SI-Blog-LA: The Illustrators' Blog.

“Raz Raz Raz�
Sculptures, photographs, and paintings by Sylvia Raz, Alan Raz, and Karyn Raz.

Ojai Art Center
113 S. Montgomery Street
Ojai, CA 93023
www.ojaiartcenter.org

Show runs September 6 through October 2, 2008
Opening reception is on Sunday, September 7, from 1 – 3 pm.

Ojai Art Center presents “Raz Raz Raz�, an exhibit by Ojai artist Sylvia Raz, her son, Alan Raz, a photographer based in Los Angeles, and her daughter Karyn Raz, a painter and illustrator based in Santa Monica.

A member of the Ojai Studio Artists, Sylvia Raz has been working and exhibiting in Ojai and Ventura for over a decade. Sylvia left her native Montevideo in 1963 to live for eleven years in Jerusalem before settling in California in 1974. She studied art at Betzalel Institute and UCLA. Her work evolves around the figure and human passion, striving to capture the sublime and pathetic aspects of life. Clay, stone, assemblage using found objects, knitting, painting, and bronze all come together to imply an intimate relationship with life and a feminist point of view, compatible with the humor and lightness of heart she wants to express.

Alan Raz has worked as an art photographer for over twenty years in the Los Angeles area. In 2005 he began collecting medieval fantasy weapons, armor, garb and props. His passion for these archaic objects led to a new direction in his work, combining his love of fantasy, the female form, and photography into the “Maiden� series. Taking his cue from the narratives unfolding in stories such as J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings and the Dungeons and Dragons games of his youth, Alan creates forgotten worlds inhabited by warriors, fairies, witches, goddesses, and queens. The “Maiden� series now includes thousands of images and continues to grow. This exhibit marks the gallery debut of the series.

Karyn Raz recalls working in her mother’s art studio as a young girl. “I have a very strong memory of her helping me sculpt the digestive system for the fifth grade science fair, which included Cap’n Crunch Berries glued into the esophagus in a meticulous pattern.� On family vacations, Karyn would make color pencil renderings of Elle models and watch her mom working on her art. “She made it seem fun and relaxing.� As an adult, Karyn constantly seeks that same feeling of joy and child-like exploration in her own work. In this exhibit, Karyn has created acrylic paintings on wood panels that explore the narrative within tarot cards known as “The Fool’s Journey.� In this narrative, people begin life as optimistic, open-hearted fools, and encounter various forces, both positive and negative, that influence and shape them, from the subconscious powers of “The High Priestess� to the soul-searching of “The Hermit.� Karyn graduated from Brown University and the illustration program at Art Center College of Design, and serves on the arts faculty at New Roads School.