Diversions LA

Urban landscape, urban myths.  Silhouettes of cities, iconic urban landscapes – all mounted together to shape one three-dimensional artwork along a 7″ shelf in the main gallery of South Bay Contemporary’s loft space.

Curator Ben Zask has put together a visually encompassing show at SBC, running through June 26th.  This group sculpture exhibition includes the works of  Sandy Abrams, Scott Aicher, James Allen, Susan Amorde, Kate Carvellas, Mark Clayton, Michael Chomick, Ann Olsen Daub, June Diamond, Anita Dixon, Lauren Evans, Shane Foley, Luis Fournier, Patti Grau, Sylvia Greer, Paul Guillemette, Cie Gumucio, Miriam Jackson, Nicholette Kominos, Carolyn LaLiberte, Connie DK Lane, David Lovejoy, Kristin Marvell, M shortforMelissa, Scott Meskill, Patrick S Quinn, Annmarie Rawlinson, Karrie Ross, Eva Kolosvary Stupler, Ron Therrio, Patrick Tierney, Tres, Nancy Webber, Ann Weber, Jaye Whitworth, Valerie Wilcox, and Monica Wyatt.

Utilizing primarily mixed media and found art materials, while the artists altogether form an incredible exhibition that serves as an ersatz skyline around the perimeter of the cavernous gallery space, each individual work stands alone as a unique creation of a landscape.

Above, curator Ben Zask describes the artwork on exhibit.

Above and below, Cie Gumucio with her piece “The Skyscraper that Dreamed of Being a Tree.” The artist describes the work as depicting the power of longing. “By looking at the tree, the skyscraper changed its shape. This is the piece of my heart,” Gumucio says.

Below, Peggy Sivert Zask with a beautifully poetic horse sculpture, imbued with motion. With powerful pieces focusing on horse imagery, the artist creates vivid art and a mythology rooted in a desire for a better world.

Below, the work of June Diamond.

Diamond says “I was playing with the materials and saw images in my head. After I dreamed about those images I was able to more fully realize the sculptures.” The artist always works intuitively on an organic level with her materials. “In this case, I got a feel for the outlines of the sculpture as I deconstructed the bottles. It was important to me to highlight the tension between the chains and the glass components.”

Diamond consistently works with a variety of materials to create sculptures, large installation pieces, and drawings. Her work stems from what she describes as an intuitive origin and commonality.

The artist’s large installation piece, “Chain,” is curerently on view at the Hollywood Sculpture Garden, curated by Dr. Robby Gordon. Gordon’s garden is situated in the Hollywood Hills below the Hollywood sign.

Other works in Skyline convey a distinctive look at an urban environment.

Or evoke images seen on a city horizon.

Below, artist Sylvia Greer works in cloth, including hand-made felt. “I majored in painting, and this was one of my first felt yarn fibers fine art works with a capitol F. This is what I want to do from now on as my work.” Greer makes her own felt, and enjoys that process as well as creating the layered, ethereal artwork made from it.

Meanwhile,  below, in an adjoining gallery, the work of Michael Freitas Wood springs to life with layered color patterns that reveal their true visual complexity. His “Connections” literally glows like constellations when it is photographed with a flash. Layers of color and pattern reflect the visual complexity of contemporary communications. This is a tremendously involving work.

Above, with a flash, without, below.

Below, second from left, Monica Wyatt’s “San Andreas III” and “San Andreas II” joins a group of outstanding wooden sculptural works. Center, David Lovejoy’s  “You said to meet on the Bridge,” created from salvaged wood and piano parts.

Below, Anne Weber’s “Portal,” draws viewers into an entrance made from found cardboard and polyurethane.

Above, works include pieces by Mark Clayton, Wonder, and Zeen, first and second from left; June Diamond, far right. Middle: two arresting steel and wood sculptures from Scott Meskill.

Above, incredible detail enhances the story of the Wizard of Oz as told by Cie Gumucio.  “If Ever a Wiz There Wuz” evokes the classic story with a tin man made from a mirror slider and multi-colored popsicle sticks as a rainbow. The Emerald City is created from the shards of a broken street lamp, while a coiled spring of a tornado waits above.

Below, curator Ben Zask.

In another adjoining gallery, below, Tracey Weiss creates wonderous sculptures made of PET plastic from plastic water and soda bottles. “I’ve been working for over five years with these pieces. I’ve come from a backgrounds in ceramics.” She explains that she was looking for mixed media material that was available in large quantities with which to shape her work. She found it in the plastic material, which is also difficult to work with. “Everything is stitched together with fishing line. No one else is really using this material because it is so difficult to work with.”

The results are worth the effort: ethereal flowers and spirals cascade in a surreal garden. “I was shocked by how pretty they were. They were created from something that is just trash, something we use and disregard every day,” she says.

In short, whether working magic with discarded plastics or casting a spell that stretches the length of a city skyline, Skyline  and the accompanying exhibits at SBC are a force to be reckoned with.

Skline, Connections, and Pet all run through June in this San Pedro gallery space. Don’t miss.