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Art imitates life in Leon's bronze "Melville." Texture and Edge Third Thursday's April 18th opening features Dennis Leon by KO Third Thursdays -- tortuous to say but delightful to participate in, as several downtown art galleries hold openings at the same time to enliven appreciation of Oakland's art. The new Gallery 555 in the City Center will now serve as a third anchor between the City and State galleries with a cluster of smaller, more intimate spaces in between (Chi, Black Box, and MOCHA). The new building offers a spectrum of textures in a variety of granite surfaces, fiddleback fir paneling, painted concrete columns, and glass. Extending the lobby forward is a glass atrium highlighting a majestic plastic bamboo forest set in a ground of black pebbles. Opposite, across the lobby are the banks of brushed stainless steel elevators. This is where a selection of the similarly architectural work of Dennis Leon is being exhibited by the Oakland Museum. As a builder and artist, Leon creates natural forms from construction materials. So, texture is the star of the opening this Thursday, until which time a wonderful installation of his work currently shows at the Oakland Art Gallery. Leon's work, above everything, is about texture and edge. There is a sense of humor and energy to his plywood sculpture which affect the essence of rock. Consider the amount of energy nature takes to make rock, and the energy to tear paper, mark on it, and assemble it in drawings of rock, or to cut plywood, layer it, and screw it together, then gouge and mark the surface with router/saw/drill. Then look at what he has made using power tools to form something that is at the same time very much like rock, and also very much like plywood with power-tool sharpened edges with unlikely undercuts, and sawdust, dried mosses, and paint on top. See how his efforts create textures reflecting light around the surface. This is Leon's way. "Nature is made of lots and lots of little pieces and things," he said, "yet its unity seems implicit." Planned for Gallery 555 are two pieces that take this idea a step further, one being a wooden form covered in sheet brass and another cast in bronze. When you visit, make sure you have an opportunity to linger. Leon taught sculpture at CCAC, but his depth and intensity have effected artists in all media. Exploring the visual range of textures and sites should lead to plenty of discussion and delight. And if you're one who needs a little more structure for discussion, there will be a full program offered for the Oakland Schools' Vibrant Arts Exhibition at the Craft and Cultural Arts Gallery. So you decide, consider art intellectually or experientially. Students and Colleagues of Dennis Leon discuss his work. Oakland Art Gallery, 150 Frank Ogawa Plaza, Broadway and 14th Street, Oakl. 637.0395; www.oaklandculturalarts.org. KO is an artist and art teacher. She believes if we practice seeing all that is in front of us we will be able to make our own art, conclusions, and decisions. [ East Bay | Metroactive | Archives ]