Artist Pam Douglas brings the celestial and cosmic down-home in her September 1-26 exhibit at Bergamot Station, Santa Monica
The original “big blue marble”—the first image of our planet taken from space—was taken by Apollo 17 astronauts in 1972. Now, the Deep Space Climate Observatory, or “Dscovr”, will be taking such photos on a regular basis, literally shot from a million miles away. This proximity and intimacy with the cosmos inspires Los Angeles artist Pam Douglas to incorporate photos from deep space into mixed media images on paper which comprise her new exhibition, “Galaxies”, opening at the TAG Gallery September 1-26. At Bergamot Station, Santa Monica.
Paying homage to 25 years of celestial images from the Hubble Telescope, Douglas includes snippets of Hubble photos into her works on paper, combined with pastel, watercolor, charcoal, acrylic and pencil. She takes a light-hearted approach to her subject in the new exhibition’s 11 pieces, playfully presenting human interaction with the celestial. Babies and Buddhas giggle in her images of swirling nebulae.
Douglas comments, “We are not just bodies stuck here in some trivial squabble. Like the song goes, we really are stardust, and humans actually are part of the huge mystery we see when we look into the night sky above us. The separation we feel is in many ways false, and we yearn to be in contact with what we all intuitively know is our home.”
In these medium-sized pieces, she apples acrylic and other media in thin, transparent glazes, suggesting the closeness of seemingly alien realms. The artist, who is also an award-winning screenwriting professor at USC, School of Cinematic Arts, and the author of “The Future of Television: Your Guide to Creating TV in the New World,” cites Asian art as a strong influence on her visual work. “The balance and subtlety of classic Asian forms is an important aspect for me,” she says, “And also the quality of withholding. There is a quality of withholding and restraint in my art. It’s about containing energy and power—maybe preparing for another Big Bang.”
Meet the artist and experience her work at the Artist’s Reception on Saturday, September 12, 5-8 pm, open to the public at no charge. Douglas will also present an Artist’s Talk about her work at the TAG Gallery on Saturday, September 19 at 3 pm.
TAG Gallery Bergamot Station 2525 Michigan Avenue – D 310-829-9556
