Lazy Susan Part 3: Go Figure, a series of exhibitions highlighting figurative artists and their relationship to the historical art fabric of Los Angeles, is now on display at the GCC Art Gallery
A lazy susan is a party dish — with compartments for condiments, which spins around in the middle of the dinner table. This name perfectly fits with this exhibition.
Mahara T. Sinclaire, who is the curator of the exhibition and one of the featured artists said, “I chose this name as a metaphor because I have various artists, and they all are spinning around this theme. I think it gives a loose framework when you say that artists orbiting around this theme.”
The artists don’t have to be spot on with the theme. That is why the idea of a lazy susan ideally matches this type of exhibition. They are related, but they are not exactly the same. All the artists use the same style, yet their work is unique.
The main theme of this exhibition is L.A. artists who use the human figure in the surface of their ideas. Artists use a figure as a base for abstraction. The featured artists are: Judie Bamber, F. Scott Hess, Gegam Kacherian, Jim Morphesis, Mahara T. Sinclaire and Eloy Torrez.
Bamber uses a figure as an entryway into a world of unexpected terrain. F. Scott Hess is noteworthy for his exceptional figuration and paint handling.
Kacherian’s works evoke a strange world of a surreal and fantastic nature. Torrez lightens the Latino perspective in his works. Morphesis uses the human figure expressively as well.
The most unique artwork is “Slick,” made by Sinclaire in 2010 in response to the to the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill when British Petroleum’s (BP) Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded. That explosion led to a disaster in the ocean and enormous pollution.
In her artwork, Sinclaire expressed her feelings and emotions regarding this issue. She was so disgusted at the non-stop polluting and nothing seemed to stop it, so she tried to paint her feeling of revulsion.
“In my piece, I use the figure as an opportunity to talk about issues the oil spill, or just how it feels to be a part of society. There is a lot of psychological feeling,” said Sinclaire.
The leading artwork of this exhibition is “To Be Continued” by Eloy Torrez, 2009.
Torrez has long participated in the L.A. art scene, highlighting and honoring Latino personalities who have contributed to the fabric of Los Angeles and Hollywood’s legacy.
This piece is named so, because it is just the first half of Torrez’s artwork. The artist keeps working on this series of paintings and might add two paintings or more, it is “ to be continued.”
This painting has a deep cultural theme. His work has a lot of symbolism as well as mythology in it.
These L.A. artists all share a belief that the figure is an effective tool to express their ideas and feelings.
The accent of the artwork is really figuration in the surface, but also sort of a surrealism in some way. The artists all use the method toward different ideas.
Lazy Susan Part 3: Go Figure runs through Oct. 17.
