St. Clare of Burbank
2009
McLean Fahnestock
Video installation
35 1⁄2" x 31 1⁄4"
Photo: courtesy of the artist

Under the helm of Laguna Art Museum’s new curator Grace Kook-Anderson, “OsCene 2010”—in its third incarnation—transcends its Southern California regionalism and speaks to a broad, even global audience. Through her choice of art and inclusion of artists from Long Beach and San Pedro, Kook-Anderson builds a cohesive bridge between Orange County and Los Angeles. “OsCene,” one of the anticipated and closely watched events in the Southland, began in 2004 under the direction of Tyler Stallings, former Curator of Exhibitions of the Laguna Art Museum. Stallings recognized a need to create a survey exhibition that gave a deserved boost to the OC arts and proved that OC artists were as talented, original and cool as artists anywhere.

Kook-Anderson, still relatively new to OC, sought “to cast the net wide” and reign in the socio-political landscape, including the psychological, domestic, geographic, and topographic landscapes. She gleaned through 200 submissions, coming up with 50 artists, of all ages. ranging from established artists to recent graduates. Leaning towards conceptual art, Kook-Anderson chose work that runs the gamut of media and expression, including 25 film/video artists and one performance artist. Throughout the search she was mindful of paying homage to Stalling’s original standard of excellence while maintaining her own vision. “OsCene 2010” embraces issues of the individual, marriage, gender, popular culture, government, military, transportation, big cities, the gentrification of rural areas, religion, and the inevitability of change. McLean Fahnestock reconfigures a 1950 RCA TV to give modern audiences the experience of watching Apollo 11 landing on grainy and outdated technology; while Jennifer Celio draws, with graphite pencil on paper, a series to show her grandparents’ home in Downey transformed from an orange grove suburb to post-war housing tracts to an oversized McMansion.

“OsCene 2010” is far less figurative than the original “OsCene.” Its conceptual nature offers pathways in deciphering artistic ideas and participation on an intellectual and aesthetic level. Much of the work hits a nerve by juxtaposing the unexpected, using irony, and juggling the verbal and visual. The art pushes limits, has noticeable muscle, and is often bold and innovative. But, as may be expected with conceptual daring, some well-intended, well-executed art takes risks that may not fulfill its promise. Thus, while reflecting the vision of each of its distinct curators, “OsCene” continues to perpetuate its original concept, a regional survey. But, when seen in its totality, “OsCene” becomes a barometer of the broad sweep of current thought.