CURRY CHANDLER
Staff Writer
In celebration of fifteen years at Pepperdine University’s Malibu campus, the Frederick R. Weisman museum is showcasing the works of California-based artists. The “Made in California” exhibit ends on December 16.
Situated on the far wall of the central gallery room is a mammoth untitled painting by Bay Area artist Doug Argue. Scale is one of the most affecting elements of the painting— an impressionistic depiction of an industrial bulkhead wrapped in chained-together-tires floating along a green river.
The barely-veiled industrialization allegory would not be notable in and of itself. Yet Argue’s decision to produce the aforementioned scene at the size he did brings an extra textual element to the piece, changing how it is interpreted and experienced. Experienced museumgoers will find the scale of “Untitled” reminiscent of medieval and renaissance works, the hallmark of European art museums. Any tourist who chanced a trip to Florence’s Uffizi museum will be well acquainted with the sensation of standing before a massive three-panel depiction of the annunciation of the virgin. Argue seems to be pressing this connotation deliberately, as the scale is associated with paintings of sublime and religious themes, while what the artwork in question portrays would never be called sublime.
Another standout of the California exhibit is newcomer Todd Herbert, not to be confused with the jazz saxophonist. Herbert’s paintings could be described as out-of-focus photorealism. His 2005 work “Dew, Bottle” is instantly recognizable as a wooden deck overlooking what can reasonably be assumed to be a California mountain range. A lone plastic water bottle is situated on the deck railing, in the dead center of the painting. These details are rendered in photograph quality likeness, but in soft focus. The edges of the subjects blur into one another, causing one’s eyes to scan the entire surface for definition and sharp contrast.
While “Dew, Bottle” is placed prominently in the main gallery hall, a second Herbert work is hidden away above the museum’s elevator. Guests who opt for the lift over the stairs will be delighted to discover this treasure. Titled “Windmills and Fireworks,” the piece is a fantasy version of powerful energy-generating windmills (the kind seen in spades in parts of California like Palm Desert) at night, with vibrant fireworks exploding above them. A lovely, entrancing image, it is a strong example of stellar work unearthed in this cavalcade of California artisans.
11-26-2007
