| From June 2 - 30, 2007, The Folk Tree in Pasadena presents A DAY AT THE CIRCUS, an exhibition curated by Los Angeles artist Robert Palacios. Palacios' own work is often inspired by childhood memories of the circus - the performers and pageantry, the colors, sounds and laughter. The artists he selected for this show each present their own "spin" on the theme. The show includes paintings and prints by Daniel Gonzalez, José Lozano, Jaime "Germs" Zacarias and the curator himself, as well as mixed media kinetic "toys" by José Orozco. A reception for the artists is scheduled for Saturday, June 2, from 2 - 6 P.M. Palalcios' fascination with the spectacle of the circus and its characters has found its way into the subject matter for his paintings and prints. Using a vivid palette, a lot of detail and comical devices, he paints costumed figures often with disproportionately large round heads atop tiny bodies. Palacios says, "My subjects and their surroundings are the focal point in my artwork." Palacios was born and raised in Los Angeles. He finds much of his inspiration in looking back to his childhood, digging through thoughts and memories from his past. He has exhibited at Avenue 50 Gallery, the Los Angeles Central Library, Vroman's Bookstore, La Mano Press, IMIX Bookstore, Self Help Graphics, The Folk Tree and many other venues in Los Angeles. Daniel Gonzalez spent his teen age years studying easel and mural painting with muralist George Yepes in East L.A. After a two year stint at California College of Arts and Crafts, he returned to Los Angeles and apprenticed at La Mano Press, where he refined his printmaking and letterpress techniques under the tutelage of Artemio Rodriguez. Gonzalez says of his work, "My life has been shared between two countries, the United States and Mexico. I've experienced the hard rural life of my parents in Mexico and the dangerous and fragmented life of the inner city... My work is inspired by the folk stories that my parents and grandparents have passed on. I have a desire to invent and share my own narratives and vision through printmaking... (and) also touch on the allegorical and universal experiences shared by the many." Jose Lozano was born in Los Angeles and spent part of his youth in Juarez, Mexico. He received his B.F.A and M.F.A. degrees from California State University, Fullerton. His influences range from Arshile Gorky to Willem DeKooning. In an interview with Mike Hicks from "Art in the Vault," Lozano says, "I like the social irreverence of Hogarth, Grozs, Dix, Warhol, Lautrec and the early drawings of Orozco. There's varying degrees of laughter. I like images that are so funny and absurd that they border on tears." He favors gouache as a medium and usually works in a series, focusing on themes such as Mexican wrestlers, Mexican movies, clowns, loteria and floating figures. Jose Orozco has a PhD from Harvard and is a Professor of Latin American History at Whittier College, but he is also the creator of kinetic one-of-a-kind mixed media "toys." "The cultural hybrid that I am is reflected in the hybrid nature of my Kochinadas Kineticas. They are made from the detritus of capitalist production, shaped by the fading memory of my childhood, and inspired by the iconography of the Catholic Church." These mechanized objects are Orozco's playful way of making social and political commentary. "The toys are a synthesis of the electric flash, noise and kinetic vitality of the Chinese toys (encountered in childhood in Los Angeles) with the soul of the Mexican toys." The handmade toys produced by Mexican artisans out of papier-mache, clay, wood, and other materials "never failed to amaze and delight me as a child." Jaime "Germs" Zacarias was born in south central Los Angeles, a background he considers both good and bad but one that has definitely shaped his view of the world. His talent in art became evident at a very young age, and art teachers in high school helped direct and support him. "My artwork is truly spontaneous and unplanned. I trust my instincts, and when I want to create something, the image appears... I use narrative imagery, graffiti art and found surfaces. I work in an audience-friendly style that allows the viewer to experience the piece." The artists share a similar cultural background and a drive to present socially relevant critiques and personal revelations through narrative imagery which incorporates humor and irony. The Folk Tree is located at 217 South Fair Oaks Avenue, minutes walking distance from the Gold Line's Del Mar station, and just south of Old Pasadena. Hours are: M-W, 11-6; Th-Sat, 10-6; Sun, 12-5. For more information, contact Gail Mishkin at 626/793-4828. |
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