The walls at the Ann Foxworthy Gallery are telling a story.
The story is about growth, biological regenesis, cellular evolution, ancient earth processes, chemistry, community, and so much more, all told through a set of intricate and introspective works of art made by faculty members at Allan Hancock College.
It’s another year of reminders that the school has some of the finest and most skilled artists in California working at the institution. A collection of several dozen pieces, all with eclectic and striking themes and styles, adorn the walls at the Ann Foxworthy Gallery on the school’s grounds through April 13 for the annual faculty fine arts show, a showcase of the best in teachers’ work.
Among the artists are Adrienne Allebe, John Hood, Laura-Susan Thomas, Kam Jacoby, Cheryl Weiss, Patrick Trimbath, and Glenn Hiramatsu, all of whom work in a variety of media, from paint to clay.
Hood, a 20-year veteran teacher at Hancock has two mixed-media works at the show, both titled Regeneration. Hood was a photographer and filmmaker who discovered his love of painting through storyboarding. Hood’s work offers a unique examination into the scientific aspects of cellular structure and biology, as it relates to the evolution or the potential of life.
“I was always interested in life cycles—families, generations,” Hood explained. “And then re-examining that on a more biological level in numerous ways, such as the formation of stars or the formation of humans but in a more abstract inorganic way, not so literal.”
But Hood, who teaches drawing, mixed media, and art appreciation, said his work isn’t mired down in conceptual ideas. He said he is more interested in how cellular structures work as patterns and how they take shape.
“There is definitely a conceptual level, but really it is just more about a pattern structure,” he said. “It’s fun to replicate.”
Weiss has two pieces in the Foxworthy show; both are part of her ongoing sea cone series and both use low-fire clay. The pieces undergo multiple firings, reapplying layers of underglazes, stains, glazes, and overglaze lusters. Weiss said working with clay as a medium invites a level of risk-taking because the materials allow for great experimentation.
“I hope to encourage ‘seeing with slow eyes,” Weiss explained. “Where as a viewer you don’t quickly define an object (‘oh that’s a horse,’ ‘that’s a bowl’) and walk away, but instead question what you’re perceiving and feeling, linger, travel over the surfaces, react, wonder.”
Weiss said she was inspired by biology and earth sciences, with special consideration for process, time, transformation. She said her interest in the subtle associations between tactile surfaces creates something most potters shun—flaws such as cracking and bubbling—but she embraces. Weiss said she works for months or even years to achieve such effects, tinkering with chemicals in a glaze or changing the firing technique to see how a piece is impacted.
“It’s fascinating, thought-provoking, and so much fun,” Weiss said. “Plus there’s a deep connection to humans in all cultures, back to our earliest ancestors all around the world, that I find appealing—this sense of being part of a very long history of making things with our hands, discoveries about fire and chemistry, technical innovations, problem-solving, and continuing that exploration.”
The Foxworthy show gives instructors such as Hood and Weiss an opportunity to showcase and celebrate their own work on a broader level. But the artists also see an important component in reaching out to the community about the value of art.
Hood said art shows in the Santa Maria Valley are especially vital because the region lacks a bounty of galleries where the public can view work from community artists. Shows like this one allow the public to see not just work from local artists, but they provide an exposure to a wide range of styles, media, and voices.
“With both our student show and this faculty exhibit, there’s an opportunity to celebrate the resources we have to offer for our community,” Weiss said. “I always hope exhibits inspire people to try an art class—to realize there are so many ways to express yourself, to not trap yourself into thinking, ‘I’m not creative.’ Whatever you do or hope to do, participating in the arts can make you better at it.”
Arts and Lifestyle Writer Rebecca Rose is very thought-provoking. Contact her at rrose@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Apr 5-12, 2018.