"Patterns that Unite Us" is the theme of the open studio event of multi-disciplinary artist group Loco Moto Art, who are in their 4th year of the studio residency at Aberthau Mansion, West Point Grey Community Centre supported by Vancouver Park Board Arts Culture and Environment. Curated by Artistic Director, Laura Lee Coles, the artists will present several interactive digital works, prints and photographs, including soundscape compositions. Colourful and exciting to experience, the works of Loco Moto Art and guest artists will include a large projection of stereoscopic 3-D mandalas that are moving and weaving patterns; numerous prints of geometric abstractions which bend and stretch the imagination, the display of mandalas made from objects found during community art sessions in Jericho Beach urban forest. Additionally, the large scale digital mosaics of the Sunflower Garden Project will be on display.
LocoMotoArt is joined by artists in the community who enjoy creating artworks inspired by the Mandala.
Grace L. Cuenca: Grace's stunning artworks represent geometric abstractions in a fusion of pattern and colour. The circle is an ancient pattern and found throughout multiple cultures.
Born and raised in the Philippines, Grace L. Cuenca graduated with a BS in Chemical Engineering at Cebu Institute of Technology. While in the Philippines she had a career working as an educator. Soon after immigrating to Canada she studied Computer studies at BCIT and achieved a Certificate in Mechanical Drawing from Vancouver Community College. Grace was also a homemaker during her studies and raised two children to adulthood and active in the Filipino community. Grace picked up the camera and quickly discovered it was a “glorious way to spend time in another world” where it “feels good and uplifting” and has not stopped taking photos since.
As a former volunteer for Vancouver Art Gallery, Grace gained inspiration to peruse her creative “dreams”. Grace learned Photoshop and mastered skills to “paint” digital paintings she refers to as “geometric abstractions” and attended many courses at Langara College and with Focal Point. Alliance for the Arts introduced Grace to LocoMotoArt founder Laura Lee Coles in July of this year and Coles curated Grace’s works for exhibition with LocoMotoArt during Culture Days on the Second Floor in Aberthau Mansion. Grace holds deep interests and commitment in community participation are seen through her photography blog site at: www.glcuencaartphotography.blogspot.com.
Digital Mandala - Rob Scharein - A Stereoscopic 3-D installation
Earth Heart Hum - Mandalas by Samuel Romero
Samuel Romero is a musician and visual artist offering his guitar explorations and mandala artworks of self-expression. Sam focuses on cultivating non-judgmental creativity through all of his expressions. By nurturing this creativity Sam believes that everyone has an opportunity to be in touch with life itself. Sam was born in El Salvador and immigrated to Canada with his family as a young boy. His roots have imbedded him with a deep desire to give back and inspire people through creativity. Now based in Vancouver, Sam’s art umbrella Earth Heart Hum offers music, artwork and mandala workshops with the mission of helping others cultivate their own unique expression.
Samuel’s work with mandalas is a personal journey of relating to self, and the world around him. He began the mandalas in early 2013 and has since discovered the continuous stream of expression unfolding in every work. It is in these artworks where Samuel discovered the depths of self and explored hid personal complexities as well as, endeavour to cultivate his sense of authenticity. The aim of Samuel’s process is to create a visual representation of his life experience. He creates the mandalas using ink, acrylics and fine brushes. His work is done free hand and a free flow of instinct to lead the work to its final form.
Jack Procter - Raw Art Raw Vision
A native of Vancouver, born 1948, artist Jack Procter explores shape and colour. Jack is a painter, sculptor and maker of intricate collages. Inspired by Alexander Calder, Joan Miro, Friedensreich Hundertwasser, the Inuit, Frank Stella, Henri Matisse and Jean Dubuffet, Procter’s “RAW ART RAW VISION” draws upon intuition, design, assemblage, and the art outsider French movement of art brut, "raw art" or "rough art" often associated with the work of Dubuffet. Often considered an “idealistic approach to aesthetics," art brut deliberately eschews traditional standards of beauty in favor of social and intuitive approach to art creation referred to as outsider art. During is over 48 year career as an artist, Jack has created numerous mandalas, several of which are on display during the exhibition.
Intertwined Boundaries: Laura Lee Coles
Inspired by research findings that there are cognitive benefits to being in natural setting and that we humans have a natural affinity for the natural landscape, and that these experiences generate health benefits; the artist created Intertwined Boundaries, a walk-based experiential workshop culminating in the making of a naturalist collage of the found objects collected by participants during a walk in the forest, or around their urban neighbourhood.