ASYMMETRIC
LOS ANGELES ART QUARTERLY
VOLUME 06 // AUTUMN 2016
INSPIRATION
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MUSIC SPOTLIGHT with Smoke Season
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WHAT THEY’RE LISTENING TO the music that inspired this issue’s artists
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YOU ARE (STILL) HERE by Leah Perrino
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SKY SERIES by Angie Lister
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PURPOSELY RANDOM by Jason Travis
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LAND OF DREAMS by Haleh Davoudi
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GRADUAL OPPRESSION by Eric Michael
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A DREAMLIKE STATE by Mandy Rosen
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FEATURED INSTAGRAM FANS
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SNAPSHOT
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LEA H’ S NOT E
all is all about change. And one of the best things about living in Los Angeles is how easy it is to find a change when you need it. The city itself is ever-changing, thus ever-inspiring, but getting out of the city can be just as powerful. Change is inevitable. Sometimes it’s completely out of your control. Sometimes it turns your whole world upside down. Sometimes you experience a loss of individuality, and a change of environment is in order. This is why I recently took a road trip through the desert–a personal reset. I took my camera on an exploration through Salton City, Imperial Sand Dunes, Salvation Mountain, and the always-inspiring Joshua Tree. Caught up in my daily routine in LA, I’d forgotten the vastly different terrains that surround me. I was blown away by what I discovered. I found solitude on the open road and abandoned land, inspiration at the breathtaking sand dunes and intricate Salvation Mountain, and parts of myself that I thought I lost as I watched the sun set over the Jumbo Rocks at Joshua Tree. I included some photos I captured while documenting my trip (and epiphanies) in the pages that follow. The images tell a story of being mentally stuck somewhere, deciphering between loneliness and peace in desolation, and setting myself free. Additionally, this issue is full of autumn hues and nature-inspired pieces from all the contributors. You’ll be mesmerized by Angie Lister’s Sky Series (page 18), Eric Michael’s Gradual Oppression (page 36), and Mandy Rosen’s self portraits (page 40), while artists Jason Travis (page 24) and Haleh Davoudi (page 32) express a bold, whimsical side in their works. This season, I challenge you to explore the incredible land around us, let something go and make a change that you need. Happy fall!
Leah Perrino founder + designer
PHOTOGRAPHERS
PAINTERS
MUSICIAN
Leah Perrino Samantha Rebuyaco Mandy Rosen Jason Travis
Haleh Davoudi Angie Lister Eric Michael
Smoke Season
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To share your story, visit: asymmetricmag.com/contribute
INSPIR ATION
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music spotlight: Smoke Season ASYMMETRIC MAGAZINE: Tell us about your current work. SMOKE SEASON: We make music that moves our soul (and hopefully yours, too). AM: How would you best describe your sound? SS: The Wild West meets electronic beats AM: What’s your biggest inspiration? SS: Spaghetti western films and pulses you can feel. Also, our own emotions. AM: What role does Los Angeles play in your work? SS: Los Angeles (and California in general) is an ever-present ghost in our songs. You can hear her lurking behind every song. 06 // A S Y M M E T R I C M A G A Z I N E
AM: What themes do you pursue through your music? SS: Love, loss and expectations AM: What other musicians are currently inspiring you? GABRIELLE: Bon Iver’s [22, A Million] is both a technological milestone and an organic masterpiece. We’re also in love with the minimalism found is Solange, Frank Ocean and Kiiara’s new material. From a vocal perspective, I look to Nina Simone the most ardently. JASON: My writing is inspired by a lot of southern blues masters like Son House and Howling Wolf. AM: How did you land on the name “Smoke Season”? SS: Being east coasters in LA, the first thing we noticed was that a lot of the glamour of the city was actually smoke and
THIS ISSUE’S CONTRIBUTORS SHARE THE TUNES THAT INSPIRE THEIR WORK: Music is one of my greatest inspirations–I never work without it. Currently it is music from the ‘80s, which I’ve always found to be meaningful, fun and original. Tears For Fears, Duran Duran, The Cure, Depeche Mode, etc. get me through many hours of painting, and so do Cat Stevens, Neil Young, Jim Croce, David Bowie, The Moody Blues, The Band, Yes, America, Fleetwood Mac, E.L.O, Sinatra, Armstrong, and Debussy. Some newer artists that I’ve been enjoying are Broken Bells, Radical Face, Noah and the Whale, Jose Gonzalez, Moby, Over The Rhine, Coconut Records, Sigur Ros, and Caravan Palace. // ANGIE LISTER
// Jason Rosen + Gabrielle Wortman // photos courtesy of LaFamos PR
mirrors. Behind the illusions lies the greater beauty. We dedicated our band name to sifting through the bullshit and finding the brilliance. AM: Where is one place that you feel completely in touch with your creative self/music? GABRIELLE: Joshua Tree Desert, California JASON: Idyllwild, California AM: What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? GABRIELLE: ‘Make your music a hemorrhage of emotion.’ JASON: ‘Live deliciously.’ Listen to Smoke Season’s EP Ouroboros on SoundCloud + check out videos at asymmetricmag.com.
I love creating to instrumental music, as well as music of other ethnicities, such as French, Arabic, Spanish, Portages and etc. Because there are no words or if there are they are sang in a different language, I get to truly enjoy and appreciate them exactly for what they are without getting attached to words or getting lost in the meaning of them. // HALEH DAVOUDI I can’t work without music. I have several playlists that I listen to while I paint depending on the mood I’m in. I listen to a wide range of genres and artists, but recently, I’ve been painting to The Weeknd, Anderson .Paak, Frank Ocean and jazz. // ERIC MICHAEL Last year leading into this year, I’ve been really into mid-80s era pop music. Music I call “shiny”. Whitney Houston, Phil Collins, Billy Ocean, Midge Ure–to name a few. My bandmate back in Atlanta has always been into that era, but for some reason, I’ve really been diving deep lately. I’ve always loved the 90s and always will–it’s my safe place. Nirvana, Dinosaur Jr., The Breeders, Pavement. As far as new records I’ve been listening to, I’ve been enjoying the new Blood Orange, Radiohead, and Diiv albums. // JASON TRAVIS My biggest inspiration in music is Kid Cudi. I can relate emotionally and artistically to many of the themes in his work. His music is revolutionary and changing the way people view hip-hop music. I believe my work is revolutionary in that it is emerging in contemporary times and it is a reflection of the transition of artistic portraiture. Other artists who currently inspire me are Justin Bieber, Pitbull, Grouplove, and Sia. I listen to everything except country. // MANDY ROSEN
EDITOR’S FEAT.
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photo series by LEAH PERRINO
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EDITOR’S FEAT.
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PAIN T I N G
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selected works by ANGIE LISTER
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PAIN T I N G
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y work is considered abstract but is very intentional; I choose the image I wish to work from, and create a painting from my perspective of that image. The way I see the shapes and images that inspire me, is what has created a unique artistic look that encompasses everything I create. I prefer working large, colorful, and organically, versus geometrically. Organic shapes move and flow, and work in relationship with one another–like a dance. ASYMMETRIC MAGAZINE: What’s your biggest inspiration? ANGIE LISTER: Visually, my inspiration comes from color and shapes, especially the shapes that water influences. In some of my work, I have painted shapes through the effect of moving water; in others I have painted the water itself or how people or things are reflected by it. Clouds, which are the greatest influence in the Sky Series, are made up of millions of droplets of water or ice crystals that are reflecting the sun and the sky. The organic shapes that have the biggest influence on me are those that have been created by water, such as holes and grooves in rocks, weathered wood, or misshapen shells that have been created by saltwater. AM: How does your Sky Series compare to your other paintings? AL: Sky Series is ongoing. It is something that I try to add to at least once a year, and I plan on continuing throughout my lifetime. There is really no concrete explanation for the asymmetricmag.com //
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feeling that I get when I see a sunset or sunrise that is so full of color and breathtaking forms. The visual experience of such an incredible thing is not even as inspiring to me as the mystery of it–that I am capable of being aware of its beauty is unexplainable and has a profound influence on me. AM: What role does Los Angeles play in your work? AL: I feel at home in Los Angeles–more than anywhere else. Los Angeles has its own rhythm, and it is calming. I picked my graduate school, which is just outside of LA, purposely so I could be influenced by the city and the artwork being made here, especially street art. There is a plethora of museums and galleries where an artist can go and find influence. I did not grow up here, but I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. For me as an artist, my environment is very important for my work to progress. AM: What themes do you typically pursue in your work? AL: Visually, I think the major themes in my work are movement
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and color, the way shapes move and relate to one another, and how the movement of water creates such powerful images. Color is a huge part of my work because I love the way it grabs you and pulls you in to experience the work. I sometimes springboard off of the visual in a body of work that I have chosen to create intuitively, pulling from my inspirations, then later delve into what drives that intuition philosophically. Sometimes I will start with a concept, such as a show I currently have on display: a conversation between the graphic arts and the fine arts, the theme being interpretation of an image through the two different media and how each is an art form that can enhance the other. I definitely derive the majority of my themes organically. Angie Lister is an LA-based painter, designer and muralist from Indiana. You can find more of her work at angielister.com.
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PHOTOGRAPHY
purposely
random selected works by JASON TRAVIS
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// page 25: Shelbie Diamond // page 26: Jamillah McWhorter // page 27: Katherine, The Sprinkle Show; David Sizemore; Faye Webster and Angelique Dale; Ashley Perich; Marion Jones // page 28: Jason Travis and Marion Jones
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PHOTOGRAPHY
// “99 Cent Only Store” logo creating using items from the store
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ASYMMETRIC MAGAZINE: Tell us about your work. JASON TRAVIS: My work is a varied mix... some portraiture, some shots taken with my drone, some exploratory work, my ongoing Persona series, and some shots I take purely for the fun of it. AM: What’s your biggest inspiration? JT: I find inspiration in my surroundings and those around me. Lately, I’ve been inspired by basketball and sports documentaries. I generally draw inspiration from subject matter outside of the art and design world. I’m constantly looking around me, exploring and experimenting. I moved to Los Angeles just over six months ago, and it’s been an all new playground. I’ve met so many new faces and started to explore this huge city a little bit at a time.
On the flip side, I’m also looking for poses or environments that feel as natural as possible. Sometimes the marriage of the purposeful and random pair well together because it creates something altogether unique. Jason Travis is an LA-based photographer, videographer, designer and illustrator from Atlanta, GA. You can find more of his work at jasontravisphoto.com.
AM: What role does LA play in your work? JT: LA has been a new chapter for me this year. I’ve thought about that question quite a lot lately. It’s been a transition from Atlanta and a huge learning experience. I’ve faced new challenges and also had a ton of growth. The attitude, the weather, the landscape–it all plays a part. I’ve taken what I do and what I’ve learned from childhood through adulthood and thrown it on all together with this new experience of living in Los Angeles with so many other creatives. It’s been steadfast and refreshing and arduous and rewarding all at once. AM: What themes do you typically pursue in your work? JT: I have a background in design and music, and that generally always plays a part. I love photographing people and learning from the experience. I pursue color and composition exploration just about everyday. I’m always looking for new ways to express a mood or idea. AM: How do you conceptualize the environments you create for your portrait work? JT: Most times, it stems from wanting to try something new. I want to push something further than I had previously. I’m constantly looking at light and shadows. I’m always thinking about what would excite me to see. What could I try that would make the most visually eye-popping fantastical image?
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selected works by HALEH DAVOUDI
ASYMMETRIC MAGAZINE: Tell us about your collection of work as an abstract artist. HALEH DAVOUDI: As an abstract artist, my work has been continuously evolving, yet my intention of ‘allowing’ is always present with each piece. I work expressively and intuitively with bold, bright colors and with organic shapes and forms. As each element marries others in the process of becoming one, pieces that are rich and playful come to life–just like a garden full of blooming flowers. AM: What is your biggest inspiration? HD: Nature is very inspiring to me–especially flowers. I believe we can learn a lot from the life of a flower. They are beautiful masterpieces, graceful, bold, fearless, and they are, as well as the rest of nature, very good at the art of allowing. AM: What role does Los Angeles play in your work? HD: Los Angeles is where I started on my path as an artist, so it plays a huge part in my work. Its colors, nature, weather, cultural diversity, talent diversity, lessons, and blessings, each play an essential part and are inspiring one way or another. I am truly happy and blessed to be here, experiencing life the way that I am. AM: What themes do you typically pursue in your work? HD: Expressions of joy, happiness and excitement. I find many things weighing people down day after day, externally, as well as internally, such as news, life challenges, expectations and more. Because of that, I like my pieces to be a source of joy and happiness in others’ homes. AM: We love your use of color and flora in your pieces. Can you tell us a bit about your process for conceptualizing a new piece? HD: When I start a new piece, I don’t know what it will look like once finished. As I allow myself to play, explore, experiment, and express feelings of joy, appreciation, and love for life and what I do, shapes and forms are created, positioned to compliment and even contradict each other at times. AM: How do you think art impacts social change? HD: Art is yet another beautiful form of communication where we get to express our needs, wants, feelings, like and dislikes. Through the use of art we get to connect and reach more people than through the use of language. Haleh Davoudi is an LA-based abstract artist. You can view more of her work at halehdavoudi.com.
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PAIN T I N G
// page 32: I Do // above: Candace’s Vision // page 35: Land Of Dreams
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y paintings exhibit a comparison of similarities by gradually altering the values of complementary colors to demonstrate their uniform change in properties. In contrast, I highlight the differences by using two distinct paint applications, as I apply opposing hues, primarily oranges and blues. I build structures through the abstraction of complex architectural forms into core geometric shapes to juxtapose against gestural free forms. ASYMMETRIC MAGAZINE: What’s the idea behind Gradual Oppression? ERIC MICHAEL: Using a geometric sequence, I display the world progressively changing from its natural form into a state of rigidity that leads to its deterioration. The piece is made up of seven separate 20 in. x 20 in. diamond shaped wooden panels. It’s a study of nature vs. structure, juxtaposing geometric shapes vs. abstract elements. Despite their differences, nature and structure must coexist. Nature precedes structure, yet structures impose their existence over nature. Without raw minerals and natural resources, it would be impossible to build any sort of structure. I study color combinations, textures, and gradual change in values that exhibit the relationship between the two forces– calling attention to their inherent dependence and the importance of their mutual respect. AM: How did you decide you were going to lay this out among seven panels? EM: In my front yard, we had seven tiles arranged exactly like this. So, when I was thinking of the concept for the world, I knew I wanted to arrange it like that. It’s arranged to represent the earth divided into two hemispheres. The gaps between the panels imply the separation created by the countless borders found between countries that form the world’s seven continents. I also wanted to force the viewer to start with the nature portion on the right and follow the painting from right to left, instead of how they would naturally read. AM: How does Gradual Oppression compare to the rest of your work? EM: Gradual Oppression is the culmination to the discoveries I made during my work on a Nature vs. Structure series. All of my other pieces have led up to this. 38 // A S Y M M E T R I C M A G A Z I N E
AM: What’s your process for conceptualizing and creating a new piece? EM: Since nature comes before any structure in the world, I always start with layering paint. I lay out the abstract foundation, and then I lay out a geometric structure over it. I try to emulate nature as it builds in the real world. That’s why even on the geometric, flat parts of my pieces, you can always see layers of paint–the nature–coming through the structure. AM: What’s your biggest inspiration? EM: Life as a whole. I came from very humble beginnings; I’m from South America, and things are very different there than they are here. I always try to marry my past with my present in my work and find the harmony between the two. I use complimentary colors and juxtapose hard and soft elements. My inspiration comes from opposites and looking at where I came from vs. where I am now and how grateful I am to be here. AM: What role does Los Angeles play in your work? EM: I love how you can do everything in LA. I’m constantly attracted to the nature side of things and the water, but I love the urban city and architecture, too. This harmony in LA plays a huge role in how I h a rmo-
nize hard and soft in my work. There’s beauty in it all, natural and structural, and I try to capture both in my paintings. AM: What themes do you typically pursue in your work? EM: My work is an analysis of the interaction of opposing forces as they coexist in our society. Through an exploration of topics, such as wealth disparity, human oppression, classism and the struggle for power, I attempt to bring awareness to the widening gap amongst the haves and have-nots. Just as opposites are juxtaposed in my paintings, LA is a city where there is [an abundance of] wealth right next to a huge lack of wealth, and no one doing anything about it.
AM: So, how do you think art impacts social change? EM: I think art brings forth issues without being too aggressive about it. It’s politely asking for change. It’s a way to get people to see things that they don’t want to see. We might be blind to the homeless population because we are used to seeing them, but if an artist depicts them in a beautifully powerful photo or painting, you may look twice and take the time to really think about the issue. Eric Michael is an LA-based contemporary artist. You can view more of his work at ericmichaelart.com.
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selected works by MANDY ROSEN
PHOTOGRAPHY
y photo art consists of photographs that were created by a method called compositing where several photos are combined into one single photo during the postproduction process. It takes anywhere from one to 40 hours to create one single image. The majority of photos in my photo art portfolio are self-portraits, created by placing my camera on a tripod and clicking a wireless remote to take the picture. I like to tell people, “I don’t take photos, I make photos!” It’s a new style of photography that’s very creative, surreal and artistic. It feels especially new to me because I studied art history and the classic painters through the timeline of human history. Never before has another medium besides painting been able to execute as much of an in-depth and artistic workflow that Photoshop can when it comes to artistic portraiture and landscapes. ASYMMETRIC MAGAZINE: What is your biggest inspiration? MANDY ROSEN: Brooke Shaden is another composite photo artist, but her work is different than mine in that she uses dark colors and dark tones in her work. Her work makes me wonderfully uncomfortable, while also contemplating the meaning behind life and death. My two other biggest inspirations in photography are Rosie Hardy and Joel Robison, who create amazing self-portraits that scorch you with their intensity. It is true that other photographers inspire me the most over anything else in life, with the exception perhaps of love. As long as there is love in my life, there will always be inspiration. AM: How does your photo art compare to your landscape photography? MR: My landscape photography differs from my photo art in that there is minimal Photoshop involved. Landscape can be more challenging for me because I want to snap a picture of something that not everybody sees. Everyone has a camera these days, even if it’s just their cell phone, and I just don’t want my pictures to look like everyone else’s. asymmetricmag.com //
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AM: What is your favorite place to photograph in California? MR: My favorite place to photograph has become my apartment. I don’t shoot too often in my apartment, but when a composite works and looks natural after creating it in my apartment, that is very exciting for me. The “Space Dress” photos were created in my apartment against the light of the window. I don’t really like shooting at the beach but am on the hunt for creeks and woods in Southern California.
Mandy Rosen is a Southern California-based photographer best known for her photo illustrations and landscape photography. You can find more of her work at mandyrosenphotography.com.
AM: What themes do you typically pursue in your work? MR: Loneliness, isolation, desolation, the pursuit of happiness, and childhood nostalgia. I generally use very bright and happy colors to either convey or contrast these themes. I don’t mind the loneliness, as I need loneliness to create.
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INS TAGRAM
row 1 // @621jrd, @gmontero, @bherrero13 row 2 // @r3z13, @verblenden, @10_oz_ row 3 // @2071photo, @millaistomina, @foto420
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SNA PSHOT
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