A quick look at the front windows
Corner Gallery Ukiah
Lucy Talso
Featured Young Artist
The Corner Gallery is happy to present a returning Young Artist to show their work on the dedicated wall for the months of June and July. Lucy Talso had her first display of creative and whimsical recycled art in June 2022…when she was a sophomore at Ukiahi. Now she has graduated from high school and moved on to the bigger world, though she is happily returned home for the summer.
“I’m at art school in Portland OR and I’ve already been there for a year,” says Lucy. “It’s really nice, and it’s connected to Willamette Pacific Northwest College of the Arts. I’m an inter-media major, which is more studio-based as opposed to the other art program which is more academic or curation-oriented. I’m really busy, taking five to six classes each semester… some art history and other classes that are all art-based. All the classes in science, literature and history are connected to art in some way, which I love.”
Lucy continues, “I’m in different art classes. Last semester it was drawing. It was pretty advanced, with lots of charcoal drawing with live models. We also did plein air drawing. This semester I took a fiber arts soft sculpture class, where we made different abstract and sculptural pieces with any soft material that can be manipulated. I am going to be showing one of the pieces I made- it’s a big flat framed fabric with scrambled lettering that’s a word search surrounded by stars made of trapunto fabric and yarn. It’s called ‘Identity Jam’ and its full of questions about my own identity. I ask myself… am I living authentically, who do I want to be and what is my purpose? The assignment was to make a hard object soft and it had to be something you desire. I abstracted it by looking at my own life and my difficulty identifying who I am.”
Lucy admits, “It was a relief to come back home for a break… I was working nonstop on finals for the last 2 weeks. I’m still working on some pieces for the show, but there’s not so much pressure.” When asked about her plans and goals for the future, Lucy responded, “Ukiah is just as beautiful as I remember, and I like the slower pace. But it’s too soon to tell if I will end up in a city or rural area, but I do prefer smaller towns.”
“My first show at the Corner Gallery was all recycled stuff, and I’m still doing that, Lucy says with a smile. “I keep everything and my studio is full of trash. I still love upcycling things. And I still make my own clothes, but not as often… I just can’t find the time.” Then Lucy laughs out loud… “Trust me though… I’ll dress up for First Friday and knock your socks off!”
The First Friday opening celebration for Lucy’s Young Artist wall and other shows is on June 6 from 5-8pm. Live keyboard music will be presented throughout the evening by Charlie Seltzer and guests. The Corner Gallery is located at 201 S State Street in Ukiah.
Sent from my iPad
"I've been making art ever since I can remember." Lucy explains. "Every birthday when I was growing up, when my family would ask what I wanted, I would just tell them art supplies. I've taken multiple art classes all of my life, and they were always my favorite class. I've always been influenced by art in some way... I have always loved going to different places and seeing murals or even graffiti on the streets. Everything around me gives me endless ideas of what I can make, whether it be landscapes, people walking around, or even trash on the ground... which is a big part of all the pieces I made for this show. Growing up my Nona taught my art class in 4th grade and took me to art classes in Willits and art museums in other cities. Sometimes she just sat and taught me how to draw different animals."
Like many students of her age, Lucy felt that she didn't fit in very well during middle school or have the tools to express herself. She also shares the experience of being profoundly affected by the pandemic, though luckily in her case, the effect was positive. She elaborates, "Once quarantine hit I stop caring what others thought, which helped me become who I am today. I've learned that people will always have opinions about me, but at least now I know who I am, which I show through my art. I think I am always my true self through my art."
Lucy's art encompasses various media, but her favorite is the rather lowly ballpoint pen which, in her hands, takes on an unexpected level of versatility. "I love working with ball point because I can bring it wherever I go," Lucy explains. "There is no limit to what you can do with pen. I'm not sure why ball point is so great to me but out of all the other pens I've tried it lasts the longest and you can overall do more with it, like shading." Lucy would like to try inking, charcoal and paint as well. And during quarantine she also enjoyed taking some online digital art classes.
When asked which of the pieces on her gallery wall is her favorite, Lucy responded without a second's hesitation, "Unbearable Weight." It's a small black and white portrait which, she explains, "represents the feeling that I have when I have a lot of schoolwork. The feeling is stuck, so that's why the portrait is very still and seems frozen in 'black and white.' The frame represents my mind... whenever I'm stuck like that my mind is going crazy so that is why the frame is super colorful."
Similarly to all the other pieces in her show, "Unbearable Weight" has some sort of trash involved. Lucy explains, "In the background the base is pieces of my old homework. The words around the person in the portrait are all people's answers to how they feel when they are stressed out with schoolwork."
Lucy has plans to continue doing as much art and music as possible while she finishes high school. She sees art school in her future, and hopes that she can become a professional artist and make music on the side.