ROBIN BRIGHT, LENORE HUGHES, AND MARIE NAJERA: Word + Symbol + Icon: New Works by Robin Bright, Lenore Hughes, and Marie Najera

Joseph Clayes III Gallery

ROBIN BRIGHT, LENORE HUGHES, AND MARIE NAJERA

Word + Symbol + Icon: New Works by Robin Bright, Lenore Hughes, and Marie Najera

December 6, 1997–January 10, 1998

This exhibition presented the work of three San Diego-based artists: Robin Bright, Lenore Hughes, and Marie Najera, and looked at each artist’s means of conveying ideas through language and visual expression. Robin Bright uses patinated and painted steel, as well as tinted plaster, to create his wall-mounted sculptures of geometric shapes which comprise his own stylized alphabet. His letters are a bit obscure, challenging the viewer to “read” the artwork. Works included in the exhibition were “Night Music,” “Quiet Please,” and “Frivolous.” Lenore Hughes creates collages out of iconic images and well-known symbols, interweaving them to form visual patterns and new iconographic connections. She often combines religious and historical iconography with images from popular culture, for example, her interweaving of an image of Joan of Arc on a horse with the Gold Medal flour trademark symbol. Marie Najera uses her own experiences with relationships as the departure point for her paintings. She uses simple imagery of universally recognized objects and symbols to tell a story. Her paintings often depict birds, numbers, bits of text, and teacups, all with specific symbolic meaning to the artist.