Sculpture Source

Sculpturesite's Booth at LA Art Show

Can you really distinguish yourself when you are but one of 110 galleries in a show of over 15,000 works of art from a myriad of genres including painting, sculpture, works on paper, photography and video?  Is it possible to stand out in a crowd of an estimated 35,000 serious collectors and dedicated art enthusiast all buzzing around a 720,000 sq/ft convention center?  Sculpturesite Gallery answered those questions at the FADA LA Art Show with a resounding – yes, you can!

The event started inauspiciously with rain, rain and more rain.  On average, the sun shines on Los Angeles 338 days a year. Sunny Southern California did not, at first, live up to its promise.  However, while it tended to dampen a few heads and shoulders it could not dampen the enthusiasm of the thousands who attended.  And when the flood of water finally receded on Saturday, the flood of people arrived.  John Denning and Brigitte Micmacker, the owners of Sculpturesite, were more than ready to receive them.

Word spread quickly.  There was a booth near the food court, open at three sides, perfect for foot traffic, which was meticulously planned and presented.  It looked more like a gallery than a booth.  In conversational circles of attendees, Sculpturesite’s space was called “the best booth for sculpture,” and while there, you could see “the best works in the entire show.”  Said another attendee: “your booth is such a breath of fresh air – so lively and light.” It was obviously attracting attention.

“Dark Blue Rain-Curtain”, a massive, yet delicate cast glass piece by Mary Shaffer and “Summer”, a hyper-realistic swimmer resting on an inner-tube (both in meticulously painted resin) by Carole Feuerman were described by many as show stoppers.  The same could be said for the majestic Jeffery Laudenslager kinetic piece, “Hokusai.”  It had a prominent place in the middle of the food court -but will soon relocate to its new permanent home in Malibu.  The rest of the collection was wonderfully varied allowing something for everyone.  Jane Woolverton’s delicate recycled, plastic tapestries played off the monumental material and feel of Benjamin Brown’s steel and glass and Hans Van de Bovenkamp’s bronze.  Brad Howe’s playful mobiles stood in perfect contrast to the elegant pieces of Clement Meadmore.  These sculptures did speak for themselves but for those who wanted more, Mary Shaffer, Carole Feuerman, Jeffery Laudenslager, Brad Howe, Benjamin Brown and John Denning were all present to talk about their work.

All who attended had a memorable experience.  We at Sculpturesite greatly appreciate all who attended. If you would like more information on any of the works or artists you saw, please let us know. If you were unable to see the show, we will be glad to send more photos. And please stop by Sculpturesite Gallery.  Many of the pieces that we displayed at the LA Art Show are now currently on exhibition in San Francisco.  We will see you soon!

Toxic paint fumes, heavy metals, and frequent trips to the landfill are some of the negatives that have historically come with the territory of creating art. However, “the times, they are a-changin.” A new breed of artist is emerging who is concerned with global warming while remaining committed to crafting fine art of the highest caliber.

A New Leaf Gallery is currently featuring two such vanguard artists’ works.

Gale Hart, a Sacramento-based artist who creates innovative functional sculpture influenced by contemporary graphic design, is passionate about making art that is kinder to the environment. This sensibility has permeated her work throughout her career.

“The opportunity for artists to be green is out there: what’s lacking is the commitment,” states Gale. “It’s too easy to be toxic.”

Gale uses 95% production remnants and scrap steel in her work because new steel fabrication is one of the world’s worst polluters: the extraction and production process destroys landscapes, pollutes waterways and blackens skies with toxic smoke.

Equally alarming, since most new steel is now produced in China, its “embodied energy cost,” or quantity of non-renewable resources used to create and ship the product to the United States, is one of the highest among the most commonly used fine sculpture materials.

To mitigate this negative environmental impact, Gale uses recycled steel sourced locally in Central California. She picks up a load at a time, traveling a distance of less than 100 miles and saving the 7000 miles required to ship new steel from Shandong Port in China to the Port of Oakland, CA.

Gale is in the process of completing the green picture by transitioning the finishes she uses on her work from spray paint and latex to water-based paints with an eco-friendly clear coat.

“It’s a constant struggle to be mindful and do without petroleum products, but it’s absolutely the right thing to do.” Gale says.

James Woessner is a Sausalito, CA-based artist with a completely different product but equal passion for environmental sustainability. By repurposing materials in new ways to create his whimsical, colorful figures, James starts with the three R’s of environmental consciousness (REduce, REuse, REcycle) and adds a fourth: REplace.

James’ new collection entitled “Floating Heads” utilizes found objects that wash up on the beachfront near his houseboat studio on the San Francisco Bay waterfront. His sculpture “Regina” is fabricated from a cast-off Regina floor sweeper, wooden kitchen spoon, tray handle, bamboo skewers, and rusty pieces of metal.

“Old Flattop” communicates a green message by using a men’s shoe heel as an ear and a fork as a nose, anchoring the whole arrangement with 400 copper nails gathered from the beach in  Sausalito. His “Aviso” makes clever re-use of a hammerhead, saw blades, and a gas cap.

James says, “True art is a response to the imagination, which can never be allowed to stagnate.” Like the ebb and flow of ocean currents in the Bay, or the steady movement from mindless waste to eco-consciousness in our society, James innovative approach to “worthless” materials keeps his work fresh and constantly innovative.

Please visit A New Leaf Gallery to view Gale Hart and James Woessner’s latest eco-friendly work.

At A New Leaf Gallery and Sculpturesite Gallery, we represent more than a few women artists. While most of their work elicits admiration and appreciation, it is sometimes amusing, sometimes frustrating to notice the reactions to pieces by three of these women in particular.

Gale Hart and Lin Emery both create metal sculpture. Lin crafts exquisite kinetic creations of folded, finely welded aluminum. Gale works in reclaimed steel and stenciled automotive paint to turn out pieces with a more industrial bent.

Since both artists have gender-neutral names, visitors are often surprised to learn that these talented metalworkers are women. Comments ranging from, “But it’s so well-engineered, I thought the artist was a man,” to “Is she a big, brawny sort of gal?” have provoked a few (secretly) rolled eyes and playfully tactful comments along the lines of, “You know, sometimes we gals like to play with fire, too!” from our staff.

In contrast, Jane Burton’s large-scale ceramic work deals with the complex and often contradictory themes of womanhood. Sgraffito journal entries applied in oxides to elongated nudes with angel wings (Diva), metal halos (Aura) and golden removable breasts (DD: The Trophy Wife) embody each piece with a personal and very feminine spirit.

Reaction to Jane’s work usually falls along gender lines. Women typically love the pieces, as they communicate the experience of being a woman in a direct, universal language.

Men can be drawn to Jane’s sensual figures, but others show a neutral reaction to all but DD: The Trophy Wife. While women burst into peals of knowing laughter upon seeing the, uh…ample and perfectly shaped golden breasts dangling from a ribbon around the figure’s neck, men either guffaw self-consciously or re-focus everyone’s attention by commenting on an adjacent piece.

We would love to hear from you if you have experienced similar reactions to breaking traditional gender roles in the art world.