Offering individual reflection
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Lolita Harper
Lisa Eddy’s art is created to inspire reflection. She wants her
audience to look at her work and see something of themselves in the
jewel-toned oils on her canvas.
“I think all art should be viewed as mirrors into the individual
viewing the art,” Eddy said. “No two people will walk away with the
same impression or experience.”
The Huntington Beach resident’s exhibit, “Framing the Unconscious:
A Portrait of Dreams,” is on display in a small industrial office in
Costa Mesa.
Amid the boxy, drab industrial buildings on Logan Avenue, a burst
of creative color shines through. Brilliant hues -- brought to life
by Eddy’s creative brush strokes -- make their lively debut on the
walls of Art Martyr Gallery.
The self-proclaimed “nontraditional, alternative venue” gallery
shares a renovated industrial space with the Corner design firm. Amid
the working space of graphic designers Tony Colombini and Anne Westin
hang rotating exhibits from local artists. Eddy’s works decorate the
walls through Sept. 30.
Eddy said her art is real to her in the same way that her dreams
are real to her, with random images and pure emotions passing through
in colorful, phantom-like forms. Her work is simple and bold, she
said, designed to illustrate contrast with bright colors against dark
backgrounds.
Her message of reflection is embraced by the gallery owner.
“This space brought together many loves,” Colombini said. “If the
art fits with our vision, we make it happen and create value and have
fun.”
Fun is the word that best describes the small suite. The ceiling
is painted blue with the supporting walls in white and black. On the
white walls are Eddy’s creations. On the black -- and everywhere else
-- more fun.
There are displays of model cars, art on skateboards, hand-painted
furniture, coffee tables on shopping cart wheels and a mini-bar with
old matchbooks fixed into the countertop. High above the computer
workstations are more original pieces of art. A rendition of the
traditional Tide detergent box brightens the south wall and a series
of three desert highway landscapes adorn the northern wall.
“Those are mine,” Colombini said quietly.
But the focus for this exhibition is on Eddy, he quickly reminds.
The Surf City artist depicts dreamy imagery and reality through mixed
media.
The reveries take form on canvas, furniture and small-scale
hand-painted prints, using oil paints and mosaic tiles.
Westin, the gallery coordinator, said she was enthusiastic about
getting the community-grown gallery up and running. Eddy is the
second artist to showcase at the Art Martyr Gallery, which is barely
two months old, Westin said.
“I always wanted to be a part of a gallery where I could work with
emerging artist and help them get a foot in the door,” Westin said.
This month, the foot is Eddy’s.
* LOLITA HARPER is a writer for Times Community News. She may be
reached at (949) 574-4275 or by e-mail at [email protected].
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