"Defying Doyen" - Ventura County Artists Under 40 Exhibit

The Ventura County Arts Council’s first curated exhibit of the year is their “Under 40 Show.” Eight contemporary artists, all under 40 and currently residing in Ventura County will be featured in a 7-week exhibition on the 4th floor of The Atrium Gallery in the Ventura County Government Center.

Opening reception, Friday, Jan. 27, 5:30-7 p.m.

Details below:

Dab Art is pleased to present DEFYING DOYEN, an exhibition of contemporary works. After a lifetime of experience, discovery and medium refinement, a doyen artist can finally achieve notoriety as a master. While the doyens are both referenced and revered for their achievements, it is the defiant nature of contemporaneous artists that will continue to chronicle the future eras in art.

A small group of Ventura County based artists were selected for this exhibition based on their prodigious aptitude and desire to challenge the traditional notions of art and its context. This under 40 ensemble reaches new heights of complexity with refined detail and radiance through a survey of abstracts, photography, oils and mixed media.

Young minds provoke critical dialogue by calling into question our awareness and convictions about the boundaries that separate desire and fear, life and death, reason and faith, love and hate. Young artists convey these questions visually through their work, capturing precarious moments in time that passes most of us by.

Artists On Exhibit:
Nash Rightmer + Jonas Lara + Pete Ippel + Dominga Opazo + Charles Pepper + Zara Monet Feeny + Cameron Hurdus + Krystal Becker

Nash Rightmer (b. 1982) is an Ojai resident, visual artist, photographer and poet. His altruistic and authentic nature is signified in a portfolio spanning nearly two decades. Nash’s work is comprised of both physical materials and transcendent experiences. The final examination of his finished pieces is as complex and as vast as the mind that created them. He received his B.A. in Film Production & Cinematography from California State University, Northridge (2008) & his M.A. in Visual Communications and Photography from California State University, Northridge (2011). Nash works from his studio located at H Gallery + Studios in Midtown Ventura.

Jonas Lara (b. 1982) is an Oxnard based mixed media artist working in photography and paint, primarily focusing on Architectural Abstraction. He earned his BFA in Photography and Imaging at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California and his MFA in Fine Art and at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. Jonas is also a US Marine Core Veteran. In recent years, Jonas has exhibited extensively throughout the Central Coast and Southern California. In addition to his recent solo exhibition at The Carnegie Museum, Jonas is also the recipient of the 2016 VCAC Artists Travel Grant Award and is currently on roster with Dab Art.

Dominga Opazo (b. 1994) currently resides in Ventura, emigrating from Chile a decade ago. Her mixed media work consists mostly of prints and textiles, as well as wood burning, paintings and drawings. Dominga’s greatest inspiration, and often the subject of her art, is the natural world seen through the lens of her childhood. Drawing inspiration from her native Chile and incorporating elements from her new serein coastal home, Dominga is a fine artist and innovator. Domingo works and creates from her own studio fittingly called Chillipepper Labs, located in Downtown Ventura and is currently on roster with Dab Art.

Krystal Becker (b. 1979) was born in Orange County, California. She has exhibited extensively throughout Southern California. Primarily known as a portrait artist working predominantly in gray scale, her new works are an admirably executed experimentation of time travel and tribute to color. Though currently residing in Oak View, Krystal’s studio is located at H Gallery + Studios in Midtown Ventura.

Pete Ippel (b. 1979) is a visual and performance artist in Ventura. Pete’s work combines traditional art materials with digital techniques demonstrating creative fluency. By moving with ease and grace through a variety of media, he focuses on communicating ideas and gains knowledge in the process. Pete works and resides from his home studio at the WAV, located in Downtown Ventura.

Zara Monet Feeny (b. 1988) was born and raised in Thousand Oaks, California; receiving her BA at UCLA and MFA at LCAD. Zara’s framework on how to conceptually investigate ideas in painting explored through her studies. By challenging traditional modes of representation and exploiting optics of value and color, she questions the common way art is received. Zara works from Arttrek in Thousand Oaks, where she is currently the Artist in Residence.

Cameron Hurdus (b. 1998) is originally from Seattle, Washington. Now a Ventura based photographer, designer and musician, He is an artist interested in them emotional connections made between people, places, and time. Primarily focusing on landscapes, his photos are reflective of his calm nature and integral spirit. The mesmerizing compositions of Cameron’s work can make it easy to forget the literal subject matter through his ethereal lens. Cameron has visited numerous countries documenting the natural landscapes of the world. Recent trips include New Zealand and Australia, we he was awarded the 2016 Lido Prize, presented by Golf Digest. The Lido Prize (excellence in architecture and design), presented annually at the Alister McKenzie Society Gala held at the Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Victoria, Australia.

Charles Pepper (b. 1982) is a prolific collage and mixed media artist currently residing in Ventura. His images occupy the space between high and low; the sacred and the profane. Many of his new works explore a complex psychological direction and symbiotic relationships. Charles’ work is unlike any artist before him, drawing from his natural talent and restless creative mind, he is a pioneer in composition. Charles works from his home studio in Midtown Ventura.

Curated by Yessíca Torres
Dab Art
T. 1 805 626 8876
E. info@dabart.me
www.DabArt