Take off your earphones and enter the Sulkin/Secant Gallery at Bergamot Station Art Center in Santa Monica, California for LarkGallery’s Portal II exhibition, “Unique Choices” on Saturday, April 6, 2013 from 4:00-8:00 pm. Beware! You will immediately be immerged in conversations of art as the live music flows through the airways.
I believe you will discover as I did, from the political to the profound, these artists from around the world speak a universal language, such as in the painting, “Cyber Magnetic Time Travel” by Inna Sokoloff will which will definitely transport you to another reality.
Sometimes there are mixed messages as found in the work, “Unlocked” by Robert Grad. The locks on the fence are symbols of love, but he chooses to have a Danger sign super imposed over the hopeful gaze of young boy.
There are silent moments like in “Hanoi’s Prayers” by Felice Willat. However at the other end of the spectrum, one can almost hear to various conversations in Night Crowd by Nigel Cooper where some speak while others listen.
The assemblage, “Monument” by David Gardner not only gives you a feeling of being grounded, but also transformed to a different reality. On the other hand, some of these artworks may produce “shock” so to speak, but then there are other works that will will soothe your mind, being “Beach Rocks XII” by Summer Young. Her collages release the negative ions of harmony that can only be found at the seashore.
There is an old phrase and it goes somewhat, “Fireman, Fireman do your duty…” and I am confident viewers, as I did, see the flames leap off the wall in “Fire Speaks” by William Emboden. In my talk with artist Emboden, he said, “Every encounter with art should be confrontational. It should present us with a challenge to come to an understanding of the art, the artists and the intent.” I trust if you stand back, I am certain you will be able to decode their language.
In the work, “Kandinsky Speaks” by Hal Yaskulka, he has captured music in his composition, as well as in “Note Worthy” by Sel Sarkin, who is singing you a song. I was compelled to stay and listen, but as I pan the gallery, I caught up in one of those mental ponders: Was it because of Sel or could it been “Exit” by Irina Chelyapov, that tells you in her work to go, but in reality, I must remain.
In all the works, that is for myself, I was amazed on how the artists are speaking though their media, even though some works are left for interruption, being at first glance, the striking images of Mick Jagger singing by Mark Valinsky and Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull playing the flute; it “rocked” me in the moment with some found memories.
As icing on the cake make our thoughts “water” of the forthcoming savor, I found “DualitySeriesI I” by Francis Scorzelli to capture all the themes and elements of this exhibition, a work that made me want to listen to words/ interruptions of all the artist’s visual poetry masterpieces.
In summary, as our eyes and minds float inside or outside the box, mere visual gratification does not go beyond decoration. Encounters with art should be both stimulating and provocative because I believe it should be mandatory that the viewer to consider the degree of success, or failure, that they see in each work exhibited because the artist presents hers/his ideas and reflections, after all, it is vital one must consider the imagination involved and not hours of labor; thusly, success in the visual arts is often simple, but a powerful statement.
Review by Tony Clark, Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
TCR-LA-Portal of Opportunities-April 2013
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