Walking inside the Museum of Northern California Art (monca), I first noticed the high ceilings that towered over me, as well as a sweet woman’s greeting upon entrance. It’s a modest museum, something that feels like coming back home to visit family after being gone for a long time. The entire museum is quite small, giving a very quaint and homey feel to the space that further unfolds. To the left of the front desk, there is an open room that holds the paintings of David Sisk, an artist whose works challenge our ideas about spirituality and time. As I walked into this spacious room, I immediately realized that this painter was quite familiar to me, as I had seen his character named ‘Sisko’ all over town. On small business shop windows, the Wildflower bike race, and many more local Chico events and locations. This made me excited, as I felt I could better connect with the artist I was viewing. The first piece of Sisk’s that initially stood out to me was titled Judge and Release (n.d.). It portrays a warm, round face with their hands cupping their cheeks as if pressing up against a glass window. Between their eyes lies a bright light, with a message that mimics the title. This piece, similar to a lot of the artwork shown in the gallery, possesses a cosmic message for those viewing, and urges us to feel and think and interpret, but more importantly, to let these thoughts and feelings go and be free. Free in the sense that we are able to let go of the thoughts that weigh us down, thoughts that lead us to judgment, bitterness, or jealousy. By allowing this to be internalized and released, we can be free from the burden of negativity. Sisk’s use of bright, opaque colors gives us a sense of silliness and positivity, embracing color palettes that don’t necessarily go together. The strokes are clean and precise, with a thickness that allows the colors to demand attention and respect. Sisk has created this being in a way that makes us feel guided, leading us to spiritual transcendence. When taking a look at Sisk’s pieces and trying to determine what an overarching message or theme is of his, it’s easy to see what stands out in this artist’s mind. He is someone who advocates for the awakening of the human consciousness, to come to the realization of what we are doing to our planet and our universe. He displays this not only through political art, but spiritual art as well. Sisk’s piece Untitled (n.d.) is a call to action: urging us to stop our nonsense and wake up! This piece is a lot more serene than the first we touched on, with more muted colors and a focus on a man who has his eyes closed peacefully. I feel that it’s meant to slow us down and get us to think just exactly about what the “nonsense” is that Sisk mentions, and how we can improve upon our general existence as human beings. We all are aware of the impact we have on one another and our planet, and I believe with his art Sisk hopes to make humanity softer and kinder. Not only does he use these spiritual mediums to call others to action, but he uses political art to get others involved as well. Sisk’s piece titled NEFR Forget! (2000) was a piece that was created in response to environmental injustices happening within Chico. The acronym NEFR stands for Neighbors for Environmental and Fiscal Responsibility, which is an organization that uses its political and local standing to expose and educate others on environmental pollution. In partnering with them, Sisk used his art and influence within the Chico community to fight back against oppressive or unfair bills that were harming the environment and natural wildlife that lives within our suburban, yet rural city. I love this piece because it also features Sisk’s unforgettable character ‘Sisko’, who is usually depicted with his chin and face up in the air, a smile never leaving his countenance. After viewing a lot of what David Sisk had to offer, I have come to the conclusion that I really loved his work and all that it stands for. I enjoy his message of protecting human unity as well as our planet and think that he is great at slowing down our eyes and our brains, using fun colors and organic, serene figures to relax the mind. I’m very privileged that I got the chance to not only enjoy this exhibit but to take it in, analyze and interpret the messages that Sisko divulges through not only his art but his muse, Sisko. Together, these two are an indomitable force within the Chico art community, creating a space that is welcoming to all cultures and people from all walks of life. Written by: Alexis Gold
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