On Thursday May 5th, 2011 was the opening night reception for the On Being Human: Love, Faith, Shame, Hope reception organized by the Picture Art Foundation at the California State University Dominguez Hills.
Iranian Man by Enzie Shahmiri in Cull4 Frame
I had mentioned in a previous post that my painting of "The Iranian Man" was one of 90 pieces selected out of hundreds of submissions from 50 countries, representing 5 continents. What I did not know was that my painting would be hung in the same room as etches by James Tissot and be in the company of other well known artists such as Warhol, Rockwell, Dali, Whistler and Rembrandt. To say I felt very honored is an understatement! :)
The exhibit was very well organized and showed a wonderful array of artwork which you can see on this
. The objective was to present artists from around the globe universal themes and see how they each respond. Dr. Thai Ha - Founder of the Picture Art Foundation said that artists often create paintings that resonate with a deeper connection they feel about a specific subject. Often these works are not the typical gallery piece and therefore stay in the possession with the artist until the right exhibit comes along or a museum shows interest in the message they are trying to convey.
Some of the pieces in this exhibit were enormous, like these sculptured heads for example. Their scale alone made them powerful in their own rights. The Assimilated Black African by Dean Howell is a "Time Marker". "A Time Marker is about the Human Condition; it says,"...wake up!... there is something very significant happening - something fundamental somewhere in the world, or even next door! Don't let it go by!...wake up!..pay attention!..mark the time by this." Source:Dean Howell
Painful Past by Ho Thanh Duc won the 'Hope Category'. I found it fascinating to hear that this artist was an orphan who as a child would take magazines, tear them apart and reassemble them into images of his own liking. The catalog mentions that the sadness of the two children orphaned by years of war is lifted by the signs of a brighter future that awaits them - if they are willing to accept it.
There were so many beautiful paintings and sculptures that I could go on and on. I felt very privileged to be part of this wonderful exhibit and like to thank Micheal Johnson and Dr. Thai Ha, as well as the other organizers for this wonderful opportunity. The exhibit will be on view until October 2011 at California State University Domniguez Hills.
