With Portuguese Bend artist Steve Shriver's new show at the Torrance Art Museum set to open today, Jan. 13, we thought it would be interesting to talk with him about his show, his art and some other stuff. We did the whole thing via email. More of Steve Shriver's work can be seen at www.art-works2000.com.

Garrison Frost: What can you tell me about the work in this show? The title implies that you're continuing to build on your previous documentation of highway aesthetics.

Steve Shriver: Yes, this is a step built on previous work that all comes out of the driving experience -- though really, I think that's just a framework that I use to bring the viewer into a commonality of experience as a starting point for the esthetic. I've always thought of art as entertainment -- equal parts enticement and sustenance. Hopefully I've got both here.

There are probably those who believe that watercolor is a medium best suited for capturing nature -- landscapes, sunsets, ocean scenes -- and yet you use it to great effect on overpasses, trucks and cement infrastructure. Does the medium appeal to you because it adds a poetic quality to your subjects?

Well, I definitely love the soft qualities of watercolor, but I don't really distinguish between the natural and the manmade environments. I've always been drawn to depict what I'm surrounded by, so I started this series while doing a lot of commuting to jobs. The other reason for using watercolor was to be able to quickly get down a lot of ideas; when I started this, I made over 500 paintings in the first year, so it was partly practicality -- how would I store that many canvases?

Kristina Newhouse (Curator at the Torrance Art Museum) has put together three shows that address our notion of landscapes. The Judson paintings are highly idealized visions of the Arroyo Seco, while the "Plainer" show presents work that addresses the concept of landscape art in a more contemporary, less idealized way. I can see how your work fits in, but I'm curious how you would describe it.

I would describe myself as a realist – I like reality because I see the wonder in all of it. I can appreciate the plein air style, and I'm certainly struck by their craft, but I don't see why (many modern adherents) choose to edit out all signs of mankind. One of the things I love the most about the paintings of the California watercolorists and the WPA era was the integration of natural and industrial or urban settings. I mean, what could be could be cooler than oil tanks in a field? These giant geometric shapes that catch light the way no natural object can, often painted in outrageous colors, surrounded by nature. It's a painter's dream. On a social level, my hope is that some people's eyes are opened to the beauty in their environment; we are often told to see the industrial landscape as ugly and depressing, and certainly some aspects of it are, but on a daily basis, it can be as fascinating and esthetic as walking in a field, if one is aware.

You're part of only the second set of shows at the Torrance Art Museum. As somebody who has been involved in the greater cause of local arts -- through the Palos Verdes Art Center and elsewhere -- what do you think the impact of this new venue will on the South Bay art scene?

I'm really encouraged to see this venue get back on its feet after its long renovation process. I can tell you (having shown there before) that it is a vast improvement over its former layout. More importantly, I think they are really lucky to have a curator like Kristina there. She is very knowledgeable and involved in the contemporary art scene, and has dealt with challenges at the center that many would have run from. There aren't that many good outlets in the South Bay for serious art, so I would hope that the Museum will draw the viewers and funding it needs to continue its agenda of bringing interesting art to and from the Torrance area.

Getting back to your work, I'm a little curious how you got to this place creatively. Did you always have a thing for trucks, freeways, streetlights and stuff? Or did you have an epiphany? What kind of art were you doing before you went down this road (pun not intended)?

I was working as a decorative painter for about 10 years trying to bring home enough to support a family of wife and four kids. Murals and gold leaf, that kind of thing, for mostly hotels and casinos. It was fun working with a lot of other skilled artists, but the travel was hard on the home life. During that time, I did very little work of my own. When I decided I needed to change, I contemplated background painting for animation, and I took a course at a little school out in the valley. Best course I ever had, taught by a couple of story guys from Disney. They stressed the narrative influence on all formal aspects of the image, including perspective and framing. As I drove to work, I started noticing that all the freeway architecture functioned as a dynamic frame; a proscenium arch upon which the the drama of our daily commute played out. That was how it started, then other things came into the mix; the decorative patterns of the various traffic furniture, the atmospheric views from the car, the postures and faces of other drivers, and the facial resemblance of the front and rear views of the cars and trucks. All of these have given me plenty of subject matter for the past few years, with no end in sight.

I get the distinct impression that we shouldn't hold out for your Manhattan Beach pier series. But I am curious what local sights have inspired you as a South Bay artist, and what subject matter in the South Bay you think are underappreciated and ripe for artistic interpretation.

The harbor is a constant source of fascination and wonder to me. It's one of the most amazing manmade environments ever produced. Sublime lighting effects, gigantic structures in a beautiful setting between sea and mountains. The refineries (especially the TOSCO one in San Pedro) have so many interesting shapes and colors. The piers have not really drawn me yet, but I do love surfing, so maybe someday that will provide a background.

So, what's next for you? Where's your work going these days? Any shows coming up?

I don't have any scheduled shows on the docket right now, which is kind of a good thing since I have a large decorative ceiling commission I'm behind on, with another ceiling waiting, and a family portrait for a friend in the works too. Also painting a couple of surfboards in a decorative style. I really need an intern to come and help me paint and market my stuff- any takers out there?

(Jan. 13, 2006)

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