Finish Fetish:
a phrase long time associated with the 1960’s/70’s minimalist art of Los Angeles, where the highly polished surfaces of the artwork were said to mimic the level of depth associated with its inhabitants. Labeled so by East Coast critics, this style of work has often been compared to bright buffed-out hot rods and shiny resin surfboard decks. However, like many art styles, its finish fetish nickname was in part its creation as a defined group, and the work continues to thrive in present day with its focus on surface, color, and light. A majority of the works associated often use alternative art materials such as plastic, glass, light and polyurethane resin creating a shiny smooth hand crafted surface of physical and or metaphysical reflection. Similar to the work of sensory artists in the 60’s and 70’s, recently on display in Phenomenal: California Light, Space, Surface at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, this show touches on the obsession of a minimal surface and the enticing pull that it has on the viewer. This form of minimalism could even fall into the category of pop – faceless, uncluttered pop where the surface is the subject and the viewer’s perception of this surface is relevant over the philosophical or conceptual ideas that could possibly clutter the experience.
Lisa Bartleson was born in Seattle and received her Bachelors of Art Degree in Biology at the University of Northern Colorado. She is a scientist, a sculpture artist, and a painter. Her sleek cast resin wall sculptures, and her works on panel, which use a distinctive technique composed of layer upon layer of gradated painted plastic, create serene color compositions that steadily draw the viewer into a meditative state of purity, evoking a contemplative sensuality.
Born in Canada, Casper Brindle moved to Los Angeles in the early 70’s. Raised by an architect and a fashion designer, and immersed in the arts, his work reflects the Southern California lifestyle; including a series paying homage to the essence of surfing and the ocean’s infinite breathe. With renown light and space artist Eric Orr as a mentor, Brindle, has managed to create a new visual voice amongst a body of greats that came before him. Combining mediums such as LED lighting, acrylic, wood, and flawless epoxy coatings, Brindle creates a calming cohesive body of work that’s infused with vibrant color, which is representative of his energetic lifestyle.
Seattle based artist, Alfred Harris, has been exhibiting throughout the United States since 1978. His work is included in numerous public and private collections including the Seattle and Portland Art Museums. Sealed under a sheen coat of resin, Harris’ works are composed of various shreds of once organized compositions collaged with positive/negative space, tracery, and line drawings. His use of color, line, and reflection creates a sense of serene balance and intrigue for the viewer of his work.
Born and raised in Connecticut, Kristina Quinones received a bachelor’s degree in Printmaking from the University of Connecticut and a Masters of Fine Arts in Printmaking from the San Francisco Art Institute. The process behind Quinones current bodies of work challenges the boundary between control and uncertainty. Her unorthodox painting style, which uses her whole body and the happenstance movement of paint, allows her smooth, vivacious liquid like surfaces to bring their pop of color alive at their own pace.
Ernest Regua recently received his Master of Fine Arts in Painting from the San Francisco Art Institute, where he found his passion in pushing the abstraction of form. Influenced by natural and built environments and an array of art movements from Surrealism, Contructivism, Pop, and Minimalism and inspired by his years as a California longboard surfer and native, Regua, meticulously sands down layers upon layers of gesso to create a glossy smooth surface before beginning his paintings. Within his pieces, color and shape play in an imaginary space to create tense and humorous interactions upon his labor-intensive canvas and wood surfaces, where an element of surprise and contemplation is often worked in to askew the initial interpretation of the viewer.