Naida Osline: Photosynthetic | Portraits
Riverside CA – The Riverside Art Museum (RAM) announces the opening of Naida Osline: Photosynthetic | Portraits. The exhibition runs from April 14th to July 6th, 2012 with a free reception on Saturday, April 14th, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. The recipient of the 2010-11 Joshua Tree National Park Artist-in-Residency award, Naida Osline conjures the natural, the surreal, and the shamanistic through her ethereal digital photographs. The consideration of her chosen subject matter conveys an inclination towards a scientific approach to the mystic. Using manipulation processes that range from subtle alterations to the disorienting and dreamlike (yet simultaneously hyper-real), her images exist and expand outward in a meditative space that considers biological processes and documentation, anthropological phenomena such as ‘myth’ and ‘ritual,’ and the confounding of the ‘natural’ and the ‘synthetic’ or human-modified. Presented as three distinct, yet harmonious, bodies of work diverse in scale, subject matter, and process, each series commands its own form of thought, as otherworldly visions steeped in the ancient and esoteric relationship of man and nature.
The Riverside Art Museum presents the three series of Osline’s oeuvre: the Men Portfolio, Photosynthetic, and Shrub Portraits, the latter two of which were completed during her Joshua Tree National Park residency from 2010-11 and her Petrified Forest National Park residency in 2011. Osline is a Riverside-based artist; she recently completed an artist residency through California State University, Fullerton at the Grand Central Art Center in Santa Ana. She received her B.A. from Cal State Fullerton, has held solo exhibitions throughout Southern California, and has shown in group exhibitions internationally.

Osline’ Artist’s Statement:

The themes of my photo-based work have focused on an exploration of the body and nature as a site of transformation. My work reflects my interest in reflecting life in a constant state of flux, with organisms being affected by natural selection, biological processes, scientific intervention, and consumer desire.
RAM relies on the generosity of members and donors to support its exhibitions, education programs, and special events. A 50-plus-year-old, private, non-profit cultural arts institution housed in a National Historic 1929 building designed by Hearst Castle architect Julia Morgan, the museum welcomes over 50,000 visitors a year. The museum is open Tuesday – Saturday, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. and Sunday, 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. For information on exhibits, events, classes, memberships, or sponsorship opportunities, visit www.RiversideArtMuseum.org. Find us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/riversideartmuseum) and Twitter (RAMRiverside).