18th Presence Almanac

PRESENCE ALMANAC

Eighteenth Chronicle

Curated by Elliott Desai

Cover photo by Elliott Desai

Inside Cover photo by Elliott Desai

FOR THE A DVA N C E M E N T OF ARTS & CULTURE Visiting these art shows and exhibitions are practical ways to ground my sense of self. Because when I’m in these spaces, the request is simply to be in this moment and engage with the work. It’s not about speed or checking things off a to-do list — it’s about finding ways to embody presence. MELROSE HILL When I visited C L E A R I N G last winter to see Jean-Marie Appriou’s solo show Flamingo Soup, a smile immediately appeared on my face. These clay sculptures transport you into another universe, and my favorites are featured at the opening of this Eighteenth Chronicle. CHINATOWN Known for hosting music festivals and cultural events in the summer, Los Angeles State Historic Park is the space I’m envisioning when searching for large green spaces. On the other side of City Hall and around the corner from Elysian Park — these grounds are perfect for hanging outside in the sun. Whenever I’m Downtown, I can rely on these 32 acres for some nature.

FASHION DISTRICT

LOS FELIZ

I visited Simard Bilodeau Contemporary to see mixed-media works by Alfredo Romero during his solo show DESPIEL.

Half Gallery is located at a home in the hills above the city and hosts a variety of shows throughout the year.

Romero creates these works by extracting damaged vestiges from poor neighborhood streets, and then uses a Strappo technique to restore and complete each piece. I returned to the gallery last week to see TRANSLATIONS, a group show on view until December 16, and Emma Larsson‘s gritty paintings were my favorite. Across the hall is Baert Gallery (featured in the Third Chronicle), and now Abigail Ogilvy Gallery who just moved into the neighborhood. Katelyn Ledford is the guest curator for Oh To Be a Painting 2, a group show on view until December 16, and I enjoyed the acrylic paintings made by Merrick Adams and Joseph Parra. I recommend spending a few hours up and down S Santa Fe Ave to visit these galleries in the Fashion District (listed in the google map for ease!)

This cozy environment is available by appointment, and I enjoyed works by Heinjin Yoo in Habit of Necessity during my first visit. When I see Yoo’s paintings (and pieces from previous years), I’m impressed by the luscious scenery and intentional choices for layering elements in the foreground and background. *** *** When painting at home, I’m trying to merge references of real experiences with dreams of an imaginary scene. And when looking at the sampling of art in this week’s collection, I see artists who are conjuring up tangible worlds that we get to experience through their series. Would love to hear about your ideas and thoughts too! Published November 20 at 2:50 AM Sincerely, Elliott Desai

MELROSE HILL

Courtesy of C L E A R I N G

Photo by Elliott Desai Courtesy of C L E A R I N G

Courtesy of C L E A R I N G

C H I NAT OW N

Photo by Elliott Desai

FASHION DISTRICT

Courtesy of Simard Bilodeau Contemporary

Courtesy of Abigail Ogilvy Gallery

LOS FELIZ

Courtesy of Half Gallery

MELROSE HILL

CHINATOWN

Jean-Marie Appriou

Los Angeles State Historic Park

Flamingo Soup November 17, 2022 - January 21, 2023 c-l-e-a-r-i-n-g.com/exhibitions/ flamingo-soup

1245 N Spring St, Los Angeles, CA 90012 lastatehistoricpark.org

CLEARING 530 N Western Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90004 c-l-e-a-r-i-n-g.com

FASHION DISTRICT

LOS FELIZ

Alfredo Romero

Heijin Yoo

DESPIEL January 28 - May 6, 2023 simardbilodeau.com/artists/38alfredo-romero

Habit of Necessity November 9 - December 17, 2022 halfgallery.com/hiejin-yoo-los-angeles

Emma Larsson

TRANSLATIONS November 4 - December 16, 2023 simardbilodeau.com/artists/34emma-larsson

Merrick Adams

Oh To Be a Painting 2 October 31 - December 16, 2023 abigailogilvy.com/artists/525merrick-adams

Joseph Parra

Oh To Be a Painting 2 October 31 - December 16, 2023

Simard Bilodeau Contemporary 1923 S Santa Fe Ave #300, Los Angeles, CA 90021 simardbilodeau.com

Abigail Ogilvy Gallery

Half Gallery

1923 S Santa Fe Ave #100, Los Angeles, CA 90021

2249 Mountain Oak Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90068

abigailogilvy.com

halfgallery.com

November 20 at 2:50 AM Los Angeles, CA

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