Gallery Exhibits
Gallery hours are 12:00 through 4:00 p.m.
Tuesdays - Sundays
The Art Branch is an active group of volunteer members who strive to promote these early tenets set forth in the Articles of Incorporation, ”The purpose of the Art Center is to advance the interest, influence, and usefulness of the Arts in the community, to engage in the promotion from a vocational standpoint of fine and applied arts.” Which means to us joyfully creating, exhibiting, networking, and providing hands-on experiences in the Arts.
The galleries are a source of pride for the Art Center, displaying high-quality local work by Ojai, Santa Barbara, and Ventura County artists, as well as artists from as far away as New York. Many artists who have since gained national recognition have had their start at the Ojai Art Center.
The galleries are a source of pride for the Art Center, displaying high-quality local work by Ojai, Santa Barbara, and Ventura County artists, as well as artists from as far away as New York. Many artists who have since gained national recognition have had their start at the Ojai Art Center.
To Abstract or Not To Abstract - featuring Hiroko Yoshimoto
&
Soup on Mars - featuring L Caldwell
September 26th - October 29th
Reception: Saturday, October 10th, 1:00 - 3:00 p.m.
In the Galleries and Front Showcase, HIROKO YOSHIMOTO - To or Not To Abstract
Beauty comes from the balance between two and three dimensions, between abstraction and representation—I seek the equilibrium behind changing appearances—Matisse: “When I was painting during my college days, I wanted to paint abstract art. Abstract Expressionism was still the main style of painting among students and the name “Andy Warhol” was not yet on students’ lips for a few more years. My trials in abstraction looked unconvincing even to myself. No matter how and what I did, my paintings looked like wallpaper designs or a pool of messy colors. It took many more years until an unexpected experience opened the door. I hand-painted hundreds of dyed silk dresses with broad brushes. My mother, who was ingenious at sewing, and I started a cottage industry hand-making them. We sold them at Sax Fifth Avenue on Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles and Audrey Jones of Montecito. I was making commercial products, not fine art. I was enjoying the process, feeling a little guilty. But painting abstract brush strokes taught me some aspects of what abstract painting may be. I understood that representative forms can tell stories while abstract forms can express immediate emotions. As in the Matisse quote above, I was searching how to resolve the representational image and abstract forms on one canvas. This show of selected works of my art may reveal something about my efforts in this vein.” Hiroko Yoshimoto.
Beauty comes from the balance between two and three dimensions, between abstraction and representation—I seek the equilibrium behind changing appearances—Matisse: “When I was painting during my college days, I wanted to paint abstract art. Abstract Expressionism was still the main style of painting among students and the name “Andy Warhol” was not yet on students’ lips for a few more years. My trials in abstraction looked unconvincing even to myself. No matter how and what I did, my paintings looked like wallpaper designs or a pool of messy colors. It took many more years until an unexpected experience opened the door. I hand-painted hundreds of dyed silk dresses with broad brushes. My mother, who was ingenious at sewing, and I started a cottage industry hand-making them. We sold them at Sax Fifth Avenue on Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles and Audrey Jones of Montecito. I was making commercial products, not fine art. I was enjoying the process, feeling a little guilty. But painting abstract brush strokes taught me some aspects of what abstract painting may be. I understood that representative forms can tell stories while abstract forms can express immediate emotions. As in the Matisse quote above, I was searching how to resolve the representational image and abstract forms on one canvas. This show of selected works of my art may reveal something about my efforts in this vein.” Hiroko Yoshimoto.
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In the Beato Showcase, L CALDWELL - Soup on Mars
Raised by a family of glass blowers in the wilds of Florida, L was captured by the allure of working in clay as a teenager. L Caldwell has been an art teacher, workshop facilitator, and art program designer. Working in clay is her passion. L Caldwell’s ceramic pieces have been in American Craft Council National Shows, in Craft Galleries across New England, and in Georgia and Ojai, CA. L is currently part of the Ojai Pottery and Clay School. |
