'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

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

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

Zoot Suits Return to La Jolla

When most people think of the 1940’s they envision a scene from Casablanca: with fedoras, trench coats, and perfect makeup. However, Kristin Brandt now sees Zoot Suits. A graduate of UCSD theater program in La Jolla, Brandt returns to direct the retelling of the infamous 1943 “Zoot Suit Riots.” The San Diego Reparatory Theatre play will be taking place at the Lyceum Theater in Horton Plaza until August 12, 2012.

The tale is based on the Sleepy Lagoon Murder Trial in Los Angeles. The play reenacts the scapegoat-ing of Latin youth who dressed in the so-called “Zoot Suits.” The 175 Pachuco were held in custody for various crimes, and the murder was never solved. Rioting ensued across the city, as the Latin people were enraged at the injustice against their youth. Luis Valdez was the first the write the script for this play, which became the first Chicano play on Broadway, in 1979.

The actors of “Zoot Suit Riots” portray the racial tension. The dancing and music are both relevant to the progression of the story and the historical aspects of the time. Music is played by a live band, mixing Latin Jazz and 1940s big band into an upbeat accompaniment for the equally vivacious choreography. Javier Valesco, who has produced dances for the La Jolla Playhouse, the Old globe, and the San Diego Reparatory Theatre, writes both the music and the choreography for “Zoot Suit Riots.”

After seeing the contemporary re-telling of the “Zoot Suit Riots” dive deeper into contemporary artistic expression by visiting Thumbprint Gallery on Kline Street, in La Jolla. The La Jolla art gallery exhibits urban and lowbrow art by local artists and is open 12-4pm Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

Source: http://www.lajollalight.com/2012/07/17/ucsd-alumni-tackle-gritty-swinging-tale-of-zoot-suit-riots/

Dinosoul Comes to Thumbprint Gallery in La Jolla

Many artists explore the concepts of truth, identity, and spirituality through studying the past. Finding inspiration in history can lead to vast leaps in personal development. One artist, Enosh, takes his own creatures on a journey through prehistoric history to find new characteristics and spirituality. The “Crevice Creeps” are re-imagined into dinosaur cross breeds in search of their identity. Enosh will exhibit this solo show entitled “Dinosoul” at Thumbprint Gallery on July 14th.

Enosh graduated from the Art Institute of California, San Diego, in 2003. He has become an important member of local artists community. Enosh utilizes a variety of mixed media; using different kinds of paint and grounds and surfaces. From mixed paint, spray paint, ink, canvas, stickers, and neighborhood walls, Enosh plays with these combinations to create the effects he desires. Enosh’s work can be seen in many places due to his collaborations with local musicians, event promoters, and freelance work. The Crevice Creeps, the characters Enosh created to engage his viewers, personify the human elements of all humans. With these characters, Enosh endeavors to encourage soulfulness and positivity within people of all ages.

The opening reception for “Dinosoul” will take place on July 14th, 2012 at Thumbprint Gallery, at 920 Kline Street #104 in La Jolla. The event will begin at 5pm and run until 10pm. Complimentary beverages will be available. The reception is open to the public and to all ages. The show will be on exhibit until August 5th.