Artist Interviews

Santa Ana, CA  Grand Central Art Center is known by most Orange County residents as an artistic hub for contemporary art and culture. They have been turning out great contemporary exhibitions for years, but recently had a programming shift with new Director, John Spiak. Their once heavily pop-surrealist galleries now take the lead for OC in their new abstract and conceptual art obsessions. If you're not into conceptual art or abstract art, go ahead and click off, because this blogger friggin loves it. Grand Central Art...

31 August, 2012 /

The legendary music of 1930s jazz virtuoso Django Reinhardt is alive and well in Orange County… if you know where to look. Long Beach-based Gypsy jazz band Hedgehog Swing plays every first and third Wednesday at the Gypsy Den in downtown Santa Ana, along with members of the Orange County-based Gypsy jazz band Riff Raff. Riff Raff have hosted this event for many years, leading the song choices on the first Wednesday of every month, with Hedgehog Swing hosting every third Wednesday. Their lively jazz...

28 August, 2012 /

I began writing this music blog at a time in my own music career- in between albums and right about to turn 30 years old- when I have felt myself changing, growing, and reassessing why I do what I do. My ulterior motive for writing was to get out of my head, my studio, and my everyday life to ask other musicians how they have gotten to where they are and how they have faced whatever struggles they have encountered. I wanted to learn from...

26 July, 2012 /

[caption id="attachment_4179" align="aligncenter" width="406" caption="Baldessari leaves MOCA board"][/caption] NEWS.  On Thursday, July 13, 2012, renowned artist, John Baldessari resigned from his post on the board of trustees at MOCA. Baldessari's exit is the fifth MOCA board member to leave since February. "His exit after 12 years is another signal that the old guard of L.A.'s contemporary art scene has grown disenchanted with its direction under Deitch," according to LA Times writer, Mike Boehm. Baldessari told LA Times that his reasons include the recent ousting of respected chief curator...

13 July, 2012 /

One year ago almost to the day, we published an interview with Finishing School that was conducted by Joanna Grasso during the opening week of the 2011 Venice Biennale. FS was there in Italy working on their film, 54. Now, here we are talking with them about the same project but different Venice Biennial. I recently caught up with Finishing School members Brian Boyer, Ed Giardina, Jason Plapp, and their newest collaborator Devon Tsuno. They are currently collaborating on a three-panel mural for the Hammer Museum’s Venice Beach Biennial, a project within...

07 July, 2012 /

[caption id="attachment_4094" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="The Cut-Off Men"][/caption] Santa Ana, CA.  Downtown Santa Ana Artist’s Village gets a kick in the contemporary art butt with newest creative addition, Grand Central Art Center’s (GCAC) new Director and Chief Curator, John Spiak. Spiak is a whirlwind of creative energies, and his expertise in Relational Aesthetics and Social Practice are giving the Artist’s Village a transformative new take on the art scene in Orange County. Spiak is bringing in artists from all over the world, to engage and exchange with the...

28 June, 2012 /

An epically historic moment occurred at the Grove in Anaheim on Friday the 15th of June. The Italian symphonic power metal band Rhapsody of Fire performed for the first time in the Los Angeles area after garnering a dedicated following since forming in 1993. Rhapsody of Fire's rousing brand of power metal has been lovingly called "Hollywood Metal," because of its resemblance to epic film soundtracks. The powerful compositions tend to make one feel inspired and remarkably able to go slay a dragon… or, perhaps...

25 June, 2012 /

I first came across the visual art of metal musician John Dyer Baizley last year. I saw a band T-shirt that was so stunningly beautiful it made me stop in my tracks. The shirt, advertising the Norwegian punk/metal band Kvelertak, interlaced women and an owl with black ink outlines and delicate watercolor shading. The artwork recalled the style of 19th-century Art Nouveau lithographic artist Alphonse Mucha, and included women who looked like they stepped out of 17th century Baroque paintings. Intricately detailed animals and plant...

14 May, 2012 /

Deciding to devote your life to making music or another artistic endeavor has probably always been a difficult decision that entailed making some personal sacrifices. These days the decision to pursue music feels particularly hard, because while technology makes it so we can easily write, record and put music out on the internet, there are seemingly less ways to earn money through songwriting. While I am a firm believer that we should always follow our passions because it makes us live our most rich and vital life,...

04 May, 2012 /

San Antonio, TX.  At the 2012 SSCA annual conference, this year held in The Alamo City, San Antonio, three Orange County writers were shocked and amazed by this fascinating and artistic city! Who would have thought that The Alamo City had good art! Ok, maybe Los Angeles and Orange County have warped my mind into forgetting about the other states outside of New York and California for art in America, but I stand corrected! Texas definitely has art. With a slew of public sculptures that brighten the...

17 April, 2012 /

Joe Sorren's paintings remind me of the sweetness of the simple moments in life, like a flower covered in dew sparkling in the sun or a child quietly playing in a garden. We have to intentionally stop being mentally absorbed in the incessant activities of our lives, to mindfully notice these sweet and movingly beautiful moments happening before our eyes everyday. Going to see Sorren's paintings on display feels like this. Like a visit to a park just to lay down on the grass and...

16 April, 2012 /

  When real estate investor Davin Gumm set out to refurbish the Pacific Building in the heart of the Santa Ana Artist's Village, he hoped that the office spaces would attract tenants who would use the lofts for "creative uses." Gumm's Copper Door beer bar in the basement of the Pacific Building has become a notable music venue that showcases quality local music, so it's only fitting that the Pacific Building lofts would attract artists immersed in the local scene. So far, a fashion designer, musicians,...

03 April, 2012 /

Los Angeles, CA  At the 100th Annual CAA Conference in downtown Los Angeles, I got a chance to sit and listen to a panel of women that could impress even the most haughty of elite art folks with their hard work, dedication, and professional experience. Among these women, Carrie Yury knocked my socks off with her helpful advice and personal experience in the art world. Carrie Yury, a professor at CSUF, an occasional writer for Artillery Magazine, and a creative photographer, and art world professional--Yury is...

06 March, 2012 /

Fullerton, CA    Sculptor, S.A. Hawkins had his MFA thesis exhibition open this past saturday at Cal State Fullerton and rocked it! Alongside the large and impressive Faculty exhibit, S.A. took both of the other galleries (The East Gallery and the West Gallery) on the CSUF campus and dominated the night. His abstract and hypnotic glass and metal artworks are surprising and comforting, compelling narratives involving abstract life forms made of glass, metal, rust, found objects, and brightly colored silicone creating interesting non-verbal conversations within...

30 January, 2012 /

Santa Ana based artist David Michael Lee is going to be teaching art history for a month in Guangzhou China in a few weeks and is trying to raise some funds for the trip. In return for your kind sponsorship he will wear your name and/or brand as he travels through the population of 30 mil+. What an opportunity! Take a look: ...

28 November, 2011 /

Magu, in his natural state - a smile. Pomona, CA.   At the collector’s preview of the new exhibition at the dA Center for the Arts, Cruisin Magulandia, the all-around feeling of the event was that of reverence. The entire night was filled with shared stories, friendly faces, passionate music, home-made snacks, and dozens of people looking to open up and revel in the loving memories of artist, Gilbert Luján. Better known as Magu to most, he was a friend to so many people it was overwhelming...

18 August, 2011 /

Katy Betz is back again to take you to a place where your mind can run loose and play! Last time we spoke with Katy, she shared with us her creative process and why it is important for her to create space for imagination (Click here to read our interview with her). She shared with me her upcoming MFA show awhile back and I'm excited to share with you that it is finally here-- this Saturday! With her credo as the title of this exhibition, Katy...

14 April, 2011 /

Brandon Boyd at the Hurley )( Space gallery, Costa Mesa (photo credits to Derek Bahn @ Hurley) As promised, Brandon Boyd was kind enough to give the OC Art Blog the low-down on some of his artistic influences and the scoop on the artwork up at the )( Space gallery.  You can still check out the massive mural and pick-up some earth friendly swag until May 13th. OC: Most people know you as a musician and perhaps even 'surfer', so how long have you...

13 April, 2011 /

Don't miss a chance to meet artist, musician, surfer and activist BRANDON BOYD. (yes, that is the very same Boyd from rock band INCUBUS) Brandon Boyd working on drawing selected for H.O.P.E. & Hurley collaboration (image provided by Hurley) Another Collaboration for HURLEY - This time they are working with Brandon Boyd and H.O.P.E. (Helping Other People Everywhere) to raise funds and bring awareness to conserving our oceans. If you haven't taken a walk on the beach in the early morning lately you should.  While being surrounded by one of...

31 March, 2011 /