Young at art

Young Chang

The face of a screaming girl hangs next to the mayor’s office at

Newport Beach City Hall. Her hands are cupped around the mouth, her teeth

are exposed.

The artist sits on a nearby sofa, inconspicuous. She nibbles at a

wedge of pepperoni pizza and doesn’t wear a name tag. Nicole Matten is

all of 18 years old.

When asked about the title of her piece, she says her teacher at

Newport Harbor High School calls it “Scream.” When asked what she herself

would call it, she says “Scream” will do.

It’s just a drawing, she continues. Charcoal sketches on a backdrop of

newspaper collage and the face just a copy of a photo she saw somewhere.

No real story to it, or so she tries to insist.

And then it comes out.

The truth -- a somehow embarrassing confession of thought and purpose

behind her strokes, a sign that she cares.

“This is probably my life right here!” the teenager laughs, pointing

to the screaming face. “Stress!”

Between studying for finals at school and working at Promelis market

in Newport Beach, Matten reluctantly admits there was reason behind her

art.

Having done so, she suddenly appears more comfortable, even offering

why she chose the charcoal medium.

“I like shading a lot. It’s interesting. You kind of have to focus on

it awhile. It looks lifelike when you shade it,” she says.

A beach breeze sweeps through two sets of opened doors as Matten

speaks, making the lids of pizza boxes fly upward during this

beach-themed artist’s reception held Thursday for City Hall’s exhibit of

works from students at Corona del Mar and Newport Harbor high schools.

When asked if this is weird -- an artists’ reception in her and her

peers’ honor -- Matten nods, “I don’t know.”

But city arts commissioner Kathy Harrison feels the mood.

“I sense a lot more pride, almost, with these young kids,” she said.

Roberta Jorgenson, chairman of the arts commission, added: “This is

the very first time they’ve been recognized for their creative

accomplishments.”

The exhibit includes about 40 pieces by 17 students from each school

and will be up through Aug. 7. The styles are creative -- some indicative

of teenage angst, others emanating hope.

Trifon Metodiev, a 17-year-old from Newport Harbor High School,

exhibited a piece done in colored pencil called “Lone Star.” It’s an

image of Trifon’s ultimate rock idol, Jimi Hendrix, morphing into a lion.

A lone yellow star hangs in the left corner.

“The lion is his character,” Trifon said.

His peer, Joseph Foote, also made a statement about character with his

piece “Unloved.” The picture is of two abstracted, distorted female

figures.

“I wanted to show the beauty of ugliness,” the 18-year-old said.

“People see an ugly person, and they judge them right away. [This] comes

from that stereotype.”

The figures are naked and, in some places, conjoined. Like some of the

other pieces in the exhibit, the work takes awhile to figure out both

aesthetically and emotionally.

An unusual collection for City Hall? The commissioners think not.

“It’s amazing how much talent there is around,” Harrison said. “This

showcases young talent and encourages them to continue in their art

endeavors.”

FYI

WHAT: Art by students at Newport Harbor and Corona del Mar high

schools

WHEN: Through Aug. 7

WHERE: Newport Beach City Hall, 3300 Newport Blvd.

COST: Free

CALL: (949) 717-3870