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Martina Johnston Gallery

May 28 - August 15, 2011

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1201 Sixth Street, 2nd Floor
Berkeley, CA 94710 Berkeley, CA 94710
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Sanctuary Regina Clarkinia, "Our Time," Digital Video still, 2011
The Martina }{ Johnston Gallery would like to invite you to an opening reception for SANCTUARY, an exhibition which represents a collaboration between artists Veronica De Jesus and Regina Clarkinia, including works on paper, a video installation, and featuring the Light Temple, an architectural installation in the gallery's backyard which provides a space for contemplation. The opening will be on Saturday, May 28th, 2011, from 5 to 8 p.m. The gallery is open every Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m. (or by appointment) throughout the course of the exhibition. The current exhibition builds on both artists' practices. De Jesus' ecstatic, multilayered drawings sizzle with energy - carefully arranged swirls of dynamic uncertainty. She has recently published "Hello Now From Everywhere," a collection of serial drawings which memorialize and share the stories of people whom she admires. Clarkinia's video practice, as exemplified by her recent work "Eat Pway Wuv" makes use of humor to create honest portraits of people both joyful and vulnerable. Together, De Jesus and Clarkinia conceived of this exhibition as a forum to "strategize about new techniques to find peace and radiate joy." About her work, De Jesus says, "my part for the show focuses on prayer. Seven abstract figurative works on paper include protection masks, open chakras, and prayer circles. In addition to this, I am hanging the Light Temple with sewn fabric pieces and placing in it baubles and pieces of mind-spirit. Visitors are invited to enter, sit, and be in the environment." Clarkinia says, "I am showing videos about peoples' hiding places and love dimensions. They tell stories that zero in on situations where people feel exhausted or threatened, and then follow the paths taken to forgive, rest, reconnect, love, and heal. These videos are pieces of a larger project: a variety show for kids, with kids, and about kids." Over the course of the exhibition, the artists will be presenting a series of poetry readings in the gallery. The artists conceive of poetry as "dealing with the weird skin that borders inner and outer violences and reliefs." The first of these readings is scheduled for June 26th and will feature Cedar Sigo, Jason Morris, and Evan Kennedy. The Light Temple is a collaborative effort by the artists and was fabricated by Jane Parrott and RH Lee. Parrott is an artist and set designer based in Los Angeles. She studied Fine Art at Bard College and Design for Performance at Center St. Martin's In London. Lee has a BA in Art/Semiotics from Brown University. She is an artist and woodworker in Los Angeles, where she designs and build custom furniture. De Jesus and Clarkinia see Sanctuary as the beginning of an ongoing project reflecting their fascination with creativity, balance, flow, rest, and regeneration; they intend to bring elements of this installation to other venues. Martina }{ Johnston is excited to host such innovative and thoughtful work.
Sanctuary Veronica De Jesus, "Prayer Circle," Mixed painting media, 34 x 43 inches, 2011