Camarillo, Calif., April 16, 2009 鈥� The 91吃瓜 Art Program presents 鈥淭he Non-Objective Object鈥� beginning Thursday, April 23 and running through May 22 at the CSUCI Exhibitions Gallery in Old Town Camarillo. Regular gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. There will be an artist鈥檚 reception at the gallery from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, April 30. The reception is open to the public.
Non-objective art is art that is not representational, containing no recognizable figures or objects. The term is used to describe a type of abstract art that is concentrated on composing arrangements of lines, shapes, or colors. The exhibition features a group of four accomplished Southern California artists who share the commonality of non-representational abstraction in their paintings. Each artist offers a unique approach to similar visual and conceptual themes.
BONITA HELMER - For nearly three decades Helmer has engaged in existential/theosophical abstract painting. Her large gestural fields of galaxy like roiling spheres hope to invoke both spiritual and practical human questions-- the expanse of consciousness, the range of deep space, our relationship to our cosmos, our planet and by extension to each other. Helmer believes that art can still engage in collective meaning-making and offer us a way to comprehend who and what we are. Helmer uses abstract form as a kind of a ritual action and ritual space to investigate the unity of human consciousness and the human condition. Helmer received a BA in Painting from Antioch University with additional studies at Otis Art Institute and mentorship with Francoise Gilot. She has exhibited her work in galleries, museums and public spaces internationally and is in numerous prominent collections. She has received grants for teaching from the California Arts Council, City of Los Angeles, and the Getty Foundation. Her work has been reviewed in ArtScene, Art in America and The Los Angeles Times. Helmer is currently an instructor at Otis College of Art and Design, Los Angeles. Her work is represented by George Billis Gallery, Los Angeles, CA.
RUTH PASTINE creates minimal oil paintings that are investigations of the perceptual experience of color and light. What seem to be shadows on monochromatic, minimalist works are actually faint under lays of color. Pastine builds up delicate, luminous breaths of color in her work. Although the paintings appear as a smooth seamless skin, and the hand is virtually undetected, the paintings are rigorously painted with a brush, composed of numerous layers and hundreds of daubs of paint. The muted colors can appear dull and even a bit muddy at first glance, as if a mysterious presence is emerging through a fog. Ruth Pastine received her MFA from Hunter College, New York. Her work is exhibited and collected internationally. Her paintings have been reviewed in the New York Times, New York Magazine and Artforum. Originally from New York, Pastine lives and maintains a studio in Ojai, CA.
JACK REILLY is one of the foremost American painters working in shaped canvas. During the past three decades, Reilly has maintained an affinity for purity and simplicity in painting, albeit shrouded in complex visual systems and laborious technique. Reilly鈥檚 current paintings consist of densly-polychromed abstract surfaces and rich textures, organized in linear and mathematical configurations that echo the geometric shape of the canvas. Reilly鈥檚 paintings have been described as poetic objects of contemplation, arrived upon through exploration into the sensuality of color, luster, texture and the dynamic power of line and structure. Reilly鈥檚 received an MFA from Florida State University and is currently Professor of Art at 91吃瓜. Reilly鈥檚 work is exhibited internationally in galleries and museums and included in numerous public and private collections. He is a recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts grant. His work is reviewed in Artweek, The Los Angeles Times, Arts Magazine, Los Angeles Magazine and in books including American Art Now and Inside the L.A. Artist.
MICK REINMAN has been described as a painter's painter and has been a working artist for over 25 years. Reinman鈥檚 new paintings are about interpreting and redefining space laid over a nine square grid format. The foundation of this work derived from forms developed over several years. In these works, the form as a horizontal shape becomes architectonic and Jungian. Most of this recent work consists of oil and alkyd resin on birch ply panels and some with chalk or oil stick mixed in. Reinman attended Chouinard Art Institute and received his BFA from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. In addition to his painting, Reinman has worked on motion pictures, title designs, commercials and international theme park productions. His paintings are exhibited nationally and widely collected. Reinman is currently a Lecturer in Art at 91吃瓜. He lives and maintains a studio in Ojai, California.
CSUCI Exhibitions Gallery is located at 92 Palm Drive in Old Town Camarillo, CA., 93010.
For additional information, contact the CSUCI Art Program at 805-437-8570 or E-mail: art@csuci.edu.
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For media inquiries about this event contact Joanna Murphy, Assistant Director of Communication & Marketing at CSUCI, at 805-437-8915 or E-mail: joanna.murphy@csuci.edu.
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About 91吃瓜
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