Susan J. Osborn: Love of Life and Art

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Susan J. Osborn says that her “fascination with details, happenings, the wonder of it all, and a deep love for heritage” inspires her art. Working in drawing, painting, assemblage, and mixed media, her varied aesthetic matches her wide-ranging inspiration. “My love of life inspires my work,” she asserts. “And my observation as to what has evolved over fifty years in this world.”

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Osborn began her career “s a magical realism painter, “most often reflecting sacred and feminist themes,” she relates. “But I soon found that drawing in oil pastel allowed me to show more energy, gesture, and movement  – and retain the vivid colors of my ideas in less time.” The vibrant color she creates with pastels serves her in good stead with many of the images she shapes, which often have a setting or vibe that feels lush and tropical. Her “Beach Chat,” above, is an example of this, the colors radiant, the setting as relaxed as a visual vacation.

According to the artist, “The ‘tropical’ feel in some of my drawings must come from the plants around me. I love to hike, camp, and be outdoors. My work can also be very Southwest at times.”  That setting is visible in works such as her painting “Parade of Tarantulas,” below. But no matter what the setting or subject, its the color Osborn uses that rivets the viewer’s attention.

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Even as she gravitated from paint to oil pastels as a medium, she taught herself to work in others. Afterall, she relates, she was teaching eleven different art subjects to high school students, and needed to prepare her curriculum quickly.  

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Still, it wasn’t until the 2007 passing of her father that her interest in working with assemblage began. “I found that assembling the objects from my childhood home, and those memories of my parents, helped me move beyond the grief by giving new life to objects of the past,” she says. 

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Osborn is nothing if not an artistic chameleon. “I have the urge to work with more oil pastel, drawing over digital photo transfers of Southern California life,” she asserts. “Of course my work in assemblage continues, and I hope to work larger and more abstractly.”

With all her work, she describes it as evolving from “a bit of born ‘craziness’ that is a natural genetic way of seeing. This gets combined with formal training in the arts and years of practice; ideas are constantly swimming in my head from what I feel, see and do.”  

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When it comes to her work with assemblage, Osborn also finds that the materials themeslves inspire what she does with them. “I go to estate sales, resale shops, garage sales, and find things by the road. If something unusual pops out for me I have to grab it,” she attests. “The object becomes my muse and tells me what objects go with it.  I lay things in groups around the studio that eventually create the finished piece.”  The result: works that are often whimsical, as she shapes dancing musical figures from what was once dinnerware and wire, or creates what she calls the “Spoon Altar Piece,” above, which has a religious iconography to its design.

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Turning again to her work in pastels, she has both figurative and more abstract works, as with her “Blue Agave,” above; the pastel rainbow still easily recognizable as agave leaves, which she colors as if the plant was blessed by the sunrise.

She says she always has three works in progress,  no matter what the medium or color palette. Of the latter, she says “I have always felt I was a ‘colorist’,” regardless of some of her more monochromatic works, which she feels may have arisen in part from teaching students black and white photography. As to her assemblages, “I can only attribute these differences to the medium being used,” she explains, saying that in her work, “oil pastel and paint are very vivid, while assemblage is made to look old and rusty.”

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New pastel work by Osborn, above, “Under the Umbrella.”

With all of her work, what viewers feel from experiencing it the most important thing to Osborn, describing her hope that they will “giggle and smile when they bring their experiences to viewing the work, and that those experiences will resound with what I have put in it.” She wants that connection with her viewers, so that they “can relate with wonder to the joy, color, and energy of the drawings, or the humor and nostalgic memories of the assemblages.”

Osborn will be exhibiting new works throughout the Southland in coming months. Her Paissanos/USA show will be held this November through July, 2019 at The Consul of Mexico in San Bernadino. “I’m excited my art is on the invitation,” she enthuses. She will also have work in a Paisanos Mexico/U.S. exhibition at the State Center for the Arts in a variety of locations across the border, from Rosarito Beach, where it is presently displayed, to Mexicali next summer.

 

Osborn will also be exhibiting in Women: Artists and Poets at the Lyceum Theater Gallery in Horton Plaza in San Diego, November through January; as a part of the Artist Portrait Project, in San Diego’s Central Library Art Gallery; followed by Artwalls O’side at O’side bakery in Oceanside. She starts off 2019 with an exhibition at The Front Porch Gallery in Carlsbad, and brings her work to LA with a West Coast Drawing Exhibition at LA Artcore in the early summer.

Don’t miss a chance to see this versatile artist’s rich and delightful work.

Paisanos USA – November 2018 to July 2019 

The Consul of Mexico in San Bernadino, 298 N. “D” Street., San Bernardino

Artist reception: November 29th, 6 p.m.

Women: Artists and Poets, November 15, 2018 to January 8, 2019

Lyceum Theater Gallery, Horton Plaza, San Diego

Artist reception: December 1, 7 – 8 p.m. with poetry reading; a second reading takes place December 6th from 7 to 8 p.m.

The Artist Portrait Project: Fifty San Diego Artists, 2006 – 2016, Dec. 15, 2018-March 14, 2019

Central Library Art Gallery, 330 Park Blvd. San Diego

Artist reception: December 15, 12 – 2 p.m.

Artwalls O’side, December 18, 2018 – February 11, 2019

O’side Bakery, 3815 Mission Avenue, Suite 101, Oceanside

Artist reception: December 18, 7:30 – 9 p.m.

 She Pushes Boundaries, January 13 – March 2, 2019

Front Porch Gallery, 2903 Carlsbad Blvd. Carlsbad

West Coast Drawing Group Exhibit, June 2019

LAartcore, Little Tokyo and Brewery Annex, Los Angeles

 

 

Whew Chile the Ghetto: An Immersive Experience at TAG Gallery

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Los Angeles-based artists Rakeem Cunningham and Ramon Espinosa created a cutting edge series of photographic works, installation, and mixed media last month in their Whew Chile the Ghetto, exhibited in TAG Gallery’s loft space. The space was given to Cunningham – who works as a gallerist at TAG – with no restrictions from gallery’s board. Free to shape a true passion project, together the two created an immersive and fresh look at queer, non-white bodies and viewers interactions with them, and all art.

It sounds like a lot to take on, but the pair shaped a riveting, memorable exhibition literally packed with color, life, and emotion.

The show’s title comes from a much-memed video clip of Nene Leakes walking through the streets of Atlanta while saying “Whew chile! The ghetto!” The phrase has been adapted as a response to a wide range of experiences by younger people of color – and here, by Cunningham and Espinosa to shape the frustration of being a queer person of color in the art world, and their ghettoization within that world.

The result: a vibrant, layered, series of images that sinks in slowly for the viewer and then lingers with a resonant impact. And – a show that’s bright, absorbing, and richly entertaining, too.

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Cunningham relates “The overall idea for this exhibition was exploring the humanity in queer bodies, and in my case, a queer, black body. I really wanted to take the concept and the idea of ‘the ghetto,’ as this space that is actually something to be admired and honored. I grew up in Sylmar and Pacoima in the San Fernando Valley, and these aren’t areas that have art galleries around. The population is largely black and latinx peoples and I wanted to focus in and take what makes that place and ‘the ghetto’ special, and create images and work to uplift that.”

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He adds that once Espinosa came on board, the project expanded to “taking a look at how the art world really condemns and looks down on these spaces. We wanted to uplift the space and our queer family in a way that felt genuine to us, but also allowed us to vent out frustrations with how we’ve been treated in navigating the art world. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen people not take the time to learn how to pronounce the names of artists of color or spell them wrong in emails. I’ve seen black artists work be called ‘primitive,’ and I’ve had my work be downplayed because of where I’m from, or because I didn’t grow up with an arts education. I wanted to say f*&k all of that, and honor and do what I know and love.”

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The vibrant colors and layered look of the exhibition added to the intensity of emotion that the subjects conveyed for the artists. The show was Cunningham’s first in LA, but undoubtedly not his last. “I wanted it to pay homage to my past and present in order to look towards the future,” he asserts.

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Cunningham says he hesitates to tell people what to take away from the show, but he does want viewers to start thinking about who the gatekeepers are for what is considered “‘art with a capital a,’ and how that history has excluded queer artists like myself and Ramon. How that history has excluded black artists, women artists, trans artists, and honestly art from any group that doesn’t fit in the ‘main historical art canon,’ and how that affects marginalized groups.”

In short, those hearing – and seeing – his artistic voice should consider why they haven’t heard it before.

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The artist and curator also asked viewers to consider the value of certain art objects and precisely why some are held in “high esteem.” He wanted the exhibition to allow for the questioning of institutions, life, relationships, and the idea of creating a space in places that artists have contributed to yet felt excluded from.

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Asked his favorite work in the exhibition, Cunningham cites the installation he positioned on the farthest wall of the loft space.  Indeed its layers are rich and varied, and viewers could easily, in a good way, get lost in the dynamics of it. It successfully creates a full world, and a riveting one.

“Installation is a new avenue for me,” he notes, describing the end result as “really getting to see a half used tub of Vaseline juxtaposed next to a copy of Final Fantasy, next to a photograph that took 45 minutes to setup and take – and that’s next to a picture of me on my old basketball team – and the connections go on and on,” he asserts. “There’s literally so much going on that you have to sit with it for a good while to notice certain things. And there’s even things that viewers have pointed out to me that I might not have noticed myself.”

Cunningham refers to the piece as being a “shrine-like clusterf*&k of materials.” He says he loves it because “it’s so messy, like myself. I also really loved Ramon’s work, especially the series of pieces titled to prop because it’s this cheeky response to people saying his work is so precious and needs to be framed,” he explains. “So he literally just painted wood and propped it up as a ‘frame.’  And on top of that, they’re placed in a part of the room where it’s easy to trip over them,” Cunningham laughs. “During the reception a friend of ours got drunk and knocked it over, and we both laughed so hard, because we love work that messes with the viewer.”

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  • Genie Davis; photos provided by Rakeem Cunningham

Dive into “Life in this Ocean” at the Annenberg Community Beach House

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Get ready to dive into Life in this Ocean, an exhibition of artists opening at the Annenberg Community Center this weekend. Co-curated by exhibiting artists Deirdre Sullivan-Beeman and Kathy Taslitz, the exhibition also features work by Donna Bates and Lena Rushing.

A hauntingly beautiful show, the images seem awash in the light and motion of the sea. The Annenberg makes the perfect setting for an exhibition that references the ocean, which addresses themes of female empowerment, community, and culture – as well as offering up a wide range of images and styles.

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History, nature, daydreams all infuse the works, that feature women persevering, struggling, dreaming, and conquoring. Each of the artists offer their own take on the female experience, serving up work as diverse as it is rich. Figurative images range from seaside settings to urban environments; mediums are equally varied.

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Sullivan-Beeman’s delightful modified oil and egg tempera works are infused with a golden aura, alight from within. Exuding both this inner light and a dream-like quality, Sullivan-Beeman’s work is both perfectly figurative and surreal; in her “Seahorse Girl,” the artist creates a lovely, classically clad young woman in conversation with an oversize seahorse opening a treasure chest. As fantastical as the image is, it’s grounded in realism – the treasure is ours for the taking if we believe in ourselves – and our own inner magical seahorse, perhaps. Mystical and alchemic, Sullivan-Beeman’s work is haunting and spiritual – and quintessentially, powerfully feminine.

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The artist has expressed that the “qualities that girls possess” is an inspiration to her. Full of life and power, unafraid, “The era of the girl is now,” Sullivan-Beeman says. Perhaps this belief has never been more powerful than today, as the political and judicial battlefield erupts with #metoo stories. But putting external forces aside, the girls in Sullivan-Beeman’s works also represent the internal aspects of the artist herself, her subconscious, her dreams, demons, and angels. She describes her work as creating every aspect of herself, and painting images that depict each of these aspects or girls within herself.

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“Selfie Esteem” by Kathy Taslitz provides a strong contrast. Here are firmly grounded images of a group of friends facing toward us as if in a selfie; the image is positioned on an aluminum smiley-face emoji on which is superimposed text of visual and character traits. Taslitz says she creates art that explores human interconnection with input from nature and technology. Hers are bold and humorous images, too.

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With “War Paint and Curlers 02,”  Donna Bates gives viewers a look at a woman defiant, ready as is to fight and sustain herself. She can take on the universe if she has to, and win. With a golden crown suspended above her head, a lush heavenly sky behind her, and an apple with one bite in her hand, the image evokes female images from Eve to Snow White. Bates describes her work as speaking to women’s rights and struggles and depicting strong, sexy, powerful “bad-ass chicks.”

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“There’s Always One” by Lena Rushing gives us a delicately rendered woman in pink and white, peering down into a sea in which some very strange pink and white sea creatures are seemingly snapping up at her, allowing her to tame them. Their somewhat phallic shape cannot be a coincidence. Rushing’s work is graceful, precise, and in this work evokes art deco style. 

In short: Sullivan-Beeman and Taslitz are terrific curators – and this is a richly pertinent show as well as a beautiful one.

The Annenberg Community Beach House is located at 415 Pacific Coast Highway, Santa Monica, CA 90402 on the west side of Pacific Coast Highway. For more information including parking details:  https://www.annenbergbeachhouse.com/ 

The exhibition opens Saturday the 29th with a reception from 2 to 4 p.m., the gallery itself stays open until 5:30. An artists talk is scheduled for November 1st.

– Genie Davis; photos provided by the artists 

Gilena Simons: Artist and Local Leader Joins California Heritage Museum Board

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Assemblage artist, entrepreneur, and local business and community leader Gilena Simons has joined the board of the California Heritage Museum in Santa Monica.

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Photo of Simons above, credit Lisa Margolis

Simons, both a longtime-supporter of the arts and history lover, is  a natural fit for the board. “After founding my vintage shop, TATABA on Main Street and moving to Santa Monica, I joined the board of the Main Street Business Improvement Association to help with its mission of building and nurturing partnerships to improve and enhance the quality of work and life in our neighborhood.  Joining the board of the California Heritage Museum seemed a natural next step, both as a way to help fulfill this mission and direct my passion for art and history,” she attests.  “Plus, I live four blocks from the museum and can walk there,” she laughs.

Simons has been involved in the museum for only a few months as a board member, but says she’s already witnessed “significant steps toward a more vibrant museum.  As a board member, my first priority is raising funds so we can provide more community involvement and more frequent exhibits.  We’ve recruited three new board members so far, and are always looking for more passionate, enthusiastic people to further these goals,” she says.

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Above, John Haley watercolor from a recent museum exhibition.

Asked of plans to raise awareness for the museum, she responds  “This interview is one of the ways to raise awareness…  I can’t tell you how many times in the past few months I’ve encountered locals who didn’t know where the museum is or if it’s still open. By strengthening bonds with community associations (OPA) and the merchants on Main Street, we can make the museum more vibrant and accessible to both tourists and locals.”

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The museum, located on Main Street at Ocean Park Blvd., opened in 1979, and is located in an historic 1894 structure that was originally built as a seaside home.

According to Simons, the museum’s programming includes both contemporary local art and exhibits of the culture of California, including surfers, skaters and tattoo artists.  She notes “I am working closely with longtime executive director Tobi Smith to continue to provide quality exhibits that mine the rich fabric of California. In the future, we hope to have more events at the museum including a book club and dance nights,” she adds.

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And speaking of events, the museum’s annual flea market is a well-known one – a month long occasion that’s running now through the 21st of October. The market serves as a major fundraiser for the museum.

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Simons is enthusiastic about the flea market.  “Oh now, you know I love a great flea market! Ours is the best ever and you never know what you will find.  Because it lasts an entire month, the selection changes as more donations are brought in, and so we frequently have repeat visitors scooping up amazing art, books, clothing, jewelry and more.”

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The fundraiser also makes a great time to to “clean out your or your grandmother’s garage and help a very worthy cause,” Simons suggests. “We always accept donations during business hours, which are Wednesday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and we’re a 501c3 organization, making all donations tax deductible.”

Finds at the flea market are varied and unique. “We sold a set of four beautiful stained glass windows to a lovely couple redoing their Craftsman home. We’ve had a unique chess set, great vintage clothes, and doll houses. You never know what you will find – that’s what makes it so much fun.”

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Simons is excited to be on the board, and wants to see the museum grow and thrive. “I want it to be the gathering space it once was, and a true asset to the community.  This all takes time and resources.  Again, we are looking for people passionate about art, history, and, most importantly, fundraising, to make all of this happen,” she says.

Being on the board dovetails with Simons’ own beautiful, evocative dollhouse art. She calls being a part of the museum “a joy.  As an assemblage artist who works with old tiny treasures, I can’t imagine a better fit.  I would love to have a show/sale of them to benefit the museum, so look for that coming soon.”

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Simons relates that “My work deals with history, memory, heritage and not disgarding things. This is all an emotional thing for me in my own personal family drama, the idea that you are treasured then gone. My art is all about providing homes for little things,” she says.

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“We hold onto our little treasures. We may shove them in a drawer but we don’t throw them away. My art is about bringing out those treasures so you can see them and share them. I curate and I edit…to make something beautiful that can be seen every day. That’s where my heart is.”

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Her magical minatures are based on honoring once-treasured vintage items, and her committment to providing new homes for lost or forgotten things.

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Simons recently exhibited some of her work at the Museum of Art and History in Lancaster, and last March held an exhibit at her own shop, TATABA. Currently on hiatus, the highly curated vintage shop will move to its new address at 2914 Main Street in April 2019.

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She’s jubilant to have just received her permit to historically restore renovate her new location. Having purchased the building, she’s excited to create a space that she hopes will have a friendly and communal vibe that fits the community. Once renovations are complete, her new location will house an art gallery featuring underrepresented and local artists – with an emphasis on assemblage art – and a rotating selection of vintage home décor and fashion.

In the meantime, Simons is throwing herself into her new role at the California Heritage Museum, where there’s little doubt she’ll find more historic treasures to cherish and display.

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Above photo, Tim Bomba

The California Heritage Museum is located at 2612 Main Street in Santa Monica. For more information about the museum and its flea market fundraiser, visit www.californiaheritagemuseum.org 

  • Genie Davis; photos provided by artist or credited above