www.montereycountyweekly.com July 20-26, 2023 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 31 ART If Eugene, Oregon ever invades Monterey, California, we had it coming. It is actually the Weekly that robbed Eugene of one of its most precious natural resources, Hanif Panni. He relocated to Monterey County in 2008, following his wife, former Weekly assistant editor Kera Abraham. Since then, he not only has been the region’s DJ-in-Chief, playing in and for the community hundreds of times over the last decade-and-a-half, but also has expanded his work in visual arts extensively, from mural painting to showcasing the potential of blending visual techniques thanks to new digital technologies. His latest works are now on display at Monterey History and Art at Stanton Center in Monterey, gathered in an exhibit titled Wondir. “I love both music and art,” Panni says. “Stories being told in those mediums are equally important. But the people and demographics they attract are different, so it’s exciting to have access to both.” Panni’s visual work is conceptual and representational at once, since the very process of merging such means requires thinking in stages. “I would start sculpting the base in virtual reality,” Panni says about one of his works, titled “Peace When The Day Is Done” and showing a DJ princess proudly carrying the plume of feathers on her smooth, strong neck. She is as ancient as modern; metallic ornaments merge Homeric past and Star Trek future. “This way I could rotate it and start adding details, paint it digitally, add texture and color.” It’s hard to choose a favorite in this colorful world, but “Ocean DNA” deserves a mention as a tribute to the natural world, and to life as art itself. This is where we are coming from, the piece seems to say, presenting a sheer vortex of oceanic life, where kelp, octopus, medusas and sharks make for one magical ribbon. “Kelp is like DNA,” Panni says. “All life springs from it.” Panni presents nature and technology, past and present, as two sides of the same coin—both capable of miracles. His titles seem like fragments of prayers or meditation, but he says they are in fact lyrics from jazz music he listens to during work. In addition to the exhibit, Panni has at least four mural projects coming up, including pieces in Marina and Monterey. Wondir is on display until Monday, July 31. Monterey History and Art at Stanton Center, 5 Custom House Plaza, Monterey. Open 10am-5pm except Fridays. $16. 3722608, stantoncenter.org, hanifwondir.com. DANIEL DREIFUSS Wondir Why Hanif Panni is a gift to Monterey County, integrating past and present, art and music—and excelling at both. By Agata Pop˛eda Most of the works on display in Wondir at Monterey History and Art at Stanton Center are from the last few years; the oldest piece was created in 2018. DR. BRYNIE KAPLAN DAU, MS, DVM VOTED MONTEREY COUNTY’S BEST VETERINARIAN TWO YEARS IN A ROW! ’22 ’21 SURGERY DERMATOLOGY FELINE AND CANINE MEDICINE PREVENTATIVE CARE AND MUCH MORE COMPASSIONATE CARE WITH EXCEPTIONAL MEDICINE. 1023 Austin Avenue, Pacific Grove • 831-318-0306 www.pacificgroveanimalhospital.com
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