Now Showing at the 29 Palms Inn
Krista Wargo & Georgia Toney
May 29 – July 31, 2016.
Krista Wargo
The landscape of our American Southwest is a constant source of fascination for me. I am intrigued by the way the light plays on the surfaces of the desert; the mountains, rocks, plants, trees, land, and clouds. The contrast of the lights and darks on the desert landscape produces beautiful abstract shapes. When I paint, I focus on these abstract shapes, their values, colors, and relationships, and when they all go together, they produce an image of our desert as I see it.
All my paintings begin as plein air (outside, on location) pieces. I put all my painting gear into a backpack and hike out into the desert. I prefer to paint plein air because I enjoy the challenge of getting information down quickly, being in the elements, and being a part of what I am interpreting, but logistically it isn’t always possible. The gale force winds and/or scorching heat can make being outside unbearable, and on those occasions I have to work inside.
In my studio, I will work on pieces that I have begun outside, from my memory. I rarely use photographs as references. I want to interpret what I see first-hand, and not through a lens. I feel working plein air is the most authentic and genuine method for capturing the essence of the beautiful world all around us.
Georgia Toney
"My eyes see the joyous beauty in all things…the raw, tenuous potential in found objects first thought dark, dull, forlorn - only to blossom and bloom, captured in a delicate tracing of golden light. Yet what I see and what the camera records are almost always two separate things. Sometimes right out of the box is perfect, but then, hey, let’s try a tweak - darker, brighter, more contrast, or a big dose of pop color…is this a serious piece? or a just-for-fun print…until, the final image screams “Yes! - Wow - Yay! This, my photography, provides that conduit through which I can express that joy, the adventure, the wonder, of things I see. My photography is my expression of not just of seeing, but of feeling."
A serendipitous ‘09 move west to California from the Deep South now breathes new life into Georgia Toney’s camera odyssey, begun as a childhood hobby. Blessedly now as wide open as a Highway 62 wild ride east, her photographic art is ever evolving between the documenting and interpreting…from real…or to whatever feels real…from California to South Carolina, and all flyover states in between.
A three-time participant in the MBCAC’s Highway 62 Art Tours, her kickstarter image “Lost @ See” won the photography category at the 2013 Southland Show at the 29 Palms Art Gallery. Her work has also been shown at Spectrum Gallery in Fresno, Gallery 62 in Joshua Tree and Glass Outhouse in 29 Palms.
The Morongo Basin Cultural Arts Council is a nonprofit, volunteer-based organization whose mission is to inspire and enliven the community through the arts, and to enhance the cultural and economic health of the region. Building community through the arts, the Arts Council continues to be a leading source of information, inspiration and energy for artists and patrons throughout the Morongo Basin and beyond.
The Art in Public Places program organized by the Arts Council allows MBCAC members the opportunity to show their artwork at a variety of public venues thoughout the Morongo Basin, including here at the 29 Palms Inn restaurant.
