The "O" Observed

Q&A With Caneso

2010-03-30T14:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday's installment of the CoinOp blog (from Pinball Publishing) had a great Q&A with Otis alum Mark Canes0 ('04 Communication Arts). Touching on his graphic and type design the interview is a nice snapshot of Mark's creative process and how he's been making his way in the world post-Otisland.

You can read the full interview here. To learn more about Mark's work go here.

(Full disclosure- I've worked extensively with Mark on projects he completed on behalf of the Admissions office so I know him well and am a fan of his work.)

*image of Mark Caneso from CoOp blog

When it Comes to Social Media Otis is Out There

2010-03-02T11:06:00.000-08:00

I started this blog just over three years ago. Back then Otis had a Flickr profile (having published it's first photo in October of 2006), and a MySpace page (that we've since decommissioned) and that was about it. Of course since then the social media world has exploded and what a difference a couple of years makes!

As I was preparing some tidbits for a meeting I figured out that among other things:

Otis' YouTube profile(started in March 2007) has uploaded 173 videos that collectively have been viewed over 600,000 times. The most popular one having been seen over 100,000 times all by itself.
Otis' Flickr profile now has over 700 photos uploaded that have been viewed over 91,000 times. The photo on this post just passed the 2000 view mark and is the most viewed on the profile.
The College Facebook page (started in February 2008) has 1911 fans from over 20 different countries)
Our Twitter profile (created in October 2009) has nearly 300 followers
The Otis Blogosphere now includes over 20 different blogs

So you can see, the College is out there! Have a suggestion about a social media site Otis should be a part of? Ideas for how to improve our existing sites? I'd love to hear from you.

LA Lauded Again

2010-02-18T15:53:00.000-08:00

The Calendar section of today's Los Angeles Times had an interesting piece about the upcoming ARCOmadrid art fair and the fact that Los Angeles will be the "focus city" (rather than an entire country has been the case before). It appears L.A. is on a bit of a roll when it comes to interest from the international art community. Just last fall the city was honored by the International Book Fair in Guadalajara.

I won't be lucky enough to attend ARCOmadrid but I was in Guadalajara for the Book Fair and related exhibitions and if the buzz from Spain is the same as it was after Mexico then more recognition for the Los Angeles is likely to follow.

Otis alum Gajin Fujita '97 was one of four artists whose work was used in the article along with Raymond Pettibon, John Baldessari and Don Suggs (who had a major retrospective exhibition on campus in 2007).

You can read the entire article here. You can see a wide range of photos from alum Mark Dean Veca's exhibition in Guadalajara that was part of the Book Fair here.

*Image of "Fearless" by Gajin Fujita from L.A. Louver Gallery by way of the Los Angeles Times

Digital Media Gem Via Google Alerts

2010-01-12T13:27:00.000-08:00

I've written frequently about how helpful Google Alerts are in keeping track of Otis in the news. Much of the time the notifications are about some recent event or activity but now and again there will be something that, while not new, is still a great find.

Take this week for example when I received an alert for a YouTube video that had been posed to the site WhyNotPhotoshop.com. While post was new, the video, by two of our Digital Media alums is from 2007. It's a great little piece about Los Angeles that is a nice example of the work created in our Media in Motion class.

I've embedded it here. Enjoy!

I Heard It on the Radio

2009-12-07T22:31:00.001-08:00

This past Sunday I had the opportunity to be a guest on LA Talk Radio's weekly college show- College Admission Confidential. Each week hosts Chris Krizak, Elsa Clark and Vince Garcia touch on an aspect of the college process and they asked me to join them to discuss fashion design and its related fields.

Chris and Elsa are long time friends and the conversation was easy and the hour passed quickly. You can hear the entire show here.

Creativity is Serious Business

2009-11-12T14:49:00.000-08:00

This week Otis released the 20o9 edition of the Otis Report on the Creative Economy of the Los Angeles Region. That is a bit of a mouthful to be sure but the report, now in its third year has quickly become a key source for the media (on and off line) when citing the impact of the creative industries in the greater LA area (the report includes data for Orange County).

The report was unveiled at the Omni Hotel downtown and featured comments by Dr. Nancy Sidhu from the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC) followed by a panel discussion. The panel was moderated by KCRW's Frances Anderton and included Sir Ken Robinson (a noted thinker and leader on creativity and leadership), Andy Mooney (Chairman of Disney Consumer Products) and Laura Zucker (Executive Director of the Los Angeles County Arts Commission).

Working at Otis I routinely tell students and their parents that an art school education is (contrary to some thinking) a pathway to many career options and the report supports that. Here a few tid bits-

One of every six jobs in the region come from the creative industries, nearly 1 million in total
Companies in the creative industries generated over $139 billion in revenue and contributed $5.1 billion in state and local taxes as a result.
The average annual salary of people involved in making toys in the LA region is $101,899

The entire report can be read at www.otis.edu/econreport

Speaking of toys, the very large cherry on the top of the sundae was the announcement that Mattel is making a gift of $1.85 million! The money will be used to provide scholarship and instructional support for the Toy Design and other programs at Otis. In addition to the gift Mattel International President Bryan Stockton presented our President, Sammy Hoi with a one-of-a-kind Barbie that was designed by Otis alums who now work at Mattel.

Mia's Motivations

2009-11-03T12:49:00.000-08:00

I just finished reading a great interview with Otis alum Michelle Mia Araujo ('07) on Art Nouveau Magazine's website. I've been following Mia's career pretty closely ever since we used one of her images for an ad in Juxtapoz Magazine, and it's been rewarding to see how she continues to grow as an artist.

The interview covered a lot of expected ground- when did you know you wanted to be an artist, creative influences, favorite subject matter, and such but I think my favorite answer to a question was how she responded to "What is your favorite color to incorporate into your work?" to which she replied "Interesting question: I don’t really think of colors in that way, probably because I’m naturally a drawer, so I think with lines."

You can read the entire interview here and you can learn more about Mia's work here.

*image- detail of "My Mind's Eye" from Art Nouveau Magazine article

Fisher's Finesse

2009-10-26T16:37:00.000-07:00

There was a great article about Architect Fred Fisher in yesterday's Los Angeles Times. He is a long time member of Otis' Board of Governors and he designed the Galef Center for Fine Arts, located on our Goldsmith campus.

Written by the paper's Architecture Critic Christopher Hawthorne, the piece focused on two of Fisher's most recent projects- The Annenberg Community Beach House in Santa Monica and the Annenberg Center for Information Science and Technology at Caltech in Pasadena. I appreciated how Hawthorne placed the work in the context of Modern architecture and his appreciation for Fisher's efforts.

This was my favorite quote- "Fisher's recent projects by contrast, employ restraint not in an effort to wipe the historical slate clean but as framing devices to set off and help us examine the past, the surrounding architectural context and, perhaps most significant, the always-slippery and typically fraught relationship between public and private space."

You can read the entire article here.

*photo of Fred Fisher by Spencer Weiner from the Los Angeles Times website

Facts About Fashion

2009-10-21T15:51:00.000-07:00

Before it even hit the shelves Teen Vogue Handbook: An Insider's Guide to Careers in Fashion was getting a lot of buzz and it has been selling at a brisk pace ever since, so it was quite a treat for Otis to have Teen Vogue Editor in Chief Amy Astley on campus this past Monday to talk about the book and some of the realities of the fashion industry.

Seated on stage in the Ahmanson Hall Forum Amy talked with Otis' own Rosemary Brantley about what inspired the book- the tremendous series of questions she has been asked about the industry, how to break in- work hard, offer to intern for free, be ready to fetch a lot of coffee, her own path- Michigan girl takes a chance on New York and succeeds, to name just a few.

Following the talk there was a question and answer session and then a book signing. I was impressed that Amy managed to be both very candid and very encouraging at the same time. Many of those in the audience were current or prospective Otis students and I thought she struck just the right balance of encouragement and fair warning about the world of fashion. You can read one student's take on the whole here.

We video taped the event and plan to have something up on our YouTube channel in the near future!

Createmake Makes A Winner Out of Otis Grad

2009-10-06T13:53:00.000-07:00

Createmake, a blog (and soon to be print) that focuses on the many facets of art and design recently held a competition in conjunction with the online portfolio site Society6. At stake was the inaugural feature in the first issue of Createmake Magazine.

They announced the winner yesterday and Otis grad Julian Callos ('09 Communication Arts) bested nearly 150 other artists when his work was selected!

You can read more about Julian's selection here and you can see more of his work here.

Congratulations Julian!

*Image of Julian Callo's work "What Develops" from Createmake.com

Food for Thought

2009-09-29T11:29:00.000-07:00

I love to cook so I was very intrigued when I heard about an Otis alum's use of her garden as a culinary co-op for fellow artists. Linda Kunik ('06 Fine Arts) has combined her love of gardening, sustainability and art conversation into an ongoing project dubbed "Plant it Forward- The Starving Artist Project."

Linda describes the project this way- (it is) "A multi-dimensional, interdisciplinary project which examines a sustainable,agricultural practice as it relates to the barter system, while referencing the patron/ artist relationship. 5 large gardens were created, producing all types of vegetables and even fruit. Artists work in the garden in exchange for a bag full of recently harvested produce."

Among the contingent of participating artists are a lot of other Otis folks including- Juna Amano, ('08 Fine Arts), Marissa Magdalena ('08 Fine Arts), Ofunne Obiamawe ('09 MFA Public Practice), Suzanne Oshinsky ('05 Fine Arts), Luke Van Hook ('04 Fine Arts) and Whitney Stolich ('03 MFA Fine Arts).

The Beverly Hills Courier ran a great story about the project last week. You can read the entire article here.

Linda is keeping a very active blog about the project, which you can read here and fellow alum Ginger Van Hook ('04 MFA Writing) is photographing it to document its progress.

Enjoy! I am hungry after writing this and need to get get some lunch.

*Image from Linda Kunik's blog "Plant it Forward LA"

Otis Alum Featured in Stages 09

2009-08-18T15:12:00.001-07:00

When Lance Armstrong returned to France last month for the Tour de France he talked a lot about using the occasion to continue to raise awareness about the fight against cancer. To help re-enforce that message, his Livestrong Foundation, along with Nike presented an art exhibition- Stages 09.

Twenty artists including Raymond Pettibone, Ed Ruscha and Shepard Fairey created pieces "to raise funds and awareness for the fight against cancer." Fairey's work was mounted right next to the title wall so it really set the tone for the entire exhibition. The subject of his work- a young woman, staring back at you with an expression that is at once pensive and impatient (my interpretation)- is where Otis alum Jessica Ikenberry ('02) comes in (full disclosure Jessica is also my boss' step-daughter).

Two years after graduating from Otis Jessica was diagnosed with breast cancer- an especially aggressive form. She had to undergo in her words "massive surgery" followed by 12 rounds of chemotherapy in six months. Thankfully that treatment was successful and she is now, five years later, making art, designing and living happily in Los Angeles.

The photograph (a portrait by Dina Douglass/Andrena Photography) that served as the source image for Fairey's piece was taken early on in Jessica's recovery process. He described his intention for the piece as wanting it to be intense but also reflective of the fact that she was on the other side of her surgery and chemo and was healing. I definitely think that he accomplished that.

Stages 09 is still available to view online here. I have embedded a video that includes interviews with both Jessica and Shepard Fairey and you can learn more about her work and her life by visiting her blog.

CERT Certainly Was Interesting

2009-07-19T14:33:00.000-07:00

One of my responsibilities at Otis is serving on the College's Emergency Response Team (ERT) and this past week a group of ERT members along with some of the College's floor safety wardens and student Resident Assistants took part in Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training.

The program was created in 1985 by the Los Angeles Fire Department in recognition of the fact that in a major disaster professional response resources will be stretched beyond demand and community members, if trained could help with their safety and the safety of their families, neighbors and friends. The course included instruction in disaster survival and basic rescue skills. We learned about how maximize our safety during and after a major disaster and how to help others. The program has trained over 60,000 members of the community in the Los Angeles area and has been so successful that since 1994 it has been taught nationwide.

It was enlightening to realize that even some basic preparation- food and water, extra clothing, first aid kits and the like can make a big difference. Having a personal disaster safety kit in your office, your car and a larger kit for you and your family at home will ensure that you will be more prepared when a major event occurs. To learn more about the CERT program in Los Angeles, click here.

I would be remiss if I did not extend a big thank you on behalf of all of us who completed the training to our LAFD firefighter instructors- Curt, Jennifer, Alex and Sue. They were all really great and we learned a lot from them.

*image from last day of CERT training- learning to safely deal with a small fire. Click on the image for a link to more

Going Below the Surface of Superficiality

2009-07-17T13:25:00.000-07:00

The Ben Maltz Gallery exhibition "Superficiality and Superexcrescence" which opened to a great crowd a couple of weeks ago, has received a good review from Los Angeles Times art critic Holly Myers.

After beginning the piece with the observation that shows dealing with "surface" have been going on in LA for a long time, and therefore more shows would be unnecessary, Meyers points out how the Superficiality show does stand out and why it is definitely worth a visit. She said (in referencing the accompanying catalog) "If the result feels at times like a graduate seminar, it is only in the best way: sound in its argument, rich in its examples, with plenty of room left for debate. She made particular note of the work from artists Elliot Hundley, Rebecca Campbell and Joel Morrison.

In addition to the review the article includes a nice installation shot by Otis faculty member Chris Warner.

Superficiality and Superexcrescence remains on view through September 12. Gallery hours and info can be found here.

Image- Installation shot by Chris Warner that appeared in LA Times review

Donghia Foundation Honors Otis Senior

2009-07-10T15:39:00.000-07:00

We recently learned that Architecture/Landscape/Interiors senior Joem Sanez has been selected by the Angleo Donghia Foundaiton as one of just 13 students nationwide to receive a Foundation Senior Student Scholarship Award! The prestigious award will provide Joem with a $30,000 scholarship to pay for his final year at Otis.

Donghia has been a valued supporter of our A/L/I program. In addition to honoring a senior this year they have provided support to establish the Donghia Designer-In-Residence. The residency brought noted designer Eva Maddox to campus this past year.

Congratulations to Joem!

Otis Alums Honored by California Community Foundation

2009-07-07T13:10:00.000-07:00

The California Community Foundation has announced their selections for the 2009 Visual Arts Fellowships and Otis is very well represented! Of the 14 artists honored, two are alums-

Sandeep Mukherjee was honored in the mid-career artist area (one of 10), receiving a $20,000 fellowship and Juan Capistran received a $15,000 fellowship as an emerging artist (one of just four).

The CCF site itself is pretty thin but there is a nice write up on the LA Times Culture Monster blog that features an image of Juan's work.

*image from Juan Capistran's website

Props for Otis Publications

2009-07-02T10:49:00.000-07:00

The AIGA recently announced the honorees for their annual 365 Competition and I was thrilled to see that both the undergraduate and graduate Viewbooks were included (full disclosure I was the "client" for both of these books in my role as Dean of Admissions)!

Communication Arts faculty members Ana Llorente-Thurik and Jessica Fleischmann collaborated on both pieces and it is great to see them being recognized for their hard work.

There were over nearly 4000 entries into the competition and only 182 selections so for us to have two was exceptional.

Congratulations to Ana and Jessica!

The Cycle of Enrollment Life

2009-06-25T09:16:00.000-07:00

I've been in the admissions profession for quite a while now (just over 21 years in fact) and I am often asked if there is a "down time." I usually answer with some variation on- not really, it's more a matter of what I am busy with at the time.

The truth is that there was a time when true breaks occurred between enrollment cycles and yes, it is true that some schools do have a true end to their recruitment year that is not the first day of the fall term, but even they work on multiple and overlapping cycles now.

So what exactly am I currently busy with then? Good question. Today we are registering the first of three groups of new Otis students for their fall classes (we'll do it again in July and in August). I had a meeting yesterday to check on the progress of our new Viewbook, I'm getting ready to send out our annual canceled student survey (helps us understand why students do not choose Otis and why they chose the school they did) and reviewing some new applications. We've already mapped out much of our office travel for the coming year to recruit the class of 2014 and we are in the midst of updating our presentation (new pics, updated video, etc.). Oh, and I did I mention that review of spring 2010 files is just around the corner?

I tell folks around here that if they ever ask me if I am busy and I say that I am not, that is when they should worry. I am happy to say I am indeed very busy these days!

Meandering Through Blogland

2009-06-16T13:24:00.000-07:00

I have mentioned before that one of the ways that I pull information to write about on this blog is through Google Alerts- very handy to say the least. Another source is by searching blogs, something I had not done for a while so today I took a few minutes to do so, but with a slight twist. Rather than looking for Otis mentions I was looking for blogs by Otis students.

There were a lot out there, which is not surprising given that several of our Liberal Arts and Sciences classes have used them as part of the curriculum. Here are just a few that I thought I would draw your attention to:

The Tuna Blog- Tuna just graduated from our Digital Media department
Beautiful Inside My Mind- Yilin hasn't even enrolled yet (she'll be joining us this fall) but I was quite impressed with her blog
Ellipsis Closure- one of our Digital Media students. It's a nice chronicle of her time at Otis as well as her personal interests
Nevermindings- insightful commentary on design by one of our Communication Arts students

Do you know of others? I'd love to hear about them!

It's Quiet- Too Quiet

2009-05-20T12:58:00.001-07:00

After working on a college campus for over 20 years one of the things that I am still not used to is the almost eerie silence that descends on a school after commencement. It's not like we all leave of course but, there is a notable shift in the energy of the place.

Otis concluded the 2008-09 academic year on May 9th when Nike CEO Mark Parker delivered the commencement address to over 250 new graduates. This capped a very busy week of senior exhibitions and other year-end events to celebrate the class of 2009. You can read Mr. Parker's address here.

Lest I give the impression that there are no students on campus, summer school started this week, our Graduate Graphic Design students return in June and Summer of Art will be in full swing come July. Still, I find that I am already looking forward to our new students joining the Otis community when fall term commences in August.

In the meantime, enjoy the summer and if you are in Los Angeles, stop by campus! We're here and would love to show you around.

Three Cheers for 3 Solo Projects

2009-05-08T15:30:00.000-07:00

3 Solo Projects, currently on view in Otis' Ben Maltz Gallery received a very nice review last week from Leah Ollman on the LA Times Culture Monster blog.

Ollman began her post by saying- "The works that make up “3 Solo Projects” at Ben Maltz Gallery are clever showpieces of aesthetic resourcefulness that exploit the tension between synthetic and natural. Together, they make for a variably engaging show that could be subtitled “The Haunting, the Daunting and the Whimsical.”" You can read the entire post here.

3 Solo Projects remains on view through June 13th. Open hours and other information for the Gallery can be found here. In the meantime, check out the video walk through of the show from the Otis YouTube channel.

Times Twofor

2009-04-29T15:56:00.001-07:00

Last Sunday's Los Angeles Times contained not one but two full page articles about Otis!

Fashion Forward covered the recent Juried Show and how it impacts our Fashion students' end of year participation in the Fashion Scholarship Benefit Show at the Beverly Hilton- "The competition is intense, and this year's seniors, weeks away from entering the least favorable job market in decades, are keenly aware that a Silver Thimble -- or even a noteworthy garment in the show -- could vastly improve their chances of scoring that all-important first job. In the last three years, John Varvatos, Nike and Monique Lhuillier have all hired top-ranking students to become assistant designers." The print version of the story carried several great pictures but the online version just one, though it is a great portrait of Chair Rosemary Brantley with four of our students.

Laton: The little California town that served as a muse provided a really nice summary of March's Laton Live! Reunion Reunio'n, a culminating event for the Graduate Public Practice program that I blogged about last month. One of my favorite descriptions in the article was- "The normally blank walls of the buildings were alive with video projections of local couples two-stepping in their Wranglers and ropers, and shots of the nearby walnut groves. Video monitors tucked into the few commercial storefronts played interviews with the citizenry. Throughout, a team of artists and MFA students from Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles scurried about with walkie-talkies and video cameras, orchestrating and documenting the night’s events under the close watch of veteran artist and educator Suzanne Lacy."

Both are still available at the LA Times website to take a look!

*Images from Fashion Forward and Laton: the little town from Los Angeles Times website

In Memoriam- Dick Baker

2009-04-17T12:23:00.001-07:00

Otis Board of Trustee and surf wear industry legend Dick Baker passed away this past Tuesday after battling cancer for the past two years. Dick became part of the Otis community first as a mentor and wise counsel for our Fashion Design program. In 2002 he was honored by the College with its Creative Vision Award and subsequently joined our Board of Trustees, putting an amazing amount of energy and dedication to the last days of his life.

In the Otis Community email notifying us of Dick's passing President Hoi commented "He remained a most dedicated Otis Trustee to the end. In fact, he called to check on the Otis Scholarship Benefit just a couple of days ago." He went on to remark "In addition to being grateful for his support to the College, we will remember Dick for being a warm, positive, generous, and inspiring friend."

Founding Fashion Chair Rosemary Brantley remembered him this way ""Dick himself was a man of great integrity and could make anything happen he believed in. He remains a hero to all of us at Otis Fashion and will always be remembered as one of the truly greatest guys ever!"

The website Shop-Eat-Surf has set up a tribute page where you can read many more accounts of how Dick Baker touched so many lives. He will be greatly missed.

*Image of Dick and Una Baker from Otis/Quicksilver benefit via SES website

Otis Nominated for a Webby!

2009-04-14T12:16:00.001-07:00

Just learned this morning that the Otis website has been nominated for a Webby Award! Our site, which was created for us by Hello Design, has been nominated in the School category. We've received a lot of great feedback since it was launched last summer but this is a truly amazing endorsement!

In addition to the School category we are candidates for a People's Voice award. You'll find us under the School/University section. Registering takes just a second to complete and then you can cast your vote. Just click on the Webby logo to the right to sign up. Voting ends on April 30th so don't delay and thanks for your support!

Wilkins' Windows Worth Thousands of Words

2009-04-03T13:13:00.000-07:00

Each spring one of the things I look forward to is the series of MFA Thesis Exhibitions in the Bolsky Gallery at Otis. Every couple of weeks a new pair of Grad students present their work and as is fitting for a an MFA program, the content is varied and often thought provoking, including the show that just closed, which included the work of Crossman Wilikins.

Among the pieces in Crossman's show was a series of three posters mounted on the windows of the Galef Center, that provided a visual commentary on the state of our economy. Earlier this week the Shop Talk blog from Reuters picked up on his work as prominent part of the post "Picture the Economy: L.A." The story leads with "A picture is worth a thousand words-and some Californians have a lot to say about the worst financial crisis in decades." Crossman's work provides an extended commentary on the subject.

You can meet Crossman and see more of his work at the MFA Open Studios this Sunday (5 April from 2 to 5PM). More information is available here.

Image of Crossman Wilkin's work by Amanda Keller-Konya by way of Reuters blog Shop Talk

Viva la Photograph!

2009-03-26T11:56:00.000-07:00

As a country we have had a long (and at times tense) relationship with France. There have been the highlights (Thomas Jefferson once said "France is every man's second country") and the lowlights (Freedom Fries anyone?) but through it all the connection between our two countries has continued.

One effort to link the two through art is the Jeunes Talents program sponsored by the French Government Tourism Office. Now in its third year, the program brings young American artists to specific cities in France so that they may "freely express their feelings and impressions on the cities' cultural heritage, its quality of life and its people."

This year 8 photographers were selected from throughout the United States and two of them are from Otis! Amanda Keller-Konya and Tasha Moore are both enrolled in the Graduate Fine Arts program. Amanda photographed the city of Biarritz (along France's Atlantic coast) and Tasha shot in Montpellier (in Southern France).

Their work, along with the work of the other six photographers can be seen locally at Louis Stern Fine Arts beginning tonight with an artists reception from 6 to 8PM. The exhibition will remain on view through 11 April, 2009.

If you cannot get out to see the work in person then you can also view it (and vote for your favorites!) at the France Guide website.

Meilleurs voeux Amanda et Tasha!

*Image of Tasha Moore's untitled photo from Jeunes Talents section of France Guide website

Going Second is Going Places

2009-03-19T09:35:00.000-07:00

When I am talking to students and their families about what it means to choose art school and deal with the constant tension of "doing what they love" versus "being able to make a living" I try to hit it head on. The fact is that you may have to doing one thing to pay the bills so that you can have the freedom do to what you are driven to do. Sometimes this resonates with them and sometimes it doesn't but the longer I am at Otis the more certain I am of this idea. We have a lot of very successful alums some of whom are making a living by doing what they love and others who do something else in order to attend to their passion in life.

Then there's Josh Alfaro who is doing a bit of both. A graduate of the Communications Arts program (and former Admissions office Intern), Josh is the Art Director at Emm Studio, which has developed an impressive client list that includesboth "big" names (Sony, Pioneer) and boutique operations (Green Dot Films, Space Magazine).

Emm's success is great to see but its Josh's burgeoning music career that is grabbing the headlines. As lead vocalist of the Salt Lake City based group Going Second Josh and his band mates have been receiving great reviews including recent write ups on Salt Lake's CityWeekly.net and In Utah This Week, which praised their release Wake Up saying- "Local boys Going Second could teach a class on pop/punk songwriting. They've got all the right moves -- the verses are crunchy, the choruses are big, and the vocal harmonies are tight throughout."

Going Second is playing gigs in and around their home base in preparation for a full blown summer tour. If you are in the LA area you can catch them at Molly Malones on April 15th and you'll find extensive coverage of their performances on YouTube.

*Image of Going Second from CityWeekly.net

Riff on Recycling Results in Reflection

2009-03-10T11:27:00.000-07:00

Carrie Ungerman's solo show at Otis' Ben Maltz Gallery opens on April 18th and she, along with Otis received a nice plug in the March 9 edition of The Daily Breeze.

Each of the three solo projects included in the show will have some relationship to the topic of natural resources. Ungerman's piece will be a sculpture made up of over 30,000 used water bottles and according to the Breeze article she hopes that it will cause "...the viewer to walk through the environment and think look at all those water bottles...what does that mean in my life?"

The artist has been collecting bottles for months in order to construct the piece and she still needs more in order to hit her target of 30,000. At Otis we've been doing our part, saving bottles from major events and asking community members to bring in their own bottles from home. In the Admissions office we've been donating on average about 50 bottles a week.

The exhibition opens in just over five weeks but there is still time to help out. Clean used bottles (with caps still on) can be delivered to the Ben Maltz Gallery. For additional information call 310-665-6909 or email galleryinfo@otis.edu.

Come see the finished sculpture on Saturday April 18 from 4 to 6PM!

*image from The Daily Breeze

Otis' Essence Exemplified

2009-02-27T11:39:00.000-08:00

As an Admissions person representing Otis out on the road, I make a lot of claims about the environment in which our students learn and the culture of the Otis community. While I believe that what I am saying is an accurate reflection, it is helpful to have it confirmed.

I had such a confirmation today when I was privileged to attend the “Ikebana” exhibition of our Interactive Product Design sophomores. The project centered around the Japanese flower arranging practice of the same name, the students were called upon to make use of the skills they learned in Foundation (such as color theory and form and space) as well as their Liberal Arts and Sciences knowledge (including cultural anthropology and Asian art history).

The results were amazing and while holding true to the design prompt, each solution was unique. Heather Joseph-Witham (our resident Folklorist) commented on the blending of traditional Japanese asthetic with Los Angeles car culture. Sammy Flores-Pena commended the students on not falling into the trap of having their results be simply “cultural tourism.” Listening to their evaluation of the work provided me with a much deeper understanding of what was at stake for the assignment but it was the comment of guest artist Yoshio Ikazaki that proved most helpful to me. He talked about the concept of “Ma” the notion of objects conveying the sense of time and space and suggested that the student’s work did just that.

Two things I say repeatedly about Otis are that we don’t have a house style and that we are trying to create “visual problem solvers” with the ability to transcend any one discipline of art or design. In my eight years here, this exhibition was among the most successful at proving both points.

Legacy in Laton

2009-02-21T13:08:00.000-08:00

When Suzanne Lacy started Otis' MFA program in Public Practice in 2007 she was determined to create an environment where her students could develop an artistic practice that influenced communities and the people that lived in them much as she had done during her own distinguished career.

This year the students have been doing just that in the community of Laton California, a small town in the heart of state's Central Valley. The Hanford Sentinel had a great feature on the project this week.

You can read the whole article here.

Telethon Time Warp

2009-02-19T13:30:00.000-08:00

If you grew up in the 60's and 70's (and probably before and after for that matter) telethons on t.v. were common place- watch people talk and ask you for money while a telephone number flashes on the screen and a bunch of people in the background take calls.

At Otis in 1977 a group of students led by Joe Potts decided to put on their own telethon with the decidedly different goal of wasting time as a measure of the event's success. More time wasted- more successful. That experience took place on the old campus over the course of 24 hours.

This weekend history repeats itself with a 21st century twist. Led by some of the same folks involved with the original, Otis will be presenting "Telethon Revisited" from Saturday 02/21 at 12noon until Sunday 02/22 at 12noon. The main performance space will be on campus in the Student Lounge and the proceedings will be broadcast live over the web.

The LA Times posted a nice plug for it today. You can read more about it here.

*image from original Telethon Returns performance

Futurists in the Near Future

2009-02-11T12:25:00.000-08:00

Next Friday (20 February) Otis' Graduate Writing program will be hosting a Futurist Evening to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Filippo Tommaso Marinetti's Futurist Manifesto.

The program, which is free and open to the public will take place from 8 to 10PM.

There is a nice plug for the event from Design And Architecture's Frances Anderton that you can read here.

Additional information about the event can be found here.

Veca on View

2009-02-04T19:41:00.000-08:00

Last week Meg and I had a chance to go to the opening of Otis alum Mark Dean Veca's ('85) show Paintings, Wall Drawings and Collaborations at the University Art Gallery (located on the University of California, San Diego campus).

Mark's show on campus last fall was well received and I'd never seen the Ben Maltz Gallery painted so many colors. Though smaller in scale, the UAG show incorporates some of the imagery and themes from the BMG show. It also showcases some of his limited edition clothing he made in collaboration with Nike and Burton. We also were treated to a first look at his new line of pillow cases.

If you are going to be in the San Diego area at the end of the month he'll be giving an artist talk on 26 February. You can find more information here. The show remains on view through 1 March, 2009.

*image from Mark Dean Veca

Otis Influences the Obamas Part Two

2009-01-22T17:36:00.001-08:00

The other day I wrote about Otis trustee and former student Michael Smith and his appointment to design the interior spaces of the White House residential quarters but that wasn't the only Otis connection to our new President and his family.

On inauguration day the dress that Michelle Obama wore was designed by long time Fashion Mentor Isabel Toledo. The Los Angeles Times ran a complete review of her wardrobe that included comments from Fashion Chair Rosemary Brantley who described Toledo style this way- “She’s about flattering the figure and she’s curvaceous herself. Everything she does is thoughtful."

There was also a short piece about the Toledo dress and the ball gown Mrs. Obama wore that ran on CNN.

Here is a piece from Otis' Inside the Designer's Studio series where Rose interviews Isabel and her husband, noted Fashion Illustrator Ruben Toledo.

Otis Influences the Obamas

2009-01-20T17:18:00.001-08:00

Type "President Obama" into Google and you'll get back 59,600,000 (as of a moment ago anyway) results. It's extraordinary how many things can be linked to our new President and I'm about to add one more.

Last week it was announced that Otis Trustee and former student Michael Smith had been selected by our new First Lady to decorate the White House living quarters. Mr. Smith, who studied Environmental Design, has a thriving practice in Santa Monica and is well known for his work with celebrities including Steven Spielberg, Cindy Crawford and Dustin Hoffman. Despite his high profile client list, he has been known to keep a low profile so the vast amount of media coverage about his selection has not included many quotes from him but plenty is being said about him.

Here is a sample:

Los Angeles Times
Domino (includes a video tour of his own home)
Washington Post
New York Times
Huffington Post
The Guardian

And a segment that ran on the Today show (embedded)

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Enjoy!

Ayeroff Assesses the Situation

2009-01-14T15:42:00.000-08:00

Many of my posts center on others writing about our alums and students. But what about when Otis folks are the ones writing? Alum Tucker Neel (MFA '07) has written for several publications including Artillery. Faculty member Marlena Donahue writes extensively for Art Scene and Meg Linton (Director of the Ben Maltz Gallery and Public Programs) has authored many pieces for Juxtapoz magazine.

These are just a few examples and now I'm glad to add Fine Arts junior Anna Ayeroff to the list. She's been a frequent contributor to ArtSlant since the fall and you can find her latest take on the LA art scene in this week's edition of their LA "gallery hop."

When I am working with students during the enrollment process I talk about the importance of being able to talk about art, not just make it. Anna and the others I cited are all good examples of why it matters. Enjoy!

In Memoriam- Clio Chafee

2009-01-08T15:05:00.000-08:00

The Otis community was saddened to learn about the death of Communication Arts alum Clio Chafee last weekend. The Rhode Island native returned to the east coast after finishing her studies and had been working for an architectural firm in Boston according to a story in the Providence Journal.

Sarah Russin, our Alumni Director shared with me how Clio's friends described her as a "brilliant woman and gifted designer." Her family said she was very committed to the environment and global issues. She was involved with bringing the exhibit "Darfur/Darfur" to Boston in 2007.

Funeral services are being held in her hometown next week.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-06T12:49:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year from The "O" Observed!

I took a bit of an extended break at the end of 2008 but I'm looking forward to brining you many more Otis mentions in the coming year. As always if you see something about Otis and its alums in the media (very broadly defined), please give me a shout- otiscollege@otis.edu

Cheers,

Marc

Thompson's Tales

2008-11-20T06:10:00.000-08:00

Growing up in San Diego, Derek Thompson was determined to become a comic book artist. So focused was that dream that when he came Otis' old location- first to participate in the pre-college program and then as an undergrad studying illustration- that he essentially ignored the "crunchy" environment of MacArthur park, graduating with a BFA in Illustration in 1994. During that time he managed to get his first "real" comic book published and he's been working and thriving in the art and design world since.

Last night Derek returned to Otis to give a talk about his own college experience, his life in the professional world and his advice to our current students. He spoke to a packed house in the Lighting Studio and I was lucky enough to catch his talk. He was engaging and entertaining, moving easily between serious subjects (how to deal with the IRS because you didn't have taxes withheld as a freelancer) and the humorous (how do you solve the problem of Jar Jar Binks?). I really appreciated both his honesty about what the art world is and is not and his unflagging spirit and belief that what is is doing "for a living" is what he was always been meant to do. It was a potent mix of encouragement and awareness that an art student should hear. I only wish I had a recorder with me so I could have taped it and then play it for families when they ask why their kid should be able to go to art school.

You may not realize how often you've seen his work and here are just a few of the movies he has worked on during his stints as a freelancer, as a staffer at ILM and currently at Pixar:

Wall-e
Star Wars Episode III
Unbreakable
Thirteen Ghosts
Mummy Returns
Men In Black

You can find a lot more information at his personal site DerekMonster, his blog and on IMDB. In addition to the lecture last night he is doing portfolio reviews and group projects with our students the rest of the week.

Mentors Mentioned

2008-11-18T07:11:00.000-08:00

One of the cornerstones of Otis' Fashion program is the work it does with mentors. Each year the juniors and senior students work on projects under the direction of well known designers, giving them a real sense of what it is like "out there" in the working industry.

Yesterday the fashion blog StyleChica posted a nice piece about this year's mentors on its front page. You can read it here. Oh, and the next time you are on campus, stop by the third floor of Ahmanson Hall where there is a new display chronicling all 28 years worth of mentors- its an impressive list.

From the Mouth of Youth

2008-11-14T14:33:00.000-08:00

I've been in college admissions over 20 years now so you can imagine the amount of times I've ran through the list of criteria for getting into college. Surprisingly (or maybe not) the key factors have not really changed that much over time. Sure at Otis we have a whole additional layer in the from of the portfolio requirement but the rest of it is a familiar refrain- good grades, decent test scores, take solid "college prep" classes, etc. The whole thing can feel pretty top down at points- talking to or at students and their families so it's always nice to see a different take on the issue.

In reading the November/December issue of LA Youth whose motto is "the newspaper by and bout teens" there is a nice piece by Jennifer Carcamo, a 2008 graduate of High Tech High LA and now a freshman at UCLA. Written as an interview with her high school counselor Karyn Koven, Jennifer presents an easy to follow set of suggestions about what students can do from the beginning through the end of their high school careers.

An added bonus for Otis is that we are listed among the schools that Ms. Koven recommends to students who are considering art school! You can read the whole story here. There is a companion article about Jennifer's own college search that is also a good read.

Symposium Sets the Stage

2008-11-12T16:07:00.000-08:00

Last week I was fortunate enough to attend the 2008 AICAD symposium "Artists and Designers for Change." The event was jointly hosted by Otis and Art Center and drew faculty from AICAD member schools throughout the US and Canada.

One of the things I have always appreciated about working on a college campus is access to events such as these. They represent an opportunity to engage in really thoughtful discussions about important topics- in this case artists and designers as change agents- and to hear from some truly brilliant speakers.

For me the highlight was Mel Chin's talk. His presentation of the project " Operation Paydirt" completely captured the spirit of the event- get kids to make art as an educational experience- use the awareness created by their efforts to draw a attention to a serious health issue and raise significant funds (hopefully) to make a difference in people's quality of life. If that all sounds a bit cryptic you can read about the whole thing here. I'd urge you to check it out and get involved.

All of the presentations are scheduled to be posted on the symposium wiki site in the near future.

I learned a lot from the experience and it was a very good event for Otis.

Kavin Buck- It's a Guy Thing

2008-10-24T10:00:00.000-07:00

*Full disclosure- Kavin is a friend and colleague. Any perceived positive bias is intended*

According to ArtScene reviewer Roberta Carasso, Otis alum Kavin Buck sees himself as outsider artist in the sense that he "...grew up in a blue collar milieu in Orange County, is a white, straight, forty-something male, husband and father" who "...was never and still is not part of any social revolution."

It is in this context that Carasso weaves a theme of masculinity throughout the review of Kavin's current solo show at LA Contemporary Gallery. In some cases by using descriptors that one might associate as masculine traits- for instance in reference to some of the paintings she said they "...give the appearance of precision, deliberately measured and mathematical" or in regard to some of the sculpture she wrote "...his sculptures are built with precision tools, replete with right-angled configurations...in an architectural manner." Then there is the overt reference- "...his art involves male identity, particularly referencing a blue collar construction type of masculinity."

Whether these traits are more indicative of a male artist rather than a female one is obviously debatable. I did however appreciate the way in which it framed the discussion of Kavin's work. Especially when Carasso went on to deconstruct the image she set up- "The sculptures look incredibly heavy and yet are structurally fragile...the paintings appear controlled but are not. Looking more closely, nothing is precise. They have an off-beat rhythm, the results of a human hand pushing a paint roller." She finishes with her review with this- "...the exhibition implies that ultimately art's quality depends on the individual artist's perceptions and skill in bringing to fruition a profound and original idea. Certainly Buck's art proves this."

The exhibition continues through November 29.

Image of "Pallet Glass" 2005-08 taken from Kavin Buck's Artsltant profile

Volumes on Veca

2008-10-09T16:24:00.000-07:00

Mark Dean Veca's ('85) solo exhibition Phantasmagoria opens this weekend (10/11/08) in the Ben Maltz Gallery as part of Otis' 90th anniversary Homecoming weekend. I expected that we would receive coverage after the opening but for the last three days the blogosphere has been full of posts about it.

The most notable mention so far has been the extensive Sneek Peek provided by Super Touch, a leading contemporary art and culture blog. You can find that piece here. Since then many more have picked it up and its starting to feel like when the publicity for the Do It Now:Live Green took on a life of it's own.

If you're in town this weekend, come to the opening from 5 to 7 PM. Admission and parking are free. Phantasmagoria will remain up through December 6, 2008.

*Image from Super Touch

You Might Want to Sit Down for This

2008-09-26T16:13:00.000-07:00

Three of Otis' Interactive Product Design (IPD) students have their work featured in the September/October issue of Spaces.

The shelter magazine publishes editions in various parts of the US and the Los Angeles version has a great piece (pg16) by Howard Stier that praises the work of Antonia Martinez, Kevin Melchiorri and Mae Ling Lam. In citing their work Stier said "We may see high-end folding furniture and laser-etched table surfaces in the home design market a few years down the road but some forward-thinking students are already crafting them now." He went on to point out the impact IPD has made in the short time since it started- "...housewares manufacturers such as Target and Moen are taking note, looking to the Los Angeles school for fresh and exciting products to develop."

You can find Spaces at select locations or you can read the current issue online here using the very cool issue.com site.

Image from 2008 IPD Junior seating exhibition

A Stitch Online

2008-09-18T13:07:00.000-07:00

A little more than a year ago Otis launched its own YouTube channel presenting a mix that included presentations by guest artists, helpful tips on how to navigate the educational experience at Otis and a whole "how to" series that features our faculty.

Among the more popular of the how to videos are the ones from the Fashion Design department. Anytime there are over 1000 views, you know someone is watching beyond the Otis community but its not that often that you find out who they are. Thanks to Google alerts however, sometimes you find at least one of them.

Ann's Fashion Studio is a blog by Ann in Brunswick Canada. It appears to have a loyal following and covers a wide range of things related to fashion and garment construction. In her recent post "Great reference for Sewing Techniques" she gave a great plug for several of the Fashion Design videos! So, thanks Ann!

I've embedded the first one she mentioned "Stitching Techniques for a Tailored Jacket." You can find the rest of the Fashion series here.

Hooping! Who Knew?!

2008-09-10T15:45:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I posted about Fashion Design alum Emily Brandel ('02). She was one of the participants in this year's season of Project Runway. Well, unfortunately her time on the show is already over but as you might expect, the experience generated a LOT Of buzz. Case in point- Google her name and you'll get over 6,000 entries (including my post if you go about 17 pages deep)! Even allowing for garbage blogs and duplicates- that's pretty amazing.

And this example might just be my favorite-

I had a Google alert this morning that led me to Hooping.org and what do you know, Emily is a bit of a hula hooping maven. She's featured on their site in this video.

Enjoy!

PS- this is the 100th post for The "O" Observed. I'm looking forward to writing many more. -M

In Memoriam- Dominic Ambriz

2008-08-28T12:46:00.000-07:00

Otis is beginning it's 90th year it has not surprised me to find more than a few stories recently of our earliest alums and faculty members passing away. While the news is sad, I expect such things and can understand them.

When I heard the news about an alum that was only 28 however, I was caught off guard, and it does not make sense.

Dominic Ambriz ('02) passed away on August 16th from brain cancer. He was a graduate of the Toy Design program and had most recently worked as a Senior Designer at Mattel. I did not know Dominic, he graduated shortly after I arrived at Otis, but after reading a tribute to him in the Bakersfield Californian, I wish I had the opportunity.

Described as a rising young star in the toy industry, Dominic was also an active "weekend" athlete- completing in many events including finishing a marathon after he got sick...He coined the phrase "Bring It" as a rallying cry for battling his illness, a battle he fought for nearly twice as long as most people with his form of cancer. He illustrated a book, and the list of accomplishments goes on. You get the idea. Dominic did more while fighting a life threatening illness than many of us ever will.*

You can find a tribute piece to him on YouTube here and a blog here.

Otis is certainly fortunate to count Dominic as one of our family.

*Information about Dominic's accomplishments gleaned from Herb Benham's article

Home is Where the Art is

2008-08-21T13:39:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year when students go back to school and the media is full of stories about moving away from home, adjusting to life at college and many more tales of transition.

One of those stories was a piece in the Long Beach Press-Telegram about decorating your dorm room and it included interviews with two Otis students- Rebecca Gottesman '09 and Danielle Camilo '10 who are RA's in the Otis housing program.

The article's bent was one of style and function, making your space your own while keeping in mind cost, content and size limitations.

Rebecca talked about her love of photography- "I like finding random ones and putting them up, even if I don't know the people. Photos are such keepsakes and they're things that people keep forever, so I really like finding them and having them in my room. I love filling up wall space, so I'm constantly finding inspiring things to decorate my room with."

Danielle discussed her use of mobiles- "One of my teachers from when I was younger actually traded me a $50 mobile for one of my creations," she says. "It's one of the most important things in my room because of what it means to me - inspiration."

The entire article can be viewed here.

Pardo Provides Passionate Perspective

2008-08-14T12:39:00.000-07:00

This past spring artist Jorge Pardo was on campus for a conversation with Fine Arts Department Chair Alex Coles.

Their wide ranging dialog touched on everything from the state of Fine Arts education, the intersection of design and art and perhaps of most interest to the audience- what can be called "art" and why.

The conversation was filmed for Otis' YouTube channel and now it has been featured on Artforum.com.

Take a look!

Running with Scissors

2008-07-15T09:37:00.001-07:00

Project Runway, the reality television juggernaut that made Tim Gunn a star and took him from academia to the house of Claiborne just began its fifth season and as has been the case in most years, Otis has an alum in the mix.

Emily Brandle ('02) is one of 16 contestants vying for success in the weekly fashion challenges that eventually will land one designer $100,000 worth of seed money for their own line, a spot in ELLE magazine and all manner of fashion 'cred and web fame.

I think one mis-conception that some folks have about the series is that the contestants are new to the fashion industry. Sure you have the "self taught" entrants but most are grads of respected fashion programs and many have already achieved some level of notoriety in the field.

Brandle is no exception. Along with fellow alum Michelle Chaplin she designs under her own label Smoke and Mirrors and the blog Racked LA lists several of the other people and labels she has worked for including Jeremy Scott, Rozae Nichols and DKNY.

The show airs on Bravo Wednesdays at 9PM EST. Brandle has made it past the first challenge so tune in for the rest of the season to see how she does!

*image of Emily Brandle from BravoTV website episode 1 photo gallery, click on the image to see the rest of the gallery.

Nectar is Sweet on Otis Grad

2008-06-26T10:46:00.000-07:00

Nectar, the Long Beach based product design company had a nice piece in their blog that highlights Otis alum Shaun Redsar (07), who recently joined their company as a designer. The post is very complimentary of both Redsar and the IPD program, citing the rigor of our program and skills of our grads-

In describing the program- "...the IPD program takes an artistic approach to design, training creators who “work in the gallery of the real world….” In Shaun’s case, this approach can be seen in some of the young designer’s creations, including the Sephira lamp and the Zygo teapot, both of which were crafted both as art objects for display in galleries, as well as products suitable for mass production."

And the benefits of making it through- "However, the rewards for taking this arduous journey are more than just a sense of accomplishment; IPD graduates have been hired by such outstanding companies as Apple, Disney, and, of course, Nectar."

I also enjoyed what Shaun had to say when talking about his experience at Otis- "I took as many classes at Otis that focused on the theory and issues of design as I did on the logistics of how to make it work in the real world. It all comes down to creating beautiful objects that improve the quality of life."

See more of Shaun's work here and learn more about IPD at Otis here.

image of Sephira lamp from Shaun Resdar website

Remembering Ralph Bacerra

2008-06-16T11:52:00.001-07:00

Renowned ceramist Ralph Bacerra passed away on June 10th at his home in Eagle Rock. He was a long time member of the Otis Community, chairing the Ceramics program from 1983 to 1997.

His Los Angeles Times obituary included the following quote in reference to his piece Teapot (part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum collection)- "The piece was not created to brew tea but to be enjoyed as a purely visual and tactile experience..." Reading that reminded me of our teapot project in the Interactive Product Design program where form, rather than function was the primary intent.

Long represented by Frank Lloyd Gallery, Bacerra made work to be enjoyed rather than analyzed. In an interview for the Smithsonian oral history project he said, "I am not making any statements- social, political, conceptual, or even intellectual. There is no meaning or metaphor. I am committed more to the idea of pure beauty. When it is finished, the piece, should be like an ornament, exquisitely beautiful."

Apart from his own words, the idea was probably best described in a 1999 New York Times review by Ken Johnson- "To look at Ralph Bacerra's gorgeous ceramic vessels is to wallow in visual hedonism. Mr. Bacerra, an immensely skilled craftsman based in Los Angeles, does not try to express any important meaning, social, psychological, philosophical or otherwise. His works are witty and sophisticated in their manipulation of influences ranging from Japanese to early modernist to Pop, but mainly he wants to delight the eyes of his viewers."

Image of Teapot from Smithsonian American Museum website

Poetic Ponder

2008-06-04T17:29:00.000-07:00

In his blog Airform Archives, Otis alum Steve Roden muses about the world of sound, the spoken word, artists and their work just to name a few. In this post from 4 June, he featured the thoughts of another alum- Robert Irwin in the context of Irwin's consideration of the southwestern desert.

Culled from a 1981 LACMA catalog, Irwin's quote is simple in its words but very rich in the mental image it encourages:

"it's a place where you go along for awhile, and there seems to be nothing happening... it's all just flat desert, you know, no particular events, no mountains or trees or what have you. and then all of a sudden it just takes on this sort of - i mean it's hard to explain, but it takes on almost a magical quality. it just suddenly stands up and almost hums, it becomes so beautiful...incredibly, the presence is so strong. then in twenty minutes it will simply stop. and i began to try and wonder why - what those events were really about - because they were so close to my interest, the quality of the phenomena"

Living in Los Angeles it's good to be reminded that this place that is so built up once was just as Irwin described.

Enjoy.

Fab Fashion

2008-05-21T06:36:00.000-07:00

Otis' 2008 Scholarship Benefit Show, a runway event that showcases the best of the Fashion Department's junior and senior work had a great write up on FashionWeekDaily! Described by writer Jennifer Chan as "...one of LA's biggest and brightest nights in fashion..." and held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, the evening raised over a million dollars for scholarship support.

Fashion at Otis has long been known for connecting established designers with students in a mentor relationship. This quote from Chan's story is a good example of why those relationships mater:

"John Varvatos, who flew in from another successful store opening in San Francisco, was all smiles. "They really put on a show here; it's a big night for everyone. It's great to see the passion and energy backstage, and what Rosemary Brantley does for the program is phenomenal," said Varvatos, who sat next to one of his own designers and Otis alumnus, Marcus LeBanc. 'I hired him right out of the program two years ago after he won the men's wear category. I've got my eye on a few standout students this year.'"

Let's Go Dutch

2008-05-07T19:28:00.000-07:00

Otis and the Sandberg Institute in Holland are holding an joint exhibition this month in support and celebration of the two schools' new exchange program.

Curated by Otis alum Sojung Kwon, the exhibition features her work and that of six other Otis artists:

It runs in conjunction with the fair De Kunstvlaii and is open 10 to 18 May.

Twenty Questions with Trine

2008-04-25T12:39:00.000-07:00

Well it's 18 questions actually...

Art blogger Claudio Parentela recently interviewed Otis alum Trine Wejp-Olsen ('94) about her studio practice, her path to art school and what advice she would share with the next generation of artists.

Some of my favorite responses include:

(as to why she wanted to become an artist)-
"My Dad is a cartoonist (Werner Wejp-Olsen), and as he had his studio at home, growing up I watched him do his cartoons, and I guess the idea of becoming an artist for a living never seemed difficult or daunting…Being naive sometimes is a good thing."

(describing her first year at Otis)-
"The school has a bit of a boot camp first year, where they load a lot of work on you, and in as many disciplines as possible. I discovered within this first year that what I meant to do was to express my voice through imagery. I found it to be too limiting to be hired by someone else as an illustrator to express his or her point of view or need. And therefore I ended up in the fine art department concentrating on painting instead."

(the materials she uses when making work)-
"I work with oil on canvas + watercolor, color pencil and sometimes milk paint on paper. For sculpture work I use all kinds of materials, fabrics, plaster, and my last sculpture was a bronze."

(what she would tell a young artist)-
"There is no right or wrong in art, so don’t be afraid of mistakes, they often turns out as successes."

The complete interview is available at Parentela's blog- Elvis in Hawaii

image- Blue Monkey, 2007 oil on canvas 16" x 20" from the Trine Wejp-Olsen website

Gains Through Greening

2008-04-22T11:55:00.000-07:00

Happy Earth Day! Otis has been working toward being a leader in sustainable living. Some of the efforts to date include the incorporation of environmental projects into many of the Integrated Learning courses, the hosting of the Do it Now: Live Green exhibition in the Ben Maltz Gallery last summer and student clubs in both Fashion and IPD that are focused on sustainability.

Beyond college-wide efforts, many Otis folks making sustainable living a part of their daily lives. A good example is Fine Arts Associate Professor Holly Tempo. She was one of several Brewery art colony residents featured in a LA Times article on gardening. The story chronicled the efforts of the artists to create urban gardens, often with found plants. Describing Tempo's own garden writer Paula Panich said "She presides over a small but aesthetically balanced and ordered garden of specimen plants in well-chosen metallic containers. Her flowering palette begins with yellows and oranges and reds and moves to purple as the seasons change."

In citing one of the environmental benefits of her garden Tempo commented "It's a great way to unwind. Plus, plants absorb toxic air- and they are (a) really visible joy."

So recycle a bottle, turn off a light or carpool today, every little bit helps.

An Eddy for Mounger

2008-04-09T06:41:00.000-07:00

Otis Foundation Associate Professor Christian Mounger was honored along with other local teachers last night at the 2008 "Eddy" awards, which where held at the Los Angeles Airport Hilton. Sponsored by the LAX Coastal Area Chamber of Commerce, the annual awards recognize outstanding educators from each of the schools in the Chamber's area.

Mounger, who has been teaching at Otis since 1994, was recognized for his contributions to the Foundation program's curriculum and his dedication to his students.

Saar Says Come Hither

2008-04-06T20:00:00.000-07:00

Noted Otis alum Allison Saar's latest solo show "Hither" at L.A. Louver, which closed yesterday received a lot of attention including a strong review from Leah Olman in last Friday's Los Angeles Times.

In a nod to Saar's influence on the local art scene Olman said "...Saar is one of the most significant sculptors working today, and her shows tend to be serious occasions." The review concludes with "Saar's forms register immediately in the body as well as the soul. For all their wonderous physicality, they are elegantly poetic; for all their knowing eloquence, they endow silence with presence."

You can find another substantial write up about the show in the March issue of ArtScene.

Image of Hither detail from L.A. Louver website

Toy Story Told in Toy Book

2008-03-27T12:04:00.000-07:00

Otis has one of only three Toy Design programs in the United States and it is featured (along with FIT) in the March 2008 edition of The Toy Book, an industry magazine for the toy industry.

The article lauded the impact the two programs have had on the industry- "Both feature professors still active in the industry, various internship opportunities, and a job placement rate for graduates that can't be beat." And- "The toy industry is one in which a new trend is declared the next best thing before you've even had a chance to turn around. The importance of that child giggling at home with Elmo, however, is one aspect that will be around 10, 20 or even 100 years from now. The Toy Industry 101 textbook may not have a specific chapter on this, but learning it early and having it reinforced often are things that make those who spend the two years at Otis or FIT very valuable for the future of play.

This piece is just the latest in a series that have highlighted the success of our Toy program and it is especially gratifying for the students' work to be acknowledged by the industry whose future they will shape.

Photo Otis Toy seniors courtesy of Candice Lavin and Otis Toy Design Flickr pages

A Brief Pause for Poultry

2008-03-16T17:53:00.000-07:00

In 1978 Otis alum Jeffrey Vallance buried a store-bought chicken in a pet cemetery. "Blinky" as the bird was known, was given a "proper" burial complete with a service and a headstone.

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Blinky's burial and subsequent exhumation (conducted in 1988 to mark the 10th anniversary), Vallance created a chapel inside Track 16 Gallery.

Paul Young from the Los Angeles Times talked with Vallance about the project in the 03-06 edition of The Guide's "60 Seconds With..." section. The exchange included this question from Young and response from Vallance-

What's the Strangest Reaction to Blinky That You've Ever Seen or Heard of?
"Several people have told me that they stopped eating chicken. which makes sense because I was a vegetarian when I performed the piece 30 yeas ago. I didn't eat meat for health reason and because I was against the inhumane treatment of animals. Similar to the Unknown Soldier, Blinky represents all chickens that have been slaughtered for the dinner table."

The chapel and accompanying exhibition remain on display through April 5th.

A Complimentary Compare and Contrast

2008-03-06T20:39:00.000-08:00

The thrust of Holly Meyer's February 29 review in the Los Angeles Times of the parallel solo shows at Carl Berg Gallery is that the two artists- Megan Williams and 2005 Otis grad Jessica Minckley are products of their respective generations and their work is reflective of those separate times. Williams coming of age in the turbulent 70's versus Minckley arriving in an art scene that is "booming; LA has become a widely respected art capital; galleries are sweeping up artists right out of school..."

Despite the significant differences that result from those two generations, Meyers found much to like about both shows. Of Minckely she said, "...has a much lighter approach: Her exhibition is quiet, delicate and contemplative. Each piece feels considered and specific in nature, a sequence of discrete conceptual statements..." And "The most enchanting works are the simplest: a series of pattern-oriented drawings made on the epigraph pages of books; a ceiling high stack of pink cake boxes; a MormonAd (a poster distributed by the Mormon Church) coated with a thick crust of salt. Concise yet enigmatic, each has the air of a meditative excercise."

Both shows close this Saturday- March 8.

Jessica Minckley
Untitled2007
Cake boxes
125 x 9 3/4 x 9 3/4 inches

From Carl Berg Gallery

Remembering Milford Zornes

2008-03-04T21:49:00.000-08:00

Otis alum and noted watercolor painter Milford Zornes '27 passed away on February 24th at his home in Claremont. As noted in his obituary from the Claremont-Courier he was "the last living artist in the small but elite group of California Scene Painters." As noted in the The Oaklahoman, this group of painters were "credited with elevating watercolor to a legitimate art form..."

After completing his studies at Otis, which including taking classes from Millard Sheets, he completed a Bachelor's degree at Pomona College. Upon leaving college he taught art at several schools, including at Otis.

According to the Los Angeles Times he maintained an active artistic practice until the very end of his life- "He continued painting and teaching into his 90s, completing a mural for East Los Angeles College in 2004. He gave his last public demonstration in January at the opening of an exhibit celebrating his 100th birthday at the Pasadena Museum of California Art..."

As part of the College's Legacy Project, Mr. Zornes was interviewed last November and I have included it here.

Illustrating Influence

2008-03-02T15:36:00.000-08:00

This week's Los Angeles Times Magazine is the spring fashion issue. It's full of Otis mentions including a nice piece about Ruben and Isabel Toledo written by Rose Apodaca. It's a nice plug for the upcoming "Inside the Designer's Studio" series that Fashion Chair Rose Brantley hosts- the next installment featuring her discussion with the Toledos on March 11th- but my favorite part of the piece is Isabel's response to Apodaca's question about why they have worked with our students so often-

"To us, the spirit of California is unique." (I) tell the students "Search your soul for your identity. Allow necessity to be the mother of invention and remember that, for a creator, time in obscurity is a blessing. It allows you to incubate your ideas."

Futbol Fashion Feature

2008-02-27T13:34:00.000-08:00

Several Otis juniors in the Fashion Department are creating the new uniform designs for the Brazilian national soccer team. The project is being done in conjunction with Nike. Yesterday there was a fitting for the uniforms and local news channel KNBC4 was there to capture it!

Take a look:

Otis Fashion on KNBC4

Serving Up Support for the Santa Monica Musuem

2008-02-25T22:33:00.001-08:00

Last week's Home section of the Los Angeles Times included this item- Otis alum Gajin Fujita was one of 12 artists commissioned by the Santa Monica Museum to create a limited edition plate in honor of the museum's 20th anniversary. At a cost of $2000 each set and with only 125 being made, it's doubtful that folks will be serving dinner on them though!

image from Los Angeles Times website by photographer Carlos Chavez

Juno May Get the Oscar but Otis May Get the Most Eyeballs

2008-02-24T15:19:00.000-08:00

Shadowplay, the Los Angeles based studio created the opening title sequence for the multi-Oscar nominated film Juno. The sequence has received some buzz of its own including this interview with Shadowplay's co-founder Gareth Smith:

The Submarine Channel interview

Otis has worked with the folks at shawdowplay several times, most notably in the creation of our video "Discover Otis." They report that is one of the most viewed pieces on their site and it's been very successful for us!

One Year of Observing Otis

2008-02-22T18:10:00.000-08:00

One year ago today I started The "O" Observed. It has been a wonderful experience to find and blog about Otis in the media, in museums and galleries and other places out in the world.

With a year's worth of posts I've only scratched the surface. For every post I make there are three more I could if I had more time.

I'm looking forward to another year of observing Otis and I hope you are too.

Cheers,

Marc

Otis in the OC and Endangered Species

2008-02-18T21:57:00.000-08:00

This weekend I was at the Laguna Art Museum's Auction 100 event, which raised money for their exhibition and education programs. It was quite a fun evening and Otis was well represented with works sold from alums Billy Al Bengston, Sandow Birk, Kavin Buck, Adam Mars and Pattsi Valdez. In addition the evening's piece that fetched the highest price, nearly $30,000 was by another Otis alum, John Altoon.

I also caught the opening of the new group show Endangered Species at Santa Monica College's Pete and Susan Barrett Art Gallery (part of their new Performing Arts Center). It includes work by Otis grads Sarah Perry and Peter Zokosky along with Otis faculty member Robin Palanker. The show remains on view through March 8th.

John Altoon "Untitled" 1959

Motion Theory Magic

2008-02-09T17:21:00.000-08:00

It seems like Motion Theory must be a pretty cool place to work. I should check in with Otis alum Cui Haozheng '06, who is an animator at the firm. With offices here in Venice as well as New York and Europe, they are able to work with a diverse set of clients including Beck, Hewlett Packard, Gatorade and Budweiser.

Probably the best description of what Motion Theory has done for the world of advertising comes from writer Diane Mehta in her story Loco Motion, which appears in the February issue of Fast Company magazine:

"Now it's leading a wave of New York- and L.A.- based companies that are reinventing the TV comericial, even the look of video itself, and changing the way advertisers and other clients connect with the public...no one blends those worlds better than Motion Theory, with its radically strange hybrid of live action, visual effects and 3-D animation."

When describing Otis' Digital Media program, I often use the phrase we are teaching our students to tell stories through motion. The work that Motion Theory does is an excellent example of what I've been trying to say. They have selected pieces on their website. If you only watch one, make it the video for Beck's song "Girl."

Enjoy!

Many Mentions of the Monk

2008-01-28T18:42:00.000-08:00

Shaolin: Temple of Zen, a photography exhibition by Justin Gurarglia will debut at Otis' Ben Maltz Gallery this Saturday, February 2nd with a reception from 5 to 7 PM but the show is already showing up throughout the blogosphere. In addition to being the Monday feature on Artdaily, it has attracted attention from several blogs and was picked up in Calendar Live.

In addition to the photographs, opening night visitors will see a live demonstration by one of the monks featured in the work, Shi De Chao, who has traveled from his temple in Henan, China.

The show, an outgrowth of the book published by Aperture will continue in the Gallery through 29th.

Additional Mentions (added Feb 1):

LA Cityzine
A Little Birdy Told me
Sean Slavin Photography
Flavorpill
Ian O'Phelan Artlog
Apartment Therapy
Lady Hooligan
ArtSlant
Marshallastor
Nothing to Do in LA

Some Paintings Some Party!

2008-01-17T16:29:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday, I went to the opening of the opening of Some Paintings, the LA Weekly's third Biennial at Track 16 Gallery. I got there pretty late- after 10:30 and the place showed no sign of slowing down. I was thankful I had not arrived any earlier!

Curated by Doug Harvey, the show features Los Angeles painters, including alums Sandow Birk '88 and Steve Roden '86 (doing double duty by also standing in for Robert Williams) as well as Otis faculty member Carole Caroompas. Ben Maltz Gallery Director Meg Linton also had a mention related to artist Don Suggs.

With the crowd and over 70 artists, the experience was a bit overwhelming. My favorite part of the show (apart from seeing the work) was Harvey's statements about each artist. It was a rare treat to have the curator's thoughts about each artist available as a wall label.*

Gifted multimedia narrative populist Sandow Birk’s amazing “Depravities” show at Cal State Long Beach in December used up his store of new Iraq-war paintings, but he dug out an early-’90s collaboration with graffiti artist Devin “Relm” Flynn for “Some Paintings.”

Carol Caroompas’ punkadelic patchworks of archetypal gender conflicts played out by glamorous rock stars, clip-art domestics and B-movie exotics over eye-boggling textile patterns bring Pattern and Decoration through the looking glass of experimental narrative semiotics into the 21st century.

Renaissance dude STEVE RODEN’s multivalent work is imbued with a profound familiarity with Modernist design principles and an avant-gardist appetite for getting lost in translation. But it was his paintings that first caught my attention, and which never fail to dazzle and mystify.

Even though DON SUGGS seems to have spent most of his career making fame-evasive shifts in style and media, his own persistence is beginning to catch up with him. Last spring’s OTIS survey (curated by me and Meg Linton) exposed the still center of the spinning Suggsian universe, and there’s nowhere left to hide! Ha ha ha ha ha!

Some Paintings remains on view through February 16.

*All of Harvey's statements are also available in his LA Weekly article about the show.

Roll Call Roundup

2008-01-11T15:38:00.000-08:00

Artillery magazine's "Roll Call" spread is chalk full of Otis folks in the latest edition (volume2 number 3):

Christian Mounger at Haus Gallery (Martin Gantman show)
2007 "O Award" recipient Kori Newkirk at High Energy Constructs (Mark Dutcher show)
Roy Dowell, Carol Caroompas and an unidentified Adam Mars at Western Project (for Carole's opening)

The two year old magazine has frequently covered the work of Otis faculty and alums and recent MFA grad Tucker Neel is a regular writer.

You can pick up a copy of Artillery in the Ben Maltz Gallery and at many galleries around LA and NYC.

Santa's Southland Workshop

2008-01-09T16:24:00.001-08:00

The holidays are over and old St. Nick is back in the north pole working on all the toys for 2009. He's not alone in that effort. Otis has the leading program for Toy Design in the country and over the years it has received a lot of media attention- stories in the Los Angeles Times and news spots on KNBC and ABC World News Tonight being just a few.

Often the stories come during Christmas time and this year was no exception when Toy Design Chair Deborah Ryan and faculty member Mark Taylor were featured guests on the KCRW show Design and Architecture, hosted by Frances Anderton. You can still access their interview via podcast here:

The Serious Business of Designing Toys

Enjoy the interview. If you wind up on the correct side of Santa's list next year one of your gifts might come via Otis!

Look Out for the Lueys!

2008-01-03T16:49:00.000-08:00

In the latest volume of Hi Fructose magazine, there is a nice photo spread featuring Otis alum and faculty member Bob Dob's creation- "The Luey's." These hard living little critters have been prominent in his work and if you haven't seen them, take a look!

Universal Bad Habit 8" x10" (from bobdob.com)

Otis in 08

2008-01-02T12:04:00.000-08:00

As we head in to 2008 I hope you will look forward to more notes about Otis in the media. I've been writing this blog for almost a year now and throughly enjoy it.

If you see some mention of Otis that you think would be a good mention, just give me a shout.

Happy New Year!

-Marc

A Sandow Sampler

2007-12-19T20:15:00.000-08:00

Otis Fine Arts alum ('88) Sandow Birk has been a busy guy lately. Among his recent activities- His solo show "The Depravities of War" just closed at the Cal State Long Beach University Arts Museum (after premiering at Catherine Clarke Gallery) and he is participating in a group show at the San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art. His film latest "Dante's Inferno" was recently screened in London. Here is just a sampling of the buzz his work has been creating:

Depravities of War
Los Angeles Times review
Orange County Weekly review
Long Beach Press Telegram review
The District Weekly review

The Landscape of War
Metro active review

Dante's Inferno
London screening
Household Opera blog review
A Distant Mirror blog book comments

Passionate About Painters

2007-12-04T12:31:00.001-08:00

(Chad Robertson Untitled 2006)

In this December 2nd piece for the Los Angeles Times Painting Gets a Broader Brush, Christopher Knight makes the case that painting is not dead, has not been dead for some time (if it ever was) and is not likely to be dead anytime soon- "Lingering animus toward painting is so end-of-the-20th century. Painting hasn't been the black sheep of the art family for a couple of decades now, except in academic backwaters of provincial thought."

Knight suggests that if anything, Los Angeles is the hot bed in the United States for painting- "Unlike New York, Los Angeles never had an established reputation as a painting town. That might help to explain the abundance of painting now: Without history's heavy baggage, the field seems wide open -- ripe for the picking."

To illustrate his points he identified 45 Los Angeles (broadly defined) artists under 45. The list includes seven Otis alums- Kevin Appel '89, Michael Brunswick MFA '07, Gajin Fujita '97, Sandeep Mukherjee '96, Chad Robertson '91, Steve Roden '86 and Timothy Tompkins '03. It was gratifying to see the College so well represented in Knight's list.

As a further illustration of the LA influence on painting, Knight called out Susanne Vielmetter Los Angeles Projects as the gallery that provides painters with the most "parity." Vielmetter represents both Roden and Tompkins.

Each artist was represented on the cover of the Arts and Music section (where the story ran) by a detail of one of their paintings. The full images can be seen on the Times' website.

(Kevin Appel Houses and Timbers 27, 2006)

Roden Resonates in Austin

2007-11-27T22:41:00.000-08:00

Otis Fine Arts alum Steve Roden's recent two person show (the other artist was Stephen Vitiello) at Lora Reynolds Gallery in Austin struck a chord with reviewer Kate Green in the Dec/Jan issue of Modern Painters.

Describing the choice of the two artists, both involved with sound pieces for a long time Green wrote- "Steve Roden and Stephen Vitiello...share a Fluxus-influenced interest in how it (sound) might look or feel when synesthetically translated into other media. Their pairing...seems as if it should have happened a long time ago."

Green's take on Roden's work focused on the piece Another, Another Green World. Created in 2002, he sculpted clay forms with eyes closed and using only touch in response to music as his guide. "the resulting balance between intuition and discipline resembles the structured play of a musical composition."

In concluding her assessment of the show she said "This layered work embodies Roden and Vitiello's experimental dialogue about how visualizing sound emphasizes its ability to stimulate our other senses.

A Conversation with Caroompas

2007-11-16T15:01:00.004-08:00

In advance of her new solo at Western Project, longtime Otis Fine Arts faculty member Carole Caroompas was featured in the Nov/Dec 07 issue of Artillery magazine.

The article by Ezrha Jean Black starts out as a light read- "As we enter the studio, we're greeted by one her (Caroompas') cats, a lion-sized marmalade named Arthur Lee, followed by a slightly smaller Asian blue named Lux..." but as the article moves toward a discussion of her current work, it morphs into a much denser exchange- "...an element of transcendence one step removed from Sartrean (and perhaps Hustonian) existentialism- the flip side of the absurd universe Maxine, Shannon, and the others swim through, the Huston jungle absurdly destined to become the Puerta Vallarta of Burton and Taylor: what for Caroompas anyway, appears to be the possibility, however fraught or contingent, of meaning."

Working through the whole article is worth it, you'll have a better sense of what drives Caroompas in her work and the physical space in which she makes it.

Her exhibition at Western Project remains up through December 22nd.

For another take on Caroompas and her work, here is an interview from earlier this year, done as a part of Otis' faculty profile series. Enjoy.

Holy Helio!

2007-11-14T15:51:00.001-08:00

For the Fall 2007 issue, Helio Magazine teamed up with several of Otis' Communication Arts students and now their work is featured throughout the edition.

Danielle Buerli, Julian Callos, Jessica Cooper, Saul Espinosa, Kim Lewis, Aya Masuda, Aaron Needham, Evelyn Salmeron, Joseph Anthony Samaniego and Niguel Sanders all contributed illustrations for the magazine and they provide short reflections about their inspiration for their piece on the contributors page.

For example, Jessica Cooper, who has the back cover said-

"Helios was the personification of the sun in Greek mythology, who drove a chariot through the sky with a team of magnificent solar bulls. I wanted to take this description of the sun personified and modernize it in an illustration while maintaining the integrity of the Helio flame logo."

Helio Magazine is an extension of Helio, the folks who tell you- it's not a phone, is a mobile experience...They recently opened a store on the Third Street Promenade and have also partnered withe former Otis Fine Arts student Tim Biskup on a couple of projects.

So check out the fall edition when it becomes available and see the great work our students did!

Pollari Picks Up the Props

2007-11-14T15:28:00.000-08:00

Linda Pollari's architecture firm PXS, was honored by the Los Angeles chapter of the American Institute of Architects for her project "barcode housing system." Pollari, who is the chair of the Architecture/Landscape/Interiors program at Otis received a Citation in the Next LA category.

A listing of all the winners can be found in the September/October edition of Form magazine.

Congratulations Linda!

Rosebud Was His Blog?

2007-11-02T14:56:00.000-07:00

Otis student Christopher Barischoff took the notion of the research paper in new direction last month when he created the Citizen Kane:Case Study blog for one of his Digital Media courses.

It provides a quick primer on this remarkable movie- I remember watching it over and over again for my Intro to Film course at Chapman- complete with video and additional references.

Have a look at his blog and then have another look at the film!

And the Emmy Went To

2007-10-19T12:45:00.000-07:00

Sue Mondt! The Otis alum has been honored with an Emmy for "Individual Achievement in Animation" for her work as an Art Director on the Squirrel Secrets episode of the Cartoon Network series "Camp Lazlo."

The award was presented to her during the Creative Arts Awards ceremony last month. Unlike the most of the other Emmy categories, Mondt's award was through a juried category. There are no nominations, rather the Academy identifies excellent work annually.

Mondt was also nominated for an 2007 Annie award for her work on the Hard Days Sampson episode of the same show.

You can read more at The Ogden Reporter. They deserve special thanks because it was their story that alerted me about the award in the first place.

*photo courtesy of Sue Mondt's family and The Ogden Reporter

Maberry the WPMu Maven

2007-10-17T16:32:00.000-07:00

Since I have been writing this blog I've come across several examples that show librarians and their "clan" are major contributors to the blogosphere. This past summer for instance, I learned that our Information Literacy video was a favorite of a library group in the Philippines.

This week brought another example and another citation for Otis. In his blog bavatuesdays, Jim Groom discussed his favorite examples of colleges using WPMu (that's Word Press Multi-user as I found out) and he made special mention of Sue Maberry and Otis-

"Otis College of Art and Design is one of my personal favorites. Sue Mayberry(sic) has done an unbelievable job at Otis and needs to be applauded. The policy and the documentation is wonderfully done. And, as with most things from Otis, it looks so good!"

I certainly agree with Jim on this one. Sue has been a great help and support to me with this blog and has created an atmosphere on campus that really encourages faculty and staff to make creative use of blogs and other web2.0 "gadgets."

Congratulations Sue, well deserved!

Oatey is Okay!

2007-10-16T16:30:00.000-07:00

Otis alum Chris Oatey ('07 MFA Fine Arts) received a nice plug for his upcoming solo show in this week's Los Angeles version of Flavorpill. Labeled by Shana Nys Dambrot as "fresh faced," the mention describes Oatey's work-

"meticulously removes the majority of the detail from photo-based images, creating pattern-based abstractions based on athletic spectacle and hero worship."

Oatey's show at Seeline Gallery opens this Saturday (10/20/07) with a reception from 6 to 9PM and remains on view through November 24th.

Gajin Fujita Probably Won't Read This

2007-10-15T16:48:00.000-07:00

In the October issue of Juxtapoz magazine, Otis alum Gajin Fujita ('97) talks about his artistic influences, life after art school and the fact that he does not own a computer so its not likely that he'll read this post but I encourage you all to read the article.

Described as "elusive" by writer Shelley Leopold, she nonetheless draws Gajin out into the open. I was especially interested in his responses to questions about the gallery world, which included:

"It still hurts to this day that they take 50 percent. I wish artists in general would get treated more like athletes. And deadlines; I don't think art has or should be given a deadline. I have a qualm about that. It's contradictory to the process, but I guess it's tied to the business and money end of things."

The reality is that Gajin has become very successful and his work is selling quite well. His last show at LA Louver Gallery drew a great deal of interest, and he has had recent shows at LACMA and the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art but he comments in the story that it is not the financial gain that drives him:

"I'd be doing this stuff even if I weren't getting paid. I always think that my art, or art in general comes from within."

Several images from his recent shows both at LA Louver and LACMA accompany the interview and more of his work is available at LA Lover's website.

Ochoa Very Well Received at Vielmetter

2007-09-19T23:06:00.000-07:00

Otis alum Ruben Ochoa's current show at Suzanne Vielmetter Los Angeles Projects received strong praise from Holly Myers in her September 14 review in the Los Angeles Times.

Describing the show in comparison to his recent work at LAXART, Myers said "His current show at Suzanne Vielmetter is more modest in scale but no less eloquent. Here he focuses primarily on the intricate entanglement of the urban and natural environments as reflected in the figure of the ficus tree..."

Her thoughts on the installation piece in the show included "Simultaneously delicate, even fragile, and dauntingly impenetrable, the installation is an impressive sight, emblematic of Ochoa's knack for extracting elegance from banality."

The exhibition- “A Recurring Amalgamation” remains on view through October 20.

Ota Has Your iPhone Covered

2007-09-13T17:31:00.000-07:00

Illustrator and Otis faculty member Nathan Ota has created a very cool "skin" for the new Apple iPhone based on his painting "Robo."

The skins are for sale on the tech site AudioCubes.com

Now if he only had one for the iPod...

Sandow Singled out in San Francisco

2007-09-10T12:49:00.000-07:00

Sandow Birk ('88) was singled out for praise in the San Francisco Weekly in response to his new show "Depravities of War", which opened at Catherine Clark Gallery last week. The show features 15 new large scale prints that Birk created during a recent residency in Hawaii.

Commenting on Birk's ability to weave current events with historical reference author David Downs said "Birk has mastered the retooling of iconography, and here he posits the iconic American soldier in an interrogation with another icon of the Middle East -- the riddling and mythic Sphynx, who challenged travelers like Jason to answer its questions before they could continue on their quest."

The exhibition remains on display through October 20th.

I Sing You Sing We all Sing for Ice Cream!

2007-09-07T09:29:00.000-07:00

Karaoke Ice, the mobile art event that features frozen goodies in exchange for belting out a happy tune, made its way to Otis yesterday. The project was conceived in 2006 and is on its summer tour of Los Angeles with support from LACE (Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions)

Our students and staff turned out and so did reporter Dave Malkoff from KCAL9 so click on the link turn up your speakers and enjoy the entertainment!

Karaoke Ice at Otis

Do it Now! Watch it Now!

2007-08-24T15:18:00.001-07:00

Meg Linton, Director of the Ben Maltz Gallery and Public Programs at Otis was featured in a news story on KCAL 9 news this afternoon. Reporter Dave Malkoff did a walk through of the Do it Now:Live Green show, which opens tomorrow with a public reception from 4 to 7PM.

The interview will run again on the cbs2 8PM newscast.

You can read a blog entry about the show and watch the interview on-line:

Dave Malkoff's blog

Live Green interview

Silver Success for Koplin Del Rio

2007-08-24T09:14:00.001-07:00

Christopher Knight found a lot to be happy about in his Los Angeles Times review of Koplin Del Rio's 25th Anniversary show. Titled "Light and playful, solemn and deep" the piece calls out two Otis alums for praise- "...Peter Zakosky's ('81) hauntingly lovely 'Aboriginal Skull'... positions art- and anniversaries as earnest, ritualized hedges against mortality." -and- "The show's most mesmerizing work is Kerry James Marshall's ('78) black ink-wash 'Study for a Portrait of John Punch (Angry Black Man Year 1640).' The story of John Punch represents a turning point in the nation's history- one of the cruelest imaginable. Sentenced to slavery 467 years ago by a Virginia court, he marked the passage from an already evil system of indentured servitude to hopeless, permanent bondage...the artist gives the otherwise anonymous figure a sharply drawn, indelible countenance."

The exhibition closed last weekend but work from the show can still be viewed on the gallery's website. Koplin Del Rio is owned by alum Eleana Del Rio ('89).

Green Garners Great Gab

2007-08-21T08:55:00.001-07:00

Do it Now:Live Green, hasn't even opened yet (it will this Saturday 08/5 at 4PM) at Otis' Ben Maltz Gallery but it is already getting a lot of buzz in the blogosphere. Sites highlighting the exhibition include:

Green LA Girl
Art Daily- including a nice plug and a photo by Amanda Lovelee
LAist- featured the show in its "Do Goooding" section
Vincenze's Pit- from all the way down under, noting that there will be another Live Green show the same day in Australia
A Little Birdy Told Me
Yahoo events
Backpage.com
California Green Solutions
H3 Environtmental
Knoend-which has products in the exhibition
outside.in
ArtScene
Bio-Diesel Action Center-they are helping organize the bio-diesel parade
Atelier Zero Event list
LA Weekly
Juxtapoz Event List
Craig's List
Yelp

And the list could go on...Come out and see the show!

Info Lit is a Hit!

2007-08-17T12:53:00.000-07:00

This week two blogs focused on the world of libraries (PLAI and Ames Chat) picked up on Otis' novel approach to information literacy, applauding the College in particular, for its video on how to cite your sources.

"Information Literacy:Identify Your Sources" stars our own Dr. Parme Giuntini, Director of Art History. She takes us through the basic categories of information sources, highlighting the benefits and drawbacks that each type brings to academic writing. It was produced through the Teaching/Learning Center in the Millard Sheets Library, which also maintains Otis' YouTube profile and ITunesU presence. My favorite part of the video is the discussion of "substantive news," a term I must admit I was not familiar with prior to watching this piece.

Vernissage TV Touts Timothy Tompkins

2007-08-16T09:42:00.000-07:00

Switzerland based Vernissage TV, the online art blog and video site, is highlighting Otis alum Timothy Tompkins' ('03) latest exhibition at Susanne Vielmetter Los Angeles Projects. Featuring an interview with Vielmetter, the piece provides background on Tompkins' body of work "Left Over" and footage from the August 4th opening reception.

According to Vielmetter's comments Tompkins' pieces start with the orphan goods that haven't sold when their "seasonal" life span is over. Visiting surplus stores (think Tuesday Morning or Big Lots) Tompkins arranges the pieces into a still life, clearance tags and all. The resulting compositions are then documented in his paintings.

You can view "Left Over" at Vielmetter's gallery in Culver City through September 1st.

WWD Points Out What Makes Otis So Good

2007-08-10T16:46:00.000-07:00

Women's Wear Daily, the highly respected fashion industry daily, carried a feature story on Otis' Fashion program in its August 7th national edition.

The story covers both the program's innovation in using new technology and materials to create apparel and several "outcome" examples and quotes from industry heavyweights on why they prefer our graduates.

On the innovation side:

Rosemary Brantely, founding chair of the department is quoted- "We're focusing on new technology, new ways to see clothing in the world" and the writer reports about Otis' work with Nike- "the college recently worked with Nike in incorporating metal-plated fabric with stretch, used for the first time in apparel."

On the outcome side:

"Industry observers say Otis is one of the top four fashion schools in the country..."

"Otis differentiates itself from Parsons and FIT with the mentoring program for students."

Marla Schwartz, a senior recruiter for several Liz Claiborne lines (C&C California, Juicy Couture and Lucky Brand Jeans) is quoted- "I feel that their students are well rounded, with beautiful illustration skills. They are innovative, creative and willing to take some risks while still producing collections that are wearable..."

Noted designer John Varvatos, who served as a mentor in 2006 and hired two alums from the program. He said "I loved their sensibility and personalities and they have fit in wonderfully on my team."

The article is available on WWD's website but you must register to see the whole thing.

Book Blog Says Bully on Otis

2007-08-07T18:59:00.000-07:00

Robotic Librarian, a blog that seems to be concerned with all things "library" cited Otis the other day as home to one of the best artist book collections around-

"Luckily, there are valuable portals online for armchair book-lovers. The Otis College of Art and Design Collections Online has a remarkable sampler of artists’ books, digitized and ready for browsing."

The post in which Otis is mentioned focuses primarily on the book binding process and is worth a read. Some of the language was complex enough that I found myself rereading some of the paragraphs but quite interesting with a nice primer on the history of binding books and some great examples of, well let's say unusual binding materials-

Human skin found book found in West Yorkshire
(image taken from Robotic Librarian blog)

Passionate about Perspectives in the Crowd

2007-08-02T18:33:00.001-07:00

Art Forum's influential web section "Critics' Picks" is currently featuring a review of Perspectives in the Crowd, the video installation piece by recent MFA grad Tucker Neel. Drawn from video shot by audience members at Daft Punk's 2006 Coachella Music Festival performance, Neel created a compilation video, presented in an endless loop along with sound from the performance. On view at Otis' Bolsky Gallery through August 29, it has received high praise from Christopher Bedford-

"The effect of this unlikely project is mesmerizing and variously suggestive. Like much of the best performance documentation—think of Chris Burden’s early performance photographs or the Viennese Actionists’ fastidiously composed performance stills—this video compilation immediately establishes itself as ontologically distinct from the live source event."

Bedford goes on to compliment Neel's curatorial efforts- (his) "work has a presentness entirely absent from most performance documentation. This presentness derives chiefly from that fact that Neel accepts the formal limitations of the medium he is working with, as well as the serendipities of novice camerawork, and exploits those characteristics to create a shimmering, largely abstract audiovisual spectacle that offers the viewer an entirely self-contained, entirely gripping experience."

Having seen and enjoyed the installation myself, I wonder if Neel will consider returning to the piece's origins and place it on YouTube after the exhibition closes (of course most of the source video resides there already). Some of the sensory experience would certainly be lost but it seems a fitting way to close the loop on the project.