Last Saturday’s opening at the Creative Arts center in Manhattan Beach may have had competition from pre-Halloween parties, but those who attended were treated, rather than tricked, to some fine work by painters Andres Montoya, Margaret Lazzari, and sculptor Hiroko. “FigureScapes” is up for a few more weeks and is worthy of a visit.
Curator Megumi Sando says that the starting pont for her in assembling the exhibition was being introduced to the art of Andres Montoya, whose comment, “The landscape and figure have become a metaphor for the human condition,” resonated with her.
“By arbitrarily defining ‘landscape’ as our surrounding ‘natural’ elements or environments,” she says, “I began to ponder the relationship between human beings and nature. Montoya’s well-defined life figures standing with the background of rustic landscape reminded me of the European concept of nature, [where] nature exists as the outer world, which humans explore for their inspirations, healing, or other reasons.”
Montoya’s landscapes are respectful, carefully worked, attentive to tone and atmosphere. Many of them have an autumn tone, and a subdued but golden light. We may be surprised at first glance to realize how absorbing of one’s attention they are.
“As a curator,” Sando continues, “I always want to achieve some variety and integrity – both visually and conceptually – in an exhibition,” and she felt that Margaret Lazzari’s work, which also expresses an intimate relationship between human beings and nature, would complement Montoya’s work (Easy Reader profiled Lazzari in our June 24 issue).
“In her painting,” Sando says, “human figures are mingled with natural elements.” She sees, in Lazzari’s work, an impression that resonates with an Eastern, especially Taoist, view of nature, one that emphasizes that we are a part of nature and thus integrally connected to the universe.
“At this point,” Sando adds, “the word ‘inner landscape’ occurred to me. I thought that artwork depicting one’s inner landscape, that is, emotions and feelings, would be the last piece of this curatorial puzzle. Although she herself is a quiet and reserved person, Hiroko’s sculptural figures eloquently express her emotions. They look visceral, and they convey deep feelings such as pain and sorrow.”
There is much to look at, and then to look at again, in this fine, thoughtful, unpretentious show.
FigureScapes is on view through December 15 in the Creative Arts Center, 1560 Manhattan Beach Blvd., MB. Gallery hours, Tuesday and Thursday from 2 to 6 p.m., Wednesday from 4 to 8 p.m., and on Saturday from 1 to 5 p.m. The curator can be contacted at msando@citymb.info. ER
