FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Judith Von Euer, "Retrospective"
April 4-29, 2001
Artist's Reception, Sunday, April 8, 1-5pm
L.A. Artcore at Union Center for the Arts
120 Judge John Aiso St. (Union Center for the Arts), Los Angeles, CA 90012
Artcore Brewery Annex
650A South Avenue 21, Los Angeles, CA 90031
For further information contact Lydia Takeshita
Tel (213) 617-3274, Fax (213) 617-0303
E-mail, artcore@pacbell.net
Web site, http://www.laartcore.org
Gallery hours: Weds.-Sun., 12-5pm (at Union Center); Thurs-Sun 12-4pm (at the Brewery)
L.A. Artcore is proud to present a retrospective of Judith von Euer at both galleries during the month of April. Referred to as a "Renaissance Woman," Judith Von Euer proves to be an artist who possesses multiple skills and talents and one who continually explores new avenues of expression. This exhibition will span four decades of paintings, drawings, prints, sculptures and performance art.
Perusing a written catalog of Von Euer's work, one is impressed with the evolution of artistic thought beginning in the 1960's and careening into the 21st century. A note in the catalogue states: "The idea of the table in my early work is that it provides a kind of playing field for objects, brushstrokes, and whatever emanations or images one cares to evoke."
Later these ideas would find their way into murals and floor pieces. From 1964-1966 Von Euer worked on her Orchard Interior Series. These pieces were concerned with the interior of being and fruition of the artist as creator. Landscapes of the inner self, these paintings are reminiscent of surrealism. In the late 60's she began the "Diana Caretaker Series." Diana and other symbolic figures express a kind of techno-surreal style. As William Wilson described, "It's combination of visual and personal psychosexual primitivism is traceable to UCLA and the Ceeje Gallery Group. The artist, however, covers her tracks well enough to create a funky, acid distortion...The combination of atonal color and undulating shapes are of self-analytic flavor, less a dream than a deep mood--viscous, erotic, soft and ironic."
Some of her most exciting ideas burst forth with her "Flow Inversion Series" from 1968-1975. At this time "Flow Yard" was made (a neat square filed of dirt interspersed with gray metallic forms which are randomly placed and whose surface is etched by tire tracks.) The "Flow Inversion Project: Inverted Freeway" was constructed, also. This freeway mural located downtown at 100 North Fremont was a vision of a possibility that is based on quantum physics. Here she placed shapes that were camouflaged by other shapes. They became brief openings in the landscape that revealed themselves to spectators and then disappeared as they sped by. Von Euer had been influenced in particular by the writings of Heraclitus: "Everything flows and nothing abides, Everything gives way and nothing stayes fixed."
In 1978 Von Euer pulled together her knowledge of art, music, installation and performance. She is a jazz saxophonist by origin. In her early childhood she had earned money by playing with groups like the Ina Rae Hutton Band on KTLA and KNBC, and the Spade Cooley Band on KTTV. She earned her way through college by her musical talent. She performed in various Renaissance Ensembles. So it is no surprise that she was drawn to performance art. In 1975-1980 Von Euer met with Bob Morin and began to work with him on a multi-media peformance that would become "Ornette's Way." The core of the show, which had many southland stagings, is based on the theme of the unfolding creative process. It contains six segments: a heraldic snare drum as the Introduction, a cartoon-like primeval forest of creatures that quake and inch in from stage right that fall over at any loud noise representing "Fear," "Intimidation" in the form of huge wooden feet and music similar to Charles Ives, "Pandemonim" in which the artist's voice emerges in the form of a saxophone, "Conviction" (a sax solo), and lastly "Integration." The characters in this art opera are works of art themselves who are carried and made to move by hooded prop men.
The public forum is an arena Judith Von Euer is most comfortable in. She thrives on the interaction of an audience. She has continued to perform, sing, play, and paint to this day. She has recently begun her "Teaching Walls Series" based largely on text, chant, edicts, records, and drawn from experiences from her teaching days. It is a delight to see so much talent from this artist integrated, catalogued and presented in this show.
Return to Judith Von Euer Essays
Return to Judith Von Euer