calendario eventi  :: 

X

29/9/2006

2006 California Biennial

Orange County Museum of Art, Newport Beach

The Orange County Museum of Art presents the 2006 California Biennial, the latest in an important series of biennials organized by the museum that reflect the region’s vital contributions to the art world. Showcasing more than 30 of California’s most exciting and innovative young artists and collectives, this year’s biennial includes more than 125 works in all media-from large-scale installations and wall drawings to film, video, and audio works, sculptures, paintings, and works on paper.

During the past two years, the biennial curators conducted numerous studio visits throughout California. In selecting participants for the 2006 California Biennial, the curators focused on artists whose new works reflect art trends from California, the diverse communities we live in, and the rich and varied cultures we experience. And, as in previous biennials, this year’s artists represent a wide range of geographical locales and artistic orientations. While all the artists live in California, the exhibition is, like the state, international in scope and flavor, featuring artists born in countries as diverse as Yugoslavia, Norway, the United Kingdom, Vietnam, Taiwan, Germany, and the Philippines. Many artists represented in the exhibition assume multiple roles as archivist, anthropologist, critic, curator, performer, and social activist, and as a result, the show includes works addressing a range of topical, art historical, formal, and philosophical issues.

Artists in this year’s Biennial include Andy Alexander, Christopher Ballantyne, Walead Beshty, Bull_Miletic, Jane Callister, Binh Danh, Sergio De La Torre, Shannon Ebner, Ala Ebtekar, Brian Fahlstrom, Kianga Ford, Pearl C. Hsiung, Marie Jager, Shana Lutker, Christian Maychack , Martin McMurray, Joel Morrison, My Barbarian, Kate Pocrass, Lordy Rodriguez, Arturo Ernesto Romo, Sterling Ruby, Leslie Shows, Speculative Archive, Tim Sullivan, Hank Willis Thomas, Nicolau Vergueiro, Goody-B. Wiseman, Mario Ybarra Jr., and Amir Zaki.

Initially the curators wanted to steer clear of an overarching curatorial premise, but after casting a wide net, they identified six prominent themes: extreme Object Makers—exquisitely rendered works that mutate traditional forms and media to create new hybrids; Social Interaction—works that engage viewers to interact in particular social spaces, constructed or identified by the artists and calling attention to popular culture and everyday life; Urban ecologies—art that responds to the natural and built environment, including urban, suburban, and entropic landscapes; Historical and Archival Consciousness—archiving and adapting images and text from the flow of history and contemporary political events; Fantasy Verite'—the resurgent interest in work that draws upon unconscious desire, dreamlike imagination, and absurd humor as a strategy; and Appropriated Identities—artists who use themselves as both subject and object to construct personal, social, and/or multiple identities.

2006 California Biennial Highlights

During the past two years, Biennial curators conducted numerous studio visits throughout California. In selecting participants for the 2006 California Biennial, Armstrong, Moss and Gonzalez focused on artists whose new works reflect art trends from California, the diverse communities we live in, and the rich and varied cultures we experience. And, as in previous Biennials, this year’s artists represent a wide range of cultural backgrounds, geographical locales, and artistic orientations.

The artists in the 2006 California Biennial span the gamut from formal and discrete objectmakers to those whose work is installation-based, environmental, filmic, or performative. Working alone or collectively, their far-reaching interests and preoccupations are as heterogeneous as their aesthetics and attitudes. The curators have observed these tendencies and themes:

Extreme Objectmakers: artists who make exquisitely-rendered works that mutate traditional forms and media to create new hybrids. (Andy Alexander, Jane Callister, Christian Maychack, Joel Morrison, Sterling Ruby)

Social Interactions: works that engage viewers to interact in particular social spaces, constructed or identified by the artists, that call attention to popular culture and everyday life. (Kianga Ford, Kate Pocrass, Mario Ybarra Jr.)

Urban Ecologies: art that responds to the natural and built environment, including urban, suburban, and entropic landscapes. (Christopher Ballantyne, Bull.Miletic, Shannon Ebner, Leslie Shows, Amir Zaki)

Historical Consciousness: archiving and adapting images and text from the flow of history and contemporary political events. (Walead Beshty, Binh Danh, Sergio De La Torre/Vicki Funari, Martin McMurray, Lordy Rodriguez, Speculative Archive, Hank Willis Thomas)

Impulsive Surrealism: the resurgent interest in work that draws upon unconscious desire, dream like imagination and absurd humor as a strategy. (Scoli Acosta, Brian Fahlstrom, Pearl C. Hsiung, Marie Jager, Shana Lutker, My Barbarian, Nicolau Vergueiro)

Refracted Identities: artists who use themselves as both subject and object to construct personal, social and/or multiple identities. (Ala Ebtekar, Arturo Ernesto Romo, Tim Sullivan, Goody-B. Wiseman)

The Biennial is organized by Elizabeth Armstrong, the Orange County Museum of Art’s deputy director for programs and chief curator; Karen Moss, curator of collections and director of education and public programs; and consulting curator Rita Gonzalez.

A full-color exhibition catalogue accompanies the Biennial with introductory essays by the exhibition curators, as well as short entries on each of the Biennial artists by the curators and guest writers: Kristin Chambers, Aimee Chang, Michael Ned Holte, Jan Tumlir, and Glen Helfand.

The California Biennial received leadership support from James B. Pick and Rosalyn M. Laudati. The exhibition is presented by Deutsche Bank. Significant funding is provided by Gilbert E. and Victoria LeVasseur, Charles and Twyla Martin, Louise Merage, the Nimoy Foundation, the Peter Norton Family Foundation, and Barbara and Victor Klein. Additional support was received from Arts Orange County and Orange County Community Foundation, Theory, Phyllis and John Kleinberg, and Elliot Leonard and Roger Litz. Media sponsorship is provided by 89.9 FM KCRW and OC Weekly.

Image: Goody-B. Wiseman, Beginner’s Curse for Sluts and Psychopaths, 2002-2003; video still; courtesy of the artist and Mandarin Gallery, Los Angeles

The Opening Night Celebration was September 30, 8 pm-12 midnight

Orange County Museum of Art
850 San Clemente Drive - Newport Beach

stampa

permanent link