Upon arriving at the OMC Gallery for Contemporary Art in Huntington Beach, I must admit I was surprised. On day two of the gallery’s “Good Photo” exhibition, I found myself not outside the impressive walls of a contemporary art gallery, but somewhere in Germany. Nestled in the heart of the Old World Village in Huntington Beach, the quaintly painted walls and cobbled sidewalk of the OMC Gallery would have slipped right past me had I not been looking for it.
Once inside, the art did not disappoint. The photos themselves were, well, good. German photographer Rolf Goellnitz, who spent the afternoon eagerly showing people around, explained that this was the whole point of the show.
I am by no means any kind of authority on contemporary photography, but I found the exhibit enjoyable. I found the colorful prints of Anita V. Bauer and Jonas Guertz particularly so. Both artists seemed to have a style that attempted to be aesthetically pleasing without being so contemporary as to be incomprehensible.
I learned a little about contemporary photography from my visit, too. I am now aware that contemporary photography appears to focus on human environments, and remains that are nowadays largely untitled. And despite (because of?) the odd appearance of the gallery, I had fun looking at the photographs, many of which I would have happily bought if I had the money.
Speaking of my empty pockets, one of the greatest assets the gallery had going for it was the free admission, which made visiting the OMC Gallery one more free thing to do on a Sunday afternoon in Orange County.
The next exhibition at the OMC Gallery for Contemporary Art in Huntington Beach will be TAKE A CHANCE: YOUNG ARTISTS AT THE GALLERY, from June 15 to Aug. 31.
View a photo slide show of the exhibit here.
