by Elizabeth Monks Hack
The Lompoc Valley Art Association wishes a Happy New Year to all! Many of you, art lovers and creators alike, often visit us at the Cypress Gallery, our venue for showcasing the talent of our local arts community. If not, now is an excellent time to take the opportunity. Our January exhibition features the art of printmaker Angelina LaPointe, whose “California Wilds” explores the natural world with a fresh eye for beauty coupled with exceptional technique.
LaPointe studied printmaking and book arts at the College of Creative Studies, UCSB, where she developed an affinity for the block print medium. A decade ago she founded her company Side Car Press, and has worked steadily since, honing her style and exploring various expressions of print media. For example, upon entering the Cypress Gallery, the viewer is treated to a school of three-dimensional mackerel swimming across the walls in a play of light and shadow. She has installed a similar work using California barn swallows, at Allan Hancock College.
The laborious technique of carving an image by hand into a linoleum block, sometimes using a separate block for each color of the piece, is completed on LaPointe’s fully functioning, fully impressive, antique letterpress machine. Her work retains a nostalgia for past art styles, but simultaneously pops with a contemporary immediacy. The chosen color palette for each piece is gloriously limited to a few perfect contrasting harmonies, with oranges that ignite and blues that cool, against the lively lines of black ink. Compositions have just enough empty space to counterbalance the animals in their environments.
The subject matter of the pieces in “California Wilds” may be the flora and fauna of our state, but they are far from wildlife studies. In LaPointe’s hands we look upon these animals and plants as familiar companions, with wit and personality. This most enjoyable show show runs through January 26, with an artist reception on Sunday, January 25, 1 – 3 PM.
In this column I often mention the startling nature of original art, of it being an expression of the heart and mind and hands of each individual artist. The variety never ceases to amaze me. In the main gallery space of the Cypress the viewer will find art of social protest, as in J.T. Turner’s red-orange “The First Rule Is,” next to a red-orange floral mosaic, as in Karen Franscioni’s “Poppy,” which itself is near Michael Corob’s flame throwing floral “Some of Us Are Flowers.”
Artists create works of serenity, flamboyance, or pleasure. Artists transform useful objects, plates, hats, necklaces, journals, for example, into treasured works of beauty. We hope you will cross the threshold into our world soon. Follow us to learn more about our activities, classes and events. It is a world of color, delight and imagination.