Associate Artists 2016

February 3 - 27, 2016

Joni Gruber
"Extractions"
www.jonigruber.com

This body of work is about the extractive worldview of the mining and energy industries which have produced chronic environmental devastation on a global scale. While precious metal mining continues to pollute large areas of land and water, it is the continued extraction, production and burning of fossil fuels that are causing catastrophic climate change. This disaster has been unfolding in slow motion. And while temperatures soar, polar regions melt and sea levels rise there remains political and corporate collusion and obfuscation about the cause, severity and urgency of the crisis.
Keep it in the ground.


Dongze Huo
"Escape"
www.dongzehuo.com

Adapting to a new culture means subjecting oneself to profound change. In my project theme “Transformative Connections,” I draw on my experience of acclimation to America in order to inspire my artwork. Uncertainty and conflict becomes an engine of invention. I want people could be aware by my works, and become positive facing to their life.
Same approach as my work. I am not thinking of the end result, just allow the process to seem out of control as if it is a happy accident. Rather than limit myself to a strict discipline, I use a wide range of media in my abstract compositions in an exploratory process where control is abandoned in favor of serendipity. During the process I was inspired by the oriental philosophy and meditation by my abstract approach, this way makes me feel leisurely for facing to my life and art. Conflict, trouble and frustration all gradually will be solved or disappeared by meditation myself. In the Taoist words is “Letting things take their own course."
This is my life experience. Such as the choice to come here, leave here, and connect the past to present, unfamiliarity to familiarity, rejection to acceptance. Creating art is long-term meditation of realizing who I am, and constantly find and familiarize myself with the transformative connections behind the growth.



David Weinberg
"Tree Spirits"
www.davidweinbergphoto.com

This series of photographic images, Tree Spirits, was inspired by noticing the subtle shadows cast by trees onto a cardboard box that had been discarded outdoors near my studio. I was struck by the figurative shapes suggested by the soft, moving shadows, and so explored these patterns further by wandering among the trees and photographing the patterns of shadow and light that were projected on a sheet of cardboard I carried with me.
After some time, I learned which types of trees, at certain times of the day, under certain wind conditions, would allow the images to flicker briefly into existence so that I could capture them with my camera. At times, I could easily imagine myself surrounded by spirits that played hide-and-seek with me, suddenly leaping out of the shadows to surprise and shock me.
These photographs, printed on aluminum, are untitled, leaving the interpretation to the viewer’s imagination.


Young Ja Yoon
"I Want to Go Home"

This is when I began to leave Realism behind, and move increasingly toward abstraction as a way to express my sense of the spiritual and the ineffable.  Through my art, I express in a concise way the complexity of nature and spirit.