Forming The Fantasy

 Art gives artists the chance to construct and reshape their realities. The entire process for creation is messy. From the first urge or thought that inspires, to the plan - and even the spur of the moment push that comes unannounced - there are building blocks being stacked for the Artist. The images and ideas that don’t exist in the real world can find themselves fully explored in art. A chance to dive into the fantasy and just out of our physical touch reality.

Art allows the viewer to better understand the puzzle pieces of the artist’s mind. The intentional choices made in creating one’s reality directly show us their mind in whatever form it may take. An intimate experience that comes with viewing all creation. We’re all freed by letting our imaginations run wild and without constraint, bringing to life the pieces that we can only dream of.

At OCA Mocha, we like to celebrate our imaginations. The ability to visualize and manifest ourselves physically in art is an experience in itself. The ‘Forming the Fantasy’ exhibition is a chance to call attention to the skill and creativity involved in transferring the imagination into the physical world. To share with one another, give space for artists to share their culmination of creation and experience it as a community, is an honor of OCA Mocha. 

Ryan Foti

Temere and Gnelly

Graphite on Bristol Paper

My drawings are an exploration of self through the embodiment of characters and their facades. These self-reflections are draped in fantastical attire, mythical jewelry, and monstrous forms, capturing an essence that is wholly me at the core, yet anything but on the surface. Each creature's gesture, expression and adornment reveal aspects of their persona and subsequently my own; their (and my) desires, preferences, and spiritual alignment. The drawings reflect the complexity and fluidity of my own identity, allowing me to inhabit feelings and personas that are both innate and foreign. 

Angelina Reynoso

Spirals and The Mask

Digital Print

I believe we should allow ourselves more room for individual interpretation when viewing art. We all have a different world in our heads that deserve to be explored. 

When there is no description, notice how what YOU see truly depends on how you perceive the world, yourself, and what you are experiencing during that time of your life.

Though each piece has a given meaning, I challenge you to create a description of what you see. Do you see a part of your own reality in these pieces? 

Find the meaning that best resonates with you.

Lisa Brown

A series - To Practice Under the Wire

Sirsana and Dancer’s Pose

Film Photography

Shot in Lagos Nigeria  2021 on film, high archival Epson paper. 

Limited edition 2 of 5

Derek Roper

Beautiful Nightmare

Digital Paint

Inspired by dreaming. The picture depicts faceless nightmares flying around a floating citadel. It is meant to be a statement on getting to the heart of your fears. 

Marissa Clayton

Eco-Brutalist New Donk City (Super Mario Odyssey)

Adobe Illustrator

New Donk City is a city in the Nintendo Switch game Mario Odyssey. I’ve reimagined this city with an eco-brutalist theme by including plants from Super Mario games. 

Bryan Castillo

Take Your Medicine

Cut and Pasted Magazines on Construction Paper

This work was created using frames found in thrift stores that may never be bought or reused. The magazines used to create them were no longer being read and I thought of using these materials to create something new from things that were no longer appreciated. The frames were sanded and painted. The collages are the result of my imagination. Creating art for me is therapeutic and is necessary as I feel I need to be creative or I do not feel like myself. When I complete them I feel a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment that comes from within. I prefer to leave the artwork open to the viewer's interpretation and I'd like them to make their own observations and opinions of what they are viewing. These surreal and fantasy-like collages allow us to distract ourselves from the everyday tasks and reality of our normal lives.

Anthony Graham

Spine Dance and Purple Waters

Acrylic, Oil and Clay on Canvas

Most of these pieces represent a piece of mind most call “dat dream” but I tend to believe these pieces signify my relationship with my emotions and expectations which can be fantasies at time in the lives we live

Jordan Carter

Sabreen de venus: Love’s Mirage

Canvas and Paper

Sabreen is a world of her own. As a Venusian, she rules beauty and passion. Suspending reality and engulfing you in a love so real yet seemingly illusive, she leaves you wondering whether or not she is even real or just a story tale of what love is supposed to be. 

Liam Garrett

Polar Bear

Digital Art and Woodworking

A polar bear is shown made of doppler radar, and industrial heat. Snow was literally melted on this canvas.

A New American Symbol

Digital Art and Woodworking

An updated American emblem.

Chloe Griffin

Easter Sunday

Mixed Media and Acrylic Paint

This piece is a depiction of black people, black culture & black interactions through my lens. The vibrant colors and brush strokes reflect the energy from the characters and the subtle details add realism that provides a hint of relatability to the work.

Malachi Wright

Bubblez

Acrylic, Mark and Pen on Cardstock Paper

Bubbles represent relaxation, peace and good fortune. In dreams, it represents childhood joy and fun. The crying woman is surrounded by bubbles, reminiscing about her childhood past. Wishing she could relive those joyous moments and be happy again. But she can’t, if she tries to grab the fragile floating spheres that hold her happy childhood memories: they pop and disappear, and so does that one significant memory inside that bubble. All she can do is look at them while they float away into the endless sky, pleading for them to come back. She’s sad now, knowing that she must wake up from this dream she’s in and live her traumatizing adult life in the real world. What’d she wish for? Change is what she wished! She wants her life to change for the better. And she hopes to see her bubbles again in her dreams where she’s most happy.