Business & Tech

The New Group Show at AR4T Gallery Will Make You Unhinged

Neil Blender, Hagop Najarian, John Sollom, Mike Myers and Russ Pope join forces for a new exhibition debuting during this week's First Thursdays Art Walk.

Submitted By AR4T Gallery:

Artists Republic 4 Tomorrow is proud to present Microscopic Hinges, new works by artists and friends Russ Pope, Neil Blender, John Sollom, Hagop Najarian and Mike Myers. The opening reception at 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 4, will coincide with Laguna Beach First Thursdays Art Walk.

Curated by Russ Pope, the show includes small and medium scale works serving to mark this place in time for the five artists as individuals and friends. Some people might call it coincidence - some call it destiny - but there is no denying that microscopic hinges link us all together, binding our past, present and future. Like a chapter book flipped to the middle, these five have a unique bonded history - with more to come - but April 4, they show us what progressive art in Orange County looks like today. 

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

Russ Pope: "Painting is as integral to life and sanity as food, water, music, skateboarding and family." 

Twenty five years ago, John Sollom, Hagop Najarian and Neil Blender met. As kids growing up in Orange County, they went to school, hung out, made art, formed bands, and did what kids do... they just happened to be a big part of what may prove to be one of the worlds biggest cultural phenomenons - the explosion and influence of skateboarding. Hagop and Neil were friends when Neil became legend on a skateboard in the 80's and 90's, and together they made sure that art, music, style and integrity were kept a priority and not lost in the whole thing. At the same time, Russ Pope was also making his mark in the world of skateboarding - starting new companies and living by the same standards. These rules, this way of life, are still priority for skateboarders around the world today. John Sollom and Hagop have turned this to art. From the days of school and years of shared studio space, to being full blown members of the Fullerton art scene - they are progressives in a community with an independent spirit and the power to change Orange County art. Connected with Mike Myers who has been a designer and artist in Fullerton and in skateboarding since the 90's, Microscopic Hinges brings that energy to Laguna Beach.

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

Russ Pope and John Sollom have each been recognized as an Orange County Visual Artist of the Year, Russ in 2010 and John in 2012. Russ's mixed media works, his use of spray paint, acrylic and bottles of ink result in a loose yet deliberate style of bold lines and representational characters while John's oil paintings mix bits of figurative, minimalism and a touch of abstraction with pop graphics. Together, they are a perfect blend with Mike Myers nebulous human characters - their black line work a stark contrast to bright multicolored backdrops they live on.

Hagop Najarian investigates the dynamics of storytelling by using the human figure as a poetic vehicle to explore his own formal inventions of scale, shape, color, space and the dialogue between images. He explores the musical inventions from Free Jazz, Dub, Punk and Classical Music to convey a visual impact of sound and color. The end result communicates a history of images that fracture into shapes, colors, textures and patterns, documenting time passing and reflecting the various stages of the emotional and creative process of painting.

Neil Blender was one of the first skateboarders to make his own graphics, which set the bar high for companies and riders in all of action sports today. His quick line, caricature style and bright colors have become a standard in the skateboard world. According to Hagop, "Neil has always had a humor, sarcasm, great timing in his work. I think he and I have a strong report with this and I still see the humorous, whimsical, playful elements of our youth always creeping into my work."

MICROSCOPIC HINGES runs April 04 - April 27, 2013 at ARTISTS REPUBLIC 4 TOMORROW, 210 North Coast Hwy. (between Broadway and Cliff), Laguna Beach, CA. Opening reception Thursday, April 7th from 7 to 10pm is free and open to the public. Parking meters free after 7pm. Works are for sale. Gallery hours: Fri-Sun noon to 6pm. 


ABOUT THE ARTISTS:

Russ Pope earned "Orange County's Best Visual Artist of the Year in 2010." During his college years, he ran SMA Skateboards, started Creature Skateboards and took art classes at night. Russ's commitment to skateboarding has continued for over 20 years as a rider and industry staple. For Russ, skateboarding and art are intertwined and inseparable. His art has taken him to faraway places and rekindled his roots. He has shown his work both domestically and internationally in San Luis Obispo, Santa Cruz, San Jose, San Francisco, San Diego, Chicago, New York, Brooklyn, Miami, Austin, Washington DC, Denver, Los Angeles, Portland, Vancouver, Whistler, Hawaii, Glasgow, Edinburgh, London, and Japan. www.russpope.com

Neil Blender is one of the most influential skateboarders of his time. In the early 1980s, before the skateboarding industry boom, he stood apart because of his artistic ability, individuality, and raw talent. He has become an icon that many current skateboarders have aspired to emulate, but have been unable to match. He set many standards that skateboarders still adhere to today. An originator of many skateboarding tricks, another lasting contribution was infusing art into the world of skateboarding - Neil was one of the first skateboarders to make his own skate graphics, setting the bar high for all skate companies and riders to follow. He is involved in all different types of art, photography, painting and music. Neil is a private person, but he is a hero for being true to skateboarding, and true to himself.

John Sollom was named OC Weekly's Best Visual Artist of 2012. John graduated from Long Beach State with a Bachelor of fine art. His current work mixes bits of figurative, minimalism, a bit of abstraction with pop graphics. According to John: "My paintings are derived from other artists and movements of the past. My influences are too many to name. You can call me a thief: I take that as a compliment. I am not original but at least I am honest. I don't know what the hell is going on with plein air central up North on P.C.H. Tell them William Wendt telegraphed and wants his paintings back. 

Hagop Najarian is a working artist and college professor living in La Mirada, California. He has been a Professor of Art teaching drawing and painting at Cerritos College since 1999, and is currently the Art and Design Department Chair. He is the Advisor of the Cerritos College Art Club and has been awarded the college's Outstanding Faculty Award in both 2003 and in 2007. Hagop exhibits his paintings at local galleries in Los Angeles and Orange County and has had numerous solo exhibitions. He has lectured about his paintings at seminars, panel discussions and colleges in the Los Angeles area. His recent series of paintings symbolically use human figures, animals and nature to create a dialogue that reminds us of how we coexist and maintain our identity in this world.

Michael Myers is an artist and designer living in Southern California. He likes to use mixed media with an emphasis of gouache and acrylics. Michael taught himself how to draw and paint from an early age. He studied graphic design for a few years at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obipso. In 1995 began working professionally as a graphic designer in the skateboarding industry. Today he splits his time between painting and designing web properties from his home office/studio in Fullerton, where he also loves to get involved with the city's growing art community.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here