San Clemente, California based screen-print artist and painter David Blake will be presenting 15 all-new, original art pieces in his solo show Greetings From The OC at Laguna’s Artists Republic 4 Tomorrow.
“David Blake is one of a few dynamic up-and-coming artists from Orange County who are showing the world that Southern California culture is quite relevant, if not outright potent. His work has consistently been a favorite of collectors across the country, and we are excited to host his first solo exhibition in California,” explains gallery owner Torrey Cook. Blake is among a carefully curated platform of exciting, ascending artists that Artists Republic 4 Tomorrow and Vans, in collaboration for the entire year of 2014, are committed to bringing to the southern California art movement.
The show runs March 6-30, 2014 with an opening reception on March 6 from 6 to 9 PM. Artists Republic 4 Tomorrow is located at 1175 South Coast Hwy, Laguna Beach, CA. Follow the jump for more details, including an interview with David Blake.<iframe src=”//player.vimeo.com/video/86760466″ width=”450″ height=”253″ frameborder=”0″ webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe> <p><a href=”http://vimeo.com/86760466″>Artists Republic 4 Tomorrow and VANS present David Blake – Greetings from the OC</a> from <a href=”http://vimeo.com/stevecarrera”>Steve Carrera</a> on <a href=”https://vimeo.com”>Vimeo</a>.</p>
“GREETINGS FROM THE OC”
ALL NEW WORKS BY DAVID BLAKE
March 6-30, 2014
Artist Reception: First Thursdays Art Walk, March 6, 6-9pm Supported By : Vans & Pizza Port Brewing
LAGUNA BEACH, CA (February 12, 2014) – This March, Artists Republic 4 Tomorrow presents “Greetings From the OC,” a debut solo show by San Clemente screen-print artist and painter David Blake. Presenting more than 15 original, all-new pieces, Blake reflects on the biggest move of his life, summertime seven years ago, when he was a Chicago-raised transplant newly settled in Southern California. This show marks his sixth time exhibiting at AR4T. It is his inaugural solo show in California.
Blake uses silkscreen-printing techniques, painting acrylic and encaustic layers – some infused with melted-down Sex Wax – on wood. He sources imagery from vintage ‘60s and ‘70s surfer magazines, replicates patterns familiar to consumerist popular culture, and creates geometric patterns and colors to represent Orange County’s sea-to-mountains landscape. The all-new works, as large as 36” x 48”, offer more complexity than previously seen from Blake.
Blake discusses, “Throughout art history, artists have painted their environment, and that’s what I want to do. I’m not trying to make any judgment, it’s just a way I look at it. If you grow up in the Midwest you’re fed this idyllic version of the surfer lifestyle where everyone’s laid back on the beach, but my experience was really different than that.” Through his visions of faces masked with geometric patterns, animal heads depicting native fauna of California, and the ‘60s surf vibe, viewers will get insight into Blake’s expectations of California, interpretations of the reality, and perhaps an alignment of their own journey — animalistic or otherwise.
“David Blake is one of a few dynamic up-and-coming artists from Orange County who are showing the world that Southern California culture is quite relevant, if not outright potent. His work has consistently been a favorite of collectors across the country, and we are excited to host his first solo exhibition in California,” explains gallery owner Torrey Cook. Blake is among a carefully curated platform of exciting, ascending artists that Artists Republic 4 Tomorrow and Vans, in collaboration for the entire year of 2014, are committed to bringing to the southern California art movement.
“Greetings From the OC” opens on Thursday, March 6, 2014, from 6 to 9pm during Laguna Beach’s First Thursdays Art Walk.
About the artist:
David Blake’s visually appealing, abstract pop/street artworks offer bold commentary on the various complexities and ironies of popular culture. His mixed media paintings have been shown in group gallery exhibitions in Southern California and Nevada, as well as a solo exhibition in Las Vegas in 2012. Fusing a love for musical icons and a cross-examination of politics with reflective expression on the rebellious attitude of punk rock and street art, his screen-printed layers of resin and vibrant oil-infused resin form a signature style that wakes up the senses. Representations of pop culture icons chained to their thrones for all time, as well as the poignant immediacy of current affairs, aim to point the finger back at society. David Blake is originally from the Midwest, where he was raised on a healthy diet of rock ‘n roll and small town boredom. He got his feet wet in the Chicago gallery scene as a self-taught artist, taking on screen printing after studying Andy Warhol and observing early 2000s Parisian street art first-hand. In addition to various exhibitions, David has contributed artworks to fundraisers for the Japanese Red Cross, Wounded Warriors Project, and Little Kids Rock. He currently lives in San Clemente, California with his wife Kim and daughters Frankie & Hunter Tru.
About Artists Republic 4 Tomorrow:
Artists Republic 4 Tomorrow is a contemporary art gallery in Laguna Beach, CA dedicated to the support of emerging and mid-career artists who not only make amazing works in the studio, but are leaders in life – travelers, curators, musicians, skateboarders, surfers, teachers, builders. AR4T gallery specializes in original works, prints, books and more. In 2014 we are excited to welcome Vans as a partner in continuing our mission to create a larger platform for new artists.
Interview
You have become known for your cool depictions of musical and artist-themed pop imagery. What pop imagery inspired you for “Greetings from the OC”?
Well, this show is really different from pop imagery. Really only the pop imagery I have in this show is Natalie Wood. She drowned off of Catalina and they recently opened the investigation. I found it to be a really interesting story. I also look for things we experience here more than in any other area. One of those things is the Sex Wax logo. In every store you go into, it’s there. In the Midwest you’re never going to see that. Other than that, I’ve used old ‘60s ephemera sourced from vintage magazines. Prior to using pop imagery I used 60’s surf ephemera in my work, so it’s somewhat a return to the past but a shift in style and the way I approach the subject matter.
Some of the figures in your new works have patterns where there should be a face. Others have animal heads. Can you tell us about this?
I like using the animal reference because it’s a comparison of animal-human behavior. I use animals that are native to orange county: bears, rattlesnakes, mountain lions. Peoples’ behaviors are very instinctual to what animals are. The material images reference how both animals and humans move in packs. I had this idea that surfers are very laid back, but they’re very territorial. I learned that when I was first here and I would go to the surf spot down here and try to figure it out. The surfers didn’t like that because I was in their way. You have to know where to go to surf as a beginner and understand the etiquette and hierarchy. The mountain lions have Louis Vuitton logos embedded in them to represent the idea that people become the things they obsess about — instead of actually trying to find happiness outside of material possessions. I’m not trying to be critical, just painting a reflection of my experience in Orange County.
I have a few pieces where I remove people’s faces and replace them with geometric patterns. I use that to reference the habits and patterns that we all tend to get into and how that can change the way we look or are perceived by others. That thought came about after I approached an older woman on the street several months ago. From a distance she looked like she was frowning and very sad, but when I cam closer I realized this was just the way her face had aged. Of course I’m making some assumptions, but it made me think that years of being unhappy had made the lines on her face into a permanent frown.
Speaking of geometry, can you tell us about the colors and shapes in these new works?
I really kind of pushed myself in terms of using colors I’ve not used in the past. I’ve never particularly liked gold, but I figured that this was a good time to try it. I’m also using geometric shapes in some of the work to represent the Orange County landscape. I didn’t realize it at first, but this is heavily influenced by all the baby videos I watch with Hunter where they really simplify landscapes into geometric shapes with colors that you would really never see in nature. It’s really strange to me how this stuff seems to seep into my brain and come out in my work and I’m not even conscious of it at first.
So how do you really feel about Orange County?
Throughout art history, artists have painted their environment, and that’s what I wanted to do. I’m not trying to make any judgment, it’s just a way I look at it. If you grow up in the Midwest you’re fed this idyllic version of the surfer lifestyle where everyone’s laid back on the beach, but my experience was really different than that. When I first came here, if you didn’t know, you’d think its 1964. That was one of one of the reasons I use ‘60s imagery, is because it represents that for me. At first you come here, you think there’s a lot of character. Then you realize there’s a lot of people who are afraid of change. It’s totally the opposite of Chicago. We felt totally out of place. We just weren’t sure that we made the right the decision. It’s hard moving anywhere in your mid-30s. It’s taken us a while, but now we love it, and it’s where we want to raise our family.
