OP ED: "God, be merciful to me an art critic."

"Two people went up to the temple area to pray; one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector.

The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself, 'O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity--greedy, dishonest, adulterous--or even like this tax collector...

But the tax collector stood off at a distance and would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast and prayed, 'O God, be merciful to me a sinner.'

-Luke 18:10-13

Amen, Amen I say to you, the art critic was right behind the tax collector at that temple. I was able to discuss work with the artists from a recent show extensively. I will make it clear: It takes a lot of courage to bare your soul as an exhibiting artist, but it takes no less courage to look a peer in the face and tell them your honest reaction to their work. Let alone publish it for all to see. Let's react to each other with candor, sparring respectfully and grow as professionals. This paper was meant to elicit a reaction. Thanks to those who have one!

-P. Castellanos

Editorial Response

And some thoughts to artists and art critics concerning their respective work:

“A painting should not be a commentary but the thing itself; not a reflection but light itself; not an interpretation but a thing to be interpreted.” - José Clemente Orozco quoted by Ades

"A work of art is the unique result of a unique temperament. Its beauty comes from the fact that the author is what he is. It has nothing to do with the fact that other people want what they want. Indeed, the moment that an artist takes notice of what other people want, and tries to supply the demand, he ceases to be an artist, and becomes a dull or an amusing craftsman, an honest or dishonest tradesman. He has no further claim to be considered as an artist." - Oscar Wilde, "The Soul of Man Under Socialism"

“There are as many literary associations as spectators. One of them, when looking at a picture representing a scene of war, for example, may start thinking of murder, another of pacifism, another of anatomy, another of history, and so on. Consequently, to write a story and to say that it is actually TOLD by a painting is wrong and untrue.” - José Clemente Orozco “A Note from the Artist,” 1934

"All profoundly original art looks ugly at first." -Clement Greenberg
[example: The Tennis Painting now showing in the Witt Gallery, after awhile it starts to grow on you.]

"I don't know anything about art, but I know what I like." -Galley Burgess

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Art-O-Copia Opening Reception

When: Wednesday, November 21, 2007 6:00pm

Where: Witt Gallery, Kadema Hall

What: Potluck, music, fun, and art! Bring yourself, some food, your friends, and a good attitude!!

"Fear of the Known" Jacob Correa, Sohrab Nahreini

Review #1

One gallery, two artists and a horror movie soundtrack, Fear of the Known, is a journey into the strange and one-dimensional. The presentation of the paintings on canvas, panel and skateboards is well done. It’s the banality of the subject matter that’s disconcerting. Monsters that speak in funny one-liners and teenagers dressed like Eminem. Sculptural works include deformed heads that look like either 1950’s horror film props or exotic produce. The purposefulness and intimacy of Sohrob’s paintings in particular seem to be of the Ex-Voto tradition, only instead of the spiritual they offer a recollection of the bizarre. Besides an ample showing of his Mi Familia tattoo, Jacob’s paintings fuse an urban hip-hop imagery with cute curvilinear forms. Much of his work is finished in the tradition of a steakhouse tabletop and is Windex safe. The richness of the oil paints and the shared love of a tiny brush make for great eye snacking. ENJOYABLE

-P. Castellanos

Review #2

Plenty to look at this week in the Witt, with works from Jacob Correa and Sohrab Nahreini. The show features over 30 pieces of art, mainly oil paintings and several colorful, busts from Nahreini, which look as though they could be found on the cover of a Radiohead album, particularly Politician. The paintings have an eerie quality to them, somewhat surrealistic and bizarre. The music only adds to the mood; tracks from horror movies such as Psycho give a sinister edge. Some of the titles for Nahreini’s paintings are highly amusing, such as Why Did Dad Have Sex With an Oak Tree? or The Work of a Dick. A Head stands out for me, with its slightly holographic look, as does P.O.E., which reminds me of Luz Emergente by Remedios Varo. Correa’s untitled diptych of a night sky with park benches tied to clouds is another standout. The one piece I felt was out of place was Correa’s self-portrait of him tearing his chest open to reveal his heart. It is the most straight-forward piece in the show, and the shiny lacquer on the panel makes it look like something one would find at a novelty shop in Arden Fair, or as a tabletop in a college frat house. All in all, a show worth checking out.

-Susanna Tu

Review #3

Kadema, 06:30am

I was followed by a squirrel. Yes a squirrel.

On my way to peek through the glass doors of the Witt this morning to get a glimpse of the exhibit on display this week: “Fear of the Known,” I was followed by a squirrel. Nose pressed against the glass, I strained to see something, anything. And my trusty acorn-loving companion did the same. (I am not lying)

This absolutely surreal encounter with Marcello (the squirrel) fits in perfectly with the artwork I could make out in the morning light through the Witt’s doors. Colorful skateboard art, framed surrealist looking compositions, the walls of the front gallery feel dreamlike and exciting. The few head sculptures that could be seen remind one of Paul Gauguin’s Self-Portrait inspired by Moche ceramic pieces. What appear to be oil paintings remind me of pop album covers. I hope from what my crack of dawn sneak peek promises, will hold true later this afternoon when I’m able to pass through those glass doors and enter the neo-surrealist world of Jacob Correa and Sohrab Nahreini.

Say hi to Marcello for me if you see him, when I left he was still pressed up against the glass.

iPod suggestion: The Who, RadioHead, “Fear (of the unknown)” by siouxsie & the banshees, or any dance-oriented beat with heavy percussion work.

-C. Castaneda

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"Calacalandia: Somewhere Between Aztlán and Mictlán" Ricardo Favela

Review #1

Color and music fill the Witt gallery this week. Its normally stark white walls accentuate the colorful display of photographs, colored drawings, poster art, newspaper clippings, and sculpture that affirms Chicano cultural identity and social struggle. The artist, the late Ricardo Favela, was a founding member of the RCAF and a beloved member on this campus. This memorial exhibition is a visual timeline displaying the history of Favela’s work in the RCAF and at CSUS. Everything on display is a tribute to his life, including a traditional Dia de los Muertos ofrenda (altar), which pays homage to Favela. "Calacalandia: Somewhere Between Aztlán and Mictlán" converts the sorrow and loss of great man and artist into a celebration and festival honoring his life and his life work.

-C. Castaneda

Viva Favela!

This week the Witt Gallery opens its doors to an exhibit in memory of the late Ricardo Favela, Chicano artist and Associate Professor at CSUS. This week's exhibition features a retrospective of poster art, prints, and sculpture. Favela's work as a poster artist follows a long line of local Chicano artists working with a locally grown but nationally known artist collective RCAF, or Royal Chicano Air Force.

Chicano art arose in the mid 1960's, from a larger political and social movement within the Chicano community to support its political propaganda. Favela's contributions to the Chicano movement are numerous, and his posters touch on a wide range of these Chicano themes: worker's rights, cultural identity, racial equality, and social justice.

Especially interesting is the small collection of sculptural works depicting fellow Chicano activists, "Tapon, Machi y el Negro." These sculptures aptly convey the sense of pride which characterizes so much of Favela's art (and, Chicano art as a whole). From the loose fit of their clothes to their relaxed stance and even their slightly tilted heads, these men portray a pride that is so much a part of Chicano culture.

In addition to his own work, the exhibition features two traditional Dia de los Muertos altars, one created by his wife in his memory, and another, using Favela's own artwork, assembled by RCAF artist Xico Gonzalez.

-JB

Review #3

With Dia de los Muertos around the corner, the homage to Ricardo Favela in the Witt Gallery this week is perfectly fitting. The memorial exhibition features a handful of photographic portraits by Favela, old posters advertising various exhibitions and events, and colorful drawings that are reminiscent of Jose Guadalupe Posada’s calaveras. Like Posada, and Diego Rivera, Favela’s drawings feature animated skeletons, mostly dressed as farm workers and in the middle of labor. Some of the more interesting drawings include one of a skeleton dragging a toilet on top of a child’s wagon while a bird sitting on the skeleton’s head defecates into it. Another features a skeleton dressed in a bright orange executioner’s robe, standing by a guillotine that has a calendar instead of a blade, while a headless skeleton lies beneath. These illustrations are filled with symbolism, while the bright colors and thick outlines give a cartoonish feel, as if they were from a children’s book. A highly recommended show.

-Susanna Tu

Review #4

Political and cultural activism is the sole theme underlying this memorial to a man who has touched the
lives of the Chicano population since the sixties. The gallery portrays over forty years worth of this man’s
art. The work consists partly of posters advertising cultural celebrations, such as The Day of the Dead,
and political moves to boycott key consumer goods. Most of the works portray skeletons working with bones that seem to represent the way society might have viewed the Chicano population, as tools to be used for labor. My first reaction to the gallery “Pablo, What’s going on?!?!”

-Charles Dresser

Review #5

Yes, I have come a long way to nowhere,
unwillingly dragged by that monstrous, technical,
industrial giant called Progress and Anglo success....
I look at myself.
I watch my brothers.
I shed tears of sorrow. I sow seeds of hate.
I withdraw to the safety within the circle of life --
MY OWN PEOPLE

From the poem by Rodolfo Corky Gonzalez, I am Joaquin

In his influential poem Gonzalez struggled to define himself. Ricardo Favela and his contemporaries did the same. With colored pens on paper, with the silk screen and clay, he expressed the state of being Mexican in America, being the descendent of spiritual astronomers and conquistadors.

The twinkle of humor in Favela’s eye shows in his work but don’t be fooled by the children’s book-like images. There’s a lot of symbolism going on. The show itself is presented professionally and the addition of the music makes it a complete experience. Did I hear Reggae?

SEE IT TWICE

-P. Castellanos

Paintings and Drawings by Jayme McGowan

(A day late this week- my apologies!)

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Review #1

Edvard Munch’s Skrik comes to mind as does the effects of MDMA. Intriguing to say the least, Jayme McGowan’s works are something to see. The most present theme seems to be connections. Strings, lace, telephone poles are placed among the myriad of similar faces. Perhaps a poetic suggestion to the interconnectedness found in apparent sameness of humanity or maybe just the result of one crazy trip at LoveFest 2007. This is definitely something to see. Just keep Einstein in mind – and a bit of Scissor Sisters on your iPod, definitely adds to the experience

- B. Plague McLovin , V.P. Hawaiian Correspondent

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Review #2

If you want to see the internal struggles of an artist that constantly cuts away at her soul and fights with inner demons then this is a must see. McGowan's abstract self portraits manage to tear out the inner workings of her mind and soul and portray them through
thought bubbles on clotheslines and her fighting with herself . It is a very deep look into the artist soul but at the same time being surrounded by paintings of the same person brings about the idea that the artist
may be a little egocentric… maybe.

-Garbage The Cat

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Review #3

Jayme’s strangely contorted figures are painted in ambiguous and surreal landscapes. Some are interesting, like the girl with baby doll parts floating around her in some bloody Campbell’s soup nightmare. Then there are other images of girls in strange poses with ominous backdrops that act more like illustrations than formal artwork. The naïveté with which the girls are painted lacks a conviction that might give them a more engaging, psychological appeal. The decapitation, dismemberment and bondage are worth analyzing but it’s hard to get past the surface of some of the work. POTENTIALLY POTENT

- By Cain Able

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Review #4

Do yourself a favor. Walk yourself over to the Witt Gallery this week to visit Jayme McGowan's exhibition of paintings and drawings. It will certainly be the highlight of your otherwise mundane week. Step through the doorway, into this bright but quiet gallery, and enjoy a moment of sincere and honest artwork.

McGowan's exploration of self is movingly documented in this collection. Although the artist herself revealed that not all works are intented to be self-representations, the collection nonetheless 'reads' as self portraits. The faces depicted, whether they be hers or someone else's, encompass a wide range of human emotion: youthful melancholy, quiet happiness, humble integrity. Broad brush strokes, unusual perspectives, and courageous vulnerability interact with success. McGowan shows great promise as a painter, drawing upon past sources to create a neo-impressionistic style all her own, as if reinterpreted for a new generation.

-BaLaLa

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Review #5

Commendable effort by a girl who appears to be battling inner demons, or at least some residual teen angst. Many paintings contain strings connecting figures and body parts; twin girls featured in two paintings clasp each others hand. My inner Freud says, “Attachment issues?” (But my inner Freud is also coked out of his mind). The overall mood of the works are somewhat gloomy, but this is rather easily disregarded due to the mostly neutral and calm color schemes. I’m vaguely reminded of Yoshitomo Nara’s images; pretty colors and deceptively innocent looking girls, but there is more going on underneath.

-Chareth Cutestory, Pirate Lawyer

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Review #6

At the Witt Gallery this week is an exhibition of works by Jayme McGowan, including paintings, drawings, and a few pieces I would classify as “other”. The viewer is treated to themes of detachment and confinement, but the exhibition isn’t nearly as “dark” as this description may make it seem. The artist manages to represent the troubling themes that fuel her work in a surprisingly natural and comfortable way. Whether through the soft, smoky structure of her figures or the bold, playful colors of her palette, or through some other less-tangible quality, the artist is able to show the viewer that some of the darker things in life don’t have to be taboo. Nobody likes to feel anxious or scared, but nobody is immune to these feelings. Fear is ordinary.

There is a fascinating dynamic running through this body of work; a play between the figures being alone and “cut-off” from others, and their desire to cut themselves free from the anxieties that bind them. I read this as an insightfully accurate representation of social anxiety: the victim feels alienated and detached from others, yet the real problem is one’s relationship with oneself, not with others. Ms. McGowan’s courage to address such personal themes in her art is admirable, and something that any artist should appreciate.

As you can well tell by now, I was very impressed with this exhibit. Too often, artists who work with “dark” themes feel the need to be over-the-top, in-your-face dark. Ms. McGowan shows that you can address these themes without being heavy-handedly grotesque, morbid, or shocking. The result is art that is surprisingly and refreshingly honest.

-Rrose Sélavy

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Email art.historians@gmail.com if you want to share your thoughts on exhibitions at the Witt!

"Art Show" Charles Astorga & Andreas Tolentino

First reviews are here!

“Uh. Can I enter? Can I touch? Is the food in the fridge good?” Followed by a perplexing, “SayWahhuh?” These are just some of the questions sparked by Charles Astorga’s installation. Video game noises, disconnected electronics, a fridge next to a microwave, it’s a bizarre garage studio dream world. If you expect a traditional set up – prepare to be unnerved and pushed outside of your traditional box of comfort as everyday objects litter walls, floors, tables, and every imaginable surface. Questions are a marker for contemporary art. So go. Ask questions – because, damn, I want some answers.

-Plague

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Visiting the Witt
today was like wandering
into dude's wild mind.

by: Crackity Jones

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I’m unclear exactly what the point of this exhibit is. Charles Astorga and Andreas Tolentino appear to either be living in the Witt this week (there’s a microwave and mini-fridge with food), or renovating it (the place looks like Home Depot emptied out their dumpsters inside). Is it some kind of commentary on how much useless shit people own, or just a peek into the messy, random world of an artist? For all I know, they’re just using the place as storage for the week.

-Bob Loblaw

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Nice…Show?

Charles and Andreas are interested in stuff. Literally, stuff. Rubber, cork, copper, wood, detritus and old electronics crowd the Witt gallery this week. Video and the artists working diligently at rearranging the disarray add to the mêlée. Brassai’s involuntary sculpting comes to mind, the objects having at once informed the artists of some desire for retention. However, desires are often internalized, leaving the rest of us disconcerted by the apparent arbitrariness of it all. You might hate it, but you won’t get bored and you can touch all of the work (some is even edible!). RECOMMENDED

by Paulina Arbiter

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Want to put your two cents in? Email art.historians@gmail.com for more info!

First Edition

October 16th. Keep a sharp eye out.