By Rebecca Pikus
The most exciting & creative Art Exhibit in the Desert is taking place right now! It can be seen at the new & innovative Leslie Jean Porter Gallery in Cathedral City, Ca. Leslie opened last Fall, and through her ingenuity, brilliance, and incredible hard work, she has presented spectacular & eclectic openings every single month. The current exhibit features the artwork of Yossi Govrin, Krista Augius, Hiroshi Mori, Gary Kott, & Leslie Jean Porter.
Yossi Govrin is a national and international multi-media artist, creating hemp & cement sculptures, bronze sculptures, paintings, photography & film. He has received many commissions, including a monument in Tel Aviv, Israel in honor of the late Prime Minister, Yitzhak Rabin, and a bust of General James H. Doolittle in the Santa Monica Museum of Aviation. Govrin is the Director of Santa Monica Art Studios and Arena 1 Gallery. In 2014 he was awarded the Arts Leadership Award by the Santa Monica Arts Foundation. His prestigious education includes Bethzalel High Academy of Art & Design in Jerusalem, and Hebrew University, Jerusalem with Major Studies in International Relationship & Sociology.
His hauntingly beautiful sculptures on installation at the LJP Gallery must be experienced in person: “In the ‘Night Watch’ series the sculptures relate directly to ‘human conductivity’ and are made from hemp and cement; emphasizing the transient nature of humans and their environment, and a single mold reflecting our common origin. The added elements such as chandeliers, stones, and rope suggest the sense of individuality and uniqueness and resonate across cultural and national boundaries.”
Krista Augius brings an entirely different art perspective. She too is a multi-media artist: oil paintings, sculptures, installations, photography and short films. Krista has been an artist since childhood and is self-taught. In 2006 she traveled to Cadaques, Spain (the hometown of Salvador Dali) to learn the Mische technique. This essentially dates back to the Dutch Masters style of painting in the 1500s, using a combination of oil paints and resins to achieve a luminous, resonant realism. This technique produces the phenomenon of light refracting through many subsequent layers of paint. Augius has earned a degree in Biology and a clinical doctorate in Physiotherapy.
Krista has exhibited both nationally and internationally. Her most recent body of work, Mythical Codes, “explores relationships between contemporary optical illusions and their effects on the brain while using folkloric Lithuanian symbology that have historical roots in Indian Vedic mythology as well as historical transcontinental influence in South America during pre-Columbian times.” Her current paintings are in support of wildlife causes (endangered elephants, bees, wildcats). Her baby elephant series of paintings champions the campaign “Save the Elephants”; see also: International Society for Endangered Cats, & FloridaPanther.Net.
“Yossi Govrin & Krista Augius” Exhibit, Feb. 21 – March 14, 2015. LESLIE JEAN PORTER GALLERY, 68703 Perez Rd, Bldg. A-#16, Cathedral City, Ca 92234; www.ljpgallery.com; (760) 880-7139. Gallery Hours: Tuesday – Saturdays 10AM-6PM
