Visual art students from the Academy of Visual and Performing Arts at Culver City High School, in association with he Museum of Contemporary Art and artist-in-residence Carolyn Castaño, will present Enzymatic, a collection of student artwork, that will be exhibited at Walter Maciel Gallery, 2642 S. La Cienega Blvd., on Monday, March 19,
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Academy Art Students visit the studio of artist-in-residence Carolyn Castano
The student artwork was inspired in part by the recent Pacific Standard Time mass art concept (Southern California-wide display of politically relevant art created during the period of 1945 – 1980), including MOCA’s contribution, Under the Big Black Sun: California Art 1974-1981. Art students chose the title Enzymatic for the show, hoping to convey with immediacy the collective themes of student artwork of policy and politics, including issues important to students such as the rising cost of public education, controversy over immigration, and concentrated opinions over this years presidential election.
Enzymatic is deeply influenced by the reaction-driven style of artmaking that Ms. Castaño and Madison Brookshire, MOCA Educator, introduced to them during the 10-week program.
Since 1997, Sony Pictures has been a sponsor of MOCA’s education initiatives, Contemporary Art Start and currently the Intensive Artist-Led Residency, says Janice Pober, Senior Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility, at Sony. Throughout the intensive MOCA program, 30 art students have been learning about political art concepts, from the perspective of a working visual artist (Ms. Castaño), as well as MOCA museum educator and artist (Mr. Brookshire). Students were given the opportunity to visit MOCA multiple times while compiling their own collection of work, as well as tour first-hand Ms. Castaño’s studio, and ask her questions about the process of creating and exhibiting work.
“It was so awesome to see the space where an artist actually creates her art, because so often we just see the finished product,” said Max Malsich after visiting Ms. Castaño’s studio. “So much more goes into it.”
Students have been meeting every Tuesday and Friday for after-school sessions to learn about relevant artists, view their work, engage in discussion forums about the impact of such work, and its purpose, and to create their own pieces and engage in class critiques.
Part of what makes the Enzymatic exhibition unique is that AVPA art students have created work in multiple mediums, and through the unique perspective of young artists.
Among the works to be exhibited are graphic-style political posters, self-portraits on canvas, collages, photography, and documentation of performance art.
“We have worked hard to create an exciting, relevant body of work for the exhibit,” said participating artist Mohammad Chowdhury. “It will be a fun show to experience.”
Students will be exhibiting their collection of socio-politically generated art at a free opening reception.
See avpa.org
