There are three new exhibits currently on display at the Torrance Art Museum, located in the Civic Center right next to the library, police station, and local theater.
Every day from 11 to 5 the museum is open for the public to come observe. All three artists are local, that is to say from the south bay area, and all the works on display fall into the category of abstract art.
The three artists featured at the moment are Marco Casentini, Mary Pichette, and Eric Johnson, each with a different take on abstract art.
Casentini's section, entitled "Have A Nice Day," is a collage of his very colorful paint-on-glass, Piccasso-esque works against a colorful background the artist painted himself to accentuate the feel of the paintings. The bright, vibrant colors he uses in his pieces are meant to invoke a happy, easygoing feel that Casentini feels is characteristic of his California experience.
Pichette's paintings center more around using the shadows that occur in nature to create an "organic abstraction" affect. She believes that nature functions as a kind of catalyst for her artistic process. Her section in the museum is fittingly called "Building Into Shadows."
Johnson's medium is perhaps the most eccentric of the three, because he works almost entirely with polyester resin cast into different shapes. His main work on display at the museum takes the appearance of a gaint ear of corn, and is called "The Maize Project." It is made of over 300 individual cast resin "kernels," which contain mementos and keepsakes from different people. Some of these people Johnson knew, but others simply felt moved to donate their personal items to be a part of the Maize Project. A row of pictures is posted on the wall of everyone who donated something to the project.
