"FAMILIAR GROUND" by Abel Alejandre

Artist Reception: Sunday, February 14, 2010 4p-7p

Exhibition: February 11 to March 6, 2010

Familiar Ground is a body of work which journals a personal family history. It is a panoramic view of my manhood. It is delivered through old world traditions in a modern era. With fragments and layers of the men in my family, I illustrate the living contradictions, which surround me. The patriarchs of the family battle over what manhood means between them and those whose lives they seek to guide. The aggressive physical expressions amongst each other and women often collide and merge like two rivers in a rush to certainty. The sexual appetite we posses is always building up until its ravenous desire overpowers our intellect. The minimal communication we participate in often alienates us from those we love and care for. The sibling rivalry and competitive nature regularly ostracizes the more gentle souls amongst us and our restrained emotions anchor us to further self-isolation.

-Abel Alejandre

ABEL ALEJANDRE: Familiar Ground is a debut solo exhibition of new work by the Los Angeles artist. Chronicling his family history, Alejandre tackles personal issues that include masculinity, patrimony, sexuality, aggression and isolation. In “My Fathers,” a massive woodcut measuring four by eight feet, the artist has exquisitely rendered the image of two men. The older man’s weathered face reveals evidence of a hard life and his eyes fill with tears as he stares poignantly into space. Perhaps alluding to this man’s past behavior, Alejandre has organized the composition so that the viscous teeth of a confrontational dog line up perfectly with the old man’s mouth, creating a stark symbolism. The younger man is illuminated, gazing upward in contemplation, as if planning his future. The juxtaposition of these two men is uncomfortable but like all of Alejandre’s work, masterfully drawn and undeniably beautiful. The exhibition also includes intimately scaled and meticulously crafted graphite drawings on primed wood panels.

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Happy New Year to everyone! I am wishing all good thing for you all. Proud to say that I brought in the New Year with the launch of Atelier Visit. This is an online launch only & want to share it with everyone. Please share with everyone you know. AtelierVisit.com

Atelier Visit: An investigation of the creative process

Almost twenty years ago, I had an idea for a project. I wanted to publish a magazine about the established artists I knew. More specifically, I wanted to capture the conversations that we had. The emphasis wouldn’t be so much on the work but instead the process of making art. However, for lack of: time; funds; storage space; technical know how; experience; scalability and/or network of contacts the project didn’t happen. Time has certainly changed all of that; the most significant change being the Internet and the “open source movement.” There is a new spirit of collaboration that makes my vision timely. Niche publications and low production cost are now the future of publishing. Through this beautiful opportunity I am able to compose a modest online publication.

I am a Visual Artist publicly and have been consistently exhibiting work since 1984. I am mostly a Los Angeles artist wanting to do my own work wherever it may be welcomed. While continuing to search for my artistic voice I worked as an Illustrator, Designer, Art Director, Production and Creative Manager. Through the last twelve years I have spent in publishing, I have learned not only about content management, but the technical aspects of putting together print and online publications. I have worked with more than forty publications throughout the course of my career. I am fortunate to say that I’ve worked on daily, weekly, monthly and annual publications with large, small and no staff. This experience has given me a realistic expectation of what is possible.

Atelier Visit, for now, is only a two-year project in the form of an online magazine with January 01, 2010 as the planned soft launch date. Since there aren’t enough funds for a launch party or a full marketing campaign, the promotion and marketing of Atelier Visit will begin with social media and RSS feeds. As opportunities make themselves available, promotion will be made.

Atelier Visit is an investigation of the creative process as our contemporary art makers practice it. The project’s objective is to document the creative process by interviewing, broadcasting and archiving video interviews of artists in their creative spaces. Video, written work, and photography will make the core of Atelier Visit’s content. It will be available at no cost online over the next 24 months with a planned annual print edition. This project is a labor of love so I do not expect to make any money. I do, however, hope that funds from online advertising will help offset equipment and print costs.

Collaborators will include Visual Artists, Writers, Editors, Filmmakers, Poets, and Musicians.

In the spirit of collaboration the interviews will be in the artist’s native language. Translations will be made available when they are possible.

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