This month
in the Slutzky Art Gallery
Alison Hyman
“L’Chaim…to Life”
April 15 to May 31, 2013
Artist Bio: Alison Hyman was born in Glasgow, Scotland and currently lives and works in Irvine, California. She received an MFA in painting from Laguna College of Art and Design and a BA Honors from Glasgow School of Art in textile design and printmaking. She has exhibited frequently since 1970, in group and juried exhibitions in Britain and USA, and in solo shows both in Los Angeles, (“Conversations”Arena 1 Gallery Santa Monica, June 2011) and London, (“Macbeth”The Old Vic, Sept-Nov1980). Her published work includes illustrating the Glasgow Year of Culture brochure in 1990. Alison’s work documents her surroundings: her drawings spanning decades of travels, and her oils reflecting her many lively meals with family and friends.
Artist Statement: My work is a visual diary, a snapshot in time, comprising unguarded moments that capture the essence of the time, place or event. It is a series of small and large conversations. It is also an exploration of subtle dichotomies: the gestures can be read as benign or threatening. Is he in process of standing or sitting down; is she being aggressive or just animated? Each figure is distinct but the interdependence is crucial. The events are fleeting, but there is also an implied passage of time in the long horizontal, cinematic layouts which require the viewer’s eye to move rather than taking in the whole piece in an instant.
In some paintings, the view through the glass objects distorts the figures and this is significant as it reflects our personal interactions.
Family, faith, and food are the cornerstones of my life. I spend a large part of my time creating meals as events, such as Friday night Sabbath dinners or Passover seders. The Jewish religious calendar is full of these events, accompanied by rituals such as the blessings over candles, bread, and wine on a Friday, or special foods such as matzah at Passover or pomegranates, apples and honey at the New Year. As this adherence to ritual is such a large part of my life, so the elements of these rituals take presence in my paintings.
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Art Gallery Hours:
Monday – Thursday 8 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Friday 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Saturday 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Sunday 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.
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Artist’s Call 2013
The Slutzky Art Gallery located at the Merage Jewish Community Center seeks artists of all disciplines- including but not limited to- painting, printmaking, drawing, photography, sculpture and ceramics, for our 2013 calendar.
The JCC Slutzky Art Gallery’s mission is to promote quality Jewish art and Jewish artists. We are looking for artists that involve Jewish content within their work, or are inspired by Jewish values and concepts.
For more information, or to apply, please contact Sandra Hodgkins at (949)435-3400 ext 161 or email Sandrah@jccoc.org.