PSA July 10th Opening - Review by Gallery Assistant Tina Wallin

My Inauguration to an Inaugural

Preface
It is officially my first day at the Phyllis Stein Art Gallery.
Excitement and anxiety are building.
Don’t want to be late so I make sure I have plenty of time to get there and park. I am unfamiliar with Downtown, so I have no idea how far my walk will be.
Get on the freeway and I am greeted by traffic.
Great. I’m going to be late my first day.
First impressions mean a great deal.

Surprisingly, I make it with just a few minutes to spare which fills me with a sense of rush.
Anxiety has faintly subsided, while excitement grows.
I am told to familiarize myself with the Artists, their work, and the environment.
I had committed to work the Galleries complementary bar from 6 to 7. It’s just a few minutes before 6 which does not leave much time; this worries me.
I grab the Artist information and hastily walk the Gallery.
I cannot focus on the work before me.
My mind keeps drifting…I’m excited to be here, want to meet everyone…I am suppose to be bar tending the event right now.
I take my obligations serious.
I feel there is not enough time to absorb everything.
I decide to work at the bar and get back to the art when the sense of rush subsides.

I quickly realize that escaping the bar of patrons and their demands for alcohol would not be an easy task.
After two hours, I was graciously asked to swap tasks with another intern and take photos of the event.
Finally, my moment has come to familiarize myself with the the work, the artists, and the night.

Eric Smail - Press 1 for English

Visually, I am first drawn to Smail’s mural, Press 1 for English. It is large, grand, colorful, geometrical, and molecular; a scientific explosion that is very appealing to the eye. Strewn across the wall is a compilation of numbers. “The numbers are a code” Eric tells me, “You have to use your cell phone and relate the numbers with a letter to figure it out”. Unfortunately, I did not get the opportunity to do so, and instead chose to revel in the mystery of it.
There seems to be an architectural element to the work as each piece encompasses the space around it and building together to form one monument. This piece evokes a kinetic quality as well, and even though the work itself in immobile, it forces your eyes to dart about piece by piece, so in a sense it has it’s own life.
Smail’s work is quite intricate and takes you spinning back to those early school days when the Periodic Table had you utterly confused. It was hard to grasp at first, but when you spent enough time at the table, things begin to appear and make sense. This same patience is needed to enjoy Smail’s work. There are many elements to consume.

Jesse Chapo - Stateside

I was immediately drawn to Chapo’s work because of it’s kid and cartoon quality. On the surface it looks fun and playful, but once you delve in, you notice all the intricate elements that embodies the work as a whole. Regardless of their somewhat serious themes, it seems that Chapo has a great sense of humor and does not take himself too seriously. The playful images compel you to smile immediately and in some way are quite breathtaking.

Because these images are painted on wood, there seems to be a raw nature about them. It becomes accessible. There is no traditional “framed” boundaries, even though the wood serves as the frame. This allows the image to spill out beyond that and give you a sense there is more to it than meets the eye.

These striking, unknown characters and images make you wonder if Chapo has an overactive imagination. The choices in color emphasize the image and make it inviting in lieu of shocking. Although the foundation of each image is white, the selection and use of color in certain areas of the image have meaning and purpose. Although bright and bold in origin, they are not overpowering.

- Tina Wallin