| From June 4 - August 13, 2005, The Folk Tree is pleased to present the work of mixed media Baja, Mexico artists Aida Valencia and Alfonso Arambula. Valencia and Arambula consider their work experimental in terms of their choice of materials. Arambula uses copper wire, glass, clay, pebbles, recycled articles and more, which he often finds in his native Baja. Valencia incorporates metal, glass, pebbles, and textured paint surfaces into her pieces, with an emphasis on mosaics. A reception for the artists is on Saturday, June 4, from 2 - 6 P.M. Tijuana mosaic artist Aida Valencia works out of her studio, Casa Valencia, and is known for reinterpreting Mexico's traditional crafts and ancient techniques from Europe with a contemporary vocabulary. She studied classical mosaic techniques in Ravenna, Italy and borrows readily from both the ancient world and current trends. In addition to her personal art, Valencia, 47, works on commissions for businesses and homes in the U.S. and Mexico, creating art and furnishings. Born in San Diego, she has spent most of her life in Tijuana. Her business began in 1996, when a construction worker taught her to set tile. Her showroom (with partner Brenda Parra) now features mosaics of many designs. In a 2002 Los Angeles Times article, writer Anne-Marie OíConnor said that Valencia has often been compared to Spainís Antonio Gaudi, whose Barcelona mosaic work is renowned. "A friend of mine brought a book of Gaudi's work from Barcelona to show me," Valencia said. "I began to buy books myself, to open my mind to other people's artistic styles and see the possibilities." Alfonso Arambula was born in Ensenada in 1953. Like Valencia, he often works on a large scale for public spaces. He taught art and English, and studied art at Polamar College, San Diego and at UA in Baja. Arambula's love of nature and the environment, particularly that of his native Baja, is the inspiration behind his art. Writing about Arambula's work, Armando Gonzalez states, "Our land, Baja California, is mysterious and subterranean. With little apparent life, miles of color explode suddenly with the slightest smattering of rain. Suddenly, everything moves: the lizards, the rattlesnakes, the osprey and the whales....all of this is captured by the trained hands of Alfonso Arambula...time and again, the artist turns into an aesthetic journalist of our beautiful vastness." Arambula's art is in public and private collections in the United States, Japan, and Europe, and he has been the recipient of numerous awards and commissions. The Folk Tree is located at 217 South Fair Oaks Avenue, Pasadena, minutes walking distance from the Gold Line's Del Mar Station. Hours are: M-W, 11-6; Th-Sat, 10-6; Sun, 12-5. For more information, contact Kathi Oshima, 626/795-8733; Gail Mishkin, 626/793-4828. |
|
