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| Alexandra Dillion from the OMA exhibition Dressed Rehearsal |
By Patricia Frischer
I am a self admitted art junkie. I need a fix on a regular basis and this time it was the Oceanside Museum of Art. When you see 4 shows at once, you are likely to admire one more than the other....Roland Reiss retrospective got my vote this time, but the Dress Rehearsal show was a wow as well because of the quality of the work more than the subject matter. It is less confusing to see exhibitions that arrange the work of one person, or a tight theme. I usually prefer either to a juried group exhibition which is only as good as the best work submitted.
Until January 19, 2020
This is an exhibition of a whole bunch of things that are pretending to be dresses or maybe they are in rehearsal to perform as dresses. Either way, we see dresses made from recycled discarded materials, from eggs, from bronze, from stones, shells, pine cones, sponges, cardboard, and celluloid. Also included for our viewing pleasure are photographic images of dresses, paintings of dresses and dresses that are painted upon.
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| Mary Tuma, left and Kenton Nelson, right |
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| Kenton Nelson reproduces one of his still painting in small pixel-like mosaic on a very large scale |
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| Kenton Nelson: detail |
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| Kenton Nelson |
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| Mary Tuma red deconstructed dresses and Dosshaus stage set |
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| Dosshaus is David Connelly and Zoey Taylor create an entire dressing room for some sort of unknown performance. The black and white structure is made from painted cardboard and includes details like an alarm clock and iron and lots of changes of costumes. |
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| Alexandra Dillion was the star for me, with these faces from history depicted on old fabrics like the Shroud of Turin but more detailed and definitely feminine. |
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| Gwen Samuels prints images on celluloid which are cuts into small shapes and stitches together like patchworks to make a set of dresses with matching crowns and shoes |
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| Gwen Samuels: detail |
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| Michael Kalish - looks like an ordinary pictures in this photo but notice below that it is a series of layers in real life. |
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| Michael Kalish: view from the side |
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| Janet Taylor Pickette - You cannot see the bright magenta glitter on the lips in this image but it enhances the image. |
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| Melissa Meier sponge sculpture dress and shoes with background photos by Carolyn Hampton of her daughter in an Alice in Wonderland all white dress. |
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| Melissa Meier photo of dress of egg shells |
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| Melissa Meier shell sculpture with background images of Marina DeBris' works |
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| Melissa Meier details of shells |
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| Cheryl Simon Ekstrom with a cast bronze Victorian style dress. |
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| Marina DeBris creates this fluffy frock from salvaged fishing line. |
Until September 8, 2019
When I was in my late 30's, I was going through a divorce. I found myself at a fancy restaurant waiting in the bar for the rest of my friends to arrive one night in London. As I sipped my martini, I stared at a stunning flower arrangement made by one of the top florist in the city. Its dramatic blooms were spot lit from above creating such a potent tableaux that it seemed to me that this represented everything that was missing in my life...love, romance, excitement. I realized with a certain dread that I would have to make flower paintings. How do you compete with centuries of achievement and overcome the cliche of a still life of flowers?
I discovered that if the urge and need is great enough, then the art can contain your uniqueness. Roland Reiss does deserve to be unrepentant and unapologetic about these works as they dive much deeper than illustration. Don't dismiss this as yet another still life or pop art exhibition. There are lots of interesting things going on here. I enjoyed the show enormously and hope you see it and do the same.
And what happened to me....my series of flowers was one of my most successful. One of the largest pictures sold and paid for a 3 month sabbatical to Los Angeles. On the way over on the airplane, I met my current husband.
The following image were also taken of Roland Reiss's other works in this exhibition. These are tiny miniatures with every detail created to make what he calls a tableaux, but they are almost like doll house stage sets. You have to make up your own mind what theatrical performance is about to occur or just enjoy the tiny details of the books, plants, hamburgers, buckets of water set on ladders, a church on a pole and even his tiny pictures of flowers above mantel pieces. The entire show is an amazing a feast for the eyes!
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| The Morality Plays: |
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| The Morality Plays |
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| detail The Morality Plays |
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| detail, The Morality Plays |
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| Adult Fairy Tales I |
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| Fix Double Exposure |
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| Fix: In Search of Truth |
Until August 18, 2019
Keeping track of wild life, both plant and animal, is done scientifically with lie lines that are used as anchors. From year to year, anything found on these lines is recorded. Audrey Carver has taken that information and documented it with her illustrations.
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| Audrey Carver |
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| Audrey Carver |
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| Audrey Carver |
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| Audrey Carver |
Until November 24, 2019
Illustrations and animations for books and film are the basis of this show of the works of Brian Kesinger. If you were raised on these books, I am sure this is a delightful show which will remind you of the joy you had as Kesinger helps you imagine the stories being told. The exhibition also challenges the viewer to use their own imaginations as creative fuel.
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| Entrance to the exhibition |
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| Partial recreation of the artist's studio |
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| Inspiration materials in the class room |
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| Creative works by visitors to the show. |
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