Robert Pasternak: “Doors of Perception” / Martha Rich: "Nice School"
April 3 - 26, 2009
Artist reception: Friday, April 3, 2009 ~ 8:00 -11:00 pm

LA LUZ DE JESUS GALLERY
4633 Hollywood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90027
323-666-7667 Fax: 323-663-0243
www.laluzdejesus.com

Online press release with images: http://leejosephpublicity.com/show/pasternakrich

Robert Pasternak: “Doors of Perception”
Robert Pasternak (Nak) is one of Canada's most prolific and original visionary artists and creates Metaphysical Still Life (or, Moving Life), surrealistic, abstract & ethereal, diagrammatic & scientific fusion (or, perhaps fission) using acrylic paint with traditional brushes on canvas, board and wood panel. "Doors of Perception" is Pasternak's first exhibition in the United Sates. The artist creates a bridge and often a portal to different states of consciousness, connecting to some aspect of our corporeal being which he believes has shared energy systems with flowers, insects, magnetic and morphogenic fields, chakras, and is wholly connected to macro & micro systems. Some of his creations speak to the body directly, sidestepping the mind while others speak to the mind in a jumble of images, as if they are clues to a greater understanding. "My work transcends boundaries and time within my oeuvre. I work by way of juggling many stylistic worlds and ideas and do not keep to one period of work for any great length of time but am always coming back to add to that body. In this, the creation of work does not really follow linear paths. In this revisiting of themes and styles, I find interesting cross-references where one informs the other. All these sets of work are unique to themselves yet are connected and part of other groups and therefore part of a larger whole" states Pasternak. "Doors of Perception" is comprised of a sampling of some of the areas and styles of Pasternak's works that have been continually developing over his artistic practice, enabling the viewer to see a larger continuity.

Pasternak has worked as a production artist, designing for the garment industry, including logo and crest designs and color separations for screen-printing. He was the art director for Zygote magazine for two years. He worked as a digital colorist for a multimedia firm. Robert's art has graced the covers of many books, including authors Timothy Findley, Guy Vanderhaeghe , Phyllis Gotlieb and Robert Enright. In addition he is a recurring cover artist for such publications as On Spec. He continues to work as a freelance graphic designer, illustrator and fine artist, working on commissioned paintings as well as his own ideas. Pasternak also produces films that are experiments in sound & motion and are extensions of his bilateral symmetry paintings. His first work in this medium was the only Canadian short film selected to play at the Venice Film Festival (Italy) in 2003. The artist will be screening his film work at the opening reception of "Doors of Perception"


Martha Rich: “Nice School”
Where did you go to nice school? This show is an exploration of niceness. What a nice girl. That's nice. If you are nice, people will like you. Do you like nice people? Is nice better than mean? Does nice finish last? Is mean winning? Jerk. Mean gets the attention. Does nice equal doormat? Wimp. Being nice all the time is annoying. Is nice contagious? You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. Who wants to catch flies? Nice. Be nice and come see the show.

This is Martha Rich's third show at La Luz de Jesus Gallery. Using personal insecurities infused with subtle humor as a base for her narrative, “Nice School” explores her experiences growing up in suburban Philadelphia where young women were expected to be nice, polite and helpful - being liked by all was the ultimate goal. At first glance the paintings appear benign, nice and comforting. Below the surface, the layers reveal a darker side to being nice, trying to answer the question whether being too nice can be a not so nice thing.

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La Luz de Jesus is located at the Soap Plant/Wacko building, in Los Feliz at 4633 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90027. Gallery hours are Monday - Wednesday: 11am - 7pm, Thursday - Saturday: 11am - 9pm and Sunday 12-6pm.