Veronica Rodriguez
Staff Writer
The Bunny Gunner Gallery opened it’s door this past Saturday for the new exhibit “Skylines” which contains oil paintings by the artist Joe Farkin and digital photographs by Crystal Yachin Lee.
The clouds and rain didn’t stop people from going to the gallery to check out the exhibit. The wine also helped people stay warm while checking out the art.
The artists have collaborated twice before and were excited for the opening.
“They are both professional and both know what they are doing, and the quality of their work shows it, they are not cartoons,” gallery owner Juan Thorp said.
The paintings show landscapes and skylines of Ireland. They have hues of blues, greens, oranges, and yellows. A painting titled “Ceide Fields” shows green and brown cliffs with turquoise, blue, and white water against the cliffs.
The painting gives a serene feel that resembles the cliffs in Malibu with the waves crashing against the cliffs and the smell of the ocean water in your nose.
One particular painting has hills in the distance but up close you can see red, blue and yellow rooftops as if the pictures were being painted from a high top place.
“We both like landscape, but concentrate on very different things,” Forkan, an associate professor of art at Cal State Fullerton, said.
Lee’s photographs also portray landscapes, but in a different way. Her landscapes include an object in the picture.
A picture titled “2” shows the rig of a boat, but you could only see the booms, and you have to pay close attention to see the seagulls on top of the booms. Her pictures show the tops of churches, boats, and landscapes from a distance.
One particular picture has green and yellow trees in the distance with grass leading to the trees, but in the same picture there are also two lonely sheep. The purpose of the photographs is to capture images that tell a story of time and place but also allow viewers to experience a layer of graphic design elements.
Lee is inspired by Chinese painting and calligraphy in which, negative space is considered part of composition, rather than empty space.
“As a graphic designer I like to emphasize in negative space,” Lee, an associate professor of art at Cal Poly Pomona, said.
Lee’s pictures were shot in Ireland and here in the states.
“We are both very honored that Susie and Juan are curating our show,” Lee said.
“The photographs had depth, like the picture with the bridge, it looks never ending,” attendee Raquel Ocon said.
The “Skylines” exhibit will continue at the Bunny Gunner Gallery until Dec. 6.
Veronica Rodriguez can be reached at veronica.rodriguez4@laverne.edu.
