Surrealist Art

Those of you who like commercial design and a fan of modern art in general, should take a look into an artist name Rene Magritte.   Specifically his work known as The Treachery of Images, which is the depiction of a briar pipe that looks commercial in appearance. What throws the mind for a slight curve is that beneath the pipe is “Ceci n’est pas une pipe” which in translation reads “This is not a pipe”. Magritte took the play on words and incorporated it with imagery. We as humans it’s our natural reaction to take images and see them for what they are. With The Treachery of Images it makes you think twice. This piece of art history is also located at our own Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

This type of portrayal is also displayed with another of Rene’s work titled The False Mirror. It's actually one of my personal favorites simply because the meaning can be endless. Are we looking into a false mirror of a far away land, into the heavens or into the soul of possibly Magritte himself or perhaps even our own selves?

Rene Magritte’s masterfulness of imagery was one for the ages and he was one of the great Surrealists of the period. If you ever have a moment take some time and check out some of Magritte’s masterpieces or swing on by LACMA and see some up close and personal.

Spotlight on Careers in Art

This year's Spotlight on Careers in Art event is Wednesday, April 27, from 12:30 PM to 2:30 PM in the Center for the Arts (CAA) Student Gallery. Students are welcome to stop by any time during those hours. There are representatives coming from Redlands University, CSU San Bernardino and the Art Center for a mini Transfer Fair. The Chaffey College Transfer Center will also be there to answer questions and you will find information about the Chaffey College Art Department, Wignall Museum and the Chaffey Art Organization. Light refreshments will be served.

Student Invitational 2011

Student Invitational 2011
Wignall Museum of Contemporary Art at Chaffey College
Reception: Wednesday, April 20, 6:00 – 8:00pm
Exhibition is open April 16 to May 26, 2011


Chaffey College and the Wignall Museum of Contemporary Art are pleased to announce the Student Invitational 2011, an exhibition featuring a select group of Chaffey College student artists that have excelled in the visual arts programs. In this competitive program, artists are selected by a jury of full-time faculty from the Art, Photography, and Digital Media departments to participate in the exhibition and accompanying honors class. The selected artists participate in a unique seminar course, undergoing a rigorous investigation of their own artistic processes with support and assistance from the art faculty, gallery curators and staff, culminating in an exhibition at the Wignall Museum of Contemporary Art. In its 34th year, this annual exhibition reflects the creative professionalism and diversity of the visual arts program at Chaffey College.

Student Invitational 2011 will feature the work of Donald Dreyer, Chris Hackworth, Rachel Hurton, Evert Munguia, Jaime Muñoz, Rachel Alexis Parks, Jessica Pavone, Nicole Rodriguez, and Cherie Savoie.

This exhibition and reception are free and open to the public.

Wignall Museum of Contemporary Art
Chaffey College
5885 Haven Avenue
Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91737-3002

Parking
Park in the North Parking Lot, permits can be purchased at vending machines for $2. Parking is free during museum receptions and special events.

Visit Us Online!
www.chaffey.edu/wignall

Serrano Photograph Vandalized

Excerpted from article by

Angelique Chrisafis in Paris

The Guardian, Mon 18 Apr 2011

When New York artist Andres Serrano plunged a plastic crucifix into a glass of his own urine and photographed it in 1987 under the title Piss Christ, he said he was making a statement on the misuse of religion.

Controversy has followed the work ever since, but reached an unprecedented peak on Palm Sunday when it was attacked with hammers and destroyed after an "anti-blasphemy" campaign by French Catholic fundamentalists in the southern city of Avignon.

...

Serrano defended his photograph as a criticism of the "billion-dollar Christ-for-profit industry" and a "condemnation of those who abuse the teachings of Christ for their own ignoble ends".

...

On Saturday, around 1,000 Christian protesters marched through Avignon to the gallery. The protest group included a regional councillor for the extreme-right Front National, which recently scored well in the Vaucluse area in local elections. The gallery immediately stepped up security, putting plexiglass in front of the photograph and assigning two gallery guards to stand in front of it.

But on Palm Sunday morning, four people in sunglasses aged between 18 and 25 entered the exhibition just after it opened at 11am. One took a hammer out of his sock and threatened the guards with it. A guard grabbed another man around the waist but within seconds the group managed to take a hammer to the plexiglass screen and slash the photograph with another sharp object, thought to be a screwdriver or ice-pick. They also smashed another work, which showed the hands of a meditating nun.

The gallery director, Eric Mézil, said it would reopen with the destroyed works on show "so people can see what barbarians can do". He said there had been a kind of "inquisition" against the art work.

Art in San Antonio

I went to San Antonio over the weekend and was greatly surprised by the Arts in this friendly city. I learned Texans are big on Fiesta, it is a 10 day festival that is about Music, dancing, and food. The live performances were great! I also went to see the Alamo while in town, the architecture is beautiful and the grounds are serene. There are pieces of art at the Alamo, such as a painting of Davy Crockett and his actual buckskin vest. This town is rich in its culture and the arts.

Attacked Gauguin Painting Not Damaged

By The Associated Press and The Washington Post

A painting by French Impressionist Paul Gauguin that was attacked by a visitor to the National Gallery of Art in Washington is back on exhibition.

The painting, "Two Tahitian Women," went back on display Tuesday after conservators determined that the painting, which was covered by Plexiglas, sustained no damage after a visitor attempted to pull it off the wall and hit it Friday.

The woman charged in the attack, Susan Burns, of Alexandria, Va., is expected to appear in D.C. Superior Court on Wednesday.

According to court documents, Burns told investigators: "I feel that Gauguin is evil. He has nudity and is bad for the children. He has two women in the painting and it's very homosexual. I was trying to remove it. I think it should be burned. I am from the American CIA and I have a radio in my head. I am going to kill you."

The painting, valued at $800 million and owned by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, is part of "Gauguin: Maker of Myth," which opened in late February.

A Tate Modern employee stands next to Paul Gauguin's Two Tahitian Women in London in 2010. The painting was attacked while on display at Washington's National Gallery on Friday, April 1, 2011. (Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images)

THE ART OF POOL

For those billiard enthusiasts or those of you who just simply like good design. I encourage all of you to take a look at up and coming company called Nottage Design. They are an Australian based company who pride themselves on:

• Creating the most revolutionary and innovative lifestyle products
• Manufacturing quality products and exporting to a worldwide market
• Providing excellent customer service and accommodating customers needs wherever possible
• Doing everything possible to make sure you enjoy the products you purchase from us

I first came across this company by mishap where you can easily lose track of time by simply marveling at their astonishing designs. The billiard tables use a patent design known as Vitrik. It’s a transparent surface that is placed on 15mm glass pane. What makes the Vitrik surface so special is that it duplicates the resistance of your typical cloth surface as well as still allows for the subtle nuances that a regular cloth surface would provide. Now their prices for these elaborate tables isn’t inexpensive so make sure you have your credit card ready. While you’re at it check out their other designs or if you have some unique ideas of your own, Nottage Designs will gladly welcome them. So keep your eyes pealed for Nottage Designs and I expect them to really breakthrough onto the map in the years to come, if they haven’t already.