Doug Nason, February 2007

Douglas Nason is an anthropologist, photographer and writer interested in art and culture. He is the author of SHAG LTD. Fine Art Limited Editions (2005), Night of the Tiki: The Art of Shag, Schmaltz and Selected Primitive Oceanic Carvings (2001), and co-author of Copro/Nason Fine Art, A Catalogue Raisonné (2006), The Art of Von Dutch (2006) and Rat Fink: The Art of Ed “Big Daddy” Roth (2003). His photography and writing have appeared in magazines and publications such as Islands, Juxtapoz, Barracuda, Los Angeles, LA Weekly, World Explorer, International Tattoo Art and H2O. His photos have also been exhibited at J. Moore Gallery in Seal Beach, California, and won Grand Prize in Islands magazine 2006 photo competition. Nason is co-owner of Copro/Nason Gallery in Santa Monica and has curated many groundbreaking art exhibitions.
Although Nason has a preference for black and white photojournalistic and landscape photography, this unique exhibition debuts his color portraiture. These images were taken by Nason while conducting ethnographic and archeological research in Nusa Tenggara (Eastern Indonesia), Papua New Guinea, Madagascar and other Oceanic locals. All 17 photos were shot using hand-held 35 millimeter film cameras with Canon EF series lenses, and mostly Kodak Portra ISO 160 and 400VC color negative film.

Doug Nason @ HBO

These uncropped full-frame photographs were meticulously hand-printed on metallic paper by Hamid Afrasiabi with Custom Image in Los Angeles before being masterfully framed by J. Fieldson Custom Framing in Huntington Beach.

Jeff Zucker, December 2006

"Sunday Morning" photo by Jeff Zucker

From his website, "Jeff Zucker's photographic portraits capture character, mood, and even narrative. Zucker's love of photography transcends the everyday and brings his subjects to life. Jeff has an excellent lighting technique, the fruit of many years in the film industry. His raw and unfiltered shots are actually heightened by an instinctive ability to manipulate and exploit light, making it an active participant in his photographs. In addition to his work in lighting direction for films, theater, opera, dance, and concerts, Jeff has shot numerous actors , writers, and musicians, creating headshots which are fresh, spontaneous, and striking - all trademarks of his work". See more of Zucker's work here.

Jeff Zucker @ HBO

Paul Garvey, November 2006

Paul Garvey, in studio

Paul Garvey’s paintings focus on figural compositions that explore the energy and enigmatic spirit of abstraction. His current series is characterized by emphatic renderings of biomorphic shapes and unusual arrangements that often combine erratic brushstrokes with broad planes of color. At times Garvey allows the paint to drip from the surface of the canvas, lending a sense of fluidity to the abstracted configurations. Using flattened, conceptual variations of the human form, Garvey succeeds in stretching the viewers' imagination.

Sprouting from the foundation of realistic depictions, Garvey’s creative sensibilities have gradually evolved toward a more conceptual aesthetic. In effort to give form to ideas that are often intangible and vaguely defined, he incorporates his appreciation for mathematics. By way of example, Garvey associates the algebraic variables of x, y and z with the shapes and color planes in his paintings, both of which serve as symbols that allow for infinite interpretations.

Garvey Exhibit @ HBO

Garvey is a native of Toronto and has lived in Los Angeles since 1991. His career as a painter has afforded numerous exhibitions in public and private venues throughout Southern California, including the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the entertainment studios of Metro Goldwyn Mayer, 20th Century Fox, and Warner Brothers.

Kathryn Henneman, October 2006

Kathryn Henneman, a native of Arizona and current resident of Palm Springs, California, has been creating contemporary abstractions since 1985. Her ethereal style can be found in the mediums of chalk pastel and acrylic on paper, as well as oil on canvas and board.
Henneman continually merges color and special materials to create commanding images. She states, “The power to create art brings me immense pleasure. I learn by doing—by paying attention to the least little expressive detail. I truest my perceptions.” As a consequence, the viewer is often aware of a very genuine sense of struggle, of a contest between the desires and expectations of the painter.
Henneman’s art has been featured in numerous national and international print media including: L.A. Life & Style, Phoenix Home & Garden, Santa Barbara News Press, Arizona Business Journal, including a featured “Artist of the Month” in the October 2001 issue of Phoenix Home & Garden Magazine.

"Abstract", pastel on paper

Commercial and residential collections throughout the United States, Japan, China and Korea contain Henneman’s artwork, including such notables as Walt Disney Studios, eBay, Northern Trust Bank, RCA, Sony, United Airlines (LAX Terminal 7) and Wells Fargo Center. Henneman’s artwork can also be found worldwide in hotels such as The Four Seasons, Hilton, Hyatt Regency, Radisson and Sheraton.

"Aquarius II" acrylic on canvas

Henneman’s inspired abstract style incorporates textiles—rugs, wall hangings and tapestries in thick rich fabrics, vibrant with shapes and colors for various decorative purposes.

Daniel Maltzman, September 2006

Daniel Maltzman

Expressionist Danny Maltzman was born in California and traveled extensively throughout his childhood. Always intrigued by art, he enrolled in his first class as a young child. Fascinated with the colors of his surroundings, he has always been drawn to the outdoors. He studied at San Diego State University and graduated from Chapman College in 1985 while exploring his artistic talents in a variety of mediums.
Maltzman has long specialized in dynamic abstract and non-objective painting. His most recent focus has been on mixed media consisting primarily of acrylic on canvas. Danny’s paintings marry the techniques of abstract expressionism and color-field traditions.
Maltzman’s work is interpretive, combining bright colors with varied geometric shapes. Using a technique of multi-layering, he creates unique pieces that lead the viewer to question the meaning of his three dimensional statement.

"Red Dog", acrylic on canvas

Maltzman’s paintings can be seen in collections of Lia Iacocca (Rancho Mirage, CA), Yankee Stadium Executive Offices (New York City), Creative Artists Agency (Beverly Hills), Miles and Sally Berger (Los Angeles), Adam Winnick, Global Crossing (Los Angeles), Bob and Alice ABT (Chicago) and Elite Models (Los Angeles).

Toby Corbett, August 2006

Toby Corbett's "Junkyard" - Acrylic on Canvas

Toby Corbett is a frequent exhibitor in the HBO Art Gallery. This show consisted of Corbett's landscapes. Toby's statement:

This past summer while riding my bike alongside the Thames River, I stopped to admire a view across the river of the Battersea Power Station. A small stairway carved into the stone embankment that led down to the river’s edge. As I descended the steps I noticed that the ebb tide had exposed an old and now rusty motorcycle stuck in the muddy bank of the river. These two evocative objects, differing in scale and composition, were united by their juxtaposition with the tidal river. They became neglected monuments, preserving even in their now decrepit states, memories of the technology they once embodied. These two disparate objects inspired a series of landscape paintings concerned with the fragility and mortality of technology.

"Landscapes" Show @ HBO

Toby Corbett was born in London, England and as a child immigrated to the Pacific Northwest. His mentor at the University of Washington was renowned African-American artist Jacob Lawrence. Corbett's skills as a painter led to an initial career in regional theatre as a scenic artist. After moving to New York City he started working as a scenic designer on numerous off Broadway productions. His work in the theatre led to a career as a production designer for television and film. He has had the opportunity to work with a distinguished group of filmmakers and actors including Kathryn Bigelow, Keifer Sutherland, Tracey Ullman, Jim McBride, Danny Huston, Alec Baldwin,William H Macy, Danny Glover, Wayne Kramer, and John Sayles. Corbett has continued to work on his own artwork throughout his design career. In the last five years he has been exhibiting his work in various galleries around Los Angeles. The Creative Arts Center, a large municipal gallery in Burbank California gave him is first one man show in 2001. In 2006 he completed a residency at the Cooper Union School of Art and Architecture in New York City.

Toby Corbett on the set of "The Honeydripper", a John Sayles Film

photo by Jim Sheldon

Shirley Kaufer, July 2006

From Kaufer's "Radiant" Series, Acrylic on Canvas

Born in Brooklyn, New York, Shirley Kaufer knew at age three that she wanted to be an artist. She studied at Pratt Institute and the Art Students League in NY. She worked as an art director at several New York advertising agencies. Kaufer later taught at the Pels School of Art in NY and at Indian River Community College in Vero Beach, Florida. Kaufer moved to Los Angeles in 1977. The LA County Museum of Art Corporate Art Council represents Kaufer. Her work has been collected by many.

Scott Griffin, June 2006

Scott Griffin studied printmaking at Florida State University and graduated in 1997 having never taken a class in engraving. In 1998 he attempted his first engraving, hoping to enhance his etchings and aquatints. He has been hooked ever since, and has taught himself everything he can about the rare and old-fashioned process. Scott moved to Los Angeles in 1998 in hopes of using this unique talent to illustrate books.

The engraving process is involved: first, a drawing is cut into a zinc plate using a burin, a metal tool with a sharp point, to remove the metal and create the lines of the drawing. Once the drawing is completed, ink is applied to the plate with a dabber or roller and forced into the grooves cut by the burin. The zinc plate is then cleaned, and a sheet of paper is laid over the plate. The plate and paper pass through a rolling press that applies pressure and forces the paper into the grooves to pick up the ink. The paper is then gently peeled from the plate to reveal the finished print.

You can see more of Scott's work here.

"Steve and Jackson", engraving by Scott Griffin

Stephen Courtney, May 2006

"The Man in the Hat", photo by Stephen Courtney

Stephen Courtney is an accomplished furniture designer/maker and fine art photographer. His HBO exhibit consisted of images of China, taken with a 35mm Canon camera. The prints were silver gelatin, traditional photography, black and white. You can read more about Stephen here.

Stuart Rapeport, April 2006

Stuart Rapeport @ HBO

Stuart Rapeport's series, "Plein Air -- Malibu to Elysian Field" is influenced by Monet's haystack paintings, as he captured the changing colors of the seasons reflected in the light on the haystacks. All of the pieces in Stuart's series were painted outdoors with paint and oil sticks, leaning his stretched canvas against a tree and painting with the wind blowing and the dusty flying, holding the canvas still with one hand and making marks with his other hand. Much of the debris from each location has permanently affixed itself to Rapeport's canvases. To see more of Stuart Rapeport's work, visit his website.

Derek von Briesen, March 2006

Derek von Briesen @ HBO

Derek von Briesen is a fine art landscape photographer. You can view more of his work here. Derek had been a photographer all of his life. He has shot thousands of images all over the wold as he pursued his love of surfing and international travel. Professionally, he has been involved in action sports cinematography, film and telelvsision production design and many forms of the graphic arts (packaging, print advertising, promotional materials)--all fields intimately involved with image creation. Most of von Briesen's images are digital.

Cathedral Mesa, Sedona, Arizona, digi print by D.vB

Joan Tucker, January-February 2006

Joan Tucker @ HBO

Joan Tucker is an accomplished fine artist. She is currently represented by the Milo Gallery, Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. Joan's website and artwork can be found here.

"Medium Spill" mixed medium on canvas

Walter Williams, December 2005

Walter Williams is primarily a filmaker. He has worked at Hanna-Barbara Cartoons and the Turner Network. He has made short films and written script. Walter's first short, "Solid Action Love Partner" which screen in the HBO Employee Shorts Program had been in over 20 major festivals and continues to be sold all over the world by Atomfilms/Shockwave.

His paintings are large and bright and very reminiscent of the Pop Art Movement in America.

Lara Johnson, November 2005

"Creation of Joy" acrylic on canvas

Lara's abstract pieces for this show are called "Soul Paintings." Lara's artistic vision is that all life is a divine work of art and her paintings communicate the exploration of her own heart and soul. Lara does not paint from sketches or with any particular image in mind. Rather, she begins by connecting with the experince of unity, with the energy of creation and then lets her brush move freeely on teh canvas. Overtime, a pattern or image will begin to emerge and this image is always a discovery and unolding to her. Lara's "soul Portraits" capture a glimpse of someone's essence on canvas. See more of Lara's work here.

Lisa Robinson, October 2005

Lisa Robinson

The title of this show of photographic images by Lisa Robinson was "A Stone Orchard." This collection of photos was produced during 1994-1998 while Lisa was living in New York City. Most of the photos were taken in the historic Woodlawn Cemetery located in the Bronx. The Woodlawn Cemetar, founded in 1863 during the "Rural Cemetery Movement," has provided burial space for moe than 300,000 individuals. Established as a non-sectarian cemetery, people of all races, cultures and religions are at rest in the 400 acres of rolling lawns, spectacular trees and impressive memorials designed by many of the nation's most acocmplished artists and architects.

The beauty of funerary monuments is often overlooked by a society placing such great improtance on youth and immortality.

Lisa and Friends

Ellen Bloom, September 2005

Ellen Bloom

Since I'm the Curator of the HBO Art Gallery, I was the first artist to exhibit in the space. The title of this show was "To Protect and Preserve: The Historic Zones of Los Angeles." My statement:
The semi-abstract style used in this series of pieces, utilizing multiple transparent veils of paint through which collaged images or words appear and disappear communicates an emotional and sensual composition versus some of my earlier paintings of various architectural styles that have been painted in a more representational style.
I feel strongly about architectural conservation in Los Angeles. I’m a second generation native and I’ve seen so much change in this City in my lifetime. The Los Angeles Conservancy has supported the forming of Historic Preservation Overlay Zones in L.A. The LAC’s description: "An HPOZ is a City-designated historic district composed of a group of buildings (either an entire neighborhood or part of a neighborhood) which are related to one another historically, architecturally and/or culturally." I look forward to more HPOZ’s being created in L.A.

"Exotic L.A."

More images from this show can be seen in the "L.A. Landscapes" album, here.

HBO Art Gallery

Hi! I'm Ellen Bloom, the Curator of the HBO Art Gallery, located in Santa Monica, California. Our Gallery is for HBO employees only. We do not have art openings and we do not profit from the sale of any art pieces.

Artists are invited to exhibit in our Gallery. If you are interested in having your work shown at the Santa Monica offices of Home Box Office, leave a comment on this blog.

The artists that have shown in the HBO Gallery will be highlighted here.