finearttrekkinInglewood

The LOOP Show captured attention for revealing some of the most uniquely beautiful applications of recycled materials in art! Photo Journal by Ginger Van Hook

2012-01-18T15:03:00.000-08:00

In a simply amazing display of creativity using recycled materials, artists from the LOOP SHOW curated by China Adams gained notoriety for having adapted sheer volumes of plastic, paper, cassette tape, staples, coffee filters, clothespins, dolls, color pallet papers, metal, wood, automobile body parts, glitter and God knows what other throw away items into a cohesive vibrant exhibition of Fine Art at the Beacon Arts Building. Yes, putting together all these items would overwhelm even the truest artist among us, yet China Adams found just the right balance of artists to reveal the obsessive qualities that are possible and inherent in the art-making process. Masterfully constructed works also included work from the recently dearly departed, Inglewood Artist, Dustin Shuler, with his rendition of a Mercedez Benz, flattened like a pancake. Speaking of which, pancakes were served at the closing reception and artist talk & walk-thru January 15, 2012. When people say the Devil is in the Details, they will remember the LOOP SHOW, for sure! --Ginger Van Hook©2012

Renée Fox, BAB Director and Loop Show Curator China Adams
at the Beacon Arts Building Opening Reception for the LOOP SHOW!
Photo by Ginger Van Hook©2012

Renée Fox / Director Beacon Arts Building

808 N. La Brea Ave. Inglewood CA 90302 phone 310.621.5416

www.beaconartsbuilding.com

Doug Harvey, artist, writer and curator contributed works on paper for the LOOP Show at the
Beacon Arts Building in Inglewood, CA. Photo by Ginger Van Hook©2012

Art Work by Doug Harvey,
also the Co-curator of "THE CHAIN LETTER" Show
with Christian Cummings in the summer of 2011
(A show that created quite a stir off the 10 freeway exit to Cloverfield, in Santa Monica
causing street congestion due to over 1600 artists coming to drop off work at Shoshana Wayne Gallery
in the Bergamot Station.)
Photo by Ginger Van Hook ©2012

Anne Hieronymus, looks over her artwork created out of recycled materials at the Beacon Arts Building.
Photo by Ginger Van Hook©2012

Fashion created by China Adams.
Photo by Ginger Van Hook©2012

Artwork created by the dearly departed Inglewood Artist Dustin Shuler.
Photo by Ginger Van Hook ©2012

Inglewood Open Studios Tour Photojournal Report by Gabriela Campos, Guest Blogger

2011-11-15T14:35:00.000-08:00

Inglewood Open Studios Tour

Photojournal by Gabriela Campos

Please Welcome Gabriela Campos as one of Fine Art Trekkin's new guest bloggers!

--Thank you. Ginger Van Hook 2011--Her review will follow soon!

Ginger and Luke Van Hook

Van Hook Studios for Inglewood Open Studios Tour 2011

Photo by Gabriela Campos, Nov 13, 2011

Located at the Beacon Arts Building 808 N. La Brea Inglewood, CA 90302

For the Inglewood Open Studios Group Show.

Ginger Van Hook with photo of "Thank you Mr. 99 cents"

Photo courtesy of Marjan and Jesse, Nov 13, 2011

Ginger and Luke Van Hook

Van Hook Studios for Inglewood Open Studios Tour 2011

Photo courtesy of Marjan and Jesse, Nov 13, 2011

Ginger and Luke Van Hook

Van Hook Studios for Inglewood Open Studios Tour 2011

Photo courtesy of Marjan and Jesse, Nov 13, 2011

Inglewood Open Studios Celebrates Its Fifth Year With Tour and Group Show! November 12, & 13, 2011.

2011-10-18T09:32:00.000-07:00

For Immediate Release:

Inglewood Open Studios

Celebrates Its Fifth Year

With Tour and Group Show!

Tour: Saturday, November 12 – Sunday, November 13, 2011

Group Show: Saturday, November 12 – Saturday, November 26, 2011

LOS ANGELES, CA –Fine Artists in Inglewood will open their studios to the public the weekend of November 12-13, 2011 from 1:00pm to 6:00pm during the fifth annual Inglewood Open Studios tour. The event, hosted by Inglewood artists and nonprofit Inglewood Cultural Arts (ICA), will allow visitors to personally tour the studios of established and emerging artists working in drawing, painting, sculpture, mixed-media, photography, installation, and performance. Two historic public artworks in the City of Inglewood will be stops on the tour; The History of Transportation Mural by Helen Lundeberg and The Written Word Intaglio Tower by Tom Van Sant, both of which are located at the Civic Center in Inglewood on Manchester Blvd.

Photo by Ginger Van Hook

In addition to the tour, Inglewood Open Studios also features a group show, which includes work by all participating tour artists, at the gallery within the Beacon Arts Building from Saturday, November 12 through Saturday, November 26, 2011 with an opening reception for the exhibit on November 12, 7:00-10:00pm. The group show will be on view for 2 weeks during normal business hours: Thursday to Saturday 1:00pm to 6:00pm and Sunday 1:00-4:00pm. Beacon Arts Building (http://www.beaconartsbuilding.com / 310-419-4077) is located at 808 N. La Brea Ave., Inglewood, CA 90302. The City of Inglewood will provide free shuttle bus service, which will run in a continuous loop, to the attending public on both Open Studios tour days. Printed maps with Open Studios location details are available online and will be at each artist's studio and at the gallery on both tour days. For additional information on Inglewood Open Studios, including the printable tour map, please visit www.inglewoodopenstudios.com and http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=164011226949989#!/event.php?eid=164011226949989.

Participating Artists -

Inglewood Open Studios participants include art educators, self-taught artists, and a significant number of graduates from nearby Otis College of Art and Design. The following is an alphabetical list of participating artists in the

2011 Inglewood Open Studios tour:

Gwinn Alderson, Brian Biedul, Alexis Bolter, Donald Bustraan, Marylene Camacho, Ericka Chapman, Renée A. Fox, GeoVanna Gonzalez, Morgan Gehris, Scott Greiger, Winter Jenssen, Ellina Kevorkian, Deborah Lambert, Sharon Levy, Michael Maas, Michael Massenburg, Elizabeth Mauceli, Chris Mercier, Kenneth H. Ober, David Peters, Jhoiey Ramirez, Joan Robey, Stan Smith, Dustin Shuler, Holly Tempo, Shirley Tse, Ginger Van Hook, Luke Van Hook, MonaLisa Whitaker, Pola Wickham.

Sponsors of the 5^th Annual Inglewood Open Studios Tour:

Fine Artists of Inglewood, Inglewood Cultural Arts (ICA), The City of Inglewood, Otis College of Art and Design, Beacon Arts Building (BAB), 1019 WEST Art Studios and fer Studios.

Inglewood, CA -

Inglewood is bordered by the LAX International Airport and surrounded by the nearby cities of El Segundo, Playa Del Rey, Marina Del Rey, Westchester, Culver City, and Torrance -- nestled in the center of Los Angeles County.

Inglewood Cultural Arts -

Inglewood Cultural Arts (ICA) is a multidisciplinary nonprofit arts organization, serving residents of Inglewood and its surrounding communities. ICA's mission is to enhance the quality of life in the community by providing diverse cultural arts programs. www.inglewoodculturalarts.org

For additional information, please contact press liaison Ginger Van Hook at enilde@sprintmail.com or visit her website at www.gingervanhook.com and visit her blogs at http://gingersartjournal.blogspot.com/ & http://finearttrekkinInglewood.blogspot.com

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LA TIMES FESTIVAL OF BOOKS COMES TO USC! PhotoJournal by Ginger E. Van Hook

2011-05-02T12:20:00.000-07:00

Author Enilde Ginger Ingels-Van Hook displays her books at the Los Angeles Times

Festival of Books, held on the USC main Campus on April 30, 2011

The author of the novel

The Kingdom of Nuts and Bolts, Enilde Van Hook first released this book

for sale at the LA Times Festival of books in 2008.

Participating in author signings in

The Greater Los Angeles Writers Society booth 970

Author, Artist, Photographer and Writer

known as Ginger E. Van Hook

works as a photojournalist specializing in documenting the Fine Arts

in local communitiesin Los Angeles, California.

Photo Courtesy of Tony Todaro, President of GLAWS,

known for writers mentoring writers as

The Greater Los Angeles Writers Society, one

of the oldest writing societies in California.

Ginger Van Hook introduced her lastest creation, a visual poetry book titled

"The Poetry of Art" documenting the story and journey of Ginger and Luke Van Hook

becoming artists in Los Angeles as well as documenting

the artists they've met along the way.

"The Poetry of Art" is not yet available to the public.

The publication date of this book will be announced.

One Sample copy was introduced for previews

at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books held at

the University of Southern California (USC) main campus.

Enilde Ginger Ingels-Van Hook is a graduate

of the Annenberg School for Communications and Journalism at USC.

Authors Ginger E. Van Hook, Paul Michel, Sara Beacham and Christian Amougou

present their written works at the

Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, held at the USC main campus

April 30, 2011. Photo courtesy of Tony Todaro, President of GLAWS

The Greater Los Angeles Writers Society, LA, CA 2011

(Left to right) Authors Ace Antonio Hall, Leslie Ann Moore and

the organization's president, Tony Todaro are responsible for

bringing the Greater Los Angeles Writers Society to the

LA Times Festival of Books on the USC Campus,

Author of "In My Eyes", Ace Antonio Hall and

Leslie Ann Moore, author of "Griffin's Daughter" Trilogy of books

participate in leadership activities related

to writers mentoring writers by leading critique groups.

Additionally Ace Antonio Hall is the Vice President of GLAWS

Author Sarah Beach participates in the LA Times Festival of Books on the USC Campus.

Pieceable Kingdom Opens at Beacon Arts in Inglewood, California Feb 5, 2011. Photo Journal by Ginger Van Hook

2011-02-06T12:55:00.000-08:00

Artist Devin Troy Strother, Beacon Arts Gallery Director Renée Fox
and Scott Lane of the Scott Lane Organization and Beacon Arts Building
attend the opening of Pieceable Kingdom Curated by David Pagel.
Photo by Ginger Van Hook©2011

Beacon Arts Gallery Director Renée Fox and Curator David Pagel
attend the opening reception of PEACEABLE KINGDOM for the
"Critics as Curators Series" at Beacon Arts Building Gallery in Inglewood, California
Photo by Ginger Van Hook©2011

Beacon Arts continues its Critics-as-Curators series with Pieceable Kingdom curated by art critic David Pagel, opening Saturday, February 5, 2010. The exhibition features works in a range of media by seven artists – Erin Cosgrove, Asad Faulwell, Maxwell Hendler, Laura Krifka, Mimi Lauter, Devin Troy Strother, and Matt Wedel – who capture the complexity of everyday life by giving form to its down-to-earth beauty and uplifting ordinariness, its tribulations and triumphs, its pleasures and pains. As a group, they piece things together, sometimes literally and sometimes figuratively, creating singular pieces that are complete unto themselves yet also openly invite all sorts of stories, from other times and places, to echo across their sensuous surfaces.

Pieceable Kingdom runs from Saturday, February 5, 2011 to Sunday, March 20, 2011. Exhibition special events include an opening reception on Saturday February 5, 6:00 – 9:00pm, an artists’ panel discussion on Sunday, March 6, which starts at 2:00pm, and a closing reception on Sunday, March 20, 1:00 – 4:00pm, which will include a catered brunch and a critics’ panel discussion. Beacon Arts is located at 808 N. La Brea Ave., Inglewood, CA 90302. Regular gallery hours are from 1:00pm to 6:00pm Thursday through Saturday, Sundays 1:00pm – 4:00pm. All Pieceable Kingdom events are free. For additional information please call 310-621-5416 or visit http://www.beaconartsbuilding.com/ as well as http://www.facebook.com/pages/Inglewood-CA/Beacon-Arts-Building/129817703733091?v=info. For additional Pieceable Kingdom photos, please see http://gallery.me.com/lynnhasty#100096.

Steven Bankhead and Kate Harding attend the opening reception
of PEACEABLE KINGDOM at Beacon Arts Building Gallery in
Inglewood, California
Photo by Ginger Van Hook©2011

Artists Luke Van Hook, Ken Ober and Michael Massenberg
attend the opening reception of
Peaceable Kingdom at Beacon Arts Building Gallery, Inglewood, CA
Photo by Ginger Van Hook©2011

Scott Lane with his wife Jan Lane attend the opening reception of
Peaceable Kingdom at Beacon Arts Building Gallery, Inglewood, CA
Photo by Ginger Van Hook©2011

Artists Marcie Kaufmann and Luke Van Hook discuss the artwork

at the opening reception of
Peaceable Kingdom at Beacon Arts Building Gallery, Inglewood, CA
Photo by Ginger Van Hook©2011

Densities: Line Becoming Shape, Shape Becoming Object curated by respected art writer Peter Frank. Photojournal by Ginger Van Hook

2011-01-18T08:52:00.001-08:00

Art Writer and Curator Peter Frank with Gallery Director for Beacon Arts Renée Fox
attend the opening reception of
"Densities: Line Becoming Shape, Shape Becoming Object".
Photo by Ginger Van Hook ©2010

Time	"Densities" Open House Saturday 1:00pm Saturday, January 22 · 1:00pm - 6:00pm

Location	Beacon Arts Building 808 N. La Brea Avenue Inglewood, CA

Created By	Beacon Arts Building

More Info	Beacon Arts will hold an Open House for "Densities" on Saturday 1/22 on the Art LA artfair weekend from 1:00pm-6:00pm.

Beacon Arts continues its Critics-as-Curators series with
Densities: Line Becoming Shape, Shape Becoming Object
curated by respected art writer Peter Frank, that opened
Friday, December 10, 2010. The exhibition featured works in a
range of media by artists Philippa Blair, Ran Harari,
Tom Jenkins, Joel King, John White, and Jae Hwa Yoo,
all with a sensibility that favors visual complexity driven
by a profusion of active linear forms.
Densities runs from December 10, 2010 to January 30, 2011.

Exhibition special events included an opening party on
Friday, December 10th and an open house on
Saturday, January 22, from 1:00pm to 6:00pm
plus a closing event on Sunday, January 30, 2011from 11:00am 4:00pm,
which will include a catered brunch and a panel discussion.

(image: work by Jae Hwa Yoo)

See images at: http://gallery.me.com/lynnhasty#100036

Renée Fox and Scott Lane of Beacon Arts Building and Art Writer Peter Frank
attend the opening reception for "Densities"
December 10th, 2010. Photo by Ginger Van Hook©2010

In the first of a series of exhibitions coming up in 2011, Gallery Director, Renée Fox has coordinated a list of prominent writers and critics to curate shows exhibiting the talents and artworks of local artists in the Los Angeles community. In this particular exhibit, Peter Frank explores "Densities: Line Becoming Shape, Shape Becoming Object". In an effort to follow the pencil or the brush as it goes from a sketch on the canvas to a painting on a wall, Frank has selected works that demonstrate the values of Densities. With every mark an artist makes, comes a defining of the character of the work. If you get an opportunity to examine the works in this exhibit (within the latest gallery to open in Inglewood on La Brea), you'll discover these works reveal more than just the intricate marks made time after time to build up the canvases into elaborate abstractions and creative flights of fancy. These works depict the mood and tone of Los Angeles based artists. Defying the economic stresses and strains within the system, the artists selected reveal a playfulness and even a exuberant vibrancy to the color and the marks. With splashes of color and marks in the spirit of a new year, these paintings and drawings closed out the dismal aspects of 2010 and rang in the new year with fresh insights into economic renewal, new perspectives and enduring continuity of the art process. Come explore for yourself at the open house on
Saturday, Jan 22, 2011 from 1:00pm - 6:00pm!

Steven Bankhead and Kate Harding attend opening reception of "Densities"
at the Beacon Arts Building Gallery in Inglewood, California.
Photo By Ginger Van Hook©2010

Ken Ober (purple shirt) gives an art patron the tour of the Beacon Arts Building
for the opening reception of "Densities" curated by Peter Frank.
Photo by Ginger Van Hook©2010

Beacon Arts Building Exhibition "Densities: Line Becoming Shape, Shape Becoming Object"
curated by Art Writer Peter Frank. Photo By Ginger Van Hook©2010.

Chris Mercier Exhibition Inglewood Library Thru December 2010! Review by Ginger Van Hook

2010-12-29T12:18:00.000-08:00

COLOR

{SPACE}

FORM

INVESTIGATIONS IN AND AROUND THE STRUCTURE OF SPACE IN PAINTING, SCULPTURE AND ARCHITECTURE

Chris Mercier, Artist and Architect displays

his current works in the Inglewood Library through December 2010.

Òafter all, the aim of art is to create space
Ð space that is not compromised by decoration or illustration, space

in which the subjects of painting can live. This is what painting has always been aboutÓ
(Frank Stella1986, 5; ÔWorking SpaceÕ)

ÒColor {Space} FormÓ is a creative exploration into the depiction/construction
of pictorial, sculptural and

architectural space. At its heart, it posits an exploration
into the vision of contemporary space. Within

Western thought there is a long tradition of
spatial development and exploration. From the early middle Ages,

through the Renaissance and up to modern time,
each eraÕs depiction/construction of space becomes a world or

window into how experience is perceived and portrayed.
In todayÕs global world, collapsed time, virtual reality,

reality T.V. and the internet all weave a Ònew immediacyÓ
where these developments act as cues in the

shaping of contemporary space.
My investigations into pictorial, cultural and physical space collectively seek an

understanding of the effects,
opportunities and outcomes these and other cues have or will have on

contemporary spatial expression, experience and development.

ÒColor {Space} FormÓ is a continued progression of my interest in the
SPACE of inspirational experience.

Compared to my previous works,
ÒPainting Towards FormÓ, it employs a similar language of color and form.

Here however, there is a focused effort to explore
and capture a much more exaggerated experience of actual 3-

dimensional physical space within the work.

This actual or real pictorial space, acts in a contemporary since

similar to the way other types of pictorial space
(flattened, perspective, etc.) did throughout history, as a place

for the Òsubject of painting to liveÓ.
This real pictorial space was achieved in two ways: first through the

physical sculpting and construction of paint into organized spatial relationships
(Ôpaint modelingÕ); and second,

the 3-dimensional manipulation of the painting panel itself.
While explored to a lesser degree in earlier works,

these panel manipulations (recesses/protrusions/etc.)
allow for the surface of the work to develop its own spatial

cues and as a further consequence can start
to be seen as potential sites for the building of paint.
With these two conditions a sort of game develops in which

panel and paint engage each other in a dialogue or a spatial

dance that defines the form of the work.
The result is not wholly dissimilar to the way pre-perspective and

perspective painting used various forms of
mathematical and or other techniques (GiottoÕs overlapping images,

Linear Perspective, etc.) to structurally organize/construct pictorial space.

Òthrough one pictorial device or another the greatest percentage
of the worldÕs painting has dealt with the

representation of spaceÓ
(William Seitz, from ÔChanging Images of Pictorial SpaceÕ by William V. Dunning,

1991).

In addition to the spatial developments discussed above,
the use of color, various paint types (oil, enamel, latex, latex enamel, ink, etc.),

states of drying as well as various application techniques have also been explored in the

work. These materials and techniques further the spatial
development of the project by either enforcing

conditions already in place or creating new unexpected
color-relational opportunities. In particular, the

relation between paintÕs particular drying state,
its level of viscosity (solidified, semi-solidified, gel/paste, liquid,

watery, etc.) and its application method including
timing and positioning within a work, has been examined at

length.
This has led to an understanding not only of the different paint types,
but of their particular properties

in terms quality of color rendition, adherence and the 3-dimensional/textural abilities under various dried and

semi-dried states.
The final positioning/application of paint;
the act of painting, is based on the type, thickness,

color, solidity and texture as well as conditions already inherent/developed in the work.
The intent being to

uncover a spatial/color condition that might provide insight
into the contemporary structure, organization or

pattern of spatial experience.

ÒOur job, as architects, builders, (artists),
citizens, is to create this life in the air and stones and rooms and

gardens Ð to create life in the fabric of space itself.Ó
(Christopher Alexander, 2002, Page 425, ÔThe Nature

of Order- Book One Ð The Phenomenon of LifeÕ)

ÒColor {Space} FormÓ investigates the experience of contemporary spatial structure.
It does so through a crossing of what are understood to be three different
types of spatial conditions: Painting, Sculpture and

Architecture.
The belief is that although these three disciplines operate in
different arenas of life they actually

share a similar spatial tradition and foundation.
Furthermore, through the interweaving of their processes and

theoretical development, this project explores opportunities in how a more holistic and vibrant condition of

contemporary space might be experienced.
The goal being, to unveil the potential for an alternative spatial

understanding, one that might better address the myriad of contemporary life as a positive, imaginative and engaging experience.

An understanding that starts to question our basic belief of what SPACE is,
what itÕs

made of, how we shape it,
and how these beliefs affect the value it brings to the celebration of life.

ÒSpace as a mindless, wisdom less, lifeless void
was not a common notion at any time before the scientific

revolution,Ó
(Owen Barfield, 1965, Page 149. ÔSaving Appearances; a study in IdolatryÕ)

ÒIt is simply LIFE, a quality which appears to be an attribute of space itself.Ó (Christopher Alexander,

2002, Page 424, ÔThe Nature of Order Ð Book One Ð The Phenomenon of LifeÕ)

Chris Mercier Mar. 20, 2010

Curriculum Vitae

CHRISTOPHER L. MERCIER
curriculum vitae
Christopher L. Mercier
1159 East Hyde Park Blvd.
Inglewood, CA 90302
310-672-4749
310-672-4733 Fax

chris@ferstudio.com

Website on Art Slant:

http://www.artslant.com/la/artists/show/12199-christopher-lawrencemercier

EDUCATION:
Southern California Institute of Architecture,
Master of Architecture, January 1991
Architecture Intermundium (Daniel Libeskind),
Milano, Italy, October 1987 - May 1988
Lawrence University, Southfield, Michigan
Bachelor of Science in Architecture, 1987

ARTS EXPERIENCE:
SCULPTURE PROJECTS:

HSI Productions Building Sculpture
ÒEdges and EndsÓ Site Sculpture
Culver City, CA
Design Collaboration w/Tom Farrage
Completed 2000

PAINTING EXHIBITIONS:

One-person Exhibits
ÒColor {SPACE} FormÓ works by Christopher Mercier
The American Institute of Architects Los Angeles Chapter Gallery
3780 Wilshire Blvd Suite 800
Los Angeles, CA 90010

Nov. & Dec. 2010
ÒColor {SPACE} FormÓ New works by Christopher Mercier
Lawrence Asher Gallery
5820 Wilshire Blvd Suite 10
Los Angeles, CA 90036

April. 2010
Two-person Exhibits
ÒChristopher Mercier & Joseph Justus Ó
Skinner Howard Contemporary Art
732 ÔSÕ Street
Sacramento, CA 95811

June. 2010
ÒTowards Form: New Works by Christopher Mercier & Joe DavidsonÓ
Lawrence Asher Gallery
5820 Wilshire Blvd Suite 10
Los Angeles, CA 90036
Oct. 2008

ÒChristopher Mercier & Courtney Reid : New PaintingsÓ Fluxco
2042 Bay Street, Los Angeles, CA
Nov. 2005
ÒWesley Studios Show Ð Christopher Mercier & Colby MaysÓ Wesley
Studios, Culver City , CA,

2002
Awards:
ÒART SLANT Ð 2010 Ð 5th Show Case Juried Winner -
Art Slant Ð www.artslant.com

Sept 2010
ÒART SLANT Ð 2010 Ð 4th Show Case - Winner -
Art Slant Ð www.artslant.com

July 2010
ÒART SLANT Ð 2010 Ð 3rd Show Case - Winner -
Art Slant Ð www.artslant.com

April 2010
ÒART SLANT Ð 2010 - 2nd Show Case - Winner -
Art Slant Ð www.artslant.com

March 2010
ÒART SLANT Ð 2009 Show Case Juried Winner -
Art Slant Ð www.artslant.com

March 2009
ÔART WITHOUT BORDERSÕ - Third Place Winner, juried on-line competition
by Peter Frank, Dawne Camera, Ilaria Kostandi Sillangierri and Licka
Brakhovsky.
LarkGallery Online Ð www.larkgalleryonline.com

Jan. 2009
Group Exhibits:
Ô2010 Los Angeles Juried ExhibitionÓ
Los Angeles Municipal Gallery
Barnsdall Park
4800 Hollywood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90027

August 2010
ÔRevisiting BeautyÓ
Orange County Center for Contemporary Art
117 N. Sycamore Street
Santa Anna, CA 92701

May 2010
ÔOZ: New Offerings from Angel CityÕ
Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery & The Department of Cultural Affairs City
of Los Angeles.
Regional Museum of Guadalajara
Mexico

Nov/Dec 2009
ÔFRESHÕ Silent Auction, MOCA
The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA - Museum of Contemporary Art
152 North Central Ave.
Los Angeles CA 90013

May 2009
ÔOPEN SHOWÕ , Los Angeles Art Association - juried show by David Pagel
Gallery 825
825 North La Cienega Blvd.
Los Angeles CA 90068

Dec. 2008
ÒAbbott Kinney Art Walk Ð Group ShowÓ EIS Studio
Abbott Kinney, Venice, CA

Dec. 2006
ÒArt, Furniture & Wine Ð Group ShowÓ Giraffe Home
7007 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA

Oct. 2003
ÒVenice Group Show Ð An evening of Art & ArchitectureÓ
424 North Venice Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA

July 2003
ÒItalformÓ 8844 Beverly Boulevard, West Hollywood, CA 90048

2002
ÒSmall TreasuresÓ Don OÕMelveny Gallery, West Hollywood, CA,

Dec. 2002
ÒTexture & GrainÓ 87th Annual Gensler Art Exhibition (3 person show),
Gensler Architects Offices, Santa Monica, CA, 2002

Ò2001 Juried ShowÓ Gallery 57 Underground, Pomona, CA, 2001

ÒSuspending DetachmentÓ The Hatch Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, 2001

ÒSculpture/Collage/Mixed Media ExhibitÓ Long Beach Arts,
Long Beach, CA, 2000

ÒArtist Spectrum Juried ExhibitionÓ Agora Gallery, NY, 1997

Ò100 Dollar ShowÓ Post, Los Angeles, CA, 1997

ÒOpeningsÓ Spanish Kitchen Studios, Los Angeles, CA, 1996

Ò3X3 Competition ExhibitionÓ, Honorable Mention
San Francisco, CA.

May 1991
ARCHITECTURAL EXPERIENCE:
(fer) studio L.L.P.
Form Environment Research
1159 East Hyde Park Blvd.
Inglewood, CA 90302
P-310-672-4749 F-310-672-4733

Fall 2006 to Present
Title: Partner/Design Principal
Christopher Mercier Studio (fer)
Form Environment Research
1159 East Hyde Park Blvd.
Inglewood, CA 90302
P-310-672-4749 F-310-672-4733

July 2002 to Fall 2006
Title: President/Design Principal
Gehry Partners L.L.P. (Formerly Frank O. Gehry & Associates, Inc.)
12541 Beatrice Street
Los Angeles, CA 90066
310-482-3000

1993 to 2002
Title: Senior Associate/Project Architect

LECTURES:
Southern California Institute of Architecture, Los Angeles, CA.
Final Lecture in the 2002 Lecture series,
ÔArchitecture/Computer/Design/ManufacturingÕ, April 2002
Museum of Architecture, San Juan Capistrano, Lecture
ÔArchitecture in the Digital AgeÕ, Guest Speaker, Sept. 2001
Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden, KTH
Lecture/Discussion Ô Conde Nast in the MakingÕ, Guest Speaker, March

2001
Technical Research Center of Finland(VTT) Dipoli, Espoo, Finland, VTT
Symposium ÔTechnologies in ArchitectureÕ, Guest Speaker, March 2001
Harvard University, Graduate School of Design, ÔNew Technologies in
Architecture SymposiumÕ, Guest Speaker, Oct. 2000

TEACHING POSITIONS:
Woodbury University, Architecture Department
Thesis Studio, Spring 2001

UCLA, Architecture Department, Design & Construction of
Complex GeometryÕs, Team taught Seminar/Studio, Spring 1999

Woodbury University, Interior Architecture Department
Senior Project Studio, Spring 1998

Inglewood Open Studios Tour 2010 Begins at BEACON ARTS GALLERY!

2010-11-30T10:24:00.000-08:00

Representing artists in Inglewood, the founder of Inglewood Open Studios Tour,

Renee Fox is pictured in the center between Scott Lane of Beacon Arts Building on the left and

Sam Hoi, President of Otis College of Art and Design in Westchester

attending the release of the Otis Report on the Creative Economy Los Angeles area,

There's a new gallery in town, the town of Inglewood, California, that is!

A new trend revealed in the Otis Report on the Creative Economy in Los Angeles is to reinvigorate the fine artists and the arts in local communities

by revitalizing old buildings and converting them to work/live spaces for artists,

gallery showrooms and places for community art forums.

Beacon Arts Building is the new gallery in Inglewood, California

promoting the fine artistic talents of the local artists living and working

just minutes away from the LAX Airport and just across town

from Otis College of Art and Design.

Beacon Arts Regular gallery hours are 1:00pm to 6:00pm Thursday through Saturday, Sundays 1:00pm – 4:00pm. The gallery will be closed for the holidays from December 24, 2010 to January 4, 2011.
Upcoming curators to include Peter Frank, Pavid Pagel, Doug Harvey, Mat Gleason, Richard Lidinsky and more…

THE INGLEWOOD OPEN STUDIOS TOUR 2010 began November 13th and 14th

at the new gallery

BEACON ARTS BUILDING located at 808 N. La Brea Inglewood, California 90302

Gallery contact: 310-621-5416

Patrons and art lovers were welcomed into the new Beacon Arts Building

with maps of the city and postcards listing the 35 artists on tour for the 4th Annual Inglewood Open Studios Tour. Additionally an exhibition showing a sampling of the artists on tour was prominently displayed in the new gallery space. Patrons and visitors could board the busses or trolley provided by the City Of Inglewood,

thanks to the Mayor, Danial Tabor.

Participating Artists -

Inglewood Open Studios artist involvement has more than doubled from 17 artists last year to 37 artists currently. Participants include self-taught artists, art educators, and a significant number of graduates from nearby Otis College of Art and Design. The following is an alphabetical list of participating artists in the 2010 Inglewood Open Studios tour:

Elliot Agnew, Alex Becerra, Kavin Buck, Ericka Chapman, Anne Cheek La Rose,

Claire Cregan, Noelle Cross, W. Don Flores, Edward Ewell, Renée A. Fox, Todd Gray,

Paul Harrie, Ken Hurbert, Michelle Johnson, Andrew Karl, Sharon Levy, Michael Massenburg, Elizabeth Mauceli, Gale McCall, Chris Mercier, Julia Montgomery, Kenneth Ober,Kour Pour, Kaitlynn Redell, Joan Robey, Kyungmi Shin, Dustin Shuler, Stanley Smith, Johnathan Stofenmacher, Cindy Suriyani, Holly Tempo, Corey Thering, Albert Valdez, Ginger Van Hook, Luke Van Hook, MonaLisa Whitaker, Joey Wolf

This year's Inglewood Open Studios is dedicated to the much-beloved, long-time Inglewood artist Dustin Shuler, who died earlier this year. He was well-known internationally for his large-scale, vehicle-based public installations such as "Spindle" and "Pinned Butterfly." Shuler participated in both the 2008 and 2009 Inglewood Open Studios tours and, thanks to his wife Karen Zindler-Shuler, his studio will again be open on the tour this year.

Inglewood, CA -
Inglewood is bordered by the LAX International Airport and surrounded by the nearby cities of El Segundo, Playa Del Rey, Marina Del Rey, Westchester, Culver City, and Torrance -- nestled in the center of Los Angeles County.

Inglewood Cultural Arts -
Inglewood Cultural Arts (ICA) is a multidisciplinary nonprofit arts organization serving residents of Inglewood and its surrounding communities. ICA's mission is to enhance the quality of life in the community by providing diverse cultural arts programs.www.inglewoodculturalarts.org

The Fourth Annual Inglewood Open Studios Tour opens Nov 13th & 14th, 2010!

2010-11-09T13:29:00.000-08:00

Dustin Shuler making a toast with Holly Tempo, Luke Van Hook and John Wynn,

Dustin Shuler's "Pinned: Aircraft as Butterfly"

Archive photo: Sharon Ford Los Angeles, 1982© Dustin Shuler

Inglewood Mayor Daniel Tabor making a toast with

Inglewood Open Studios Founder, Renee Fox.

Inglewood, California. Photo 2009 ©Ginger Van Hook

Renee Fox, Anne Cheek La Rose and Daniel Tabor

at the Artist reception for the Inglewood Open Studios Tour in 2009.

Mona Lisa Whitaker founder of Inglewood Cultural Arts

discusses plans for Inglewood Artists with Mayor Daniel Tabor.

INGLEWOOD OPEN STUDIOS

CELEBRATES IT'S FOURTH YEAR!

Contacts:

Renée A. Fox (Organizer) reneeafox@sbcglobal.net

MonaLisa Whitaker inglewoodculturalarts@yahoo.com

Ginger Van Hook (Press Liaison) enilde@sprintmail.com

Announcing the:

Fourth Annual Inglewood Open Studios

The thriving Inglewood Art Community in partnership with local non-profit, Inglewood Cultural Arts (ICA), hosts the 4^th annual Inglewood Open Studios Tour, Saturday November 13^th and Sunday November 14^th from 1-6pm. www.inglewoodopenstudios.blogspot.com The public is invited to enjoy and share in the experience of personally touring the art studios of Inglewood’s own local artists that include established and emerging, self taught, educators and educated artists from local art colleges, including a large number of graduates from nearby Otis College of Art and Design. Artist involvement has more than doubled this year from 17 artists last year to 39 artists currently. Centrally located, Inglewood is bordered by the LAX International Airport, and surrounded by the nearby Cities of El Segundo, Playa Del Rey, Marina Del Rey, Westchester, Culver City and Torrance, nestled in the center of Los Angeles County.

There will be a number of events surrounding the Inglewood Open Studios Tour such as the group show of all participating artists, to be held at the Gallery located within the new Beacon Art Building at 808 N La Brea. The group show will have its own opening night, Saturday November 13^th 7-10pm and will be on view for the month of November. Both Saturday and Sunday, enjoy live music, impromptu performances, video screenings and be sure to sample food from our delicious local restaurants.

The 2010 Inglewood Open Studios Tour will be dedicated to the beloved late Dustin Shuler. For those who didn't know Dustin, he was a long time Inglewood artist, a prolific visionary, loved by many, and an example for all artists. He was well known for his large-scale public installations like "Spindle", and "Pinned Butterfly". He participated in both the 2008 and 2009 Inglewood Open Studios Tours and thanks to his wife, Karen Shuler, his studio will again be open for the tour this year.

The following is an alphabetical list of participating artists for the 2010 Inglewood Open Studios Tour:

Elliot Agnew, Alex Becerra, Kavin Buck, Ericka Chapman, Anne Cheek La Rose, Claire Cregan, Noelle Cross, W. Don Flores, Edward Ewell, Renée A. Fox, Todd Gray, Holly Harrie, Paul Harrie, Ken Hurbert, Michelle Johnson, Andrew Karl, Sharon Levy, Michael Massenburg, Elizabeth Mauceli, Gale McCall, Daniel Mendel-Black, Chris Mercier, Julia Montgomery, Kenneth Ober, Kour Pour, Kaitlynn Redell, Joan Robey, Kyungmi Shin, Dustin Shuler, Stanley Smith, Johnathan Stofenmacher, Cindy Suriyani, Holly Tempo, Corey Thering, Albert Valdez, Ginger Van Hook, Luke Van Hook, MonaLisa Whitaker, Joey Wolf

ICA is a multidisciplinary nonprofit arts organization serving residents of Inglewood and its surrounding communities, whose mission is to enhance the quality of life by providing diverse cultural arts programs. www.inglewoodculturalarts.org

Inglewood Open Studios Tour 2009.

Dustin and Karen Shuler enjoy the 3rd Annual Inglewood Open Studios Tour.

Featured Artist Diana Burke at Inglewood Public Library for October!

2010-10-27T12:16:00.000-07:00

Seascapes

Landscapes

Escapes

by Diana Burke

October 2^nd thru October 31^st

Inglewood Public Library

101 W. Manchester Blvd. Inglewood, Ca. 90301

The INGLEWOOD PUBLIC LIBRARY

features new artists from

the Inglewood Artist Community each month.

The Inglewood Public Library is a resource for books,

computer classes and educational programs.

The Inglewood Public Library

encourages artists in all walks of life,

to walk through the library,

explore the bookshelves in fiction,

non-fiction, theatre, science, technology

or the arts and enjoy this free service every day

during the library's hours of operation.

Do check out books and then return them

after reading them

to our friendly librarians at the counter!

Get educated, get inspired, get real books at the Inglewood Public Library.

Return your books to the friendly Inglewood Librarians at the counter!

Or you might even try email books too.

Photos by Ginger Van Hook, 2010

Holly Tempo Featured Artist at Inglewood Library for September 2010!

2010-09-15T02:49:00.000-07:00

HOLLY TEMPO

Holly Tempo, who received an MFA from the Claremont Graduate University, is known for her labor-intensive paintings and site-specific works. Tempo’s work is informed by an ongoing exploration of the semiotics of color, decoration and pattern and an engagement with both macro and micro systems in nature and society. Ambitious in scope and execution and whimsical in tone, the work interrogates the state of being of the individual as well as the group and often presents the viewer with subtle interventions. Recent monumental works by the artist include The Anti-war Macassar, a large floor piece crafted entirely of acrylic paint, and Chasing Arrows at Las Orchièdas, a site-specific work in the Panamanian rain forest.

With an active professional career, the artist has shown her work extensively at exhibition spaces in Southern California, including POST, Miller/Durazo Fine Art, Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions, the Orange County Center for Contemporary Art, Angels Ink Gallery, Track 16 Gallery, the Leo S. Bing Center at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, At The Brewery Project, Ruth Bachofner Gallery, Frumkin/Duval Gallery, Kohn Turner Gallery, the Huntington Beach Art Center, and the San Bernardino County Museum of Art. Tempo has also exhibited internationally in India, Spain, Great Britain, France, Israel and Central America.

Tempo joined the faculty of the School of Fine Arts at Otis College of Art & Design in 2001, where she serves as Associate Professor of Painting. The artist, born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, maintains a studio in Inglewood, California.

DIATOM PAINTINGS

These paintings explore the relationship between nature, labor and aesthetic intervention. The imagery is based on diatoms, a type of alga. Diatom skeletons form fossil deposits which, when viewed under a microscope, resemble doilies.

In this case, I used actual doilies as templates to replicate the skeletons of micro-organisms. Each form was handmade with acrylic gel medium and pigment. I used a pastry tube to create the “doilies” and glued them to the canvases.

The resulting paintings become repositories for these enigmatic forms that hover in pictorial limbo. They vacillate between being organic super structures and signifiers of hyper-culture.

Holly Tempo is a member of the Inglewood Open Studios Tour.

Each year she supports her community
by opening her studio to the public
to witness her artistic process,
learn more about the arts and
encourages other artists to do the same.
This year's Inglewood Open Studios Tour
is scheduled Saturday and Sunday
November 13th and 14th, 2010.

Look for announcements about the tour here at

http://finearttrekkinInglewood.blogspot.com

http://inglewoodopenstudios.blogspot.com

The Inglewood Public Library Supports Inglewood Artists

and features one artist per month to represent

their art and their community. Reading is the key to understanding our world.

Art nurtures the artist as well as the community

and the sense of achievement that is obtained

from both reading about art and creating artworks

that are appreciated by your peers is both fulfilling and

vital to the development of our youth in our culture.

Visit the Inglewood Public Library more often.

Get involved with your children,

and children teach your parents what you know.

We all feed each other.

There is a thirst and a hunger for knowledge

which makes us better human beings

to our families and our world.

It all begins with a visit to your local library,

open a book, open your eyes to the artwork around you

and enjoy your journey!

Inglewood Public Library, 2010.
Photo by Ginger Van Hook

SEE THRU EXHIBITION @ Gallery 825 THRU 8.27.2010 Review by Anne Cheek LaRose

2010-08-25T13:37:00.000-07:00

Hi, it’s me again – Anne Cheek La Rose – guest reviewer. As usual, we can’t have Ginger or Luke Van Hook review their own works on exhibit, so here are my thoughts!

“SeeThru” at Gallery 825, is a collaborative effort between science – Professor Shinsuke Shimojo of California Institute of Technology – and art. It was fascinating to me. Since I knew nothing about the science end going in, I had no clue what to expect. It’s a huge exhibit with 22 segments. Ginger and Luke were involved in seven of the segments, and frankly, their work was the part that I believe the layman could most relate to. Everything was magical and very interesting, but some of the science behind the artwork is just too complex for mere mortals to comprehend. The exhibit is based on Professor Shimojo’s work with how the brain processes information with respect to how we visually perceive our world.

Professor Shinsuke Shimojo from CAL TECH in Pasadena
selected artists from Gallery 825 in Los Angeles to collaborate with him
on the SEE THRU exhibition; an exploration of the intersection between
Science, Perception, Photography and Art. Photo courtesy of Ann Marie Rousseau.

As one enters the gallery, there is a very large mobile featuring fragments of a whole photo. This is meant to expose the sighted person to how the world is “seen” by the unsighted person. At first one tries to mentally pull all the fragments together to create the whole photograph. Within a few seconds or so of a back-and-forth visual jigsaw puzzle, one realizes some fragments are missing. Voila! We “see” as the unsighted “see”. Very effective. This work is by Dori Atlantis, Ching-Ching Cheng, Meg Madison, and Mei Xian Qiu

"Assemble" created by Artists Dori Atlantis, Ching-Ching Cheng, Meg MAdison and Mei Xian Qiu

“Brain Projector” is based on a traditional Japanese rotating lantern. This is, perhaps, the one piece of the exhibit that would readily fit into a home environment. It investigates the visual cortex and gives a glimpse into how the brain processes information. It’s not a small lantern but commands the space of a good-size table lamp. Perhaps I was drawn to this because it is colorful and projects shape in colors on the wall as it rotates. The Van Hook’s did a lovely job and I hope this work will be part of the Fourth Annual Inglewood Open Studios tour this November.

"Brain Projector" created by Ginger and Luke Van Hook

at the request of and in collaboration with Professor Shinsuke Shimojo who states

"The surface of the visual cortex, as well as the lateral geniculate nucleus

(LGN) which is the relay part between the retina and the brain,

are organized topographically with regard to the visual field.

That is, the visual world is "projected" onto the cortical surface...

suddenly it occurred to me that we may steal the idea from traditional Japanese lantern.

I immediately wrote to the artists, who then replied to me with their enthusiasm!"

"Blue Volumetric" created as a collaboration
between Yoichi Kawamura, Shana Mabari and Shinsuke Shimojo to attempt to
give color another dimension.
Shimojo states " It was a German Gestalt Psychologist, D. Katz, who made
a distinction between surface and volume color.
While the latter was everywhere in our daily life,
such as water or the sky, it has received much less attention
both in science and art.
On top of the vigorous impression of cubic volumetric blue from a farther distance,
one may feel that its eyes are absorbed into the inner surfaces (including the top)
where steam and water "self organize" into fascinating patterns, texture, and dynamics."
Photo by Ginger Van Hook

To get to the room with the lantern, one must walk through “Science and Surveillance”. This was a microcosm of the surveillance apparatus that we experience in our lives. I found it disturbing because until one is confronted with all this in one place, one simply dismisses it as part of daily life. However, out of the usual context, I found some of the associated signage to be somewhat comical. This exhibit was created by A.M. Rousseau.

I also liked “The New Zodiac” by Siri Kaur with Romann Weber and Daw-an Wu. This was a series of six faces of Politicians and six Bunnies. This explored how we first view a person who is new to us. The photos were covered with a solid color and, as if the viewer’s eyes were laser pointers, the image was revealed. In five seconds or less, the accompanying materials tells us, we first look at eyes, mouths, breasts (some things never change), and flesh. I tried my own experiment, and yes, I went straight for the eyes. Further noted in each photo are the spots we look at behind the initial ones. These are shown as tiny laser-like lines trailing off in all directions with dots at the points the viewer lingers momentarily. This all gave the photographs an abstract graphic quality. I’d like to have the opportunity to sit at the machine that produced these images to create one of a loved one. Could be a new business model.

“The Opposite of Love” is a two-photograph work by Mei Xian Qui. The same woman is shown in both photos and the only immediate difference is that in the hand thrust forward in one holds flowers, and in the other a gun. The question here: is the woman’s expression the same in each photo? I looked long and hard and tried to imagine myself presenting both items. My expressions would be different, depending on the item, but I could see no difference in the expressions between the photographs. Interesting study.

The Van Hook’s also did a piece called “Brain”. It is formed from mirrored plexiglass, LED diodes, and batteries. The life cycle here is noted to be approximately five days. A ‘birth’ notice was published in a local paper and a ‘death’ notice will be published when it dies. I didn’t get it . . . or maybe I did, but it sure was pretty.

The "BRAIN" is a brainchild of Luke and Ginger Van Hook who gave this idea life by

putting a birth notice in the LA TIMES Newspaper.

According to Professor Shinsuke Shimojo of Cal Tech, The brain, or the CNS (Central Nervous System)

is differentiated very early in the prenatal period, which is very well identified

and described including the genes and the cascade like processes triggered

by them in developmental biology.

Until very recently, it has been believed that no new neurons are born or created after the birth.

Several major discoveries in the last decade may argue against that.

The "Brain" emmits color in the dark. Artist, Luke Van Hook.

Luke Van Hook stands beside the "BRAIN"

with his friends and supporters Jason and Madeleine Golaboski.

“Revealing the Invisible” was a hands-on exhibit by the Van Hooks, to show exactly where on the receiver end of a cell phone the magnetic field is located. While I was there, several people, using different makes and models tried it out. Some emitted a greater field than others. I’ll never know, as I left my phone home that evening. But, the new, iPhone emitted a greater magnetic field that the older model. Perhaps this is a clear case of ‘newer isn’t better’.

The one segment that I found most profound was the “Electromagnetic Fields – First Steps and Electromagnetic Fields of Memory”. This is a study of the enormous triangular towers that hold multiple lines. We’ve all heard the stories of how these electromagnetic fields can affect humans. Most can come up with an anecdotal story or two, or find living so close to these giants, just plain creepy. Ginger chose to illustrate how these towers and their lines insinuate themselves into our lives by creating a photographic collage (in a mild red tone for added effect) of childhood photos of she and her sister, Else. There is the basic collage, but superimposed over that is the ominous visage of power lines and one of the towering giants. Ginger tells us that as a child, she found the towers fascinating and wanted to climb the one behind their home. As an adult, she now knows that there is a great deal of research on these very towers and the lines they support. While they still look appealing, her focus now is researching their potential damage to humans with the hope of writing a book on the subject. Hopefully, this collage, too, will be included in the Inglewood Open Studios tour on Novemer 13^th & 14^th, 2010.

Ginger Van Hook stands beside the images that make up a memoir of her sister Else.

All in all, I was very glad to have seen this exhibit. It was a refreshing change from a traditional showing and the science is fascinating. One has to love an artist’s brain. We think so far out of the box that an exhibit like this becomes exactly what was hoped for – a visual representation of how we work. The gallery provided Professor Shimojo’s notes on each segment and notes by the artist’s on their segments. Together, one has a clearer picture (no pun intended) of what was seen.

Edward Ewell is Featured Artist at the Inglewood Public Library!

2010-08-16T07:56:00.000-07:00

Edward Ewell Exhibits his Photographic work at Inglewood Library in August, 2010.

Every month, Inglewood Public Library features a new artist to exhibit work on the long wall of the first floor as one enters the book section (look over to your right). For the month of August, Edward Ewell is displaying an array of stunning landscapes that transport you right into the streams, the mountains and even into a lively coconut tree. Do visit the library for a view of these beautiful images of a paradise in which exist a meditative quality of spiritual ambitions and emotions. Edward Ewell treats the canvas of his photographs with respect and reverence and follows his heart to bring this exhibition to bear.

Mr. Ewell tells us that "The photographic images displayed here in the Library are part of a series of photographs titled 'Photographic Expressons of Praise.' This series was started some 25 years ago. The title derives from two points. First, my thankfulness and praise to God for allowing me the opportunity to see his creations, and secondly, to see not just the physical, but also the spiritual and emotional aspect of His creations and being able to copy what I see and feel. God being the very first of all artists, for all of this I give Praise through the lens."

Edward L. Ewell was born and educated in Los Angeles. During his military tour of duty in Southeast Asia, he became interested in photography. He purchased his first camera and began photographing the landscape and people in their various conditions.

Realizing that the images he captured left impressions on those who viewed them, he decided after the military to continue to develop his photographic skills. Taking courses in photography and attending various workshops and seminars, he completed a college degree.