TURBULENCE
December 2, 2016-January 26, 2017
Alison OK Frost, Arctic Curse 2: Blackhawk Team, 2016, watercolor on Arches paper, 25 x 41 inches
Modesto Covarrubias
Alison OK Frost
Paul Taylor
Stephen Whisler
Chandra Cerrito Contemporary is pleased to present Turbulence, a group exhibition including sculptures and drawings by Bay Area-based artists Modesto Covarrubias, Alison OK Frost, Paul Taylor, and Stephen Whisler.
Throughout the past year, news headlines featured stories that have stirred deep contention and increased concern for public safety, from nationwide police brutality to domestic and international terrorism. The work in the exhibition Turbulence brings to light past and present times filled with turmoil, uncertainty, and unrest. The imagery includes symbols of the military, war, and violence, but the true inspiration for the works is not necessarily a direct comment on these subjects. Instead they focus on overarching states of conflict and power.
Modesto Covarrubias swathes heavy-duty weapons such as guns and grenades with crocheted coverings made in bright rainbow and soft pastel colors. Both in material and concept, the sculptures are a juxtaposition of toughness and vulnerability, where comfort and protection tempers destruction.
Alison OK Frost takes inspiration from found illustrations portraying actual local and global conflicts. Her delicately rendered watercolors create a tension between the emotionally charged content and her assiduous artistic process.
Paul Taylor's ink and conté crayon drawings depict former military sites and structures set within the Marin Headlands. Throughout the years, nature has been overtaking the manmade constructions, and lush topography now envelopes decommissioned bunkers and artillery installations.
Stephen Whisler creates monochromatic drawings of nuclear bombs and missiles, continuing his investigation into foreboding topics of surveillance, destruction, and the imposition of power. The images serve as a reminder that as people focus attention on terrorism, suicide bombers and improvised explosive devices, the nuclear threat is omnipresent, as the artist puts it "seemingly sleeping."
About the Artists
Modesto Covarrubias received a BFA in Photography from San Francisco Art Institute and an MFA in Studio Art from Mills College. His work has been included in exhibitions throughout the Bay Area at venues such as the San Francisco Arts Commission at City Hall, Oakland Museum of California at City Center, Marin Museum of Contemporary Art, the San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art, and most recently at Montalvo Arts Center in Saratoga. Covarrubias currently is an Adjunct Professor at California College for the Arts.
Oakland-based artist Alison OK Frost was born and raised in Los Angeles where she received her BA from the University of California, Los Angeles. She went on to earn an MFA from the School of Visual Arts in New York. Frost has exhibited her work in the Bay Area at the Headlands Center for the Arts, ProArts Gallery, Kala Art Institute, and the David Brower Center, and throughout the U.S. in New York, Ohio, and Missouri. Her work has been featured in publications such as the San Francisco Arts Quarterly, 7x7, Oakland Art Enthusiast, and New American Paintings.
Multimedia artist Paul Taylor received his BA from Carleton College in Northfield Minnesota and his MFA in Visual Art from the University of California, Davis. Taylor's work has been included in exhibitions in the Bay Area at venues such as the Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco, ProArts in Oakland, and the David Brower Center in Berkeley. He has also exhibited his work in New York, Australia, Greece, France, Bulgaria, and the U.K. Taylor has received awards and artist residencies such as the Headlands Center for the Arts Graduate Fellowship Award, and various awards from the University of California, Davis.
Stephen Whisler earned his BA from the University of California, Davis and his MFA in Sculpture and Photography from Claremont Graduate University. He has exhibited his work in New York, Illinois, Wisconsin, Connecticut, and Oregon, and throughout the Bay Area at venues such as the Napa Valley Museum, the Bedford Gallery in Walnut Creek, ProArts Gallery in Oakland, and the David Brower Center in Berkeley. Whisler is represented by Chandra Cerrito Contemporary.
