Valley View Elementary Students
Galerie Bleux
through mid-February
I noticed two particularly unusual things about this art opening: RC Cola and
cookies were served instead of the standard wine and cheese fare, and I
stumbled over two of the artists because I didn’t look down. Such is the scene
when a group of elementary school kids exhibit their art work. An all-too-rare
scene, I’d say. How refreshing it is to see creativity in its early form,
before it is sifted through the stress of becoming a big person.
This exhibit is a veritable fun house, with vibrant, energetic paintings and
papier-m�ch� figures dangling from the ceiling and clinging
to walls. Boxers, gymnasts, and angels seem a favorite model for the little
sculptors and painters, though many students took the self-portrait route. One
common trait from piece to piece: a mixture of colors to rival the rainbow.
The kids weren’t simply given paint-drenched brushes and told to give it a go.
They were schooled in the elements and principles of art and taught the styles
of various famous artists; Picasso’s influence comes through in the innumerable
double-faced portraits. Many of the works are surprisingly evocative and
complex; perhaps more than the artists themselves can comprehend.
“I like for these children to have this kind of experience,” says Marolyn
Upshaw-Lynch, one of the art teachers. “Just like a performance for music
students, or a game for a child in sports — you go to the gallery to
experience your artwork. It’s a huge self-image builder.” That these children
were encouraged to explore themselves and their world through artwork is
wonderful; that they were able to exhibit their work in a full-fledged gallery
is… well, you could see the delight on their proud, little faces.
Voices and Visions
Regina Vater and David Medalla
Mexic-Arte Museum
through March 8
 Swimming against the Tide, by Regina Vater |
ship. The sound of the creaking wood floors as people traipse across them,
combined with the sublime fluidity of the artists’ installations, gives this
gallery experience the essence of swaying atop the big blue ocean. This is one
of those shows that works on many levels: the pieces are stunning, the artists’
styles blend together beautifully, and the gallery space seems tailor-made for
their installations.
That’s saying a lot, since Medalla’s installations usually find their home on
the streets of London. Most of his installations — including his colossal
bubble-making machines — are either too large or too ephemeral to place in a
gallery, so smaller renderings take their place here. These painted, enlarged,
color-copied photos cannot convey the grandiosity of Medalla’s full-scale work,
but they are a hypnotic treat. The gallery’s earth-tone walls propel the works’
brilliant blues and greens into the room, radiating a kinetic energy. One
small-scale Medalla bubble machine sits in the room, gurgling and spewing
fluffy white bubbles as a video shows some of his more elaborate machines.
Vater’s works are somewhat more composed. Swimming Against the Tide is
a video installation, with a small white television resting on a white pillar.
Surrounding these components are rocks of varying sizes, suspended by string
tied through their natural holes. It looks like a tiny meteor shower descending
on the TV. Seek the Unseen and Beauty Will Appear is a series of
water-filled glasses that convey a hidden message you can decipher, if you take
a close look.
For years, both these artists have been proponents of “awareness of the
creative process,” on their part as well as the viewer’s.This show does a fine
job in encouraging the viewer to do his or her part. — Cari Marshall
This article appears in February 7 • 1997 and February 7 • 1997 (Cover).