Fresh Prints at Acorn Gallery 7/14

FRESH PRINTS, opening at the Acorn Gallery July 14, brings together four disparate artists who create art through various kinds of transfer process.

Doug Wichert earned an MFA from California State University, Long Beach, where he also ran the print labs and facilitated student work in lithography and etching. Returning to printmaking after a twenty year absence, he examines issues of material, craft, expectation and risk.

Kay Brown, trained in graphic design at Chouinard and Art Center, joined a printmaking collective at Self-Help Graphics and has explored linocut, drypoint, woodcut, silkscreen, silk etching and monoprints. Many of her works carry strong social messages, and have been auctioned from the collection of the Center for the Study of Political Graphics.

Karen Neubert's monotypes are painterly prints. She studied painting at Stanford and Otis and has worked extensively to create art workshops for children, establishing a children's studio at Pacific Oaks College. The subject matter of the hand-colored postcards she employs is less important to her than a particular color combination, mood or strangeness possessed by the card.

Since 1985, Stuart Bender has created installation, single-channel, and live-performance music/video works which have been exhibited internationally. He is exhibiting works from a new series titled “Djinn of the Fourth Wall.” Each print includes photography, drawing, digital processing, and the Brazilian model Moux, who appears as the Djinn in the images.

Djinn comprise an order of spirits believed capable of exercising influence over humankind for either good or bad. For the ancient Semites, djinn were spirits who acted during the night. During the run of the exhibition, each of the artists will be present on at least two gallery days, so those missing the opening may discuss the work in depth.

Fresh Prints is curated by Collective member Nancy Buchanan.