FIELDS OF COLOR:

NEW WORK BY CHRISTINE MORLA

Curated by Heather Jeno Silva

January 2-March 2, 2013

OPENING RECEPTION

Saturday, January 5, 5-7 pm

The gallery at Left Coast Books, in Goleta, California (5877 Hollister Avenue), is pleased to announce the opening of “Fields of Color: New Work by Christine Morla.” A reception for the artist will be held on Saturday, January 5, from 5 to 7 pm. This event is open to the general public.

Morla’s work has been exhibited in several group shows nationally and internationally, but this one-person exhibition presents the opportunity to view a choice selection of her “paintings” and offers a preview of an upcoming exhibition at the Carnegie Museum in Oxnard. The Left Coast Books exhibition features several large works composed of strips of colored paper that are woven into abstract, flowerlike bursts of color. Mounted on the walls like paintings, but projecting slightly, the paper constructions are made from the multi-colored packaging from Filipino snack foods; scraps of candy wrappers are subtly integrated into some of the compositions.

The resulting images are unashamedly decorative “eye candy,” but there is a strong autobiographical component undergirding the artist’s approach, as she weaves the narrative of her life and identity into the works. A Filipino American, born and raised in Oxnard, the artist explains that her father was a professional weaver, so she is, in a sense, continuing a family tradition with her recent works. Using unconventional materials that are intended to be thrown away (packaging and sweet wrappers), there is an implicit critique of how we casually discard “waste” in our consumer society, as the artist creates beauty out of trash.

CHRISTINE MORLA is an interdisciplinary artist and arts educator. Her practice includes drawing, painting, and installation. Ms. Morla graduated with a B.A. from Loyola Marymount University and received her M.F.A. from Claremont Graduate University. Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally at Art Frankfurt, Germany, Rimjaus Gallery, Mexico City, The Armory Show, New York, Santa Barbara Contemporary Arts Forum, Riverside Art Museum, Huntington Beach Art Center, Raid Projects, Los Angeles and 18th Street Arts Center among other venues. Currently, she is the Chair of the Art Department at Oxnard College and Gallery Director of the McNish Art Gallery.

Heather Jeno Silva is an art critic and independent curator residing in Santa Barbara, CA. Silva received her M.A. in Art History and Museum- Studies from the University of Southern California in 2003.