Nina Waisman of the *particle group* (photo: Nina Waisman)


Betti-Sue Hertz explained that these local artists are working in an international context and range from the soft (social) to the hard (technological) sciences. I have no idea what that means, but I did find the presentation most interesting. Later when I saw the show, I was able to fill in the gaps. I think this panel represents a cross section of presentations made by artists.

I was most impressed with Brian Dick who was amusing and articulate and spoke in a very personal way. You can’t help but be delighted by his Mascot Project. The mascot he invented for the Museum was present and just writing that makes you realize that all of us should have mascots to cheer us on and clear the way where ever we appear.

Allison Wiese makes works that are grounded but her panel description tried hard to make it sound more important than it needed to be. She presented a whisky still made from parts easily available from Home Depot and Target and added that she always like to have some of the whiskey on hand to give out samples. None were forthcoming that day, but I think the work could stand on its own with a simple explanation of what she had made and was sorry not to see that more personal statement in the gallery itself.

Zlatan’s presentation was almost like a mime performance and he was charming and you realized he did not need to speak at all. He played us some wonderful music on an old turntable and erected one of the sculptural modules. The gallery installation was a series of intimate marker drawings on corrugated metal together with a double column made from what looked like the ribs from umbrellas but more mysterious than that.

Bulbo's work seems like a very worth while project and I was intrigued that simply putting a reproduction of a meeting room did make this art. Tijuaneado Anonimos is a twelve step program to try to undermine the corporate assumption of authority and power by placing the responsibility of the TJ environmental mess back in the hands of the citizens. Of course, in the gallery, you were warned not to touch the cookies set out for the meeting by hovering museum guards. But the idea of people themselves cleaning up the streets of TJ was very appealing. I did love the wall plaque references to the AA.

I am afraid to say that I did not understand one word the Nina or Adriene said, but watching them both was a treat. Nina because of her nervous energy which was again present in the installation of white boxes which seems to making a puffing sound when you got close and started a nanotechnology rant. When you walk through what looked like a security arch you can affect the sound, but I enjoyed most the acting of a technician on a tiny ipod screen which was sort of like Cheech and Chong gone high tech. It took the edge off the space odyssey feeling of the rest of the installation.

Adriene's presentation was compelling because of the strange stop and start visual images that were being projected due to the skype technology. There was a small TV on in the background (I am sure a definite decision by Adriene) to let us have a peek of her present location in the Far East. Her installation was about books, past present and future with stack of books almost like little stools, a changing slide show of libraries and a dominating futuristic female image chanting in much the same way that Adriene actually spoke.

Inside the Wave: Six San Diego/Tijuana Artists construct social art at SDMA until June 22.

By Patricia Frischer, coordinator, San Diego Visual Arts Network.