Marci Washington & Alika Cooper. February 4th — April 23rd, 2006.

Under The Crooked Bough, We Stopped To Catch Our Breath

Alika Cooper and Marci Washington, both CCA graduates, paint portraits and landscape as fictional physical descriptions of seemingly familiar territory.

Drawing from a common influence of fiction and literature, taking film noir, fairytale, novels of the American landscape, and the romantic gothic novel as individual reference points, Marci and Alika use fiction as a way to reflect the social truths/tales of the past onto those of the present.

Exploring themes such as social roles and expectations, our strange connection to the land, and how we attempt to navigate these uneasy relationships, they create work filled with a sense of inevitable isolation and an unseen, and inescapable threat.

Works include gouache, acrylic, and watercolor on paper and panel.

An opening reception will be held on Saturday, February 4th, between 6 - 10 pm.

The artists will be in attendance, and refreshments will be served.

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Alika Cooper Biography

Alika Cooper was born in Guam and was raised in Orange County and San Diego. She received her BFA at the California College of the Arts and lives and works in Oakland, CA. She is now a MFA candidate at the California College of the Arts. Her work has been shown around various galleries in the Bay Area and Los Angeles. She has previously received the Jack and Gertrude Murphy Fellowship (2005) and the Magic Theatre/Trillium Press “Yesland Prize” (2005).

Education

• 2006 MFA - California College of the Arts, San Francisco, CA
• 2002 BFA with distinction - California College of the Arts, San Francisco, CA

Exhibitions

• 2005
• "Light (opts); a selection" LightBOX Gallery - Los Angeles, CA
• "Postcards from Poketo" Receiver Gallery - San Francisco, CA
• "Fantastic Amnesia" Playspace Gallery- San Francisco, CA
• "Inaugural Show" LightBOX Gallery - Los Angeles, CA
• "Murphy & Cadogan Fellowships" San Francisco Arts Commission Gallery
• - San Francisco, CA
• "Fecal Face - 5 1/2 year anniversary show" 111 Minna Gallery - San Francisco, CA
• "Authentic Selves" Arts & Consciousness Gallery - Berkeley, CA
• "Daily Dose" Low Gallery - San Francisco, CA
• "Magic Trillium Exhibition" Magic Theatre - San Francisco, CA
• "Curvy" Somawo - Sydney, AU
• 2004
• "Grand Opening" Low Gallery- San Francisco, CA
• "Sensitive Material" Freres Independent - New York City, NY
• "Go West" Richmond Art Center - Richmond, CA?
• "Hounds Tooth And Herring Bone" Here Gallery -Bristol, UK
• "Carnival Fabulon" Cassius King Gallery - San Diego, CA

Awards

• Jack and Gertrude Murphy Fellowship (2005)
• Magic Theatre/ Trillium Press "Yesland Prize" (2005)
• CCA Graduate Merit Scholarship (2004 & 2005)

Back to Top   |   Visit Alika's website.

Marci Washington Biography

Marci Washington grew up moving all over the California bay area and received her BFA in painting and drawing from the California College of Arts and Crafts in 2002. Her work has been exhibited nationally as well as abroad. She is 25 and currently lives in Los Angeles, CA where she works at the library, surrounded by fiction and fairytale.

Education

• California College of Arts and Crafts, B.F.A with High Distinction 2002
• Areas of Specialization: Painting & Drawing

Exhibitions

• 2005
• Four Squared - Motel, December 2005, Portland, OR
• Portraits - L Street Fine Art, November 2005, San Diego, CA
• Soon & Very Soon - Renowned, November 2005, Portland, OR
• 24 Frames a Second - Here, October 2005, Bristol, UK
• Ghosts Gather at Night - The Rhys Gallery, September 2005, Boston, MA
• Instant Gratification - Twelve/Six Art, August 2005, Los Angeles, CA
• Friendless Outsiders - Unknown, August 2005, Salt Lake City, UT
• Print Club - Powell's Books, August 2005, Portland, OR
• Daydreaming - Uno, July 2005, Los Angeles, CA
• Word of Mouth - The Rhys Gallery, May 2005, Boston, MA
• Fresh StART - Arena 1, February 2005, Santa Monica, CA
• Eye of the Beholder - Lab 101, January 2005, Culver City, CA
• The 100% Show - Receiver, January 2005, San Francisco, CA

• 2004
• Beaks and Bucks - Primary Space, December 2004, Hamtramck, MI
• Benefit Show - Low, November 2004, San Francisco, CA
• Golden State - Primary Space, September 2004, Hamtramck, MI
• Solo Show - Cowboys and Angels, August 2004, San Francisco, CA
• Hounds Tooth and Herring Bone - Here, June 2004, Bristol, UK
• Keep a Breast - Modart, June 2004, La Madrague, Anglet, France
• Up Our Sleeve - Vooruit, February 2004, Ghent, Belgium
• The Night is Black and White - Platanos, February 2004, San Francisco, CA
• Sirens and their Savages - Rag, February 2004, San Francisco, CA

• 2003
• Foot Prints - Star Shoes, December 2003, Hollywood, CA
• The Gods of Art and Wine - Varnish, December 2003, San Francisco, CA
• Diorama-Rama - Door Seven, June 2003, Oakland, CA
• Special Blend - Anno Domini, March 2003, San Jose, CA
• Twilight - Erica Tanov, February 2003, Berkeley, CA

• 2002
• CCAC Senior Painting - Nexus, September 2002, Berkeley, CA
• BFA Exhibition - Center Gallery, May 2002, Oakland, CA

Awards

• All College Honors 2000
• Marion Brobeck Scholarship 1999-2002

Bibliography

• Curvy II, Design Annual - published by Yen magazine and Design is Kinky, Australia 2005 p 62
• Fecal Face - Interview and Feature, Spring 2005

Back to Top   |   Visit Marci's website.