The Sushi Performance and Visual Arts Space has, in previous years, been a home to Southern California’s best contemporary art. The work exhibited there has been both adventurous in its aims and exciting for its audience. The current exhibit “”Inside Out”” by Margot Waller is not.
The exhibit is a collection of Waller’s work comprised of three series. The Flight Series is a collection of acrylic and multimedia paintings featuring small images of warblers amongst geometrical shapes. They are intended to convey “”ease and weightlessness; powerful, bold, yet quiet”” according to the artist’s description of the work. They certainly strike as easy and weightless, but as far as their power and boldness, she hasn’t quite accomplished her goal. This series is attractive enough, but it doesn’t speak of much beyond its visual appeal.
The second series is called the Intra Series. These paintings depict “”still, peaceful, majestic masses [meeting] frozen, still water and land,”” as described by Waller. These abstract landscapes effectively engage the viewer with their simple, spontaneous appearance, and they are by far the highlight of “”Inside Out.”” Unfortunately, the works from this series are not actually in the exhibit, although they appear on the promotional postcards for the show. These paintings can only be seen in snapshot form at Sushi.
The rest of the work in this show is from the CCG Series, which stands for “”currents, cycles and grooves.”” This series is comprised of modular wood panels, on which are painted chaotic messes of swirls and squiggles reminiscent of wave forms. While this may sound interesting, it’s not. The gallery is filled with more than 50 panels done in this fashion, all in drab colors and with no semblance of order. In regard to this series, Waller says, “”we have no control over them,”” which sounds like an apology for how boring the series is rather than an explanation.
“”With this work,”” Waller says in her artist’s statement, “”I am seeking to convey eloquence, a quiet refinement of color and maturity of expression while maintaining a sense of intrigue.”” It didn’t conveyed that, exactly. It left me feeling sorry I drove all the way downtown to see it … at least the gallery’s free.
Sushi Performance and Visual Arts Space is located at 320 11th Ave. The “”Inside Out”” exhibit runs until May 2, 2003.
