ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT - Andrew Hem

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
Andrew Hem

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SMC Alum meets with First Lady Michelle Obama by invitation from The White House Historical Society

By: Jamie Solis

Andrew Hem is a great example of a Santa Monica College Alumnus who went on to accomplish many impressive achievements. Coming to SMC from Santa Monica High School class of ‘99, Andrew earned an Associate’s Degree in Liberal Arts after realizing that focusing on his passions would help him attain the success he’s always dreamed of. This summer, Andrew was one of five chosen artists out of the whole country to be honored by The White House Historical Society for his captivating paintings.

Andrew first came to SMC without a clear intention of what he wanted to pursue. With a background in street art, he decided to take his very first art class, which was figure drawing. After receiving direction and support from numerous SMC professors, including Professor Marc Trujillo, Andrew explains why he decided to focus his education on fine art, “It was an easy transition for me. Before that I only did graffiti, and I mainly did lettering. As soon as I made that transition, it was easy for me to change to figure drawing because of the shapes and cylinders—graffiti is all about shapes and cylinders.” Andrew is very grateful to Professor Trujillo, as well as many other SMC professors that were dedicated to encouraging him to get better at his craft.

The drawing classes Andrew took at SMC helped him reach the level of professionalism he is at now, because it gave him the strong drawing background that was necessary to strengthen his painting. After earning his AA degree, Andrew transferred to study at Art Center in Pasadena. He now considers himself a figure painter, with a focus on stylized figures. Receiving support and guidance at SMC helped Andrew work towards many prestigious endeavors, which include landing a visit to The White House, and traveling around the country giving speeches to art students.

The opportunity to go to the White House was so unreal, he initially disregarded the invite email he received from the society as a scam. Once his friend called The White House and confirmed the event honoring him was in fact legitimate, he jumped at the opportunity to attend.

While receiving his honor at The White House, Andrew met some of his idols, which solidified how far he’d come in the art world. Not only did he get to shake hands with Michelle Obama, Andrew was in shock when he saw his idol of the art world stepping out of a taxi cab, and walking towards the line he was standing in. Andrew has looked up to artist Barry McGee since he began practicing art when he was a young teenager. Being able to meet and talk with his all-time hero, and at The White House of all places, was an amazing encounter for him. He described it as the best experience in his art career so far. Since his recognition, he hasn’t stopped traveling, and has continued to be invited to give lectures nationwide.

Although Andrew is self-described as shy and not very talkative, he has been giving lectures at art schools across America. His first lecture was at Otis College of Art and Design, where he spoke in front of approximately 400 people. Not only did he give a speech, he also painted a demo that was projected on a big screen. It was a challenge he had to overcome, because he was worried if his painting was good enough, and unsure if he’d be able to keep the crowd entertained for four hours—he didn’t want the crowd to fall asleep watching paint dry. He’s grateful for the speech class he took at SMC, because it still helps him in situations like this today. Remembering the basics like making eye contact with everybody and to constantly practice his speech are pointers he has never forgotten as he continues to lecture across the country.

Since graduating from SMC, Andrew has been asked to paint many large murals, including one on the eBay building in downtown Los Angeles. He plans to continue painting everyday and working hard to improve his techniques. He knows that it’s a struggle being an artist, whether you’re a rapper, photographer or in any other field, because you’re constantly trying to innovate and reinvent yourself. He wants to do something amazing and live beyond the expectation that he’s already set. Andrew will continue to paint more murals, because it’s something he really enjoys. Overall, there’s nothing he wants more than to become a master in his field.

When Andrew is not pursuing his life as a figure painter indoors and outdoors, he enjoys spending the little free time that he has riding his scooter, watching movies and hanging out with his girlfriend. While he says his hobbies aren’t too impressive, being invited to meet with Michelle Obama at The White House is pretty monumental.

For more on Hem's work, go to the source: www.andrewhem.com


Originally Published By Santa Monica College in November 2013: http://alumni.smc.edu/News/NewsDetail/2051

Dual Perspectives

 

Dual Perspectives 

Any Which Way You See It

By: Jamie Solis

Intriguing artwork has a way of connecting you with an inanimate object, creating an experience that allows you to feel part of something universal. A light installation by Hiromi Takizawa entitled “ULTRAVIOLET” is an alluring medium that gives us the feeling we are melded with a piece of art that is actively improving upon our overall well-being. When you first approach this work by Takizawa, feelings of health and happiness are produced because it is aglow—as you bask in the illumination of this piece, you are reminded of how practices of light therapy convey the notion that light is therapeutic and beneficial. After all, the sun is a great source for our daily dose of precious Vitamin D.

Purposefully placed facing the downtown pedestrian mall in the storefront window of UCR Culver Center of the Arts, this work is considered much more than just a sculpture—this installment conveys permanence beyond something that will be forgotten once it’s gone. The artist presents many merging themes of where she draws her inspiration, which range from the places she has called home to one specific period of art where dynamic light was given the freedom to roam in simple spaces. Not only is its placement within this hub of cultural excitement deliberate, but the time of year this work is being displayed is intentional as well. During these months, the days are shorter and the nights are long, giving “ULTRAVIOLET” a greater period of time to exude its bright beauty. This season also reminds Takizawa of the fall when she was living in her hometown of Nagano, Japan.

As an artist who is intrigued by duality, Takizawa uses this piece as a vehicle to materialize the merging of her Japanese heritage with the intriguing and obscure encounters she has found in the Western hemisphere. The way she brings together this opposing partnership between the two different cultures is by creating more than one way the viewer to see “ULTRAVIOLET.” Demonstrating this conflicting relationship, you are given the option of witnessing her work from clashing perspectives—you may see how the illumination of the transparent cube varies dependent upon which space you secure for viewing it.

Whether you’ve come to witness “ULTRAVIOLET” as the sun sets, or you happen to find yourself on the illuminated pathway as you head to the City of Riverside’s annual Festival of Lights, from the outside the exhibit, you’re viewing an installation that is a luminous sight—the transparent cube Takizawa designed conducts multicolored neon lights that illuminate its form. Vibrancy and shadows are broadcasted through the glass and out into the walkway that lies in front of the building it is projected from.

Once you enter the modest building and walk around to the back of the installment, you get a completely rivaled outlook as you’re forced to peer through a large window portal. What was a diffused wash of light is now represented only from its origins—stark and sharp color is glowing off the 12 neon rods that are responsible for generating this flush of pinks, greens, yellows, blues and crisp white. Hanging plants create a mural of shadows against the lightly illuminated space surrounding the rods, highlighting how different standpoints will result in a completely different representation of the same subject. This view shows that if you take a step beyond your initial reaction, and take a deeper look at any subject, relativity becomes evident and perspectives tend to shift.

The way light moves and dances throughout a simple architectural place was clearly influential to Takizawa in the conception of this installation. It was during the minimalist light and space movement of the 1960s that these themes started to emerge in the art world. Allowing light and vibrant colors to create depth and texture within an otherwise simple environment was revolutionary, and pairing an abundance of brilliant light with personal themes, Takizawa embarks on a revolution all her own. Let yourself fall into the illusion Takizawa has created, and reflect on how one subject can look vastly different all depending upon where you’re standing.

ULTRAVIOLET at Culver Center of the Arts, UCR ARTSblock, 3824 Main St., Riverside, (909) 827-4787; artsblock.ucr.edu. Thru Jan 4. $3. 

Originally Published by IE Weekly on November 27, 2013: http://ieweekly.com/2013/11/arts/arts-feature/dual-perspectives/

Beyond Traditional Customs

 

Beyond Traditional Customs

Contemporary Artists Demonstrate Their Visions of Día De Los Muertos

By: Jamie Solis

Mourning the death of a loved one is typically a sad and difficult time for most; however Día De Los Muertos is a refreshing celebration for the afterlife of the deceased that’s infused with liveliness and positivity. This sacred holiday is celebrated worldwide—though many cultural roots in the holiday stem from Latin American countries, with festivities filled with music, food, dancing and most importantly altars (called ofrendas) that honor friends and relatives that have passed on. Altars are typically adorned with photos of the deceased, flowers and sugar skulls. The offerings of pan dulce, as well as the deceased’s favorite foods and beverages are also common. Incense is burned to help guide the spirits home, while one candle is burned for each individual that has passed. To accompany Riverside’s citywide festival celebrating this meaningful holiday, guest curator Cosmé Cordova presents “Transcending Traditions: Día de Los Muertos | Day of the Dead” at the Riverside Art Museum.

“Transcending Traditions” highlights age-old customs of Día De Los Muertos, while allowing artists the flexibility to interpret what the holiday means to them personally. Made up of artworks beyond the traditional altars that are commonly used for honoring the deceased in Mexican traditions, exhibited cultural centerpieces take on various elaborate and colorful forms. Channeling centuries of Aztecs who have celebrated the remembrance of friends and family members that have passed away, “Transcending Traditions” is comprised of printmaking, ceramics, textiles, drawings and paintings made by artists from Southern California, Arizona and Mexico. While there is an immense amount of diversity within this exhibit, there are undoubtedly recurring themes between unrelated works.

Towering high above your head, a thin and bony skeleton resembling Jack Skellington from The Nightmare Before Christmas is the perfect greeter, posted just outside the museum’s entrance. This structure of bones, rocking a grin that spans the width of his face, is riding atop a massive bicycle with a frame made out of bottle caps. The artist responsible for this piece is Martin Sanchez—owner of the restaurant Tio’s Tacos. When he is not being praised for his authentic food, he’s known for creating alternative and large-scale art installations like this one. If you’re assuming this giant skeleton is serving a frightful purpose just in time for Halloween, then you’d be widely misinterpreting its presence. There’s nothing morbid or frightening about Day of the Dead decor—the sugar skull represents deceased loved ones. Often decorated with the name of the deceased on the forehead, these skulls are enhanced with bright colors and whimsical designs like stripes, swirls and dots. Like the bicycle-riding skeleton, every piece in this exhibit fuses traditional idols with modern techniques and interpretations.

Two drawings by Antonio Pelayo expose his conjoined inspiration of honoring the traditional Mexican culture associated with Día De Los Muertos, integrated with a modern representation of the holiday. This could stem from the background of this talented artist, growing up in Mexico before moving to the U.S., where he currently resides. One of his drawings, Flores de Muerte, is of a beautiful Latina woman with sugar skull face makeup. The colorless model is holding a confident and sexy pose while wearing a traditional sombrero on her head. While marigolds are known as the flowers of the dead because they’re believed to help the spirits of the deceased find their homes and altars, the artist has chosen to adorn the hat with pink, red and blue roses instead, which add a meditated splash of color to this work of art.

As Catholicism has a strong presence in the Latino community, it is not surprising that religious idols are used by various artists. One example is in an extremely convincing and lifelike depiction of a woman’s eyes close-up entitled The End by Pelayo. The entrancing eyes convey a spiritual undertone for a variety of reasons. The most obvious is the faint cross penciled between her eyes. Beyond that, her wet and fear-struck eyes look as if they are coming face to face with their end. The beautiful yellow, orange and red bursts that resemble fireworks from one right eye that is full of flame while the other eye is mostly white, giving you the idea that she is staring into the eyes of the divine. With her eyes exposing such beauty in their final moments, maybe there is nothing to fear in the end. Another great piece by Carlos Magallanes uses the cross as the focal point, rather than leaving it as an interpretive icon. This commanding, intricate cross with gold detail and a red and black emblem in the center has a strong message of religion as the focal point, rather than leaving this conclusion up to the viewer to interpret.

Whether you find this as an opportunity to connect with a culture that is familiar to you, or a chance to become engulfed in a vibrant celebration that is new and exciting, “Transcending Traditions” will transport you into an understanding that we all have in common—one that values commemorating those no longer with us that have made our life journeys possible.

“Transcending Traditions: Día de Los Muertos | Day of the Dead” at Riverside Art Museum, 3425 Mission Inn Ave., Riverside, (951) 684-7111; www.riversideartmuseum.org. Thru Nov. 25. $5.

Originally Published by IE Weekly on October 31, 2013: http://ieweekly.com/2013/10/arts/arts-feature/beyond-traditional-customs/