Urban Sanctuary | Los Angeles Art Gallery

Exhibition Announcement

Our mantra in the past has been, “produce, consume, dispose and repeat.”
We may have missed a step and didn’t think about the waste we disposed
of. Many of us have taken note of this problem and are reducing our use
of plastics, recycling and cleaning up after ourselves for the sake of our
collective home, Earth.

“Shelf Life” brings together artists who are passionate about taking care
of our planet. Instead of contributing to the growing problem of waste
disposal some artists “upcycle” commonly disposed materials to create
art installations which engage the viewer into various ecological ideas.
Other installations are temporary and designed to deteriorate throughout
the exhibition; with the idea that they will be reclaimed by the Earth. The
photographers tell two different stories, one is a collection of photographic
images “situated within the slippery nature culture dialectic” and the other
a photo essay of a blogger’s journey to collect trash at a specific lifeguard
tower in Santa Monica for 365 days (non-consecutive).

UPCYCLING: is a component of sustainability in which the use of waste materials to
provide new products. It is generally a reinvestment in the environment. This process
allows for the reduction of waste and use of virgin materials.

"Upcycling is the practice of taking something that is disposable and transforming it into
something of greater use and value."

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/art

Artist Announcement

Heather Anacker

(Installation Art)

Heather speaking on her featured piece “Roots”

Using coiling and knotting techniques with paper from phone books and masking
tape on paper core I have constructed a human scale root system which hangs
from host architecture. Roots call to mind the idea of home, belonging, identity,
grounding, and growth. But, when exposed roots also imply being uprooted,
disconnected, death, and decay.

This work is exploring the idea of spontaneous growth and of nature reclaiming
man-made spaces. I am using natural materials that have been altered by human
hands, and using my own had to reclaim them back into natural forms. The
coiling technique lends itself to organic forms, and the knotting is used to hang
the piece.

This piece is inspired by the idea that if human beings ceased to exist, after a
long period of time nature would reclaim all man-made spaces, and eventually
all evidence of our existence would be erased. This is seen in a small scale all
around us, from sidewalk cracks to flourishing plant growth in storm drains.

My goal is to “reclaim” in thought a human space with the presence of my piece
which intrudes on the physical and psychological space of the viewer. This
work has a powerful but also fragile appearance, which calls to mind the fragile
balance of ecosystems, but is also a hopeful statement of the adaptability of
nature, and its ability to overcome.

http://heatheranacker.daportfolio.com/

Sara Bayles

(Photography)

Sara speaking on what inspires her photographs

I asked myself this question - How many pounds of trash could I collect from the
beach in one year?

I'm in the process of finding out. Here are the guidelines I set for myself.

1. Go to the same beach every time - life guard tower 26 - Ocean Park, Santa
Monica

2. Collect trash for only 20 min. at a time.

3. Take pictures of the beach, and some of the trash I find.

4. Weigh the trash and keep a tally of how many pounds I collect.

In a perfect world, I'd have time to go everyday. But going for 365 non-
consecutive days will have to do.

This blog documents my 365 day experiment.
Check back often to see new pictures, how many pounds I've collected and my
process.

Hopefully I'll raise awareness for how much trash is out there on our beaches
and getting into the ocean, that the solutions start with us right here on land, and
that everyday we can make choices in what we consume and buy that can add
up to make a difference.

Lets inspire each other to change the world. Seriously.

Here is the running tally of how many pounds I've found.
861.3 pounds
in
230 days
135 days to go

http://thedailyocean.blogspot.com/

Beth Elliot

(Installation Art)

Beth’s biography

Beth Elliott, is a sculptor and installation artist with an extensive and active
exhibition record including galleries, universities, museums and public venues.
She works with found and recycled materials as well as ceramics, metal, and
fiber. Her sculpture and installation art explores everyday events, ideas and
materials in playful, unexpected ways to give an inviting, positive entry with food
for further thought - often with an environmental focus.

Among many ongoing expressions of creativity she worked on Hollywood
films for 10 years as head of the scenic art dept., was a charter member of the
costume/performance art group “Friends of the Rag” invited to the White House
and had a successful upscale boutique clothing line selling in Beverly Hills in
L.A., Soho and Madison Ave. in N.Y. as well as in Seattle, Chicago, Denver and
Dallas. She now frequently references clothing or makes part of an installation
wearable sculpture. Her wearable sculpture and ceramic sculpture have both
been shown at the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution.

Beth has been teaching art workshops for children and adults since 1970. She
has established and administered public arts projects in Seattle and Los Angeles.
She is fiercely dedicated to helping people find joy and confidence in expressing
their own individual creativity.

Beth lives and works in San Pedro with a studio at Angels Gate Cultural Center.

http://beth-elliott-art.blogspot.com/


http://www.flickr.com/photos/bethelliott/

Dawn Ertl

(Installation Art)

Dawn’s statement about her art

noun
1.
the quality, production, expression, or realm, according to aesthetic principles, of
what is beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary significance.
2.
the class of objects subject to aesthetic criteria; works of art collectively, as
paintings, sculptures, or drawings: a museum of art; an art collection.
3.
a field, genre, or category of art: Dance is an
art.
Upcycling: is a component
4.
of sustainability in which the
the fine arts collectively, often excluding
use of waste materials to
architecture: art and architecture.
provide new products. It is
5.
generally a reinvestment in
any field using the skills or techniques of art:
the environment. This process
advertising art; industrial art.
allows for the reduction of waste
and use of virgin materials.
"Upcycling is the practice
of taking something that is
disposable and transforming it
into something of greater use
and value."

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/art

Joshua Gagliardi

(Installation Art)

Joshua’s statement on what drives his art

Throughout my life, I have learned to appreciate and respect nature as a living
organism and to relate my life experiences to the cycles and patterns that exist
within. I believe in harmonizing with nature rather than resisting its inevitable
power. In this day in age, it seems the human race is coming closer than ever to
controlling nature through the use of man-made objects, machines, engineering,
and capital. This in turn, is throwing off the balance that is necessary for
sustained life on this planet. I believe these ideas have shaped my perception of
the world, and I choose to express my reactive thoughts and feelings through the
use of sculpture.

I am fascinated and compelled to incorporate the element of change in my work.
By using ephemeral materials such as unfired clay, birdseed, water vapor, fire,
ash, etc, I am able to create sculpture that has a span of existence--a beginning,
middle and end. Much of the art I create deals with creation and destruction,
and often brings up a struggle existing between human beings and the natural
world. I can’t help but correlate nature’s cycles to the lives that we live as human
beings.

I am curious about the lack of balance existing between humans and nature
(the very root/foundation of our existence). Humans, as a whole, are rushing
quickly toward self-destruction by exhausting the earths’ resources, developing
uncontrollably without real long-term plans or consideration of consequences,
and indiscriminately killing the living organisms that inhabit the planet. It is my
intention to explore the relationship between human beings and nature through
the use of experimental media and processes, and create sculpture that focuses
on the ephemeral. Humans continue to create, change, and modify nature to
better fit their needs and wants. Ironically, our methodology and organization
mirrors natures cycle of growth, connecting our path of destruction to the
perpetuation of life.

Chelsea Mosher

(Photography)

Chelsea speaking on how she visualizes her images

The images are situated within the slippery nature culture dialectic. Through
them I am looking for the garden in the machine.

http://chelseamosher.com/index.php?/root/mashups-2010/