August 15, 2007
For Immediate Release:
Indie Collective in Culver City Presents
“House Work”
New Paintings and Drawings by Susan Arena
Opening Reception Saturday, September 1, 2007
For Immediate Release:
Indie Collective in Culver City Presents
“House Work”
New Paintings and Drawings by Susan Arena
Opening Reception Saturday, September 1, 2007
of La Cienega). Enjoy wine and appetizers at an opening night reception with the artist on
Saturday, September 1, 2007 from 6:00 p.m. through 9:30 p.m. The exhibit will run through
Saturday, September 14, 2007. Indie Collective Gallery for Art and Fashion is located at 6039a
Washington Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232. For more information on the gallery please call 310-
837-7714 or visit www.indiecollective.com. For more information on the artist please visit www.
susanarena.com.
Susan Arena shares thoughts about her work:
“In my painting I work to create a fairy-tale world: where fear, shame, corruption and anxiety can
exist at the same time as humor, hope, innocence, and wonder. Though the images, at first
glance, are often playful or humorous, they also reveal a darker and more complex reality.
In my work I use the human and animal figure as a metaphor for emotional and psychological
conflicts; stories and images from my own life become starting points for open-ended narratives.
As a girl, I was obsessed with Ancient Egyptian painting, in particular figures in tomb paintings
that were static in our world, but intended to be magically alive in the next. As I got older I
discovered medieval icon painting, Indian miniature painting, folk art, and early Renaissance
frescoes. I’m drawn again and again to the simplicity and power of such art, and its ability to
convey profound truths while also possessing great charm.”
Susan Arena was born in a small town by the ocean in Massachusetts, next to Salem, the “witch
city.” She graduated from Harvard College with a concentration in Visual and Environmental
Studies and upon graduating was awarded a traveling fellowship, allowing her to live and paint in
Cairo, Egypt. She earned an MFA in Painting and Printmaking from Yale School of Art and
studied figurative painting at the New York Studio School. She also studied women’s folk
painting in rural India. Arena’s work in painting is largely influenced by her love of other cultures
and their art and customs.
Arena has lived and worked in New York City and taught drawing and painting at numerous
institutions there. Her work in painting and drawing has been exhibited extensively and has been
widely collected. She moved to Los Angeles in 2001 and now lives and paints in a 100-year old
house near the freeway with her husband, two children, and one dog. The work in her show
“House Work” was inspired by and created in Los Angeles, and the city still often feels to Arena
like a tropical garden and wild Western frontier.
Immediately following the Indie Collective show Susan Arena’s work will be exhibited at Tinlark
Gallery in Hollywood from September 29th through November 10th 2007. Tinlark Gallery is
located at Crossroads of the World, 6671 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90028 (www.tinlark.com).
Indie Collective is a constantly evolving clothing and accessory line founded in 1999 by Turkish-
born creative Gülbin Yavuz. From hand-made tee shirts for both sexes to modern street wear to
concept couture including modular and interactive pieces, Yavuz creates one- or few-of-a-kind
and custom pieces for a growing fan base. Before starting her own line, Yavuz worked in
Hollywood for 17 year as a stylist/costume designer working with huge (and hugely creative)
directors such as Mark Romanek, Michel Gondry, Alex Proyas, Michael Bay, Eric Ifergan and
others. Always at the forefront and including other disciplines as well, Yavuz incorporates art,
architecture, product design, and engineering into every Indie Collective piece. Ecologically
conscious, all pieces are made in Los Angeles, sweatshop-free.
In January 2007 Gülbin Yavuz opened her own clothing store and art gallery named Indie
Collective Gallery for Art and Fashion in the heart of Culver City's arts district. Every few weeks
artwork from diverse mediums graces the walls (and sometimes the ceiling and floor) as new art
exhibits premiere in the intimate setting showcasing established as well as emerging artists. The
ever-changing art exhibits along with Yavuz’s cutting edge, limited edition street couture and
works by guest designers – clothing, jewelry and accessories - from all over the world, create a
dynamic gallery environment at Indie Collective. Gülbin Yavuz envisioned becoming such a
collective from the beginning in 1999. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday noon - 6:00
p.m. and by appointment.
# # #
For more information, photos or to set up interviews please contact Green Galactic’s Lynn Hasty
at 213-840-1201 or lynn@greengalactic.com.
Saturday, September 1, 2007 from 6:00 p.m. through 9:30 p.m. The exhibit will run through
Saturday, September 14, 2007. Indie Collective Gallery for Art and Fashion is located at 6039a
Washington Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232. For more information on the gallery please call 310-
837-7714 or visit www.indiecollective.com. For more information on the artist please visit www.
susanarena.com.
Susan Arena shares thoughts about her work:
“In my painting I work to create a fairy-tale world: where fear, shame, corruption and anxiety can
exist at the same time as humor, hope, innocence, and wonder. Though the images, at first
glance, are often playful or humorous, they also reveal a darker and more complex reality.
In my work I use the human and animal figure as a metaphor for emotional and psychological
conflicts; stories and images from my own life become starting points for open-ended narratives.
As a girl, I was obsessed with Ancient Egyptian painting, in particular figures in tomb paintings
that were static in our world, but intended to be magically alive in the next. As I got older I
discovered medieval icon painting, Indian miniature painting, folk art, and early Renaissance
frescoes. I’m drawn again and again to the simplicity and power of such art, and its ability to
convey profound truths while also possessing great charm.”
Susan Arena was born in a small town by the ocean in Massachusetts, next to Salem, the “witch
city.” She graduated from Harvard College with a concentration in Visual and Environmental
Studies and upon graduating was awarded a traveling fellowship, allowing her to live and paint in
Cairo, Egypt. She earned an MFA in Painting and Printmaking from Yale School of Art and
studied figurative painting at the New York Studio School. She also studied women’s folk
painting in rural India. Arena’s work in painting is largely influenced by her love of other cultures
and their art and customs.
Arena has lived and worked in New York City and taught drawing and painting at numerous
institutions there. Her work in painting and drawing has been exhibited extensively and has been
widely collected. She moved to Los Angeles in 2001 and now lives and paints in a 100-year old
house near the freeway with her husband, two children, and one dog. The work in her show
“House Work” was inspired by and created in Los Angeles, and the city still often feels to Arena
like a tropical garden and wild Western frontier.
Immediately following the Indie Collective show Susan Arena’s work will be exhibited at Tinlark
Gallery in Hollywood from September 29th through November 10th 2007. Tinlark Gallery is
located at Crossroads of the World, 6671 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90028 (www.tinlark.com).
Indie Collective is a constantly evolving clothing and accessory line founded in 1999 by Turkish-
born creative Gülbin Yavuz. From hand-made tee shirts for both sexes to modern street wear to
concept couture including modular and interactive pieces, Yavuz creates one- or few-of-a-kind
and custom pieces for a growing fan base. Before starting her own line, Yavuz worked in
Hollywood for 17 year as a stylist/costume designer working with huge (and hugely creative)
directors such as Mark Romanek, Michel Gondry, Alex Proyas, Michael Bay, Eric Ifergan and
others. Always at the forefront and including other disciplines as well, Yavuz incorporates art,
architecture, product design, and engineering into every Indie Collective piece. Ecologically
conscious, all pieces are made in Los Angeles, sweatshop-free.
In January 2007 Gülbin Yavuz opened her own clothing store and art gallery named Indie
Collective Gallery for Art and Fashion in the heart of Culver City's arts district. Every few weeks
artwork from diverse mediums graces the walls (and sometimes the ceiling and floor) as new art
exhibits premiere in the intimate setting showcasing established as well as emerging artists. The
ever-changing art exhibits along with Yavuz’s cutting edge, limited edition street couture and
works by guest designers – clothing, jewelry and accessories - from all over the world, create a
dynamic gallery environment at Indie Collective. Gülbin Yavuz envisioned becoming such a
collective from the beginning in 1999. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday noon - 6:00
p.m. and by appointment.
# # #
For more information, photos or to set up interviews please contact Green Galactic’s Lynn Hasty
at 213-840-1201 or lynn@greengalactic.com.
LOS ANGELES, CA - Indie Collective Gallery for
Art and Fashion is pleased to present “House
Work” an exhibit of new paintings and drawings
by Susan Arena. “House Work is about my
experience of being a woman and a mother --
the pull between the mundane and the
transcendent, between joy and sheer fear and
dread. The paintings are about ordinary
moments made sparkling: the gesture of a child’
s hands, a pair of shiny red shoes, a tree whose
branches grow like human hair. Images of
human life, both ordinary and magical,” says
Arena. This solo show takes place at the
intimate art/fashion space named after designer
Gülbin Yavuz’s Indie Collective line, located in
the heart of Culver City’s arts district (just west
Art and Fashion is pleased to present “House
Work” an exhibit of new paintings and drawings
by Susan Arena. “House Work is about my
experience of being a woman and a mother --
the pull between the mundane and the
transcendent, between joy and sheer fear and
dread. The paintings are about ordinary
moments made sparkling: the gesture of a child’
s hands, a pair of shiny red shoes, a tree whose
branches grow like human hair. Images of
human life, both ordinary and magical,” says
Arena. This solo show takes place at the
intimate art/fashion space named after designer
Gülbin Yavuz’s Indie Collective line, located in
the heart of Culver City’s arts district (just west
