Reflecting the rare elements of the air we breathe, a glass creature of the deep sea shimmers in the dark, shining in a brilliant display of electric colors and movement.
This is not a scene from a Discovery Channel special feature, but one that students will be able see for themselves as part of the artist and sculptor Candice Gawne’s collection that will be featured at the end of this month in the Art Gallery on campus.
For the past 30 years, Gawne has worked on life figure drawings, realistic and surreal paintings, and in the 1980s began creating a special kind of glass sculptures that use gases and vividly illuminates colors in the dark.
“The art work was very innovative. The use of light was done in a way I’ve never seen before. The neon work is amazingly its fragile beauty tickles the senses,” Alex Paris, film major, said.
Some of these glass forms resemble sea anemones, which are special because they not only react to lights but also move and change colors internally when touched on the surface.
Gawne explains the creation of the famous neon sea creatures.
“I’ve used it in many ways, from making neon wall sculptures using an underwater theme made from cut-up Plexiglas and wood and painted wood surfaces, to using a lot of backlight to keep it lit,” she said.
She further explained the process of creating such delicate glass sculptures.
Born in Santa Monica and raised in Redondo Beach, Gawne has lived in California all her life.
Gawne lives up to her name–“Candice” has a Greek translation that means “glowing,” which more than explains Gawne’s fascination with paintings and sculptures relating to light.
Dodger Ruiz, welding and machining major, said that he’s drawn to the light in the picture.
“It makes me curious to know what is around the corner. You can see the energy and creative representation of reality. From far away, the painting makes you feel like you can walk into the painting. Up close, you can see the detail that is created from so many random strokes,” Ruiz said.
As a student, she attended El Camino and UCLA. She has had her work displayed across the U.S., in cities like New York, Washington D.C. and in Los Angeles. Her work has also been displayed around the world in Germany, Taiwan and Japan.
Gawne also works as an art instructor at institutions such as Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Otis College of Art and Design, Isomata, Cultural Affairs Department of Los Angeles, and at various public and private schools.
“When I was teaching, I wanted kids to explore their own creativity and enjoying life and being happy, there’s no reason someone can’t be happy and have a life,” Gawne said.
Gawne says that everybody is a teacher and learning is a lifetime process.
“If you leave a lot of room for the unknown, you learn a lot. Viewing the world is a light-sculpture in motion,” Gawne said.
Her work will be displayed in the exhibit called “Seeing in the Dark” in the Art Gallery from March 28 to April 29. There is a reception on Thursday March 31 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.,which includes free food and a lecture on April 5 at 1 p.m. in the Art Gallery.
