The Atkinson Gallery is holding its annual exhibition, “Small Images” that is vibrating with diverse works from students and local artists. These creative minds competed against each other to have their artwork hung in this exhibit and judged for a $500 prize.
“This is the one of the few remaining competitive [art] shows in Santa Barbara for local artists,” said Van Scranton, a competitor in the “Small Images” exhibit for 21 years. He has won a few times in the past for his mixed media designs.
The competition started on Oct. 2. Artists were invited to submit their work to the gallery and James Elaine, curator of UCLA’s Hammer Museum, selected the pieces shown at the exhibition.
“It’s an eclectic combination of the artists,” said Madeline Tonzi, the Atkinson Gallery’s intern. “I think it came together very nicely. The juror comes in and picks all these pieces so nobody knows if they are going to get picked or not. The whole thing is very exciting.” The pieces were judged on design and how well it worked as a whole piece, Tonzi said.
DJ Miles Long played jazz and down tempo beats in the background while viewers were fed hor’devours from the City College culinary department at the gallery opening, Oct. 6.
“It is such a great feeling to see my piece on the wall,” said Marilyn Kandus, one artist who had her piece, “Travel Stories,” in the exhibit. Kandus added that it’s amazing such varied pieces hang together so well.
Jonny Troyna was the curator’s choice for the first place prize of $500. He submitted two iPods on a Styrofoam platform that played ambient noises in reverse as a computer-generated voice recited one of Troyna’s poems. Stop animation of a hummingbird resting played on the iPod screens.
Troyna explained that the basis of his creation was how most people think it’s weird to see hummingbirds still for so long. But really it’s not unusual at all. It’s people’s perception of hummingbirds as constantly moving that makes the hummingbird at rest seem unusual.
“It’s like that dumb saying if you don’t see a tree fall would it make any noise; you set up a structure and let chance take its course,” Troyna said.
Raul Valdez won a second-place prize of $250. His 3-D design is called “$3 Per Nose.” He organized latex noses and hung them on sticks in a square pattern.
“He took plaster molds of noses and then he painted them in the latex,” said Bruce Woliver, Valdez’s friend.
The other works in the gallery range from abstract photography to mixed media canvases.
