Next New CA

Just Picked! California’s freshest crop of emerging talent.

The ICA is honored to present NextNewCA, an exhibition that marks the debut of the brightest new talent on California’s contemporary art scene. The show features a sampling of works by 2012 and 2013 graduates from 11 MFA programs across the state including University of Southern California (USC), San Francisco Art Institute (SFAI), California College of the Arts (CCA), Claremont Graduate University (CGU), Mills College (Mills), California Institute of the Arts (CalArts), San Francisco State University (SFSU), San Jose State University (SJSU), University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC), University of California Berkeley, and Stanford University. The 15 artists in the show reflect broad perspectives present in contemporary art with innovative approaches to new media, installation, photography, painting, drawing, sculpture, and performance art.

The graphite sculptures of Rhonda Holberton (Stanford) and the abstract photographs of Barbara Boissevain (SJSU) address pressing environmental concerns. The ominous nighttime paintings of Sarah Frazier (SFSU) and the whimsical installation of Keegan Luttrell (Mills) represent varying degrees of danger, from threat to thrill. The all-encompassing interactive installation of Daniel A. Christopher (UCSC) explores the viewer’s physical responses to the work, and Christopher Reynolds’ (CalArts) performance piece and sculptural books are a reflection on consumers’ gastronomic practices. The meticulously scored wall pieces of Missy Engelhardt (SFAI) and the installation of photocopies by Kate Bonner (CCA) both challenge the two-dimensionality of paper, while Liam Everett’s (CCA) work defies the two-dimensionality of traditional paintings. Jennifer Jennings (SJSU) amplifies the tedious aspects of domesticity in her large-scale installation of common clothes pins, while the room filled with delicate strands of seaweed by Dimitra Skandali (SFAI) and representational paintings of Atilio Pernisco (CGU) focus on the nostalgic memories of their homelands – Greece and Argentina, respectively. Chris Engman’s (USC) photographs are documentation of the elaborate process involved in his staged sculptures and installations. Composition and process, along with line work are also central in Joe Lloyd’s (CGU) oil paintings and Sean Talley’s (UC Berkeley) graphite drawings and ceramic sculptures.

The purpose of the exhibition is not to be restricted by a single thematic narrative but rather to tell the story of contemporary art in its most present tense, serving as a portrait of the art of our time – alive and well. The story is told by new artists from some of the top art programs in California, and although diverse in technique, materials, and concepts, their works reflect a cumulative energy and optimism that remains an inherent part of the artistic community.