Seen & Scene: The Imagined Landscape


What happens when contemporary artists look within for inspiration to make art about landscape?

“Seen & Scene: The Imagined Landscape” comes to the new Sturt Haaga Gallery at Descanso Gardens in May. Under the curatorial coordination of noted artist, writer, teacher and L.A. art-world figure John David O’Brien, the exhibition brings together seven contemporary artists all living and working in California. The show presents inspiring and distinctive viewpoints, all linked by the common theme of landscape as imagined, seen and interpreted through the imagination of the artist.

The exhibition opens May 11 in conjunction with National Public Gardens Day. It showcases media and art in several forms: painting, photographs, sculpture, dimensional and interactive. Executive Director David R. Brown noted, “In this show we will encounter the vivid ideas, restless imaginations and provocative works of art made by several contemporary artists who are looking beyond scenery and into the deeper meaning of the term ‘landscape.’”

Artists included in “Seen & Scene: The Imagined Landscape” are Jacci Den Hartog (currently represented by Rosamund Felsen Gallery), Brian Forrest (Craig Krull Gallery), Mineko Grimmer (Koplin del Rio Gallery), Sant Khalsa (Andi Campognone Projects and Andrew Smith Gallery), Kaoru Mansour (Ruth Bachofner Gallery), Alison Saar (L.A. Louver Gallery) and Andre Yi (Carl Berg Projects).

The selection criteria of the works included in this show speak to the overall identity and purpose of the Sturt Haaga Gallery. Each “Seen & Scene: The Imagined Landscape” artist creates works of art inspired by nature; represents high levels of artistic finish; and are contemporaries working in a variety of media whose work is diverse, but thematically related.

“Seen & Scene: The Imagined Landscape” opens to the public on Friday, May 11, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with extended hours that evening from 5 to 7 p.m. Cocktails and light fare will be available for purchase. The exhibit runs through July 29, 2012.