by Patricia Frischer
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| Jason Clay Lewis |
Chuck Thomas is like an artist
magnet. He can be sitting on a beach in Mexico drinking a margarita, strolling
down a side street in New York City, or throwing a barbeque with his partner Leslie
Wang in their home in Rancho Santa Fe and artist seem to pop up in his
path. He has the eye to choose the most extraordinary of those artists to
showcase in their gallery in Oceanside, Techne Art Center. Nope the Techne has nothing
to do with high tech, it is a Greek word for art making. And what Chuck is creating
is a community.
As Jason Clay Lewis concludes in his introduction, we are bombarded
by images and Ai makes everyman an image maker, but it is the decisions that
professional artists make within the constraints of their chosen mediums that
allows the artists in this show “to create a unique vision and more authentic
voice for their distinctive styles.”
We highly recommend you see this exhibition
which will have varied after effects as you bring your own personal view to the
work on display.
Afterburner
Techne Art Center
From April 27 to July 20
1609 Ord Way, Oceanside, CA 92056
Wed-Fri 1-6pm, Sat 1-5pm
Curated by Chuck Thomas More info: chuckthomas@techneartcenter.com 917.972.1752
Jason Clay Lewis is a curator and author (he wrote the intro to this show), but in this exhibition, he is being featured for his own art. The recent death of his father informs two of the works especially. The superman skeleton and the deer with ballon as road kill…both are covered with newspaper clipping like the ones Lewis senior would send to Lewis on all sorts of subject. The jump to large color line composition is easier to understand when you realize Lewis was raised Baptist and the arches and central light created from the optical illusions come from years of sitting in vaulted church spaces. Do note the variations of grey where just hints of color are added, ending with the pastel version.
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| Jason Clay Lewis |
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| Jason Clay Lewis |
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| Jason Clay Lewis |
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| Jason Clay Lewis |
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| Jason Clay Lewis |
Allison Renshaw gives us a more painterly use of fragments. You might have to search a bit to see all of her works on display as a multitude of the small (and affordable) items are on display in two halls ways. Upstairs are altered postcards and downstairs near the entrance are minis.  |
| Allison Renshaw |
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| Allison Renshaw |
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| Allison Renshaw |
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| Allison Renshaw |
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| Allison Renshaw |
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| Allison Renshaw |
Honoring the artists’ visions by showing multiple works in more or less defined space is a hallmark of this gallery. Like most of the artists, Tim Murdock is given his own space to shine. It is a varied and impressive installation including the burnt wood chunk spilling out of a small alcove. Some of those have gold leafed sides which make the pile glow like it is still burning. He glass half globes sit on metal shelves that appear as orbits.
Jessica McCambly’s almost impossibly delicate (also impossibly hard to photograph!) images on paper with their flowing outlined rings and gold pin points are reminiscent of The Three Body Problem. We can only protect what we have to the best of our ability.
Her partner John Oliver Lewis gives us sherbet colors that appear to be shredded playdough slabs. They are instead fired ceramics that have then been painted, or maybe more properly described as stained. These playful works are finely considered compositions.
