EHCC/Hawaii Museum of Contemporary Art presents the work of three local artists during the month of June; Rick Ryken, Julianna Ziegler and Steve Irvine.  The show opens on the First Friday, June 6th, 5:30 pm through 9:00 pm, featuring live entertainment and refreshments, and continues through the month to Wednesday, June 26th. Each artist will be showing in a separate part of the main floor of the museum.

MAUKA GALLERY: THE ART OF RICK RYKEN

In the Artist's Own Words:

"My style is based on accidents and mistakes, as a foundation and as a recipe for results that are unorthodox and filled with surprise."

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"Cliffs at Paradise Park" 36x30, by Rick Ryken.

"Cliffs at Paradise Park" 36x30, by Rick Ryken.

"I try deliberately (to) start with a canvas that has been played with, damaged so to speak, with paint and oil, solvent and varnish. As if a child were starting my canvas, I try to make it as confusing and abstract as possible, when (I) begin a very specific topic such as a landscape or still life. I am in search of chaos and disorder in the beginning."

"I try not to duplicate reality, but try to reinvent what I see in some way. I may use colors that are not relevant, that will embellish the image.  The reality, a photo, a drawing, a mental image is a reference point, that I work towards, and then work away from, only to finish coming close to the image as I first saw it."

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"Sunrise in Hamakua" 36x30, by Rick Ryken

"Sunrise in Hamakua" 36x30, by Rick Ryken

".....My hope is that my work will be a starting point for conversation to begin, about creating, about invention, about Art. I am devoted to painting canvas, and Art in general, as a vocation, similar to the vocation of a Spiritual person. Doing Art is the only thing I have found after 66 years on the planet, that can still the clutter and the chatter of my brain. With some Music, with Paint and Brushes, with Canvas, in my studio,  I am able to enter a world I have never been in before. I am calm, I am young, I am inventive, I am the human I have always wanted to be, when I'm painting, when I am doing Art. My purpose is to paint as much as possible. My show is just to show off........the miracle of Art, and what it can do for the human soul." Rick Ryken

CENTRAL GALLERY: "PERCEPTIONS,"  THE ART OF JULIANNA ZIEGLER

In the Artist's Own Words:

"My artwork revisits the Renaissance ideology that man is made in God's likeness.  It celebrates the beauty of the human figure in its natural and unaltered state, and has no need to idealize."

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Art by Julianna Ziegler.

Art by Julianna Ziegler.

"........The human form is a wondrous machine whose mystery is made more fascinating when set into the context of quiet drawings among textured grounds.  The combinations of the bold values against the wispy, painterly grounds have been called “dreamlike.” This is the perfect word for the quality I seek to convey. "

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Julianna Ziegler

" Mankind is a powerful species, yet despite its every effort to become ageless and invincible, it is yet an organic, mortal, delicate being.  My work reflects this intimacy.  It captures the likeness of the figure, but encourages the viewer to consider the person whose likeness is portrayed.  Who is she?  What was she thinking?  The people I draw will never again exist in exactly the same form from which they were drawn, for they will age and eventually perish.  The work will last, retaining the memory throughout the ages.  My images are timeless testimonies of strangers."

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"Still Waters" by Julianna Ziegler.

"Still Waters" by Julianna Ziegler.

" The human body is a strange entity.  It has remained virtually unchanged for millenia, and is comprised of the same necessary feature; eyes, hands, hair, flesh.  It is the vehicle of the soul which allows us to love and to hate.  Yet virtually every culture insists on covering it and hiding it, as if not every other human being has one.  The human form is therefore both universal and deeply personal.  This in itself is a compelling thought.  However, while every body is more or less similarly comprised of the same basic elements, no two within the some seven billion in the world are alike.  This is a happy convenience for the artist who seeks diversity while keeping a cohesive body of work. "

" I employ techniques which in most cases appear “unfinished.”  This is purposeful, however, for I find that a tendency to overwork a drawing destroys its freshness, and the spontaneity which makes the piece so appealing to begin with.  Moreover, I feel that this sketchy quality illustrates the thought processes of both the figure and the artist.  I can not mimic the work of God and make a human, so why, in drawing, should I try?  In their “incompleteness” my works successfully bind the sentiments of the artist, the model, and the viewer. "

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"Nocturne" by Julianna Ziegler.

"Nocturne" by Julianna Ziegler.

" My work is essentially a tribute to the complexity and creativity of humankind.  It captures the beauty of the body, but strives also to include the beauty of the mind, or the soul.  It portrays humans in ways unacceptable by society; nude, natural, and secret.  It reaches beyond the facade of everyday people and reveals them as, humble, vulnerable, sensitive creatures." Julianna Ziegler  

MAKAI GALLERY: THE ART OF STEVE IRVINE

About The Artist:

Born in Los Angeles, Steve Irvine has been inspired by Hawaii's beauty since moving here in 1969. He assisted print maker James Korga in a printmaking workshop and in 1981 traveled to China on an art study tour with Linus Chao, who strongly influenced his work. He received a Liberal Arts B.A. from University of Hawai'i at Hilo in 1982.

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Resin Art by Steve Irvine

Resin Art by Steve Irvine

Former curator of Arco's Art Collection, Leila Maele said, "Irvine's style spans a variety of influences, combining strong academic training with a craftsman's proficient technique. His palette goes from cool to desert heat, evoked by his absorption with color variations. Known for allusion and reference, his paintings can also be appreciated on a level of personal saga and involvement, without reference to the literary or to artists he admires. His art over the years has become increasingly complex, and many recent works reflect his concern with political and social issues."

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"Orange Tree" by Steve Irvine

"Orange Tree" by Steve Irvine

Steve's work has been included in most of the spring and fall juried shows on the Big Island as well as state-wide shows for the last 20 years. Along the way he has received numerous awards for oil painting and mixed media.  His work has also been purchased by the Hawai'i State Foundation on Culture and the Arts.

The exhibition may be viewed from June 7th to June 26th during the museum's regular hours; Tuesday through Friday from 9am to 4pm, and Saturday from 9am to 5pm. EHCC/HMOCA is closed Sundays and Mondays. Admission to this show is a suggested donation of $5.00.