Sheridan Lambrook
Staff Writer
The W. Keith and Janet Kellogg University Art Gallery at Cal Poly Pomona is showcasing the contemporary work of Anthony James, presented by Melissa Morgan Fine Art.
James is a Los Angeles based artist who focuses on sculptures and installations that innovate and bring together art and technology. His exhibitions have been viewed around the world, from London and New York to movie sets, and now Pomona.
In the Kellogg Gallery, 11 of his contemporary pieces explore the themes of light, space and the cosmic realm.
The “Wall Portals” series certainly grabs attention as the LED lights attract the eye. The “Portals/Platonic Solids/Archimedean Solids” series started in 2008. The “Solar Black” pieces differ in size, almost asking the viewer which portal they will choose.
“Icosahedron (Bronze)” from the same collection, is one of his most recognizable pieces.
The focal point of his artistic investigation and the “Portals” series, his most well-known body of work. James has been creating these flawless polygons which crystallize in a remarkable way using materials like titanium, LED lights and unique glass.
When approaching what appears to be a finished sculpture from a distance, observers find a seemingly infinite space inside, brought to life by the reflections of mirrors playing off one another. But even with the mirrors, one cannot see their own reflection. The piece was complimented with the smaller, “Brushed Steel Icosahedron” and the larger, “Truncated Triangular Trapezohedron.”
Recent Cal Poly graduate Cameron Arroiola came back to campus to see the exhibit.
“Working in construction and appreciating architecture, I saw the promotion for this exhibit and thought to stop by,” Arroiola said. “I really like how the artist used the mix of technology along with the bronze material. It’s really transformative.”
Junior Cal Poly Pomona animal science major Jarelie Castellon said she was pleasantly surprised when she discovered the exhibit.
“The second you walk in, you walk into another dimension. There is a particular piece he has that once you look in it’s an endless void of lines and triangles,” Castellon said. “I could imagine myself falling right through them. I truly love the use of mirrors and reflections in his pieces.”
“Morphic Fields,” from 2014, is a six piece artwork installation of bronze on limestone.
“Wasteland,” from the “Portals/Platonic Solids/Archimedean Solids” series, is made from aluminum, silver, LED lights, glass and white oak wood. This was a personal favorite of one of the visitors, Cal Poly student Yaritza Gonzalez.
“I love how with that piece in particular I had to move around to see the full image,” she said.
There were four installments of the “Shield Series” from 2017. Made from steel, bronze and a black powdered coat.
Cal Poly Pomona student and gallery employee Jessica Duldulao helped organize the exhibit. She said the common comment she hears when people leave the exhibit is people leave feeling dizzy and in awe.
The exhibit is open until Nov. 16 and more information can be found on their website at cpp.edu/kellogg-gallery.
Sheridan Lambrook can be reached at sheridan.grenda@laverne.edu.
Sheridan Lambrook, a senior journalism major with a concentration in visual journalism, is photography editor and a staff writer for the Campus Times.
