Landscape of the Sublime, Aug 2006

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What happens to us as human beings when we face the uncontrollable vastness and chaos of nature? Kant says, The mind feels itself set in motion in representation of the sublime in nature. This movement (may result in) an alternating repulsion and attraction by one and the same object.

Is it, then, the role of the artist to represent, mediate and thereby contain the vision of the infinite so that the viewer can approach the concept of the transcendent?

What are the scenes of nature that elevate the mind… and produce the sublime sensation? Not the cheery landscape or the flowery field but the hoary mountain, the solitary lake, the aged forest and torrent falling over rocks. – Hugh Blair, lecture notes from 1783.

El Camino College Art Gallery presents Landscape of the Sublime in which ten artists explore transcendental territory in a broad range of media, scale and attitudes.

Hilary Brace presents black and white photographs of luminous clouds and mysterious views of caves within clouds. (Brace is represented by Craig Krull Gallery in Santa Monica, where she shows both drawings and photographs.)

Angie Bray shows a Becoming Some Thing, a series of brush drawings in ink on acetate strips that are elegantly twisted into 3 dimensional forms. Additionally Bray presents a long
(6 inches x 8 feet) brush drawing mounted on a wooden shelf.

Steve Comba presents pensive paintings of dark glacial lakes and ice formations. Comba intentionally gathers some of his images from visitor centers where the grandeur of nature is safely framed by windows, rails and prescribed vistas.

Michael Kenna shows black and white photographs of stark winter landscape in Japan including views of birds, snow, asphalt and cold skies. (Kenna is represented by Craig Krull Gallery in Santa Monica where he shows his photographs and books of his photos.)

Yunsun Lee shows black and white prints on rice paper that have been created through a process of layering translucent photographic images of weeds from areas where the artist has lived.

Victor Raphael and Clayton Spada present a collaborative series of digital prints From Zero: Infinity. These works depict the intersection of nature, philosophical thought and scientific principle. Particular attention is paid to Western astrology, The Book of Genesis, Greek mythology and Particle Theory. All is underscored with glittering images of the cosmos.

Anne Scheid presents large-scale charcoal and pastel drawings of ominous brush piles and shadowy trees that link man’s destructive hand with the awesome forces of nature.

One elegant scroll shown by Masao Yamamoto reads like music on a page. Bits of landscape appear in tiny black and white photographs that are placed carefully on the paper roll- a moonscape, a figure in the distance, a bird falling into the sea. (Yamamoto exhibits his work at Craig Krull Gallery and resides in Japan.)

Pat Warner’s installation Inside Outside, Outside Inside, leads the viewer into a contained environment, a garden of ink and graphite drawings of foliage and silhouetted trees. In the subdued light of this interior garden where nature is momentarily ordered and contained crickets chirp and all is serene.

SUSANNA MEIERS
Curator El Camino College Art Gallery

Hilary Brace

Untitled IVA, Untitled IIIL, Untitled IVB, 2005
photographs (Courtesy of Craig Krull Gallery)

Angie Bray

walking, breathing, 2005
brush drawing, acetate, ink, basswood, acrylic

Becoming Something #6, 2005
acetate, ink
and argon gases, neon crackle tube, animator

Steve Comba

Kenai Lake, evening, 2001
pastel and acrylic on paper

Michael Kenna

Twenty Four Trees
Abashiri, Hokkaido, Japan, 2005
photograph

Yunsun Lee

weeds, 2004
pronto plate (litho) on Gampi paper

weeds (detail), 2004
pronto plate (litho) on Gampi paper

Victor Raphael and Clayton Spada

Solar Currents, Biosphere, and Ecliptic Plane from the Zero Infinity collection, 2006
pigmented inkjet on Moab Entrada paper

Anne Scheid

The Ancient, 2005
charcoal and pastel on paper

Masao Yamamoto

Nakazora, 2005
wood and paper scroll
Pat Warner

Inside Outside, Outside Inside (exterior), 2006
mixed media installation

Inside Outside, Outside Inside (interior), 2006
mixed media installation

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What happens to us as human beings when we face the uncontrollable vastness and chaos of nature? Kant says, The mind feels itself set in motion in representation of the sublime in nature. This movement (may result in) an alternating repulsion and attraction by one and the same object. Is it, then, the role of the artist to represent, mediate and thereby contain the vision of the infinite so that the viewer can approach the concept of the transcendent? What are the scenes of nature that elevate the mind… and produce the sublime sensation? Not the cheery landscape or the flowery field but the hoary mountain, the solitary lake, the aged forest and torrent falling over rocks. – Hugh Blair, lecture notes from 1783. El Camino College Art Gallery presents Landscape of the Sublime in which ten artists explore transcendental territory in a broad range of media, scale and attitudes. Hilary Brace presents black and white photographs of luminous clouds and mysterious views of caves within clouds. (Brace is represented by Craig Krull Gallery in Santa Monica, where she shows both drawings and photographs.) Angie Bray shows a Becoming Some Thing, a series of brush drawings in ink on acetate strips that are elegantly twisted into 3 dimensional forms. Additionally Bray presents a long (6 inches x 8 feet) brush drawing mounted on a wooden shelf. Steve Comba presents pensive paintings of dark glacial lakes and ice formations. Comba intentionally gathers some of his images from visitor centers where the grandeur of nature is safely framed by windows, rails and prescribed vistas. Michael Kenna shows black and white photographs of stark winter landscape in Japan including views of birds, snow, asphalt and cold skies. (Kenna is represented by Craig Krull Gallery in Santa Monica where he shows his photographs and books of his photos.) Yunsun Lee shows black and white prints on rice paper that have been created through a process of layering translucent photographic images of weeds from areas where the artist has lived. Victor Raphael and Clayton Spada present a collaborative series of digital prints From Zero: Infinity. These works depict the intersection of nature, philosophical thought and scientific principle. Particular attention is paid to Western astrology, The Book of Genesis, Greek mythology and Particle Theory. All is underscored with glittering images of the cosmos. Anne Scheid presents large-scale charcoal and pastel drawings of ominous brush piles and shadowy trees that link man’s destructive hand with the awesome forces of nature. One elegant scroll shown by Masao Yamamoto reads like music on a page. Bits of landscape appear in tiny black and white photographs that are placed carefully on the paper roll- a moonscape, a figure in the distance, a bird falling into the sea. (Yamamoto exhibits his work at Craig Krull Gallery and resides in Japan.) Pat Warner’s installation Inside Outside, Outside Inside, leads the viewer into a contained environment, a garden of ink and graphite drawings of foliage and silhouetted trees. In the subdued light of this interior garden where nature is momentarily ordered and contained crickets chirp and all is serene. SUSANNA MEIERS Curator El Camino College Art Gallery

Hilary Brace
Untitled IVA, Untitled IIIL, Untitled IVB, 2005 photographs (Courtesy of Craig Krull Gallery)

Angie Bray
walking, breathing, 2005 brush drawing, acetate, ink, basswood, acrylic
Becoming Something #6, 2005 acetate, ink and argon gases, neon crackle tube, animator

Steve Comba
Kenai Lake, evening, 2001 pastel and acrylic on paper

Michael Kenna
Twenty Four Trees Abashiri, Hokkaido, Japan, 2005 photograph

Yunsun Lee
weeds, 2004 pronto plate (litho) on Gampi paper
weeds (detail), 2004 pronto plate (litho) on Gampi paper

Victor Raphael and Clayton Spada
Solar Currents, Biosphere, and Ecliptic Plane from the Zero Infinity collection, 2006 pigmented inkjet on Moab Entrada paper

Anne Scheid
The Ancient, 2005 charcoal and pastel on paper

Masao Yamamoto

Nakazora, 2005 wood and paper scroll
Pat Warner
Inside Outside, Outside Inside (exterior), 2006 mixed media installation	Inside Outside, Outside Inside (interior), 2006 mixed media installation

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