Those were the words of artist Paul Rusconi one of many artists featured on the walls of Gallery 169 an art studio in Santa Monica. Rusconi a Malibu resident and former Pepperdine student displayed a series of paintings in February titled “Ship Talk based on one of Edward Ruscha’s painting of the same title.
Having photographed the painting, Rusconi used the photo to make a digital screen on plexiglas, allowing him to paint dots of color into the composition using nail polish. Later Rusconi added textual overlays into the photo, and imposed other photographs into the mix. The result resembled part painting, part montage.
The idea behind his images spawned as commentary on how language has changed over time. Rusconi was specifically interested in the way text messaging has changed our society. His intention was to juxtapose modern language and antiquated language into the same composition.
Texting has replaced a lot of language and voice-to-voice communication says Rusconi. I mean it’s how you court people now.”
Words and phrases such as “Romance Text me and Keys wallet cell phone sunglasses call out from his images. One image even features the words It’s amazing what people call art these days.”
Rusconi studied philosophy at Pepperdine from 1986 to 1987. Despite financial pressure forcing him to drop out Rusconi has enjoyed a successful career in professional art. Without any formal art education Rusconi has gained respect from various art communities including a notable exhibition in the Stellan Holm Gallery in New York City.
Rusconi worked as an art dealer for 20 years prior to becoming a professional artist. Eventually he lost interest in buying and selling art and turned to creating it. At the end of 2007 he approached artist Robert Rauschenberg for advice and was soon on his way to becoming a professional himself.
Rusconi took his passion for art and turned it into something concrete that he could share with others.
Gallery 169 currently features captivating visions of renowned Manhattan photographer David Levinthal who brings a series of photographs spanning 35 years of creative work exploring the American West the idealized female in the 50s comprised sex war and religion.
The studio sits just off the corner of Pacific Coast Highway. Exhibitions rotate every few weeks bringing fresh collections of photographs to the Santa Monica community. The gallery opened in 2008 and has been managed by owner Frank Langen. His studio will soon feature the seascape portraits of Alex Hoerner whose work focuses on portraits of models and Hollywood actors.
On a recent Sunday afternoon Hoerner visualized the layout of his photograph in preparation for his exhibition. The studio features a beautiful modern design conceived by Los Angeles architect and USC professor James Tyler crafted to include large glass windows hardwood floors metal walls and framing.
Levinthal’s work is mostly still-life using toys as models for his photographs. The pictures displayed toy models of soldiers in Iraq tanks and other war symbols. In fact the only other photographic subject in the room was a portrait of a model of Jesus—Langen explained that Levinthal’s exhibits are famous for his intertwining war sex and religion.
The focus in the photographs was so delicate that the pictures took on a dream-like quality letting the viewer focus on color and texture rather than subject clarity.
The large-format Polaroid cameras are not to be confused with the standard consumer variety of our parent’s generation. These Polaroids operate at a much larger scale using bellows to direct light onto a large slab of film. The soft focus and narrow depth of field that accounted for the dream-like aura present in the photos could be achieved only through tilting the lens by using the bellows.
Similar effects are created nowadays by using tilt-shift cameras which allow the photographer to maintain proper perspectives and straight lines as seen in architectural photography.
Levinthal continued to work in analog format as the rest of the world switched to digital. Tragically most other instant film enthusiasts were forced to say goodbye to their beloved Polaroid cameras as digital cameras became mainstream and instant film more expensive.
Levinthal remains one of the few photographers in the world to continue to use large-format Polaroid cameras.
Levinthal moved from using primarily a large-format Polaroid camera to a digital Hasselblad camera in 2007.
“[The film] is not even produced anymore said Hoerner. Except maybe by the Impossible Project.”
The only producer of Polaroid film dubbed “The Impossible Project survives in Enschede in the Netherlands. The small company of 25 workers (10 of whom are former Polaroid employees) work together to preserve the legacy of Polaroid.
Along the stairwell is a photo of a cowboy, silhouetted against a surreal background of colors. The upper room opens into a long hallway of metal and glass, with several portraits of dolls in bathing suits strewn across the wall.
Photography first caught Levinthal’s interest during his freshman year at Stanford back in 1966. Since Stanford did not offer classes in photography, he studied under the direction of Ruth Bernhard, a ground-breaking female photographer and contemporary of Edward Weston and Ansel Adams, who ran a school out of her home in San Francisco.
Photography in the 60s was very different than it is today says Levinthal. Back then almost all serious photography was done in black and white and there was still an ongoing discussion about whether or not photography was an ‘art’ or not. There was also a very great distinction between fine art photography and commercial photography.”
Many things inspire Levinthal’s work such as music or paintings. So why choose to photograph toys?
“Toys are very evocative and representative of our collective as well as our individual imagination said Levinthal. Toys are both a form of socialization for children as well as vehicles of fantasy and imagination.”
Frank Langen continues promoting a passion for art through Gallery 169. As a photographer himself Langen realized he didn’t want to take pictures for a living and instead led a successful 15-year career in real estate which allowed him to create the gallery. Since its inception the gallery has been surprisingly successful due in part to its ingenious design by James Tyler.
For additional information on the gallery and future exhibitions visit http://www.gallery169.com.