The art of people in motion

People line the walls of the Orland Center for the Arts and Gallery.

They are not visitors catching glimpses of the artwork, but action portraits of individuals caught in motion.

Some are sad — others happy about unknown problems or triumphs.

These are the paintings of Chico artist Ellen Akimoto stuck to the walls in a changing pattern from show to show.

Akimoto is joined in the February exhibit by Orland sculptor Ulises Meza who has a number of unique pieces made out of metal in the show.

"Fluid Narratives" runs through Feb. 25 at the gallery, 732 Fourth St., Tuesday-Saturday, 1-7 p.m.

"The idea with both artists is change," Orland Arts Commissioner Rae Turnbull said Wednesday just after the show was put up.

Turnbull explained Akimoto puts her artwork up in pieces that are stuck to the wall, and they are put up differently at every show.

Meza offers an element of "play" in his work — usually made out of "found" objects, she said.

She added Akimoto's paintings are done on heavy drawing paper and "gessoed" on each side so the paint will not bleed through.

Akimoto's biography indicates her work is the "production of an ongoing and ever-changing narrative, constructed from the installation of painted cut-out figures, collaged directly on the wall."

She adds they are characters "who exist one way with a particular situation, then change as they are paired with new figures in new compositions of later installations."

As a result, Akimoto says "the infinite number of compositional possibilities means the characters are able to act as various letters which can form a variety of words, or as a variety of words which can form many sentences.

"The story develops the way history does: Where random and accidental occurrences are built layer by layer until they accrue real meaning."

Meaning's slippery nature and the human tendency to create meaning to things and situations are a theme in her work, the artist said.

They may manifest in scenes of absurdity related to society's rules and order, but her idea is to open up thinking whereby new systems become possible, the biography said.

She has a BA in Fine Arts from California State University, Chico and has studied in Germany under Anne Berning.

Meza said he works with a variety of materials and attended UC Berkeley where he learned to model figures with clay.

However, he found ceramics too limiting and began sculpting in different materials.

He has a Masters in fine arts from CSU, Chico in sculpture and has taught design and sculpture there, Meza said.

Meza is currently working on a large bronze for the Veterans of Foreign Wars post in Orland and is working in the art department at Fresno City College.

He writes in a statement. "As a sculptor, I try to create work that mimics real objects. I am interested in objects that capture a nostalgic quality and in constructing work that pretends to embody the authority of an artifact."

Meza adds he is particularly interested in toys and creating a feeling of items produced through playing activities.

Indeed, his sculptures have elements of dolls, babies and childhood mixed in with discarded items a child might leave laying about the floor.

Contact Rick Longley at 934-6800 or rlongley@tcnpress.com.