May 11th, Bruce Rubenstein to be Featured Castelli Art Space

On May 11^th, 2019, “Alive in the Superunknown” opens at Castelli Art Space in Culver City. The solo exhibition features the paintings of Bruce Rubenstein. Born and raised in New York, he was a working artist, then moved to Los Angeles to begin working in the entertainment business in 1985.

“Alive in the Superunknown” will include 18 - 20 art works. The name is inspired by a Sound Garden Song. The artist said he believes that the universe is never ending…infinite. There is no beginning, there is no middle, there is no end. “If you dig deep enough into my work you will see subtle hints of an ancient language, a subliminal iconography of sorts, often times resembling Egyptian hieroglyphics buried just beneath the canvases surface. Where this language originated from I have no clue. I believe all artist's abilities comes from thousands of years of evolution. You just have to open your mind and trust your instincts. And above all you have to learn how to listen. If you can train yourself to get to that place, the Superunknown, you can paint who and what you are.”

Growing up, he was always interested in art. He has been painting for over forty years. He chooses to begin his process with no preconceived ideas. He does not work from sketches…planning out the artwork, like some artists. “I allow the paintings to reveal themselves, and as they do I become a vessel to something greater than myself. This is the marriage between the physical-self and the spiritual-self. In order for this co-mingling to come to fruition it takes trust, it takes commitment and above all it takes patience. Each painting is unique, with its own DNA. I don't always understand the reasons behind why it looks the way it does. My main objective is to focus on the colors and composition. The rest I have no control over. I write that off to the Superunknown.”

Reflections in a Golden Eye; oil, acrylic, enamel, fabric pieces, charcoal on canvas, 65 x 114 inches, 2018

The artwork entitled Alive in the Superunknown (same name at the exhibition) was created in multiple layers. “I usually work on raw canvas, meaning unprimed so it has a bit of tooth. This gives the overall painting a gritty base to build on top of. Some of the residual colors remain intact as I pass the white oil-bar over them. To make the white lines pop I outline them with a charcoal vine giving the piece a three-dimensional feeling. My intention is to create an unknown alien language, a Matrix of sorts, similar to ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics. The overall goal (my intention) is that the viewer will eventually interpret his or her own truth from what they are seeing.” Rubenstein’s work has been exhibited and collected worldwide.

Castelli Art Space will hold an artist reception for “Alive in the Superunknown” on May 11^th, 2019 from 6-10pm. Bruce Rubenstein will be in attendance. Castelli Art Space is located at 5428 W. Washington Blvd. L.A, 90016; (323) 308.0936; https://www.castelliartspace.com;  https://www.brucerubensteinart.com

The Upper West Presents "Notes on Gesture" Featuring Jorin Bossen on April 28th, 2019

Michigan native Jorin Bossen is set to exhibit work at the Upper West. Known for its delicious cuisine, the Santa Monica restaurant features art on the walls and brings in a new artist every few months. The solo exhibition entitled "Notes on Gesture" will feature twenty-five artworks.

Image:  Thin White Duke (Red), 2016, oil, acrylic, and pastel pencil on canvas board 10 x 8 in.


“The Upper West is a lovely restaurant and I am very excited and honored to show with them, said Bossen. “The walls and lighting really showcase the art.” He added that the food was delicious and staff was extremely friendly. He said he was looking forward to the opening. “I will be showing works that fall under the umbrella of contemporary figurative, along with a few works from my western series.”

Bossen was raised by artists. Inspired by his father, a photographer and his mother a ceramicist, he was drawn to art since he was a child. His parents would provide paper with colored pencils and it kept him busy for hours. “My brother and I would draw fantastical scenarios. He moved on to other interests, but I kept with it.” Bossen eventually started painting in his junior year at Kalamazoo College. Now his process includes drawing, photography first, but he will also use a computer as a starting point for many of his works, but added, that the final product is painting.

Sound Salvation (Elvis Costello) 2017 oil, acrylic and pastel pencil on canvas 30 X 24 in.

When asked what inspires him, he replied, “I look for images that interest me. I take these from photos that I take or friends’ photos, as well as magazine, and movie stills, pretty much from anything that I feel drawn to. Whenever he starts a new painting, these are go-to images for him. “I will look through these images to see what I am drawn to, what about them I currently find most interesting. Sometimes it is the facial expressions, or how figures interact with one another, it might be a gesture or a mood that the figure conveys.” Then he creates sketches of the paintings first, either by hand or on the computer. Once he has decided on the layout, the work begins.

When asked what type of paint he prefers, he replied, “I’ve used a variety of mediums. I currently use oil and acrylic. Different types of paint have different qualities that I find useful for varying techniques, but the lushness and depth of oil is my favorite.”

  "Notes on Gesture" opens at the Upper West on Sunday April 28^th, 2019 from 4-7pm. The artist Jorin Bossen, will be in attendance at the Upper West (3321 Pico Boulevard,Santa Monica 90404; 310 586-1111; https://theupperwest.com/; http://www.jorinbossen.com/