Diversity in art

The summer season at Laguna Art Museum will be a study in contrasts.

Two major exhibits ? “Artists at Continent’s End: The Monterey Peninsula Art Colony, 1875-1907” and “Pervasion: The Art of Gary Baseman and Tim Biskup” ? debut on June 18 at the museum.

“Artists at Continent’s End” will focus on California’s earliest artists and examines three styles typical to the colony: French Barbizon, Tonalism and Impressionism.

The traveling exhibition, which originates from the Crocker Museum in Sacramento, will feature artists such as Jules Tavernier, Arthur Mathews and William Keith, among others.

The museum decided to host the show, Stallings said, because Northern California art doesn’t typically get seen in Southern California. The Laguna Art Museum focuses on California art, he said, so the fit was natural.

“The peninsula was an art colony that sort of mirrors Laguna,” Stallings said. “The years that it covers are, in a way, the years before Laguna established itself.”

“It’s nice to see a little bit of a precedent,” Stallings said. “The amount of tonalist work is different from the typical Impressionist work we see here.”

“The show is essentially laid out chronologically,” he said, beginning with the “discovery” of the isolated area by Jules Tavernier.

Conversely, “Pervasion” showcases two contemporary artists in a Technicolor exhibit including toys and multimedia in addition to the paintings.

“We always try to mix things up just to have diversity,” Stallings said. “This is the opposite end up the spectrum. Usually we have two changing exhibits in contrast: one contemporary, one historical.”

Baseman and Biskup use every possible medium to promote their art, saturating daily life with their imagery, in order to create a brand for themselves.

“In one time you would have been ridiculed to be so commercial with your work,” Stallings said. “It’s sort of a subtle shift within the contemporary world. At one time, the avant garde was defining itself against globalism, consumerism, capitalism. There was not a focus on craftsmanship or object making. This represents a shift back to an embrace of that.”

Stallings, who is curating “Pervasion” himself, chose a more amalgamated installation design.

“In this case, we wanted to juxtapose toys next to the paintings, and also because these two artists are friends, we don’t segregate the pieces to show the subtle collaboration they have,” he said.

A reception for all of the new exhibits will be held on Saturday night from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Members are free; non-member admission is $15.

Laguna Art Museum, located at 307 Cliff Drive, is open during the summer season from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults and $8 for seniors and students; children under 12 are free. For more information, call (949) 494-8971 or visit www.lagunaartmuseum.org.cpt.16-happsidebar-1-CPhotoInfo0T1S0AF420060616j0vh5encDON LEACH / COASTLINE PILOT(LA)Raymond Dabb Yelland (1848-1900), “Sunset at Cypress Point, Monterey,” not dated. Part of a major exhibition of works from the Monterey Peninsula at Laguna Art Museum. cpt.16-happs-2-CPhotoInfoOJ1S0UFN20060616j0vp9yncDON LEACH / COASTLINE PILOT(LA)Shannon Faseler hangs one of many early California paintings in the “Artists at Continent’s End” show opening this weekend at the Laguna Art Museum.