Visual & Performing Arts: Art Gallery

John Cobb: Modern Icons

Mary as a Child, Her Grandfather, Joachim Guiding

November 16 – November 21, 2009 (one week only!) 

Closing Reception: Friday, November 20, 2009, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Artist Talk by John Cobb: Friday, November 20, 6:30 pm 

"I reach into an ancient technique and fill it with contemporary life so that people will connect the two.  And then the world will make sense."

- John Cobb

John Cobb is a rare painter who combines the technical perfection of Andrew Wyeth with a contemporary edge.  Working in egg tempera, John Cobb evokes a Byzantine reverence through his unflinchingly detailed portraits of ordinary people.  To house these paintings that are part portrait and part icon, John Cobb constructs a portable wooden gallery, or 'chapel'.  Complete with an arched ceiling, this sanctuary creates a reverent space.  Uniting painting with installation, ordinary portraits with holy relic, and art viewing with pilgrimage, John Cobb's works contemplate the relationship between spirituality and contemporary life.

John Cobb will be visiting the college campus offering artist talks and painting demonstrations in egg tempera throughout the exhibition’s one week run.  All events are free and open to the public.  Stop by the Art Gallery and the Art Gallery ’s website to see our program of artist lectures and demonstrations.  If you are interested in a specially arranged talk or demonstration for your group, please contact Christine Mugnolo at (661) 722 6300 x6798.

The exhibition of John Cobb coincides with the Theater Arts Department's production of 'The Last Days of Judas Iscariot'.  These artistic events were specifically designed to overlap because of their shared interest in a contemporary response to religion.  Following the closing reception on Friday, November 20, AVC’s Theater Art Department will be presenting ‘The Last Days of Judas Iscariot’ in the Blackbox theater, FA2, adjacent to the gallery.  Charles Hood, professor in English at AVC, will be giving a lecture on the play in the Art Gallery at 7:30 pm.

Gallery Hours

Mon. through Thurs. 9 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Fri. Noon - 9 p.m., Sat 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
661.722.6300, extension 6215

Upon request 3 business days before the event, reasonable
accommodation will be provided to facilitate the participation of
covered individuals with disabilities.

Call 661.722.6360 (voice)
or 661.722.6362 (TDD).