Sunday, January 29, 2012

Good Times Santa Cruz Press

“Natural Selection” ARTSEEN 
Good Times recommends Natural Selection!

Here is what they said:
"When artist Katerina Lanfranco looks at a tree, she sees more than just leaves and a trunk. Instead, she views nature—trees in particular—from various cultural perspectives, especially American and Japanese impressions. She then translates her vision into large-scale, hand-cut paper installations, which can be admired from Feb. 1-March 16 at the Mary Porter Sesnon Art Gallery at UC Santa Cruz. The result of her labor-intensive creations is a portrayal of the ways in which nature symbolizes a country’s self-expression and autonomy."


Thanks Good Times!
http://www.goodtimessantacruz.com/santa-cruz-area-music/recommended-music-events.html

Saturday, January 28, 2012

More is More...

Jennifer Brown working in the corner with bamboo leaves



Felicia Gillman helping cut out elements of the redwood trees



Emily Meehan, Katerina and Kristen Gautier-Downes helping glue Chrysanthumum petals


Ikebana & Bonsai Masters Visit the Sesnon

From Left: Shelby Graham, Katerina Lanfranco, Mitsuyo Tao, Don White



 Mitsuyo Tao, president of the Ikenobo Ikebana Society [Northern California Chapter], as well as Don White of the Watsonville and Santa Cruz Bonsai clubs came to the Sesnon gallery this week in preparation for their demonstrations that will be taking place on February 3rd from 2:00 - 4:00PM at the Sesnon Gallery
Katerina Lanfranco, Mitsuyo Tao, &  Don White outside the Gallery
 Also on Thursday, the day prior to the First Friday festivities, Katerina will be hosting a cut-out demonstration at the Sesnon Gallery from 2:00 - 4:00PM February 2nd


Artist Assistants and Gallery Staff


Natural Selection is a site-specific art installation made by NYC artist Katerina Lanfranco with the help of a wonderful group of talented UCSC students. They are visual arts and HAVC (History of Art and Visual Culture) students.

This group of artist assistants includes:

Dmitri Moore











Dmitri is a conceptual artist & photographer from México. He is interested in identity, subjectivity & modernity.









                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                                  Heidi Cramer     

Heidi is studying fine art and concentrating her studies on mixed media & sculpture at UCSC.  She finds inspiration from the natural world and focuses her creative efforts on feminine, social and environmental issues.

Jennifer Brown










From Los Angeles, a sculptress & mosaic artist working with glass; with her favorite material being broken mirrors. Her goal after graduation is to move to France.

Kristen Gautier-Downes










Kristen spent nearly ten years in New York City before returning to the the west coast to study painting at UC Santa Cruz. She is conceptually interested in environmental issues and finding ways to involve communities in the practice of art making.

Leia Delbahan










Bay Area Native, Leia is a History of Art & Visual Culture major with an interest in contemporary exhibition design. She is interested in traveling, exotic cuisine and animals.


Whitney Romberg


















Whitney Romberg is a studio art major at UCSC focusing on mixed media and
photography. Her artwork is influenced by a variety of things including psychology,
adaptation, and the color blue.


Emily Meehan












Having grown up in Napa Valley, Emily is a now a Studio Art major at UCSC with a focus in painting and drawing.  She has deep love for all creative expression;  particularly apparel design, cullinary arts, and music.






Miguel Angelo Libarnes


Miguel is a 4th year student at UCSC majoring in Studio Arts. He is interested in photography and digital media.





Nick Paris

Nick is a Studio Arts student at UCSC and is focused on photography. 


Zachary Livingston










From Southern California, Zach is a History of Art and Visual Culture major at UCSC. He is an accomplished clothing designer and has gained a love for the studio arts through his involvement in Natural Selection

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Sesnon Art Gallery Staff

Gallery Director/Curator Shelby Graham
Shelby Graham













Shelby Graham has an MFA in photography and is a practicing artist exhibiting her work in the US and Japan. She has been director/curator of the Mary Porter Sesnon Art Gallery at UCSC since 1999 and her curatorial works include: Xiaoze Xie: Resistant Archeology, 2011, Human Conditions, 2010; Some Assembly Required: race, gender and globalization, 2009–2010; Interruptions of Hierarchies, 2008; Image as Object, 2006; Hank Willis Thomas: Signifying Blackness, 2006; and The Rhetoric of the Pose: Rethinking Hannah Wilke, 2005.



Sesnon Art Gallery Manager/Assistant Curator Mark Shunney
Mark Shunney














Mark Shunney is an artist, critic and curator.  In 2001 Mark opened and operated a contemporary art gallery in a storefront in D.U.M.B.O. Brooklyn, NY.   Since completing his graduate degree in sculpture in 1997 at RISD, Mark has maintained a studio focus in sculpture and installation art.  Starting in 1997 he maintained his studio in Brooklyn (DUMBO & Red Hook) and concluded in the South Bronx before moving it to the forest of Felton, California in 2005.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

The Cutting Continues...

Natural Selection, a site-specific art installation, in progress at the Sesnon Gallery.

 The Magnolia blossoms and Ginkgo leaves are coming in!
View of our progress from the Front Entrance of the Sesnon Gallery.
A bird's eye view!

Meet The Trees

Here are some photographs of the individual trees seen on the Tree Tour, taken by Shelby Graham.

Acorn Milled Redwood

 Coastal Redwood
 Flowering Plum (with Lichen)
 Coastal Live Oak
 Red Maple
 Twisted Coastal Sequoia
Weeping Cherry (Grafted from two different types of trees!)

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Tour of the Trees

On Thursday January 19th, Sesnon Gallery students/artist assistants attended a tour led by UCSC groundskeeper Steve Strictly that highlighted the numerous trees and some of the flora that are present around the Porter College grounds. The students took in the beauty of the grounds as well as the fun and interesting facts regarding the different trees. The silhouette cut-outs of some of these trees will be featured in Katerina Lanfranco's site-specific installation Natural Selection, such as the Ginkgo, the Sequoia, and the blossoming cherry tree.

After Natural Selection, opens on February 1st, the students will be available and able to bring gallery visitors on their own "tree tours" around Porter College. For those who are visiting the gallery can fully experience the inspiration behind the concept of Natural Selection by extending their gallery tour with a Natural Selection - Tree Tour.

Miguel Libarnes created an amazing video while on the tour, bringing to life not only the the different plants and trees that have served as inspiration for Natural Selection, but also the Sesnon students and staff, who now have a better understanding for their surroundings.

Tree Tour Video

In the gallery, before the tour begins.

Groundskeeper Steve informing the Sesnon students about the different trees and their characteristics.



Standing amongst the Redwood Grove near the Porter Cafe.




Thursday, January 19, 2012

The Cutting Begins...





Miguel, Dmitri, and Leia "cuttin' it up" and working on creating the positive and negative spaces that will compose some of the imagery.





A beautiful portion of the collage, created by Heidi.

The beginnings of a magnolia flower with many more to come!

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

And so it begins...

The week of January 17th marks the beginning of the process of cutting tyvek and creating the imagery that will be displayed in the exhibition. Students were both nervous and excited when beginning the cutting, being careful to follow the instructions that Katerina gave about creating the positive and negative spaces. From cherry blossoms to bonsai trees, the tyvek is slowly being stripped away to create what will become "Natural Selection."