San Diego in La Jolla, Finlay carved poetry into stone, entitled: “UNDA.” Finlay also used the dichotomy of wild nature and controlled culture.

Just north of the playing field between the Humanities building and the Thurgood Marshall College student apartments sit five large, roughly cut, English limestone blocks. On each block the Latin letters V, N, D, A are carved in various orders. A ‘S’ form separates some of the letters indicating that one should transpose the letters it separates. Using this formula, each block reads UNDA. It is a one-word poem repeated over the stones.

This statue was Finlay’s first outdoor sculpture in the United States. It seems to relate the message that all art is connected to nature as closely as this one piece. Simplicity and beauty become one with the environment, making Finlay’s sculpture seem timeless. The use of Latin letters contributes to the classical nature of the sculpture as well. After deciphering and contemplating Finlay’s UNDA poem, visit Thumbprint Gallery, on Kline Street in La Jolla, to see more art by local artists. The gallery is open from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

Source:

http://stuartcollection.ucsd.edu/artists/finlay.shtml

La Jolla Snake Makes One Pause for Thought

Snake Path-Smith

They say ignorance is bliss. However, through curiosity, through study, through knowledge does one truly find oneself. It is a theme that has been discussed in countless texts, including the Bible. Artists and authors have toyed with the boundaries of moralistic stories related to the theme of knowledge and sin. The Stuart Collection at the University of California San Diego in La Jolla has their own piece that explores this idea: “Snake Path” by Alexis Smith.

The path is constructed of colored hexagonal slate tiles that create the scales of a serpent. The body of the snake makes a 560-foot, winding path, with its head and tongue leading the pedestrian to the Geisel Library. The snake wraps its body around part of the concrete walkway. Coils of the tail create small circular gardens. One of the gardens is representative of the Garden of Eden with pomegranate and other fruit trees. A bench in the garden is inscribed with a quote from Thomas Gray: "Yet ah why should they know their fate/When sorrow never comes too late/And happiness too swiftly flies/Thought would destroy their Paradise/No more, where ignorance is bliss, tis folly to be wise." A large granite book sits beside the Snake Path with a quote from Milton’s Paradise Lost: “And wilt thou not be loath to leave this Paradise, but shalt possess a Paradise within thee, happier far."

The connections of the snake, the garden, and the book are clear. The Snake Path leads students and pedestrians, around the garden, towards the knowledge held within Geisel Library. The Snake Path may also allude to the growth of the students, their development, and preparation for the “real” world.

The Snake Path is a meditative walk, allowing one to think about the meanings and ideas behind its construction, and location. To learn more about contemporary, lowbrow, and local art in La Jolla, visit ThumbprintGallery on Kline Street. The gallery is open Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Source:
http://stuartcollection.ucsd.edu/artists/smith-a.shtml

An Impressionist Take on La Jolla

California Coast

The history and tradition of art in La Jolla is long and filled with extremely talented individuals. Maurice Braun was an influential impressionist painter who worked in La Jolla and around San Diego for a great part of his life. His artwork is said to have captured the life and light of Southern California in ways other artists could not. Braun also became a prominent person in the La Jolla artistic community.

Braun was born in 1877 in Hungary. His family immigrated to the New York when he was four years old. He studied fine arts at the National Academy of Design. In 1909, Maurice moved to San Diego, drawn by the landscape and the Point Loma Theosophical Society. A year later Braun founded the San Diego Academy of Art. Braun was a founding member of the La Jolla Art Association. He split his time between the East and West coasts for several years after that, painting wherever he could. In 1929 he joined the Contemporary Artists of San Diego.

The plein-air paintings of Maurice Braun shone a spotlight on San Diego, and more specifically, La Jolla. “The Jewel” shines bright and sun-drenched in his seascapes. His other landscapes fully grasp the feeling and atmosphere of the hills and trees around San Diego. Some of these landscapes could be compared to Monet’s Haystacks. It is no wonder that Maurice Braun is considered to be one of the most influential painters of his time.

Maurice Braun’s impact on the La Jolla artistic community lives on in the La Jolla Art Association and the San Diego Academy of Art. To learn more about the local art community, visit Thumbprint Gallery on Kline Street in La Jolla. The gallery is open Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 12-4pm.

Source:

http://www.sandiegohistory.org/journal/v54-4/pdf/v54-4Stern.pdf

http://mauricebraun.com/

La Jolla's Beauty Draws in Artists

Balboa Park: California Tower from Alcazar Garden, Alson Clark

California draws all kinds of people to its shores. The inland landscapes offer a wealth of interesting views and sights, while the coast is always marveled for its amazing vistas. These panoramas entice landscape artists to come and practice their art. One of the more nomadic artistic individuals, Alson Skinner Clark, spent most of his summers in the 1920s traveling the California coastline between Laguna Beach, San Diego, and La Jolla.

Clark was born in Chicago. He began his art career taking classes at the Art Institute of Chicago at the age of 11. After his public education, Clark attended many prestigious art schools in the United States as well as in Europe: the newly formed school of William Merritt Chase in New York, Académie Carmen in Paris with the atelier of James Abbott McNeill Whistler, Académie Delecluse with Alphonse Mucha, and studied painting during his travels to France, Holland, and Belgium. He moved to Pasadena after serving as an aerial photographer in World War I.

Clark’s French impressionistic style and exceptional rendering skills made him wildly popular. His paintings of the San Diego mission and of Balboa Park evoke a calm emotion from the viewer. These works brought much attention to the beauty of San Diego and La Jolla. Clark also painted extravagant murals in Los Angeles and Pasadena. In 1921, Clark became a teacher at the Stickney Memorial School of Art.

The inspirational effects San Diego and La Jolla have on artists continue to this day. The local art community of La Jolla has grown to embrace a wide range of art including contemporary, urban, and lowbrow genres. To see more local art visit Thumbprint Gallery on Kline Street in La Jolla. The gallery is open Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 12pm to 4pm.

Source: 

http://www.sandiegohistory.org/journal/v54-4/pdf/v54-4Stern.pdf

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alson_S._Clark

http://alsonclark.com/

'Standing' in the Stuart Collection: Kiki Smith's Statue at UCSD

Kiki Smith’s fascination with the body and skin as both protective yet fragile began in the 1970’s. Her emphasis on the human body and its functions defied traditional distinctions between public and private subject matter. When she began her Stuart Collection project, her ideas evolved in relation to the site between the Medical Teaching Facility and the Basic Sciences Building on the UCSD campus in La Jolla.

Smith decided to put a body on top of a classic pedestal to show the importance of the human body but later evolved into putting a body on a cast of a tree trunk. A dead eucalyptus tree was located on campus and removed to be cast in concrete. The many insect paths under the bark of the tree immediately interested Smith and were included on the final product.

The figure for "The Standing" was cast from a live model and calls forth thoughts of human strength and fatality, and both the power and limits of medicine. The figure produces a feeling of serenity. The calming sound of the water and hummingbirds that drink out of the hands creates a quiet intimacy. The arms reach downward towards the earth in a Madonna-like pose. Water flows from her hands into the rocks that line the bottom of the tree trunk. The starfish-like pins on her chest, which make up the astrological sign for Virgo plays on the word virgin, to emphasize the Madonna-like pose. The tree trunk itself, filled with the paths of insects, which could have caused its demise, creates an image of life and death.

After seeing "The Standing," stop by Thumbprint Gallery, on Kline Street in La Jolla, to learn more about contemporary and urban art!

Source: http://stuartcollection.ucsd.edu/artists/smith-k.shtml

The Dean of San Diego Painters Leaves Impact on La Jolla

Rocky Arroyo, Charles Fries

All artists need some kind of mentor or instructor. Some San Diego artists were lucky enough to have the tutelage of painter Charles Arthur Fries in the 1890s. Charles Fries's involvement in the San Diego and La Jolla art community was enormous. So much so that he was given the nickname the “Dean of San Diego Painters.”

Charles Arthur Fries was born in Hillsboro, Ohio in 1854. He studied art under Charles T. Webber at the McMicken School of Design. Fries worked at the Cincinnati Commercial Gazette as a staff photographer and illustrator before heading off to Paris and London to witness the impressionist movement. After his return to the United States, Fries began making lithographs for various publishing magazines in Cincinnati.

In 1896 Fries moved his family to San Diego. They lived for several months at the San Juan Capistrano Mission. During that time, Fries’s daughter fell ill, inspiring his moving painting: Too Late. The painting portrays a mourning mother holding her deceased daughter as the doctor stands in the doorway. The painting became a poster ad in countless pharmacies nationwide. Fries's daughter recovered.

Fries became increasingly involved in the artistic community in San Diego and La Jolla. He became a member of the San Diego Art Guild, the Art Association in Laguna Beach, the California Art Club, and the San Diego Contemporary Artists. Charles helped found the La Jolla Art Association and the Fine Arts Gallery of San Diego. He taught and painted in Yosemite, Death Valley, Baja California, and San Diego.

Thanks to the hard work of artists like Charles Arthur Fries, the La Jolla artistic community was given a strong foundation. Today the community of La Jolla continues to encourage the creativity and innovation of local artists. To see what is fresh in the LaJolla art world stop by Thumbprint Gallery on Kline Street. The gallery exhibits works from local artists in the genre of urban and lowbrow art.

Source: http://www.sandiegohistory.org/journal/v54-4/pdf/v54-4Stern.pdf

http://www.sandiegohistory.org/online_resources/fries.html

La Jolla Flora Part of Larger Botanical Collection

Matilija Poppies -Albert Valentien

All art is interconnected. The study and practice of sculpture can improve ones ability to paint, while painting can improve ones photography. It is not unusual for an artist to employ their talent over a spectrum of media. Albert R. Valentien was an established pottery painter before he found a passion for painting flora in La Jolla. His most extensive collection of paintings is in the San Diego Natural History Museum.

Valentien was born in Cincinnati, in 1862, and began his art education at School of Design at the University of Cincinnati. His favorite study was pottery decoration and he became so proficient that by 1881 he was hired as the chief decorator at Rookwood Pottery. He remained the chief decorator for over twenty years. Albert and his wife, Anne, went to Paris for a while so Anne could study sculpture from Rodin. Albert submitted some of his work to the Universal Exposition of 1900 and won the Gold Medal for his pottery decoration.

In the spring of 1903, the Valentiens traveled to San Diego to visit family. They fell in love with the beauty of La Jolla and San Diego and decided to stay. Albert discovered a passion for painting flowers and produced 130 paintings of the local plants. These paintings are now a part of the Cincinnati Art Museum. Not long after, Ellen Browning Scripps, La Jolla resident and philanthropist, commissioned Albert to paint the entirety of the California flora. The commission took nearly ten years to complete and required that the couple travel all around the state collecting specimens. In all, Albert Valentien painted 1,200 pieces. The collection was donated to the San Diego Natural History Museum.  

The collection is one of the largest by any one artist on a single subject. Valentien truly captured the beauty of the local natural flora. For more information on local art in La Jolla, visit Thumbprint Gallery on Kline Street. The gallery is open Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 12-4pm. 

Source: http://www.sandiegohistory.org/journal/v54-4/pdf/v54-4Stern.pdf

http://botanicalillustration.blogspot.com/2009/11/california-legacy-of-albert-r-valentien.html

Foreign Artists Find Home in La Jolla

Monterey Coat, Franz Anton Bischoff

It does not take more than a few minutes to take in the view of the California coast to comprehend why so many artists paint there. The rocky shoreline of La Jolla combined with the special light quality that only Southern California has creates a kind of aesthetic magic that is almost irresistible. With this in mind, it is perfectly understandable why artists like Alfred Mitchell and Franz Anton Bischoff traveled so far from home to settle in sunny California!

Franz Anton Bischoff was born in Austria in 1864. He was trained as a fine porcelain painter before coming to the United States in 1885. Over the next twenty years, Bischoff established himself as the foremost china painter in America. In the 1920’s Bischoff moved to Southern California where he took up landscape painting. He traveled the coast, painting La Jolla, San Diego, Laguna, Monterey, and parts of Palm Springs.

Alfred Mitchell began his artistic career in 1913 at the San Diego Academy of Art under Maurice Braun. Two years later, Mitchell won the silver medal at the Panama-California Exposition in San Diego. After studying more in his hometown of Philadelphia at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Alfred traveled across Europe in 1921. Mitchell returned to San Diego and took an active role in the local art community. In 1929, Mitchell became a founding member of the Associated Artists of San Diego. He also was an important figure in the early years of the Fine Arts Gallery of San Diego and the La Jolla Art Association. 

This pattern of artists finding a new home in San Diego and La Jolla continues to this day. The beauty of the area is one draw, certainly, but the thriving local art community contributes as well. To learn more about local art in La Jolla and the Southern California area, visit Thumbprint Gallery on Kline Street in La Jolla. The gallery exhibits works by lowbrow and urban artists and is open Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 12pm to 4pm.

Source: http://www.sandiegohistory.org/journal/v54-4/pdf/v54-4Stern.pdf

http://www.sandiegohistory.org/journal/2001-3/mitchell.htm

http://www.franzbischoff.com/

ANOTHER Artwork at La Jolla's UCSD

Price Center East. 'Another' on the left wall.

Barbara Kruger is everything that might be thought of when the subject of “crossover” artists is brought up.  Besides being a world-class photographer, she has been a critic, curator, writer and designer.  She was also a teacher at UCSD in La Jolla before joining the faculty at UCLA.

Krugers’s best-known work is the overlying of captions onto photographs.  Many of these works are very quirky and deal with feminist ideas.  One of her works she is well known for is “I SHOP THEREFORE I AM” which is a take on Descartes’ “I think therefore I am.”  

On the large interior wall of Price Center East, Kruger’s ‘Another’ dominated. A massive double image of clocks which contains the following phrases: ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER NIGHT, ANOTHER IDEA, ANOTHER DREAM, ANOTHER SONG, ANOTHER FEAR, ANOTHER JOB, ANOTHER EXAM, ANOTHER SMILE, ANOTHER BOOK, ANOTHER SWEATER, ANOTHER CAR, ANOTHER LOVE, ANOTHER LIFE. The words, which sporadically cover the clocks, suggest the moments that can happen at any time of the day or night. There are also two LED displays that show news stories to further suggest how our lives are culturally infected, constructed, and contained.

The clocks on the wall are extended to the floor by the use of terrazzo rectangles placed throughout the area. These colored blocks contain quotes from well-respected figures in the worlds of both the arts and sciences. The expansiveness of the wall and floor anchor the area with powerful images and, with the texts, create a space of visual pleasure, comfort, and relevancy.

Barbara Kruger is an internationally respected artist. She had an exhibition at the LA Museum of Contemporary Art in 2000, the Museum of Contemporary Art in La Jolla in 2005, received the Leone d'Oro for lifetime achievement at the 2005 Venice Biennale, and has done installations around the world.  She taught at UCSD for five years before joining the faculty at UCLA.

For more information on contemporary art in La Jolla, visit ThumbprintGallery on Kline Street. The gallery is open Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 12-4pm.

Source: http://stuartcollection.ucsd.edu/artists/kruger.shtml

La Jolla's Angel: Ellen Browning Scripps

Ellen Browning Scripps

San Diego has been home to many famous and influential people. As fortune would have it, several of these people decided to share their wealth with the population, enabling the surrounding communities to grow and flourish into cultural centers. La Jolla has had the extreme luck of being the beneficiary of philanthropist Ellen Browning Scripps. Along with other gifts, Ellen Scripps donated the first public park near La Jolla Cove and the Torrey Pines State Park.

Ellen Browning Scripps was born on October 18, 1836, in Cleveland, Ohio, to newspaper tycoon Edward Willis Scripps. Ellen was the only one of her family to attend college. She was not given any money towards her education, and paid for it by becoming a teacher. In 1856 she was admitted to the Female Collegiate Department at Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois. Diplomas were not given to women, but in 1870, when the college became co-ed, Ellen was awarded a Doctorate of Letters from Knot College.

She moved to La Jolla in 1897 after having a house built on the coast. When Ellen’s father died, she inherited a large amount of wealth. Ellen decided to hold the money “in trust” for humanity. Much money from her father’s will was given to the Scripps Institute of Oceanography. Ellen donated to the Scripps Memorial Hospital, the Scripps Research Clinic, and founded Scripps Hospital and Scripps Metabolic Clinic. She also gave generously to Scripps Cottage at San Diego State University, the Bishop’s School, and founded the La Jolla Public Library.

Ellen Browning Scripps commissioned 1,200 watercolor paintings of California flora by artist Albert R. Valentien, which she donated to the San Diego Museum of Natural History after her death.  Her own home was designed by Irving Gill in 1915, became what is now the La Jolla Museum of Contemporary Art.

The legacy of Ellen Browning Scripps allowed to the community of La Jolla to become a cultural and artistic hub. To learn more about the continuing artistic tradition of local artists, visit Thumbprint Gallery on Kline Street in La Jolla. The gallery is open Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 12pm to 4pm.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellen_Browning_Scripps

http://www.sandiegohistory.org/journal/v54-4/pdf/v54-4Stern.pdf

Red Shoe by Elizabeth Murray

The Stuart Collection took a bold move by asking New York based artist Elizabeth Murray to construct her first freestanding sculpture. Murray, who was mainly known for painting at the time, was slowing moving away from traditional painting on canvas toward something that became increasingly three dimensional. She soon jumped at the chance of constructing her first sculpture in a grove of eucalyptus trees near the theater and drama department on UCSD, campus in La Jolla.

Murray’s work is characterized by the use of everyday objects such as shoes, cups, and saucers but adding a twist to show movement. Murray would construct what would come to be known as the Red Shoe in 1996, in her New York studio. The work was to challenge the boundaries of traditional painting. Robert Storr, Dean of the Yale University School of Art, stated, "Reason presides over universities; it remains for artists to give substance to those areas of consciousness that reason has not and perhaps cannot articulate." The Red Shoe brought life to the formerly forgotten and dull corner of campus by adding a touch of color and motion. The artwork invokes a fairly-tale like narrative and brings about a childlike feeling of whimsy. The playfulness and mischief is exactly what Elizabeth Murray aimed to bring to mind.

Murray lived in New York until her untimely death in 2007. She was a recipient of the MacArthur Foundation Fellowship in 1999, and in 2005 The Museum of Modern Art, New York, created a major exhibition of her work. The Red Shoe can still be found on the UCSD campus in La Jolla off of Torrey Pines Road.
 
After visiting the statue, drop by Thumbprint Gallery, on Kline Street, to see more contemporary art. The gallery is open Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 12-4pm.

Source: http://stuartcollection.ucsd.edu/artists/murray.shtml

La Jolla's Athenaeum Starts Fall with Parisian Pizzaz

Galas are considered a socialite event, filled with gowns, proper grammar, and exquisite food. La Jolla’s Athenaeum Music and Arts Library Annual Gala should be no different. The Gala is famous for its spectacular venue, theme, food, and decorations. The theme for this year’s gala is "Midnight in Paris," which should prove to be incomparable to other galas of years past.

The Gala features a gorgeous French dinner catered by the La Jolla Hyatt Regency. Following the dinner there will be live entertainment and dancing. It is customary for guests to dress the part, and the costumes should prove to be wonderful! A reconstructed Le Marche aux Puces, the famous Parisian flea market, provides an ambient area for guests to meander.

The Gala is the Athenaeum’s largest annual fundraiser. Proceeds from the gala and silent auction go to the Music and Arts Library to support their mission. The Athenaeum is Southern California’s only membership only library and is the oldest cultural institution in La Jolla. The event takes place on September 8, 2012 at the Athenaeum Music and Arts Library in La Jolla. Tickets are $200, for general admission, or $300. Admission includes valet service, open bar, dinner, dancing, and live entertainment.

Also, while in La Jolla further enrich your cultural experience by visiting Thumbprint Gallery on Kline Street, in La Jolla, only three blocks from the Athenaeum Music and Arts Library, to learn more about local artists. The art gallery in La Jolla is open Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 12-4pm.

Source: http://www.lajollabythesea.com/arts-and-culture/arts-calendar/2012/09/08/athenaeum-annual-gala-midnight-in-paris 

Aricca Market Brings a Taste of Italy to La Jolla

Foodies everywhere are always on the hunt for the next best item to blow their palatal minds. Aricca Market, on Girard Avenue in La Jolla, offers a wide range of high-quality ingredients for food-lovers everywhere. The market was founded by Robert Pascucci and Stephanie Savchuk, and opened on June 14. The two share a passion for food and, after being exasperated at having to travel to several markets for ingredients, decided to open a one-stop-shop for Italian gourmet items.

Aricca Market boasts an impressive selection of imported and local goods. All the pasta is made fresh, on-premises, daily, with specialty pastas including beer and pretzel spaghetti. They also have a wide range of Italian imported dried pasta. All meat products are acquired from local producers or are imported from Italy and Spain. They have 23 different types of meat to choose from, allowing for limitless creativity when cooking. Cheese is an Aricca pride, and they are adding more types of cheese to their stock all the time. Aricca endeavors to create an environment where people can come and try new things but still have the items they love on hand. This market isn’t just for professional chefs; it is for regular people who want to experience real Italian food at home without hours of preparation.

Once you have sated your palate with delicious food, satisfy your visual senses with local contemporary art at Thumbprint Gallery, on Kline Street in La Jolla. The La Jolla art gallery is open Wendesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 12-4pm.

Sources: 

http://lajolla.patch.com/articles/ariccia-italian-market-brings-an-italian-flavor-to-la-jolla-cheese-meat-wine-pasta-san-diego

http://www.aricciamarket.com/index.php

Iceland Finds Musical Instruction in La Jolla

Despite it’s cold climate and small population, Iceland is emerging as a hot center for new and experimental music. Several graduate students and alumni from UCSD's Department of Music, in La Jolla, are natives of Iceland, and many return there to present concerts in the country’s capital of Reykjavik—population 120,000.

“Cultural life is very important here and the number of musical events taking place every week is very high, especially considering the size of the city,” says composer Ulfar Haraldsson, an Icelandic native who earned his Ph.D. in composition at UCSD in 2000, and is now a member of the music faculty at the Iceland Academy of the Arts.

Flutist Berglind Tomasdottir, who is working toward her masters in performance at UCSD in La Jolla, says that contemporary music in Iceland suffers from being an isolated academic art form, as it does almost everywhere. She adds, “But we have indie pop megastars like Björk and Sigur Rós whose diverse, exploratory music has an impact on the whole music scene.” Tomasdottir’s dissertation reflects her fascination with her country’s music. “I’m exploring Iceland’s national identity as it is presented in the music of Björk and Sigur Rós,” she says. Tomasdottir’s fellow Icelander Anna Thorvaldsdottir completed her Ph.D. in composition at UCSD last fall. “We are still at an early stage in shaping the history of Icelandic music,” she says. She is already making her mark in Reykjavik, where her piece “Aeriality” was commissioned by the Iceland Symphony Orchestra and premiered there last November.

UCSD La Jolla composer and music faculty member Rand Steiger has mentored several generations of Icelandic composers, including Haraldsson and, in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Haukur Thomasson and Hilmar Thordarson. He says, “Sometimes it seems as if I’ve taught a significant portion of the entire population of Reykjavik.”

University of California San Diego is a cultural center for arts and music. The thriving artistic community in La Jolla allows for a nurturing environment for artists of all kinds. The growth of contemporary music and arts in the area brings people from all over the world to study and learn. The learn more about contemporary, and local, art in Southern California visit Thumbprint Gallery on Kline Street, in La Jolla. The La Jolla art gallery is open Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 12-4pm.

Source: http://ucsdmag.ucsd.edu/magazine/vol9no2/waves/article9.htm

Sound Designer Learns His Trade at UCSD in La Jolla

Martin Lopez is sort of like the guy from Police Academy that can reproduce any sound.  He has done it all from the roar of Godzilla, to the sound of Spider-Man’s web slinging, and everything in between. Yet nothing Lopez learned from University of California San Diego in La Jolla could have prepared him for the challenge of making sounds for some of the movies he has worked on. There was no class to teach him the sound a killer tomato might make.

While attending school in La Jolla Lopez was originally hoping to become a doctor, but 4 ½ years later he ended up graduating with a degree in Communications/Visual Arts and the intention of being a cinematographer. His first credited work was as sound designer for the sequel to the cult hit, Attack of the Killer Tomatoes. He tried his hand at writing soon after but abandoned that to focus mainly on sound work.

         

Lopez was hired on as a sound director from the 1998 remake of Japanese monster flick Godzilla. This new Godzilla was to be a completely new monster but was to still pay homage to the original. Lopez built a 6-foot artificial lung to create the sounds of the monster’s breathing. This was said to be the most realistic way to produce the breathing of a creature the size of a building. Sounds had to be made for when the monster jumped, ran, climbed and everything else a prehistoric beast might do. Maybe the time studying to be a doctor at UCSD helped a little bit in this case.

In just over two decades Lopez has managed to work on over four-dozen diverse movies ranging from action films like Karate Kid to documentaries like Michael Jackson’s This Is It. As a sound designer and sound effects editor, he is responsible for creating all of the non-dialogue and non-music sound elements for use in a film to enrich or enhance the film. Lopez is scheduled to start on a thriller called Broken City, starring Russell Crowe, and he is looking forward to the challenge of a new genre.  He still credits finding his voice from his time at UCSD in La Jolla.

Music, arts, and theater are a fundamental part of UCSD’s educational focus. The support of UCSD and the surrounding La Jolla community allows for students like Lopez to explore their self-expression and turn their art into a career. To learn more about contemporary art in La Jolla, visit Thumbprint Gallery on Kline St., open 12-4pm Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday.