Erica Sanchez
Staff Writer
Claremont hosted an art exhibition focused around the concept of light.
The exhibit featured several light fixtures designed by artists Rob Lewbel and John Neiuber.
The exhibition was titled “Glow: The Fusion of Light and Art,” held at the Ginger Elliot Gallery at Claremont Memorial Park.
These two artists use various materials to make light fixtures, some include alcohol bottles, wood, pipes, globes and picture frames.
Lewbel approached David Shearer, the executive director of Claremont Heritage, about his art and wanted to showcase some of his most custom work, said Shearer.
Shearer is in charge of deciding which art pieces and different concepts will be showcased at the Heritage.
Each month he chooses a different collection of art that will most reflect the artists body of work while showing a history, or a chronological view, of their work, said Shearer.
“November is a good time to do a show about lighting because people are more attune to looking at light because of the darkness,” said Shearer.
The lights shown were unique and not necessarily about how much light was reflected, but instead about the art of the lamp and how it was presented.
These lights are different from other pieces of lighting because they are designed from unique materials that are often recycled, and artifacts that would not necessarily be associated with lighting, said Shearer.
Lewbel’s business took off with the idea to cut a wine bottle and make it into a light fixture, which is what led to the start of his own store Heirloom, located in Claremont.
This was the first time that Lewbel’s pieces were being shown in an art exhibit.
Two of his featured pieces were similar to chandeliers, but they were both round to the shape as if one could expect to see them overhead a circular table in a more intimate setting.
“I wanted to display my lights in a way that has never been seen before, my business is primarily online and I don’t have a showroom,” said Lewbel.“I wanted to use this as showroom experience and to see how people react to my creations in person.”
Lewbel takes items that he finds and makes them functional by incorporating them into his art, said Shearer.
Lewbel collaborates with many different artists to create his work, and when he gets the opportunity he works with glass blowers, woodworkers and other diverse artists, said Lewbel.
“Each one is hand made and is different from anything else, these pieces are not mass produced,” said Shearer.
However, Lewbel’s business has gone further than just Claremont.
He has traveled to several countries all over the western world installing his work into different buildings, said Lewbel.
Neiuber’s work differs from Lewbel’s, where he puts to use more random artifacts and is focused on the obscurity rather than the lighting specifically.
“I look at something and I get an idea, sometimes I’m sitting here surrounded with everything I can see in the studio, with all of these different parts,” said Neiuber. “Sometimes they grow from one piece, it is a process of creating as one goes.”
Light affects the experiences people have in any situation, said Neiuber.
“I have this fascination with light. Light is such a central thing to everything and light to me creates mood and an ambiance,” said Neiuber.
“These light fixtures all had a reason for being built which made them more interesting,” said Claire Arredondo, resident of Pomona.
“I thought it was interesting that he kept the labels on some of the alcohol bottles because he could have easily taken them off, but it added a whole other level of artistry.”
The Claremont Heritage hosts different artists every month, showcasing many artists from the local area.
Next, Claremont has planned an educational and entertaining event titled “The Mexican Players Serenade Revisited” Dec. 5 at the Padua Hills Theatre.
Erica Sanchez can be reached at erica.sanchez2@laverne.edu.
