Torrance Art Museum unveils new contemporary art exhibition

By Danielle Smith
Staff Writer

Torrance Art Museum showcased its contemporary and traditional juried art exhibition, South Bay Focus, in conjunction with the Torrance Artists Guild and the South Bay Watercolor Society. This annual exhibition is a unique chance for all local artists working or living in the South Bay to show their pieces in a local gallery. (53)
The modern show featured over seventy-five local artists and this year’s Juror was Maurizzio Hector Pineda, the Assistant Curator of the art museum. This exhibit successfully brought together the individual creative minds involved in the production of this show to seamlessly work together and bring a polished, compelling presentation to the public. (52)
There was a variety of pieces with different mediums including drawings, watercolor paintings, acrylic paintings, photographs, sculptures and many others. The assortment of canvas sizes and frame choices also added to the diversity of the display and brought an intriguing dimension to the art that highlighted each individual piece’s distinct qualities. (51)
The simplicity of the two-roomed gallery was striking. The expansive space allowed each piece to stand out by itself and yet work with the others around it to pull the viewer around the perimeter of the gallery. In contrast with the white walls, many pieces seemed to come to life. (50)
In South Bay Focus 2015, the Torrance Art Museum effectively carried out its mission of bringing together visual artists and community members. In contrast to a traditional art show, the emphasis on contemporary artistic expression made the exhibit enjoyable and the diversity represented many different stimulating views of what contemporary art can mean. (53)
Balance between some abstract and realistic pieces seemed slightly disjointed, but as a whole, the transition between photographs and other art was surprisingly successful with pieces grouped by aesthetic. The placement of each piece was carefully planned out and as a result, one could progress from one to the next with considerable ease. (53)
In the context of this contemporary show, a few specific artists stood out as being quite innovative. Michael Harrington’s Millennial Action Figure #1 was a simple three-dimensional printing of a man holding a camera, but this integration of technology brought a new sense of advancement to the art. (48)
John Choy’s “No More Hurting People” was thought provoking piece that depicted an equation of photos printed on canvas showing how humans plus guns equal the destruction of the world and love. The artist’s approach to the current social issue of gun control was a fresh way to make a statement. (51)
Another artist that chose to modernize her method of producing art was Tracey Weiss. Her piece on display called “Atropropylene” was a large sculpture made from recycled green soda bottles. The spiky half-sphere she created from the recycled material gave a brilliant new life to the otherwise wasted bottles. (50)
South Bay Focus 2015 was on display from 11am-5pm on Tuesdays through Saturdays at the Torrance Art Museum from November 14th to December 11th. The Torrance Art Museum is free and admission is open to the public.