Hansen: Young and raw but that’s a good thing

By its nature, art is sometimes raw.

Unpolished and unpredictable, it’s less about gallery worthiness and more about the statement.

Which is probably why the organizers of the monthly art phenomenon known as “RAW: natural born artists” put the emphasis front and center.

The group held its latest performance at the Yost Theatre in Santa Ana on June 5. Since 2009, the roving ensemble has combined fashion, art, dance, film and music into a mash-up of mostly youthful ambitions.

Sometimes, however, there are little surprises of mischievous talent — plus a welcome supply of enthusiasm — that make for an interesting, endearing event.

“We want artists to represent themselves the way that they want to,” said Anabelle Dimang, the showcase director. “It provides a lot of creative freedom. It definitely is a melting pot of all sorts of artists and styles.”

And by melting pot, think sci-fi goth meets edgy art walk.

It’s steampunk, trash-indie music, county fair art submissions, naughty fashions and sometimes-brilliant inventiveness. If there were an “American Idol” competition for underground art, this might be it.

Dimang likes to tell the story of artist Andrew Pisula of Long Beach. He entered a RAW showcase in 2013 and won its artist-of–the-year award.

“He had never shown his work before, and it’s amazing wood mandalas, and they are actually pretty large,” she said. “Then he just kind of took off from that point on. He had different commissions. He started making more work. He started to show more in galleries.”

Pisula’s work, which can be seen at vagabondcarving.com, would stand out in any crowd. His unique craftsmanship clearly requires hours of meticulous effort.

Also at the Yost was Mike Davies, creator of Borg-like moving metal heads. Based in Las Vegas, he works as a lighting technician for “Mystere” by Cirque du Soleil. Not surprisingly, his work is dramatic and eerily creative.

The other-side-of-art theme continued with makeup artist Julie Mendez, who specializes in theatrical personas, not unlike Marilyn Manson meets Tinker Bell. Several of her models roamed about looking scarily aloof.

They were actually pretty cool — in a Bar Sinister kind of way. Bar Sinister is one of the last bastions of alternative gothic chic in Hollywood and is famous for its over-the-top outfits. A more local analogy might be Club Rubber, in its mid-1990s heyday at the old Galaxy Theater in Santa Ana.

Dimang, meanwhile, believes wholeheartedly in the RAW event, saying it is a good way for young artists to get noticed.

“We’re always searching for new and emerging artists,” she said. “We usually reach out to artists within the first 10 years of their career.”

To participate in a RAW event, you have to be selected and then pull your weight financially. The venues, publicity and overhead cost money. The group also provides a media team, event photographer, website promotion and other amenities.

The bottom line is each participant has to sell 20 tickets for $15. It’s a type of pay-to-play model, but Dimang prefers to position it more like crowdfunding.

“The way that we work actually is we have the artists sell a certain amount of tickets, versus paying a fee out of pocket,” she said. “And then once they meet that quota, then they are able to reap those benefits and have a free showcase.”

While there has been some grumbling about the financials, most artists don’t mind the arrangement. And judging from some of the proud parents and grandparents in attendance, art is a family vocation that requires everyone’s support.

It’s better than a straight vendor fee, Dimang said, because it gets people to the event.

RAW was founded in Los Angeles by Heidi Luerra, who was struggling to become a fashion designer. She threw her first, multifaceted showcase in 2005 and eventually expanded it to about 60 cities in the U.S. She also has done shows abroad.

While RAW may never overtake the Los Angeles County Museum of Art or some of the underground art spaces in New York, it does provide a platform for up-and-coming artists to gain experience and confidence.

Established galleries may lift their noses, but at least RAW is a viable outlet.

At the very least, there’s energy and aplomb, which is more than I can say for most “real” galleries.

DAVID HANSEN is a writer and Laguna Beach resident. He can be reached at hansen.dave@gmail.com.