DAWN CHORUS Exhibition Catalog

DAWN CHORUS

LAWRENCE FODOR MARIETTA PATRICIA LEIS

SCAPE | southern california art projects + exhibitions 2859 e. coast hwy., corona del mar, ca 92625 info@scapesite.com 949.723.3406 www.scapesite.com

DAWN CHORUS October 24 through December 5, 2020 SCAPE | southern california art projects + exhibitions Curated by Jeannie Denholm

LAWRENCE FODOR MARIETTA PATRICIA LEIS

CURATOR STATEMENT

“The substance of painting is light.” ― André Derain

“Dawn Chorus” refers to the songs and chirps of birds at sunrise but also refers to the term for the electromagnetic field at sunrise when translated into sound, curiously sounds like the songs of birds. The term “dawn” references illumination, hope, the beginning of a new day and thus a chance for renewal and improvement. The word “chorus” also relates to the subject of light and something radiating outwardly. It implies unison and a message that resonates together. The direct and implied meaning of these words combined with the pairing of these artists is intentional. Offering viewers to ponder the metaphors and the conceptual premise of bringing light to our current times.

Jeannie Denholm

LAWRENCE FODOR

LAWRENCE FODOR ARTIST STATEMENT

Every picture has its shadows And it has some source of light Blindness, blindness and sight Compelled by prescribed standards Or some ideals we fight For wrong, wrong and right — Joni Mitchell

A shadow cannot exist without light. Shadows are, in some sense, the antithesis of light, yet light defines and allows and/or eliminates and negates a shadow.

Legends and mythological references provide myriad subject matter in art forms from the past which I appropriate, deconstruct and reconstruct in altered translations. These specific works of art, while significant in an art historical context, exemplify allusions—aphotic narratives fundamentally irrelevant, nay unacceptable, for a cohesively respectful and encompassing 21st century humanity.

Countless shrouds and veils of varying viscosities of oil paint, linseed oil and solvent transform and undermine the imagery I generate, exposing their penumbral shadows to light, color and texture. The layered paint, simultaneously dense and faint, resonant and restrained, luminous and arcane, matures into incalculably transcribed palimpsests. Applied, scraped and re-applied, the paintings’ surfaces accumulate or are burnished away in order to metaphorically disrupt the continuum of the outdated lessons these historic paintings embody.

My painting methodology veers towards an inevitability of abstraction, clearing the slate for new mythologies and amended narratives. Within a premise of symbolically transforming shadow into light I am subverting these sagas wrought with intolerance, racism, stereotyped sexual identities, glorified war, lionized revenge and boasted retribution—all of which should no longer carry significance nor continue to direct the course of human existence.

As part of my studio practice I incorporate cigar boxes which are inextricably linked to and emerge alongside the paintings. The boxes have items and objects embedded and sealed inside them, not intended to be opened, and they function as palettes for the larger paintings—their initial purpose as utilitarian, rudimentary and essential tools eventually transforming into paintings themselves. The boxes embody paradox, thus the title Kôan Box. The Kôan Boxes carry a direct and symbiotic relationship with the larger work, both in the painterly process and their idea-driven context. Pairing the paintings and the Kôan Boxes is consistent with the manner in which both are created, for one does not exist without the other—like light and shadows.

Lawrence Fodor, 2020

Perseus Releasing Andromeda III (after Frederic Leighton) KĂ´an Box Cairn XII Installation

Perseus Releasing Andromeda III (after Frederic Leighton) oil, alkyd resin and linseed oil on canvas 40 x 38 inches

KĂ´an Box Cairn XII oil, alkyd resin, wax & 23 kt gold on wood cigar box with embedded items 10.5 x 8.25 x 2 inches

Kôan Box Paynes Grey/Sap-Green/Blue-Green Kôan Box Cairn VIII Fallen Angel I Installation

Fallen Angel I oil, alkyd resin and linseed oil on canvas 60 x 60 inches

Kôan Box Paynes Grey/Sap-Green/Blue-Green oil, alkyd resin, wax & 23 kt gold on wood cigar box with embedded items 10.5 x 8.25 x 2 inches

Kôan Box Cairn VIII oil, alkyd resin, wax & 23 kt gold on wood cigar box with embedded items 10.5 x 8.25 x 2 inches

Kôan Box Blue/Grey-Green MB (Michelangelo Buonaroti) Drawing Study I Installation

MB (Michelangelo Buonaroti) Drawing Study I oil, alkyd resin and linseed oil on canvas 60 x 60 inches

Kôan Box Blue/Grey-Green oil, alkyd resin, wax & 23 kt gold on wood cigar box with embedded items 10.5 x 8.25 x 2 inches

Kôan Box Cairn VII Kôan Box Cairn VI Michelangelo Buonarroti Study II - Visitation (after Pontormo) Installation

Michelangelo Buonarroti Study II - Visitation (after Pontormo) oil, alkyd resin and linseed oil on canvas 60 x 60 inches

KĂ´an Box Cairn VII oil, alkyd resin, wax & 23 kt gold on wood cigar box with embedded items 10.5 x 8.25 x 2 inches

KĂ´an Box Cairn VI oil, alkyd resin, wax & 23 kt gold on wood cigar box with embedded items 10.5 x 8.25 x 2 inches

St. George and the Dragon IV Kôan Box Alizarin/Pink/Blue Installation

St. George and the Dragon IV oil, alkyd resin and linseed oil on canvas 60 x 60 inches

KĂ´an Box Alizarin/Pink/Blue oil, alkyd resin, wax & 12 kt gold on wood cigar box with embedded items 10.5 x 8.25 x 2 inches

Hercules Labors I (after Guido Reni) Kôan Box Alizarin/Red-Violet/Paynes Grey Installation

Hercules Labors I (after Guido Reni) oil, alkyd resin and linseed oil on canvas 60 x 60 inches

KĂ´an Box Alizarin/Red-Violet/Paynes Grey oil, alkyd resin, wax & 23 kt gold on wood cigar box with embedded items 10.5 x 8.25 x 2 inches

MARIETTA PATRICIA LEIS

MARIETTA PATRICIA LEIS ARTIST STATEMENT

LIGHT My reductive visual practice takes inspiration from nature, sense of place and internal landscapes. Contemplation on the essence of simple, fleeting moments, the fragility of the natural world and the ephemeral nature of life itself are necessary to meet today’s challenges. I want viewers to bask in the subtlest and boldest qualities of light, color, translucency and contrasts in my paintings. Being inspired by beauty we are empowered to find the light and move toward it even in darkness.

Marietta Patricia Leis, 2020

Vacuities #3 pigment print, metal Edition 3/3 20 x 24 nches

MARIETTA PATRICIA LEIS ARTIST STATEMENT

GREEN The abundant verdancy of nature dancing with varied rich tones of green inspires me in all seasons. My art investigates the phenomenon of color, which is ingrained in our everyday experiences as well as in places we travel. It currents through our bodies and surrounds us in our landscapes. Color exists in personal and commercial objects, materials and light sources.

Often used as a metaphor, it can describe our feelings or reflect our personal style. Color is perceived emotionally, culturally, politically, ecologically or non-verbally. The saturation of greens in my Green painting series is an homage.

Seed Series Installation

Pollen #2 oil on wood 5 x 5 x 2.5 inches

Seed #19 oil, wood, gold leaf 9.75 x 9 x 1.5 inches

Seed #31 oil, wood, gold leaf 8 x 10 x 2 inches

Seed #13 oil, wood, gold leaf 4.25 x 4.75 x 1.5 inches

Seed Series Installation

Seed #36 oil, wood, gold leaf 8 x 8 x 2 inches

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT:

Seed #9

oil, wood, gold leaf 8 x 8 x 1.5 inches

Seed #38

oil, wood, gold leaf 5 x 7 x 2 inches

Seed #30

oil, wood, gold leaf 4 x 4 x 2 inches

Seed #20

oil, wood, gold leaf 8 x 12 x 2 inches

Seed #33 oil, wood, gold leaf 5 x 5 x 2 inches

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT:

Seed #16

oil, wood, gold leaf 4.75 x 6.75 x 1.5 inches

Seed #40

oil, wood, gold leaf 5 x 5 x 2 inches

Seed #37

oil, wood, gold leaf 7 x 5 x 2 inches

Seed #32

oil, wood, gold leaf 12 x 9 x 2 inches

Seed #12 oil, wood, gold leaf 4.75 x 4.75 x 2 inches

MARIETTA PATRICIA LEIS ARTIST STATEMENT

INSIGHTS Insights were inspired by my silent, still and reverent observation of the skies around me with their ever-changing cloud formations whether dramatic or subtle. While in artist residencies by Italy’s Tyrrhenian Sea or in Finland’s Arctic Circle I resisted intelligence and was present in the natural world, learning about it up close, right here, right now. This softened the imaginary line between nature and me. The resulting paintings also softened becoming reductive sensory memories capturing my feelings rather than the details.

Clouds are mysterious inspiring our imagination. They bring beauty into our lives but also fear as they sometimes roil with anger. They are bigger than we are evoking the mere mortals that we are.

Finland’s weather of fog, mist, rain and cloud masses can all occur in a summer’s 24 hour lit day. The northern sky’s light is infused with a translucent clearness that made me feel as though I could step into and through any barrier into the clouds. Italy’s southern coast in contrast has vibrancy and high drama. The clouds beauty could be both tumultuous and soft as cashmere fascinating me from my studio.

The work is done with oil on wood. The 3” block of wood suspends the image out from the wall.

The finish is rubbed cold wax. I dipped my brush into my soul and painted what cannot be said verbally. I used wax glazes in the paintings for the pure translucency of the skies, the gradations for the subtle nuances of color that shifted continuously and the bold contrasts and marks for nature’s spontaneous surprises. The sensuous spirit of my travels returned home with me in my work and in my heart.

My intention is gratitude for our Universe’s incredible ceiling of art.

Insights Series and Intricate Fabric Installation

Intricate Fabric oil, birch wood 24 x 24 x 6 inches

Insight #24 oil, birch wood, cold wax 5 x 5 x 3 inches

Insights Series Installation

Insight #27, 10, 25 oil, birch wood, cold wax 5 x 5 x 3 inches each

Insight #2, 28, 8 oil, birch wood, cold wax 5 x 5 x 3 inches each

Insight #16, 18, 32 oil, birch wood, cold wax 5 x 5 x 3 inches each

southern california art projects + exhibitions

Published on occasion of “DAWN CHORUS Exhibition” October 24 - December 5, 2020 Curated by Jeannie Denholm Catalogue Design by Kathleen Updyke Brown © 2020 SCAPE | southern california art projects + exhibitions All artwork © individual artists SCAPE | southern california art projects + exhibitions 2859 e. coast hwy., corona del mar, ca 92625 info@scapesite.com 949.723.3406 www.scapesite.com