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Julie AlvaradoPost an Event »

Mercury 20 Gallery

August 1 - August 31, 2008

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475 25th Street Oakland, CA 94612
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Julie Alvarado
Opening Reception: Friday, August 1 from 6:00--9:00pm (in conjunction with First Friday/Oakland Art Murmur). Live music by master accordionist Lou Jacklich. The paintings of Julie Alvarado portray realistic landscapes derived from photographic images that the artist manipulates to form personal narratives. The intense realism, rich color, and small scale all reference a kind of postcard. These landscapes serve as a visual account of Alvarado's travels as well as a starting point for the exploration of imagination, memory and ideas. Western icons are contemplated in Alvarado's work as she unravels the American cultural fabric. After hearing a friend play magical accordion music at a dinner party, Alvarado was inspired to take up the instrument herself. Learning to play the accordion proved to be a transformative, humorous, and spiritual experience that has infiltrated her paintings and resulted in a body of work called Accordion Dreams. Julie Alvarado was born in Whittier, CA and has a BFA in Art from Cal State Fullerton and an MFA from California College of the Arts. Her work has been exhibited locally at the SFMOMA Artists Gallery, Esteban Sabar Gallery, Sanchez Art Center, Oakland Art Gallery and is represented in numerous private collections.