SANTA CLARA, CA.- The Triton Museum of Art presents the exhibit "Beyond the Likeness": Self-Portraits by California Artists through October 15, 2006. The art of the self-portrait dates back to the earliest traditions of visual creation and has been primary subject matter for artists going back to the beginnings of visual expression. The self-portrait is more than mere depiction of the artist's visage. It is, in its broader application, a document of the artist's presence, character, psyche, and range of ideas.

It is this broader application of the self-image on which the exhibition Beyond the Likeness: Self-Portraits by California Artists will focus. This exhibition will explore the many facets and definitions of the self-portrait, drawing from the works of forty artists from throughout California. The range and styles of these various artists will reflect multiple examples of the genre. Some represent a traditional approach, that is, artists working from life, capturing their own images from reflective sources or memory to create a realistic representation of what they see, in essence a portrait of the artist by the artist. Others couch their portraits in expressionistic, abstract, or narrative settings that draw the image from the realm of mere depiction into a world of ideas, psychologies, and story telling. The artists will be considered on their individual merits and, through gallery texts and education materials, from historical perspectives, giving the viewer a fuller understanding of the genre and its wide-ranging implications.

In addition to the multiple types of self-images presented, Beyond the Likeness: Self-Portraits by California Artists features a broad spectrum of artists inclusive of various backgrounds, ages, race, gender, and artistic recognition. From emerging talents such as Wayne Jiang, Richard Godinez, and Joan Blackmer to mid-career talents Katherine Levin-Lau, Patty Wickman, David Tomb, and Kelly Detweiler to established artists Bob Gerbracht, Roberta Loach, Domenic Cretara, Patricia Sherwood, and Jim Smyth, this exhibition brings together for the first time in California this roster of distinguished and recognized artists.

The Triton Museum of Art is dedicating all major galleries to this presentation for the run of the exhibition. Education programming will be a major facet of the project and will include artist/curator docent training, artist lectures, gallery walkthroughs, and panel discussions.

Artists included are: Joan Blackmer, Frank Born, Robert Brokl, John Patrick Campbell, Lenore Chinn, Dominic Cretara, Kelly Detweiler, Carlos Dobsky, Michelle Feulner-Castro, Adam Forfang, Lucy Gaylord-Lindholm, Bob Gerbracht, Richard Godinez, Stanley Goldstein, Tim Hawkinson, Art Hazelwood, F. Scott Hess, Wayne Jiang, Katherine Levin-Lau, David Ligare, Hung Liu, Roberta Loach, Yolanda Lopez, Kenney Mencher, Hector Dio Mendoza, Lara Nguyen, Eve Page Mathias, Carlos Perez, Roy Ragle, Patricia Sherwood, Hugh Shurley, Jim Smyth, Gerald Sullivan, S.J., Brian Taylor, David Tomb, Mike Wang, Patty Wickman, and Will Wilson.