Camarillo, Calif., August 24, 2015 – While walking along the Los Angeles River with her dog, Valdez, artist Randye Sandel often wondered how many of her neighbors knew they were living along an urban landmark.
“In some places there is more vegetation but there are actual apartment houses on the L.A. River,” Sandel said. “Some people don’t even know they live on a river. They think it’s a storm drain.”
Sandel has captured the many moods of this often overlooked river in her “LA River” oil painting exhibit, which will be on display at the CSU Channel Islands (CI) Napa Gallery from Aug. 31 to Sept. 25.
Also on display on the Grad Wall, also in Napa Hall, is “Live Together, Die Alone,” an exhibit by 2015 CI graduate Michael Inglima, who now lives in Camarillo.
With his series, Inglima hopes we all take a look at the modern day distractions that keep us from making a real effort to learn to live together.
“With the rising of social media and the dominance of the entertainment business, we become distracted from our values as human beings and replace them with what we see on the screen,” Inglima said in his artist’s statement.
Art program lecturer Christophe Bourély said he chose to highlight these two artists in parallel exhibits because they share something in common.
“An important role for artists is to point out things that we might not necessarily see,” Bourély said. “Randye Sandel sees beauty in the otherwise forgotten LA River. Michael Inglima seeks hidden truths behind society's veneer.”
Inglima also designs vehicle wraps for various companies’ advertisements, which he says gives him perspective by forcing him to look at things from a distance.
Sandel creates much of her work on the Los Angeles River after the sun has set.
“It’s more beautiful at night,” she said. “You see a lot of profiles of trees and bits of light breaking through from houses and buildings.”
The opening reception for the shows is Thursday, Sept. 3 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Napa Gallery located on the CI campus. The opening reception for the Grad Wall is the same night. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For more information visit https://art.csuci.edu/ or call 805-437-2772.
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