Steampunk:Vintage Futurism

Title wall designed by Elizabeth Tallman

Denise Bonaimo, Steampunk Mannequin


Evan Chambers, Gas Huffer

Brian Giberson, Jetpack

Science fiction, fantasy, futuristic technology and Victorian era style collide in this benchmark exhibition of art and innovation inspired by the Steampunk aesthetic. Featuring the work of twelve artists from San Diego, Orange and Los Angeles counties including Preston Adell, Glenn Arthur, Tracy Black, Denise Bonaimo, Greg Brotherton, Evan Chambers, Sheri Cohen, Shay Davis, Sean Dietrich, Brian Giberson, Brooke O'Neill, and Jeffrey Steorts. This exhibition ponders the mystery of science and the possibilities of future technology through a Victorian lens.

The roots of Steampunk can be traced to 19th century scientific romances of Jules Verne, HG Wells, Mark Twain and Mary Kelly where creatures such as Frankenstein and inventions such as The Time Machine came alive in the reader’s imagination. Steampunk has been gaining traction since the 1980s when K.W. Jeter introduced the term to reference artwork and characters in his book Morlock Nights. In contemporary pop culture the Steampunk gestalt is prominent in movies, comics, fashion, and the fantastical sculptures created at the annual Burning Man Festival.

Steampunk: Vintage Futurism will be on view in the Groves Gallery November 5-9. The opening reception for the exhibition coinsides with Art After Dark: Dr. Steampunk's Art Extravaganza Friday, November 5 from 7:00-10:00 pm. Tickets are $25 or $20 for OMA members. Call 760.435.3720 for reservations or get your tickets at the door the night of the event. Admission includes Steampunk fashion show by Enigma Fashions, five art exhibitions, video art by Kim Moodey and Lisa Hutton, music by DJ Robin Roth and Danny Massure, live painting by David Joseph Gough, Steampunk creation station, photo booth with photographer Robin Shook, tasty bites from The Fish Joint, specialty wines, and handcrafted beer from The Lost Abbey.

Historic World War II Watercolor Exhibition

Phil Paradise, Evening on the Home Front

Barse Miller, Waving Goodbye and Good Luck

Painting World War II: The California Style Watercolor Artists is an historic first examination of the paintings by California Style artists on the subject of WWII. Each painting tells an intimate and in turn, dramatic story offering a fresh perspective on World War II. This perspective is a mix of two things: first, a passion for using watercolor in spontaneous and expressive new ways, and second, with the influence of WWII, a rich sense of old fashioned “We are all in this together” patriotism.

Forged in the Great Depression, California Style watercolors form an important West Coast chapter of American Regionalist art. Examining a broad survey of everyday life, these artists created a visual record of the unfolding local history of California beginning in the mid 1920s and extending into the 1970s. California Style watercolors form the largest body of paintings in this Regionalist vein.

Many of the original California Style artists were already too old, or had wives and children so were not eligible to enlist. Eager to contribute, when asked they welcomed the opportunity to use their artistic skills for the war effort. In May 1943 the U.S. Government established an official Combat Art Program inviting 42 of the nation’s finest artists to participate. Californians Millard Sheets, Barse Miller and Ed Reep were among this group. Barse Miller was assigned rank of Captain and head of the Combat Art Section in the South Pacific. Millard Sheets traveled with the Air Force to the India- Burma theatre. Ed Reep served in the North African and Italian Campaigns. Other artists enlisted or were drafted and when their skills were discovered they were given assignments to create watercolors of their experiences as enlisted personnel.

Four months after its creation, the Combat Art Program was suddenly defunded by Congress and abruptly dropped. Some artists were given new titles as war artists within their respective branches of the military and created large bodies of artwork for those entities. Artists Millard Sheets, Barse Miller and Paul Sample were hired as artist-correspondents for Life Magazine and created watercolors which were sent back home for publication, to help satisfy the public’s desire for images of events overseas. These watercolor paintings were among the few full color images of the war the American public viewed. In the September 1941 issue of The National Geographic Magazine, just before Pearl Harbor, Arthur Beaumont created an 8 page full color insert profiling the great ships of the Navy. This article was so well received in November 1942 he created a second 16 page portfolio of watercolors featuring the Army on maneuvers for the magazine.

Other artists featured in the exhibition include Standish Backus, Lee Blair, Rex Brandt, Nick Brigante, Robert Caples, Watson Cross, Edmond James Fitzgerald, Duncan Gleason, Hardie Gramatky, John Haley, Dong Kingman, Erle Loran, Louis Macouillard, Charles Morimoto, Ben Norris, James Patrick, Charles Payzant, and Milford Zornes. Painting World War II: The California Style Watercolor Artists is curated by Glen Knowles, a professor of art at Antelope Valley College in Lancaster. Knowles has curated seven exhibitions on the history of California Art and has a great passion for California Style watercolors. The exhibition will be on view April 18 through October 3, 2010.

Total Information Awareness: Black Light Installation by The Ancient Gallery

Experience a glow in the dark wonderland of art in Total Information Awareness, a temporary installation by The Ancient Gallery on view in the Oceanside Museum of Art Groves gallery March 10 through March 12, 2010. Challenging your perception with black lights and UV reactive sculptures The Ancient Gallery has created an installation that comes alive with three-dimensional glasses. Playing with multiple genres and motifs, the artist collective fabricates art from scratch as well as assembling mass-produced cultural icons. Viewers will see recognizable imagery from Renee Magritte, Edward Munch, and Leonardo da Vinci, as well as themes that emulate ancient civilization, medieval Europe, Eastern Religion, science fiction and tribal cultures morphing with psychedelic designs. As a result of their diverse use of imagery they stand aside the demarcation of fine art and kitsch, blurring the boundary.

The Ancient Gallery is a collective of artists: Nigel Brookes, founder of TAG, sculptor and assemblage artist; Iain Gunn, puppeteer and founder of Zirk Ubu; and Mark Johnson, sculptural engineer and lighting specialist. This nomadic collective that has displayed their work at the San Diego Museum of Art, Burning Man and other art driven festivals, strives to create visionary installations that engage the viewer through the medium of black light. Altering your normal perception the viewer is confronted with an ulterior universe that opens your mind to the curiosities of the world.

According to TAG, Total Information Awareness is the idea that we are made of systems that we can and can’t control, such as our nervous system, genetics, biological, social and digital. The average person interacts with media based systems, such as the TV, computer, or your phone, approximately 9 hours a day. With so much information coming and going it can be easy to get lost in a world of artificial intelligence. Being conscious of the material you upload to data mining systems such as facebook and twitter reflects an awareness of the dangers technology can present. Everything around you from the TV programs you watch, the news, and magazines can influence your personality and affect your thinking. Mindfulness of the information you publish and receive can alter your life, just as this installation can open your mind to new forms of perception.