Avenue 50 Studio in Highland Park is proud to present its new exhibit, “Communication/ Consumption” featuring new works from painters Val Echavarria and Samantha Harrison. It’s graphic quality, being very direct, speaks clearly (and at times loudly) regarding our obsession with consumerism and our ability (or inability) to communicate.
Samantha Harrison’s 11 ink on paper works deal with the idea of consumerism. Her fascination with the absurdity of obsessive consumption draws our attention to corporations bent on addicting societies to the disease of mindless acquisition.
“Why do we keep buying? The absurdity is that it is entirely beyond need, that the act itself has become need.” -- Samantha Harrison
Harrison received her BFA from Otis/Parsons School of Design, CA in 1988. Her painting has been exhibited at Patricia Correia, Track 16, and La Luz de Jesus. She has also exhibited internationally at the Pyong Taek Museum International Art Festival, Korea and received recognition by being published in Tokyo in the Hanatsubaki Magazine, Bleach Magazine June, 1997 and World Art Magazine, August, 1999.
Val Echavarria’s small mixed-media works respond to the question of communication as a “common system of symbols, signs, or behavior”. Her fascination with communication as having the potential to inform, persuade, manipulate, or misdirect, guides us through a witty series of questions on how we listen or not, and on what is the message behind the words?
“Emotional appeals, teaching, entertainment, persuasion, fallacies, propaganda and political correctness have the power to manipulate other people's thinking and behavior.” -- Val Echavarria
Val Echavarria is a Los Angeles-based artist, working in a variety of mediums that include acrylic, oil, assemblage and sculpture. She grew up in East Los Angeles and received her B.A. from Cal State LA. Her work has been exhibited in various galleries and venues in California and Mexico. She currently resides in Pasadena and runs a graphic design business while working as a fine artist.
Please join us for this fascinating and witty exploration of Communication and Consumption.
