Three of a Kind: Michael, Joel, and Peter Stearns, on view until June 22, is a remarkable exhibit that showcases the unique talents of three siblings who have leveraged their heritage to explore a lineage of artistic innovation. Each artist brings their distinct style and medium to the table, yet their works complement each other in unexpected ways.
Michael Stearns’ vibrant use of color and organic materials creates a visual intensity that draws the viewer in. His sculptures, in particular, demonstrate a mastery of transforming discordant elements into harmonious forms.
Brother Michael’s series Urban Landscape presents various forms and outlines, some with gridlike patterns, from an aerial perspective. In Urban Landscape #1, a grid pattern depicting a neighborhood seems woven into portions of rich color blocks, merging together but distinctly separate, highlighting innumerable tracks of human environs, evoking a push-pull energy between terrains.
Urban Landscape #2 highlights redlining (the discriminatory practice of withholding financial services from neighborhoods populated by racial and ethnic minorities) depicting a large swath delineated in thick red, somewhat resembling an animal form, surrounded by mountainous and abstract, color-rich units — some structure-like — of earthy reds, purples, greens and golds.
Michael’s Element series of four paintings: Element Fire, Element Air, Element Earth, Element Water, is magnificent. Each painting has thin line markers indicating north, south, east and west. Fire ignites in an orb of red and gold primarily, yet, magically encompasses nearly every color in the spectrum. Air is joyous and abundant with floating Pop Art clouds and blue skies. Earth glows as an ample tree, verdant and reverential bursting beyond a faint golden ring. Water spirals in gold and saturated, aqua pura blues and greens. To gaze upon this series through Michael’s sweeping gesture and form viewers can forever discover more. Michael’s Totem Forest sculptures, of wood and mixed materials, stand tall in three assemblages at the center of the gallery, a foundation and an emblem of sibling connection between these artists.
Brother Joel also works with natural materials and his collaborations with notable artists like Frank Gehry, Chris Burden, and Jean-Michel Basquiat have honed his experimental approach. His cardboard furniture pieces and contributions to iconic projects like All the Submarines of the United States showcase his versatility. Joel knew he was an artist at the age of seven and opened his first gallery show at 17. He graduated from California State University, Long Beach with a master’s degree in printmaking, and a year later, he started his first business, “workshop, i.e., and membership print studio” on Main Street in Santa Monica, with partner Jack Duganne. Eventually, he started a print shop and printmaking press. Later with partner, Fred Hoffman, Joel launched an art publishing studio called New City Additions.
Several of Joel’s paper mache lamps with LED lighting are on view (on his Instagram the artist noted, “Never [have to] change the bulbs”). He developed a translucent paper mache for these works. The luminosities resemble tall cacti, particularly Harry and Spike, two art lamps that live up to their handles. Harry’s, (42 inches — atop a wood base) stadium form of translucent paper mache features individual, fine pieces of paper mache (hair) sprouting from the biomorphic figure. Spike’s pyramidion form evokes a maternal cactus with its few baby spikes sprouting from its body. A floor lamp called Duquette made of recycled paper and translucent paper mache epitomizes organic simplicity and beauty and would add warmth to almost any setting.
Joel’s pattern paintings are a labyrinth of motifs, lush colors and personalities. The myriad of intricate patterns and movements in these paintings recall the patterns of hand-woven rugs and “Wonderland-esque” adventure and surprise. In this mesmerizing series, Basel in innumerous shapes, patterns and forms featuring reds, golds, blues, greens and more commands attention, as the deeper you gaze at the work —indeed the series — the more you will discover.
Brother Peter is a self-taught “outsider” artist. His surrealist paintings are playful and thought-provoking, blurring the lines between reality and the subconscious. His body of work spans four decades. Oolong Gallery in Encinitas, Calif., represents Peter.
He definitely has a sense of humor; it’s visible in many of his often surreal works. Particularly his Urban Roosters series. Case in point; Gaga Your Rooster Is In Your Shoes Again depicts a large red rooster splashed center in the painting, wearing sparkly pink platforms to which the birds talons are attached. Looking quite natural in elevated shoes, this rooster struts across a black canvas with an urban looking grid of gray circles and lines in its feathe- red regalia. But the amazing part isn’t the platforms; it’s the intense detail of the bird’s feathers — as though you could just fluff them with your fingers. This detail is further amplified in Peter’s Twice 5 Roosters, this grouping features variants of blue, one white and one red rooster, each with the same astonishing detail.
In his large Diptych reality and subconscious become one. Number 1. Son of Perdition – Pets Looking for Prodigal Daughter. Number 2. Prodigal Daughter Night Fishing in the Garden of Orbital Decay
In Number 1, We see a red-suited young man in a swampland carrying a matching top hat and wand. Gray-blue skies with gray clouds (one raining) black mountains and pink sun behind him, a cat accompanies him across this swamp full of randomly discarded paraphernalia, animals and body parts. In Number 2, Prodigal Daughter sits in an Eames chair next to a lantern fishing under a full moon. She has a bird’s nest hairdo with birds, wears a swimsuit and high-end kicks, and seems to inhabit the same swampland with accouterments. The two lost souls could be a reflection of capitalism, class, gluttony, false foundations, or lost fools — literally and figuratively. The work is grand, thought-provoking, and farcical.
Peter’s two beautiful pieces, Autumn Day Falling Leaves Empty Nests and Autumn Night Falling Leaves Empty Nests are a matched set. In both, with blue and black skies respectively, autumn leaves and empty nests fall from the sky in hyper-realistic detail – you can see each twig in the nests, each vein in the leaves. Both look, as with the roosters, like you can reach out and touch them right on the canvas.
Three Of A Kind is an exhibition like none other, with so much more to see than highlighted here. Between the brothers Stearn, trust that you will find humor, beauty, surrealism, spirit, and indeed joy.
Together, the Stearns siblings have curated an exhibit that celebrates their individuality while highlighting the unspoken connections that bind them. Three of a Kind is a must-see show.
Three Of A Kind
@stearns.michael – Michael Stearns, @jsartist65– Joel Staerns, @oolongallery – Peter Stearns
Time: 1 p.m., Artist talk June 1, 6 to 9 p.m., June 6, or 1 to 5 p.m., Friday and Saturday and by appointment to June 22
Cost: Free
Details: https://www.laharborarts.org
Venue: LA Harbor Arts, 401 S. Mesa St., San Pedro