Pauline Adamek
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Award-winning painter, writer and professor at the USC School of Cinematic Arts, Pam Douglas, launches the first in a trilogy of art shows on earth”™s essential elements””Water, Fire and Air. The first of the “Elements” shows, The Life of Water, opens June 21st at Bergamot Station”™s TAG Gallery in Santa Monica and features Douglas”™ original paintings that evoke the vitality of water.
Report by Pauline Adamek
“I am in awe of Earth”™s primal forces. Their beauty inspires me as a painter–not as literal objects–but as experiences and metaphors,” states Pam Douglas, whose previous exhibits include the Los Angeles County Museum of ART (LACMA) sales and rental gallery, juried shows at TarFest, i-5 Gallery at the Brewery Art Complex, and The California Open. Her pieces are in private collections throughout the country.
Dual Impact of Water
For Douglas, water embodies both serenity and infinite energy unharnessed. She continues, “Water attracted me partly because of its social implications, though those are not addressed directly in the art. Ranging from contemplative to ferocious, some images of water provide solace, or celebrate the way water brings life to drought-stricken land; other images suggest the destruction of life in hurricanes and the recent tsunami in Japan. Ultimately the omnipresent energy of water is connected with the cycle of life–birth to death.” Her shows on Fire and Air will open in 2012 and 2013.
Inspiring People Through Imagery
“The art stands on its own as images with intrinsic power,” she says. “But by presenting images of water that inspire wonder or appreciation or aesthetic joy, I hope to offer subtle encouragement towards raising consciousness. By having The Samburu Project”™s founder, Kristen Kosinksi, present a video at the July 9th charity event about her ongoing efforts to drill water wells in Kenya”™s cholera-stricken communities, people will see how much one well can nurture an entire community and bring it back to health.” Douglas will donate 10% of proceeds from sales of her paintings at the July 9th charity event to The Samburu Project.
About the Works:
In The Life of Water, Douglas will exhibit thirteen paintings, which use inks, acrylic, and other media, most on raw linen mounted loosely to enhance the fabric”™s natural texture.
Key pieces in the show are: Flying Water, where an exuberant arc of energy flies out of the black background towards the viewer–more an interpretation of the spirit of water than a representation (mixed media on raw linen, mounted, 24″ X 56″).
In the delicate and lyrical A Memory of Rain, lines of raindrops form a pattern that suggests interruptions and a musical rhythm, and the idea of rain as a memory also evokes nostalgia in a time of loss (mixed media on raw linen, mounted, 32″ X 42″).
Two other key paintings are Water Blessing 1 and Water Blessing 2 which are the only pieces in the show with figurative elements. They reflect the human need for water and the gratitude for receiving it (mixed media on raw linen, mounted, each 32″ X 19″).
Three Special Events for The Life of Water:
- Saturday, June 25th from 5PM to 9PM: Pam Douglas will be present at the Artist”™s Opening Reception at TAG Gallery at Bergamot Station in Santa Monica, which will also include solo shows by two other local artists.
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- Saturday, July 9 from 6PM to 8PM: Charity Event at TAG Gallery. Kristen Kosinski, founder of The Samburu Project, will give a short video presentation and talk about water wells in Kenya at 7PM.
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- Wednesday, June 29 at 7 PM: the three artists exhibiting in the gallery will answer questions in an Artists Panel.
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All events are free and open to the public.
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The Life of Water
TAG Gallery, located at Bergamot Station
2525 Michigan Avenue D3
Santa Monica.
June 21 to July 16, 2011
Normal gallery hours:
Tuesday through Saturday
11am – 5pm;
and Sunday afternoons.
For more information, call TAG Gallery at 310-829-9556 or visit online.
For more information about Pam Douglas and her work, visit her website.
Brian Sonia-Wallace
[…] is second in a 3-part series—The Life of Water was Part One and Wind will be Part Three,” states Pam Douglas, whose previous exhibits include […]