MISAPPROPRIATION, described as a “pop-up group show,” consisted of
work from four different artists. After checking out the screwdrivers
in the back patio—as in the refreshing beverage, not hand tool—and the
orange flavored candies (Studio Orange was keeping with a theme
fitting to its name), I’m ready to check out some art. One of the
first pieces to catch my attention is a large painting of a woman from
the torso up, but completely covering where her face should be is a
black circle with the words “Your Face Here.” The painting is part of
a series that artist Sonja Schenk calls “Defaced Portraits.” It aims
to explore the, “phenomena of people who photograph, then black out
the faces of their subject, sometimes adding a message.” The artist
says she finds this disturbing and questions the function of the
photographs. Seeing the pieces hanging on the wall does make you
wonder, what’s the point of taking someone’s portrait only to render
it indistinguishable? I guess, thanks to the impersonal world of the
internet, where these photos were found, we will never know the answer
to this question since both the photographer and subject remain
anonymous.

The next series of paintings do in fact show faces, and a whole lot
more. One painting in particular shows a topless woman, sitting up in
bed between two gentleman drinking beer and smoking. The painting is
part of a whole series of paintings which are based on photographs
that artist Brendan Lott finds on anonymous “peer-to-peer file sharing
networks.”  Lott then takes the photo files and sends them to Dafen
Art—A Chinese company of professional artists who create lifelike
paintings based on photographs. Lott’s art definitely incorporates
modern day techniques and processes that could only be created with
the help of the wonderful world of the internet.

After checking out Annie Seaton’s mixed media pieces which use cut
out photos of surfer dudes and shades of blue paint which the artist
masterfully makes to look like moving water and waves, I enter a
second room in the studio. Here I find the work of Ray Beldner. I wear
contacts, but looking at Beldner’s work I have to wonder: did I
remember to put my contacts in today? There on the wall, are several,
small, square paintings of different faces that look faintly familiar
but are hard to make out as they are blurry and fuzzy.  As it turns
out, each painting is a different celebrity, politician, musician or
other well known public person. It became a game amongst us art
patrons to figure out the name belonging to each distorted face. Who
knew art could be so much fun?

Leaving Studio Orange after seeing the works in MISAPPROPRIATION left
me thinking one thing—never put your photograph online. Although this
art was beautiful and unique and intriguing, because of the world of
online, anonymous photo sharing, it’s sort of creepy to realize that
the subjects in the paintings have no idea that their image is being
used and displayed for people they don’t even know. Still, for those
of us who caught MISAPPROPRIATION at Studio Orange, these online
photographs provided some amazing art to enjoy.

WHAT: MISAPPROPRIATION, a pop-up group show
WHERE: Studio Orange, 8526 Washington Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232
WHEN: Jan 23-30

http://misappropriationart.blogspot.com/

To view Mario Canali’s art is to transport into a world of paradox, both delightful and disturbing. Featuring inquisitive human hybrids and surreal landscapes, Canali’s works are disruptive, edgy and innovative, as they were when he painted them in the 70s’ and 80s’. To gaze into the eyes of his creatures is like looking into the eyes of a lion, knowing you are safe only because they are caged. Canali’s hybrid humans not only catch the eye, they hold it spellbound.

In 1978, Canali’s first show in his native Italy featured oils of human hybrids in beautifully stark, colorful dreamscapes drawing critical praise. Comparisons to the medieval painter-priest, Hieronymus Bosch would be ongoing. Canali’s painting style ignited what would become a lifelong exploration of symbolism, archetypes, surrealism and many other philosophies. Canali’s commercial success was viable, as well. Between 1977 and 1979, Canali sold nearly 100 of his oils, pastels, ink drawings and etchings.

Canali’s art works express symbolic stories to something deep in our DNA, inviting lingering looks. Each painting’s exploration of symbols and philosophy, presents a compelling image which Canali would make his signature style.

According to Canali, “The first paintings came from dreams especially images that appeared as I was falling asleep, during the hypnagogic state, between wakefulness and sleep. At that time my painting style was figurative, fantastic looking at symbolism and surrealism,” Canali laughed. “That kind of painting, in those years, went against the trend, that’s for sure.”

This was the first wave of Canali’s artistry. A consuming force was about to drive Canali to produce a prolific outpouring of work for the next three decades.

After a decade of painting, Canali got wired. Computers emerged in the mid-eighties and Canali immersed himself in the digital world. Mastering computer technology, Canali produced Europe’s first digital art.

“Those were the years of the digital revolution, lasting until the mid nineties,” Canali said. “Having been one of those pioneers, it was both an exciting and rewarding adventure.”

His pioneering digital art was the spark for Canali’s fascination with virtual reality. Moving to Milan, Canali became a founding member of the Correnti Magnetiche Research and Electronic Art Group. Inspired by Fritjof Capra’s book, “The Tao of Physics”, Canali began integrating innovative scientific paradigms into his imagination, creating digital and animated works via computer. For the next decade, Correnti Magnetiche produced groundbreaking digital images and 3D animations to widespread appeal, earning awards at international exhibitions like Siggraph in Los Angeles, Imagina in Monte Carlo and Nastro d’Argento in Rome. Canali used the new technology in a variety of ways, producing, for example, a series of electronic games about pollution for the Italian Ministry of Environment.

Absorbed with the computers’ socio-psychological applications, Canali began working with a computer scientist to create his first interactive installation, Satori which featured the use of immersive virtual reality for each individual’s artistic and expressive purposes in 1993.

“Interactivity involves a relationship with the public. The study of states of mind and conscience, the mechanisms of emotion. This is why interactivity appeals to me,” Canali said at the time.

Working with Italy’s leading physicists, psychologists, engineers, software designers, musicians and film-makers, Canali wanted his interactive installations to enable people to experience a previously unknown awareness of their inner states. These invisible reactions were Canali’s impetus, his tools for creating interactive art. With Canali’s installations, participation is integral to the art. The art occurs as a result of the user participation with output based on the individuals’ involuntary bio-rhythmic responses.

Expanding the connections between art, science and technology, Canali’s installations received widespread European attention. Current Italian President Napolitano even participated in a demonstration. Now that Canali could bridge the human psyche, his curiosity about society burst wide open.

“I was inspired by the unanswered questions. Who is not satisfied? Who has a dream, a talent not yet recognized,” Canali said. “The fundamental questions of who are we? What is this reality? Why we do what we do? Is it books? Nature? The events that daily life gives us? What is the beauty that excites us?”

Canali’s forte became firmly established as he created of over a dozen interactive installations using bio-rhythmic and human inputs. One installation evaluated scribbles or doodles on a surface. Another installation required user’s to put their heads into the virtual womb of a woman’s body.

By 2000, Canali had officially made the transition from artist innovator to thought leader. Italian universities offered doctorate classes in their design and architecture programs on Canali’s work. Canali also guest lectured at the Brera Fine Arts Academy and at the NABA Academy of Arts and Design in Milan.

During this time, Canali created a psycho-bar, with performer Xena Zupanic for experimentation and event production as interactivity continued to dominate his world. The hybrids of his early work still appeared in his digital art. But now Canali had a new hybrid, the interactive installation.

His art was no longer a solo effort from Canali’s hand to the canvas or computer. It was now participation based, created through the combination of involuntary biorhythms of the users, light, sound or music. Canali had discovered expression for a language that had been previously inaccessible in humans. Like the Rosetta Stone, Canali’s interactive installations gave us access to our inner language. Biorhythms accessed, harnessed interactively and made visible with Canali’s interactive furniture, lights and enclosures, using displays combining light, sound, images and/ or video.

Canali’s projects stayed focused on the expansion of socio-psycho parameters. He organized a series of meetings with philosophers focused on the conceptual understanding of the interaction of art, science and philosophy, the Arcnaut project, in 2004. Next, using technology and digital thought as a means of promoting social interaction, Canali designed the Cultural Entertainment Centre with the Reload Cultural Association. In Milan, Canali began a building restoration that would serve as his creative space for his research and development. This became Studio Canali where Canali works daily.

Throughout Europe, thousands have experienced Canali’s virtual art and interactive installations in venues ranging from traditional museums to fashion shows, technological festivals, psychology conventions, raves and technology shows. Canali is one of the world’s leading experts in avatars as well as in creating software capable of recognizing and interpreting biometric data. Canali, true to his Italian forebears, has become a 21st century Renaissance man; artist, designer, engineer, lecturer, philosopher and scientist.

With a half century of artistry in Europe behind him, Canali is showing his work stateside, for the first time in America, in Los Angeles this February.

To celebrate Canali’s arrival, the National Italian Americans Foundation, NIAF, and the Istituto Italiano di Cultura Los Angeles join as hosts to welcome the artist at an opening reception and art show on Thursday night, February 11 from 6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. during the Los Angeles Downtown Art Walk.

Several art works will be shown along with an interactive installation called Ritmi (Rhythm) and Korazone which are bio-rhythmic lights.

Featured graphite drawings are among the most complex Canali has ever accomplished. Several of Canali’s works were completed over a course of years. Canali started the graphite on panel, ‘Avatars Parlano Della Vita’ or ‘Avatars Talk about Life’ in 2002 and finished in 2008. The finished work is almost 5 feet long and 27 ½ inches wide.

“In recent black and white works is my vision of the world. The complexity, the different perspectives, the dance of interaction,” Canali said. “At some point, the work dictated its rules and what I had left was the pleasure to see it grow. What I think I will find in America is an environment closer to my current artistic inspiration,” Canali said.

Canali has produced a handmade, signed art book, limited to 100 editions, to be sold at the opening reception and art show, 100% of the proceeds from the $30.00 price will go to the Exceptional Children’s Foundation (ECF). The DAC Gallery is a non-profit organization supported by the ECF.

For information on Mario Canali or the sponsoring organizations, please go to www.studiocanali.com, www.dacgallery.com,www.NIAF.org or http://www.iiclosangeles.esteri.it/IIC_Losangeles

Contact: Vicki Godal

310.254.4094

Title: “Fissure 1″
size: 60 x 50,
medium: oil on canvas. 2009

Title: “Finally”
size: 28 x 44
medium: plaster 2009

Title: “Fuck the Flock”
Size: 31 x 50
medium: plaster and paint. 2009

“Untitled 04.” 60” x 60”.
Silkscreen, dyed paper, acrylic and resin on panel.

“Untitled 012.” 30” x 60”.
Silkscreen, dyed paper, acrylic and resin on panel,.