2006 Featured Alumni Artists:
Michelle Wiener and Oscar Magallanes
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Big Girls Don't Cry |
We are thrilled that Ryman Arts alumna, Michelle Wiener (Ryman ’00) returned to Los Angeles after recently graduating from the University of California, Santa Barbara to pursue her master of fine arts degree and to share her art and gallery expertise with the alumni association. She displayed her bold shoe paintings in the 2006 An Affair of the Art and will be exhibiting work in two alumni shows, The Anatomy of Dance at The Artists’ Gallery as well as the Herbert D. Ryman and his Legacy at Forest Lawn Museum. Not only is she a featured artist, but is also the coordinator of the later show set to open in May 2007. Amidst her busy schedule, Michelle shares her thoughts about her art, education, and profession since Ryman Arts.
What have you been up to since graduating from Ryman Arts?
While studying at UCSB, I worked my way up from Assistant Curator at the UCSB Women’s Center Art Gallery to Head Curator. Through this job I was able to become familiar with the installation process, contracts, public and media relations, fund-raising and overall upkeep of a gallery space. Not only did we work with local artists, but I ended up showing artists nationwide.
I am currently attending the OTIS College of Art and Design MFA program.
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| Climbing the Social Stool |
How has your work evolved since Ryman Arts and how is it now evolving in graduate school?
Ryman Arts gave me the basic skills needed to execute ideas. Now that I have the ability to draw and paint, the hard part arrives: Content. Content does not always emerge from skill, but I believe that an artist should have an agenda to communicate, and s/he should be able to communicate it well. Ryman Arts taught me how to create. Graduate school is teaching me why artists need to create as well as how our work functions once it enters the social realm.
What is your artistic process from inspiration to production?
I start with observations and doodling in my sketchbook. Reading also triggers ideas. Once I find an idea, I research it, with further texts and images. I normally begin with a reference image, I play with composition, color, medium and scale. Every part of the work has to be thought out, because it will drastically change how the piece is received. Remember to take breaks and when to stop. When it’s not fun or gets tiring, stop and come back later. It’s just like working out a math problem.
How have interactions and relationships with fellow artists informed your work?
I have learned how imperative it is to have a group of artists to bounce ideas off of, argue with about theory and philosophy, and to grab a sandwich with.
The energy keeps you excited to get back to the studio and produce. It also informs the work and helps you learn to speak about your practice as a whole.
What about art making convinced you to pursue art as a profession?
I don’t think I would be happy doing anything else.
It is amazing to have a practice that is entirely independent and yet part of a greater community as well. I want to be a part of the discourse art creates.
What about Ryman Arts lured your back as an active alumni member?
Ryman Arts was one of the best parts of my high school experience. It was an incredible opportunity, and I feel like I want to give back to the organization and people who have helped me grow not only as an artist but as a person. In some ways the people at Ryman Arts have seen me grow up; I began Ryman Arts as a 15 year old and now I’m 23.
What is your vision for the Ryman Arts Alumni Association?
I would really like it to be like an artists’ club, where we can come collaborate, offer connections, do group shows and have fun together, sharing memories about Saturdays at Ryman Arts.
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A New Vigilant Mind |
Over the past two years, Oscar Magallanes (Ryman ’93) exhibited in over 20 venues including Eagle Rock Center for the Arts, Self Help Graphics, the Millard Sheets Gallery, and the DA Center for the Arts. He has participated in Ryman’s 2005 and 2006 An Affair of the Art attracting new patrons while contributing to Ryman Arts through his sales He is currently the graphic designer of Chican@ Art magazine and is the featured artist of the winter 2007 issue! What’s the secret to our Alumni Board Chair’s recent success? Oscar shared his feelings about Ryman and his approach to art-making.
How has your work evolved since Ryman Arts?
It has changed so much that people do not recognize my earlier work. I have managed to develop a very distinctive style that has allowed me to blend my training in fine art, years of graphic design and strong sense of culture, history and social issues into what I feel are beautiful images.
What is your artistic process?
I start with my subject matter. At this moment I am working with iconic images that are so commonplace that they have seeped into the subconscious realm of visual vocabulary. I have taken this one step further to give relevance to what I see going on in society. I paint images of “paleteros” and other street vendors. I bring them off the streets and put them in front of you, begging the question “Did this person take your job?” I think we have bigger problems that need to be dealt with instead of trying to scapegoat the hardest workers in our society who also happen to be the poorest and least able to defend themselves. My technique is basic stenciling. I start with a sketch, then scan it, clean it up and set it up as a color separation. I then print the color separations onto sticker paper. Next, I hand cut the stencils and apply them to a piece of ¼” thick wood that has been cut down to the size of an old frame. The last step is painting: I use brush, airbrush and aerosol, which gives the look of having been silk screened.
Why did you become an active alumni member?
It’s my love of the program – for all it did for me. I was a hard kid; in all honesty, I didn’t think I would make it to twenty. But Ryman was there for me during this transitional time and helped me get through by showing me that I was capable of a lot more than I ever thought possible.
What is your vision for the Ryman Arts Alumni group?
I envision Ryman Arts as a strong family that trains a student to be an aspiring artist who becomes a successful artist who then mentors a new Ryman student. I also want to see casual meetings where we can talk shop and share current projects. I want to see mentor relationships develop. I think these are things we can all benefit from.
