LA CANVAS - THE HIDDEN ISSUE (MAY-JUNE 2013)

THE HIDDEN ISSUE

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C A N V A S

VOLUME 3 ISSUE 4

MAY + JUNE 2013 publisher

DANTE COLOMBATTI

editor-in-chief

REBECA ARANGO

art director + fashion editor ERIN DENNISON

design + production director RACHEL MANY

designers

NATHAN WARNER ZEENA WINN

photography

CHRIS BUCK GRANT YOSHINO HEATHER GILDROY MACEO PAISLEY STEVEN YATSKO

account managers

MATT OLSON JANESSA MOLINA

contributors

MEAGAN JUDKINS ROSS GARDINER JULIE ROTH

events director MAX EHRLICH

social media director VI NGUYEN

editorial assistant MEGAN LABER

+crew

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13 THE HIDDEN ISSUE C A N V A S

MUSIC playlist A GOOD DISGUISE venue HOLLYWOOD FOREVER CEMETERY artist BIG BLACK DELTA

20 23 24

ART LA STREET ART ART EVENTS artist PAIGE SMITH museum MUSEUM OF JURASSIC TECHNOLOGY

28 30 34 38

STYLE editorial DECISIONS WITHOUT CONSEQUENCES 40 designer HENTSCH MAN 48 trend THE TREND MATRIX 53 store LENCERIA BOUTIQUE 54

FOOD chef DANTE FRIED CHICKEN restaurant SUSHI BELLY TOWER food scoops STRIP MALL SECRETS drink THE SECRET SOCIETY bar THE ESCONDITE story THE DOG DAYS ARE BACK

74 79 80 83 85 86

& NOTED photo editorial EVERYTHING HERE IS GOOD photo editorial SUSPENSE events SCENE & HEARD calendar MAY calendar JUNE last look CHRIS BUCK

18 56 64 90 92 94 102

15

DOT COM LA’S BEST ART, STYLE, MUSIC, FOOD AND EVENTS SOURCE >> PARTY ON WAYNE:

>> CALLING ALL ARTISTS!

>> THE WEEKLY:

From a series of kickbacks at the Roosevelt

LA CANVAS and Tappan Collective are joining forces to find the city’s best

Summertime is synonymous with time to get off

Hotel Pool to our Marshall Audio Music

undiscovered talent. If you live in Los Angeles, are a current art school student, recent

your couch, and if you’re having trouble planning

pop-ups and our ever-fabulous issue

art school graduate, or a working emerging artist, we want you and your artwork to

accordingly, LAC has just the agenda. Every week,

release parties, LAC has more than enough

be discovered and collected. The top two artists will win a mention and a photo in the

our editors round-up LA’s best concerts, parties,

madness and mayhem scheduled to keep

July/August issue of LA CANVAS Magazine, a feature in the E-ISSUE, and have the

art openings, sales and all-around marvelous

things interesting . Stick with us this season

opportunity to exhibit their artwork for sale on Tappan Collective. To apply, submit a

happenings. Subscribe to the Weekly to get them

to cop some gift bags and Facebook tags.

bio, artist statement and up to 5 images of work to submissions@thetappancollective.

in your inbox every Thursday, along with exclusive

com. More of a critic? Stay in the loop on our social media to weigh in.

invites to LA CANVAS parties.

ON LACANVAS.COM >> BEHIND THE SCENES Take a peek behind the scenes of "Decisions Without Consequences" with videographer Graham Dunn and photographer Grant Yoshino. >> Q&A: TYLER SHIELDS "Gravity is the greatest enemy ever faced." Controversial photographer Tyler Shields chats with LAC about his latest exhibit, "Suspense." >> LAC TV Cooking with Chef Dante Gonzalez, inside the studio of featured artist Paige Smith, plus exclusive footage of Cayucas live at the Marshall Audio Music Series. >> MORE See all the photos from our trips to Sushi Belly Tower, Lock & Key, and the DFC pop-up brunch.

IN THE E-ISSUE >> DOG DAY AFTERNOON We spend the day at Kombucha Dog headquarters, where the fermented health-elixir meets a campaign to help man’s best friend. >> SPRING STYLE Spanish photographer Hugo Arturi plays with spring prints and texture. >> PHOTO STORY Documentary photographer Edward Cushenberry shows and tells with his cinematic lifestyle portraits. >> MADE IN LA Fashion industry insider Jenna Stevenson walks us through the production process right here in Los Angeles.

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EDITOR’S NOTE

MAINTAINING A LOW PROFILE In the name of all things hidden, the past two months saw

collection of whereabouts, interests, and objects is something we

the LAC staff engaging in some borderline-shady behavior: We broke

all do to an extent, privately or publicly. It’s just that I’m a Cancer

into a building across the street from the Standard Hollywood to aim

and I don’t like to share.

cameras into its windows (p 40); we ignored our mothers’ warnings

Quite the opposite: I like to hide. I relish the moments

and accepted a stranger’s invitation to an underground Sushi dinner

where nobody knows my exact location, and I am notoriously slow

(p 79); we traveled to a dark little museum in Culver City and

to get-to-know. Back when I moved into my first dorm room in New

got in trouble for trying to Instagram a dead rat on a piece of

York City, the sweetest newfound freedom was to slip out the door

toast (p 38); and we spent a week dining exclusively at strip malls,

without having to explain myself to anyone or even saying goodbye.

because sometimes good food lurks in unassuming places (p 80).

But in the professional world, that freedom is anchored by

We pinned down elusive people—like Chef Dante

responsibility. And nothing tethers you to your responsibilities more

Gonzalez, whose legendary fried chicken pops-up and away faster

than your smart phone. Especially in a competitive major city like

than you can say sock-it-to-me, but has just released a new cookbook

Los Angeles, where so many of us young-and-unestablished operate

for permanent residence on your bookshelf (p 74)—and found others

around that dangerous edge of employment, the one that borders

who had recently come out of hiding—like former Mellowdrone

a pit of hungry tigers ready to pounce into your place, and keeping

front-man Jonathan Bates, who disappeared for a minute before

them at bay means never missing a phone call from your boss or

resurfacing with his magnificent new project Big Black Delta (p 24).

an e-mail from your co-worker. Your whereabouts and activities are

All the while, we got to drop truly delicious words like

beholden to at least a handful of people at all times and available by

illicit, clandestine, and surreptitious. Yum. Though the point of all this was not to convince you that

request instantaneously. There’s no hiding from that.

Worse

yet,

in

the

“creative”

professions,

we’re

just around the corner from the Chinese Theater lives a “Hidden

ostensibly so illuminated with purpose that our passion cannot

LA” where authentic locals pick daffodils and exchange smiles in

be confined to the hours of nine-to-five. The standard is that we

between whispers of forgotten histories.

live and breathe whatever it is we’re doing; our devotion required

The fact is, whether you’re a celebrity, an aspiring celebrity, hoping to earn the patronage of celebrities or just to brush

to sustain itself through a 24/7 marathon of digital/physical presence—otherwise known as “the Hustle.”

up against one, Los Angeles is a place the ambitious go in search of

This issue is an ode to breaking the boring old rules of

visibility. Anything and everything that can be experienced in this

that oft-too-tiresome game, as we all must from time to time if we’re

city is just a quick Google away. Frankly, there isn’t a whole lot of

to keep our screws on tight. Just when the internet was flooded with

hiding going on, especially when there’s so much Instagramming.

so many “Ten Ways To Build Your Personal Brand” articles and our

Now I fully support the right to a robust insta-life,

bosses had returned giddy from enough social media seminars that

but admittedly, it’s not my thing. A photographer-friend gently

the singular path to success was looking laughably, frighteningly

reprimanded me the other day: “You’re the Editor of a magazine

well-paved, working on this issue reminded me that it isn’t.

and you don’t have Instagram?” Guilty. It’s just that most of the

This issue is an ode to subtlety. The artists profiled in

time I’m so involved in living my personal experience that I forget

these pages prove that there is no one way to beat the hustle,

to cultivate my personal brand.

and that sometimes the most fulfilling path is cleared by your

Because they aren’t one-in-the-same. Granted, some people have made an art of merging the two into a seamless

own instincts, even if you’re more naturally inclined towards secrecy than persistent shouting.

cross-platform existence of eating-breathing-talking-tweeting, and

This issue is an ode to quiet. The places featured in

that’s an admirable feat—as is the careful on-line performance

these pages are refuges. So remember, whatever your modus

of a segmented persona. I’m not suggesting my identity exists

operandi, if you need a break from all the noise, it’s okay to forget

on a higher plane of spontaneous purity—self-constructing via a

your phone at home and go have a beer.

REBECA ARANGO editor-in-chief

NOTED TAKE A BATH If you thought you were excited when the Postal Service announced a reunion, imagine Will Wiesenfeld. The twentyfour year-old LA native, who makes down-tempo Avant-pop under the name Baths, opened for the emo-tech pioneers at a slew of gigs this past April. Baths’ on-going national tour coincides with the release of his sophomore album Obsidian, a grim follow-up to 2010’s critically acclaimed Cerulean.

In true Baths fashion, Obsidian expertly blurs the lines between the LA beat scene and post-modern indie-pop, but sails beneath gloomier skies than its predecessor. Probably because it was written and recorded as Wiesenfeld recovered from a torturous E. Coli infestation. (It’s not every press release that paints bacteria into the picture.)

BATHSMUSIC.COM

LEIGHTEN UP Want a highbrow accessory to complement those jean cut-offs you’ve been wearing for the past five days? With vintage Japanese acetate, German precious metal hinges and their own optical lab here in Venice, Garret Leight brings us superior optical excellence at a reasonable price point. For real though, don’t sit on them; this is why we can’t have nice things.

GARRETTLEIGHT.COM

LUST FOR LIFE Another exciting blogger collab that has our top buns in a tizzy is our pint-sized princess, Olivia Lopez’s (Lust for Life) capsule collection with Blaque Market. The six-piece line is inspired by the sartorial savant’s Iggy Pop obsession and contains delicious garments like cherry leather pants, studded shorts and draped white onesies. Lust for Life x Blaque Market is only available on MissKL.com, so capitalize while supplies last.

BLAQUEMARKET.COM / MISSKL.COM / LUSTFORLIFE.COM

THROUGH THE CATTAILS Maybe you haven’t heard the name Aphidoidea—it’s not the most pronunciation-friendly arrangement of letters—but if you’ve been to any festivals recently (cough Coachella cough) you may have caught a glimpse of their work. Based in LA’s downtown Arts District, the self-proclaimed “open collaborative think tank of design” has created some of the most stunning environmental art installations to grace the best coast. The collective was behind a massive light sculpture at this year’s Coachella called ”Through the Cattails,” Burning Man’s ”Desert Demond,” and a long list of other equally inventive and all-around awesome architectural installations.

APHIDOIDEA.COM

19

WITH LOVE Newbie women’s contemporary line Lovers + Friends debuted its first

season just last spring, but the fledgling label has already caught fashion-heads’ attention through an exciting collaboration with LA blogger Geri Hirsch. The Because I’m Addicted x Lovers + Friends Capsule collection is now available, and you can cop (our personal favorite) a pair of Vegan Leather Beauty Shorts at specialty boutiques and online retail palaces like Revolve, Nasty Gal and Singer22.

LOVERS-N-FRIENDS.COM

THE LIFE AQUATIC Specialty clothing line turned lifestyle brand Tavik may have just added accessories to their repertoire, but that doesn’t mean they forgot how to make a perfect swimsuit. Board shorts with a battery of above/at/below the knee options, and women’s suits with trend-savvy prints are superior in both style and function, in case you actually want to go IN the pool this summer.

TAVIK.COM

AFTER AFTER PARTY The life of a Los Angeles chef is no backyard clam bake. Prohibitively long hours, highpressure tribulations, and unglamorous outfits are par for the course. You’d imagine that any downtime would be dwindled away on low-stress activities like watching Bravo or napping. But apparently Chefs Edgar Rico (Sous-chef at Son of A Gun) and Daniel Navarro (El Cochinito) would rather just sign up for more cooking extracurriculars. Along with mixologist Chris Raba of Eveleigh and Wood & Vine, the two full-time Chefs run a monthly after-hours dining experience called Post Service Supper out of El Cochinito in Silverlake. The four-course dinners, with seatings at 10pm and 12am, are built of highquality, innovative restaurant dishes, paired with craft beers, wine or cocktails, and offered for the reasonable price of $45. A recent dinner included a rich duck liver pate served with peanut butter, apricot jam, and creme fraiche, as well as a melt-in-your-mouth braised lamb shoulder piled atop shmears of goat cheese and dotted with tender roasted dates.

Dessert? A deconstructed, utterly milky tres leches cake. Sweet dreams are made of those.

POSTSERVICESUPPER.COM

The GRAMMY Museum® at L.A. LIVE Presents

A GOOD DISGUISE Aside from being a fun cross-promotional marketing strategy, remixing is an artistic exercise in shifting focus. The best remixes don’t just switch up the beat—they reveal the hidden details you didn’t notice and change the meaning of the hook. This issue’s playlist is a collection of some of our favorite repurposed jams from some truly expert DJs. You’ll want to bust out your best headphones for this one.

“Walk On By” El Perro Del Mar, St. Etienne Remix

“Side of the Road” Big Black Delta, John Tejada Remix

“Marriage” Gold Panda, Baths Remix

“Rained the Whole Time” Shlohmo, Nicolas Jaar Remix

“Northern Lights” Kate Boy, Taken by Trees x Belief Remix

“We Got It Wrong” St. Lucia, Starsmith Remix

LA GRAN SEÑORA EXHIBIT OPENS MAY 12, 2013

“Pretty Boy” Young Galaxy, Peaking Lights Remix

“Ascension” Tycho, Rob Garza Remix

“Rescue Song” Mr. Little Jeans, RAC Remix

800 West Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90015 Mon-Fri 11:30AM – 7:30PM, Sat-Sun 10AM – 7:30PM For more information, go to WWW.GRAMMYMUSEUM.ORG GRAMMY Museum® and the Museum logo are registered trademarks of the Recording Academy® and are used under license.

“I Belong in Your Arms” Chairlift, John Talabot & Pional 6.15AMix

“Eyes Be Closed” Washed Out, Lovelock Remix

“Trouble” Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, Jamie Jones Remix

STREAM THE FULL PLAYLIST ON LA CANVAS’ SPOTIFY

From John Kander and Fred Ebb

Creators of Chicago & Cabaret

May 21–June 30 Ahmanson Theatre pick your exact seats online! CenterTheatreGroup.org/Scottsboro 213.972.4400 season sponsors photo by henry dirocco.

REVELRY AT THE CEMETERY

23

THE HIDDEN HISTORY OF HOLLYWOOD FOREVER text MEAGAN JUDKINS

A cemetery is often written off as bereft of life. In other words, dead.

However, in the heart of the city once known as Hollywoodland, a vivacious

after the Cassity purchase. Within the same year Will Sheff and Tallest Man On Earth would go down as the first to perform in the sacred space.

Since then the Lodge has housed various eclectic art forms; musical

scene has emerged, breathing new life into an otherwise dead locale.

Founded in the late 19th century, the historic cemetery hasn’t

guests ranging from James Blake to Nosaj Thing, live theater featuring John

always been a focus of festivity and musical celebration. Considering its

Waters’ “One Man Show” and even literature readings. Comedy is certainly

significant past, perhaps next to never has the public so longed to be within

king in the cemetery with heavyweights like Sarah Silverman, Aziz Anzari and

its once barbed-wired walls. The citizens of early Tinseltown felt the burial

Zach Galifianakis all having graced the stage. Look out for Arial Pink (5/17)

ground was nothing more than an eyesore; a stark monument to decay in

& Milo Green (6/28), both set to perform this spring.

a city famously obsessed with youth and renewal. But by the ‘20s, The

Beyond the doors of the Masonic Lodge and into the open air,

Hollywood Memorial Park Cemetery had become the final resting place of

Hollywood Forever hosts a myriad of delightful and lively events. Projected movies

choice for the iconoclastic founders of Hollywood’s great studios, as well as

during warm summer nights (otherwise known as Cinespia), live musical acts

its legions of writers, producers, and performers.

(Sigur Ros & the XX are past performers) and of course, not to be overlooked, the

After more than a few harsh decades, the Northridge quake of ‘94

ever-popular (and a Los Angeles “must” experience) Dia de Los Muertos Festival.

left the notorious burial ground riddled with putrid ponds, open crypts, and

If you are looking for a more genuinely defunct experience, the

muddied murals. In the late-nineties, The Cassity brothers purchased the

cemetery, beyond all of its rich cultural offerings, is still just that—a cemetery.

massive property for the astonishing price of $375k USD and began extensive

Come pay your respects to some of Hollywood’s greatest. Johnny Ramone

renovations almost immediately, but not before they gave the grounds a new

and Rudolph Valentino are just a few of the boneyard’s departed stars still

signature: “The Hollywood Forever Cemetery.”

shining from beyond the grave.

At the dawn of the depression, one of the oldest and most mysterious

Having a pacifying effect, one cannot help but contemplate his or

fraternal organizations in the world, the Freemasons, chose to set up shop in

her own mortality while milling about this famed final resting place, which

the cemetery’s Spanish Renaissance Revival buildings. The psychedelic 60s

really is part of the enchantment.

saw the Masonry move on, leaving behind what is known today as a mystical,

Here’s to hoping the morbid magnetism of performing at The Hollywood

reverent and fascinating place for entertainment, the Masonic Lodge. Used as

Forever Cemetery may inspire an Oingo Boingo reunion. I mean hey, it is a dead

storage and then as office space, the Lodge didn’t get its face-lift until ten years

man’s party after all, right? Just don’t forget to leave your body and soul at the door.

6000 SANTA MONICA BLVD LOS ANGELES, CA 90038 HOLLYWOODFOREVER.COM

V E N U E

out of this

WORLD DIVING INTO THE HEAVY, FAR-OUT SYNTH-POP OF BIG BLACK DELTA

I

f American pop music had an evil twin, it would sound a lot like Big Black Delta. Listen, and you’ll sense a twisted familiarity, an irresistible whiff of fresh-cut grass on some bizarro-Earth circling an extragalactic star. Déjà entendu*

can be a snooze-fest, sure, but in this case it’s oddly compelling.

Maybe that’s because BBD mastermind Jonathan Bates is brazen enough to pluck melodies from the collective pop subconscious and subvert them just so.

Like most musical enterprises, Big Black Delta began life a few years back as a faceless Soundcloud page. Artwork was produced, videos were shot, singles were released; the blogosphere nodded approvingly from its opera box. On April 30th, the project metamorphosed into an album. Gnarly, brash and massive, Big Black Delta’s self-titled debut falls a little deeper down that mythical hole in the computer that gives onto the infinite.

Bates’s electronic orchestrations convulse off-pitch and off-grid, his anthemic tunes bloated with grinding tech-pop

“

I ONLY FIND TRUE PEACE IN THE IDEA OF INFINITY, THAT I’M JUST THIS TINY THING ON ANOTHER TINY THING THAT’S IN THIS HUGE, MASSIVE THING.THE PRESSURE’S OFF. WHO GIVES A SHIT IF ANYBODY LIKES YOUR SONG OR DOESN’T, IT DOESN’T MATTER.

basslines, aggressively fat drums and dueling stereo sawtooths.

Ballads lean groovy and retro on the weight of fake horns and

So he dipped a toe back into less placid waters, playing

strings; space-age lounge twinkles play nice with assorted

guitar for M83, working in the studio with Cortini on his SONOIO

percussive bric-a-brac, every track seemingly built on the charm

project, and tinkering with the laptop. Eventually, it was time to call

of yesterday’s imperfections and the promise of tomorrow’s

some shots and take some names. Bates gave himself the bottom line:

possibilities. Meanwhile, Bates’s baritone croons about encryptions

“Whatever it’s going to be, it’s going to be about your favorite shit.”

or love affairs somewhere in the middle, warping and oozing like an

And so at the eleventh hour, after listening to Dan Aykroyd talk about

acid-drenched robot on the fritz.

the silent, triangular UFOs folklore credits to the US government,

The project started when Bates bought a laptop off his friend, frequent Nine Inch Nails performer and modular synth wiz

he threw the name Big Black Delta up on that Soundcloud page.

Because Ufology (you-fology) is his favorite hobby.

Alessandro Cortini. “All of a sudden I had this thing that lets you

“Why is it that we all like this stuff?” Bates wonders,

record anywhere. And with programs like Logic and sample packs,

glancing around the room. “I think it comes down to the idea that

you could have everything you’d want in the world. And, if you have

there’s something out there that’s thousands of years more evolved

any bit of sound engineering know-how, nobody can tell you shit.

than you. Wouldn’t you want to know what the deal is? Like, what

That’s what I love about it.”

did you guys do? Do you even speak? Talking is really inefficient,

A fluid new extension of his mind, the laptop would also be an exit from a dismal interlude. As former founding father and

there’s so much room for error. Imagine if you evolved past it so you could think the color red and get it across no matter what.”

frontman for Los Angeles indie-rock band Mellowdrone, Bates was

Wait, don’t get it twisted—this isn’t ground control to

self-diagnosed with music-industry burnout by age twenty-seven.

Major Tom. Big Black Delta isn’t a concept album; Bates doesn’t

Ten years of being tossed around shitty clubs by major and minor

sing from an extraterrestrial’s perspective. The lyrics are a stream-

record labels will do that to you. Decidedly over it, he retreated

of-earthly-consciousness, often abstract musings on love, and largely

into the 9-to-5 and its complacent evenings of alcohol and Netflix.

unintelligible under the heavy coat of effects. Of course because of

But ultimately, he “didn’t want to be that guy whose goal in life

the name and the accompanying celestial imagery by artist Casper

was to get that flat screen.” And he already had two.

Newbolt, Bates receives pitches for sci-fi videos all the time. In search of a human element, he rejects them. BBD is not a sci-fi band.

And yet, it is. Big Black Delta is the musical artifact of Jonathan Bates's fixations and instincts, and so it is undoubtedly about space, at least inasmuch as the vast unknown symbolizes boundless evolutionary potential—technological, biological, or

* Not just a Brand New album. A French expression like Déjà vu, but pertaining to hearing instead of sight.

both—in the same way the unexplored oceans did some three hundred years ago. (continued on next page)

text REBECA ARANGO photo RICKETT AND SONES

HOW DO YOU DEFINE YOUR SOUND? I DON’T KNOW, DEFINE WHAT THE COLOR RED LOOKS LIKE. IT’S ALL UP TO INTERPRETATION.

Abandoning his old guitar and refrigerator-sized rig

Instead, the budget spectacle includes two drummers, a

for the infinite possibilities of the laptop was Bates’s own mini-

kaoss pad, a laptop, and a rhythm-sensitive light-rig, but the most

evolution, digital production being a prime example for how

fascinating thing to watch is Bates himself. A lanky 6'2", Bates

technology can provide swifter, more accurate tools with which to

moves with a wobbly finesse, finding that idiosyncratic sweet-spot

mirror and broadcast the imagination—much like the idea of aliens

between vulnerability and confidence, the one where memorable

who no longer need language to communicate.

performances are made.

Forward thinking and nerdy, yes, but ultimately Jonathan

The transition from awkward to effortless wasn’t easy,

Bates is still a denizen of 2013, and exists not on a terabyte but in

but it turns out you couldn’t have the rock-star without the nerd.

the flesh. While recording Big Black Delta was a one-man job, Bates

Nothing makes Jonathan Bates want to put down the remote

would have thirty musicians on stage with him if he could afford it.

control and make music more than astrophysics.

“I only find true peace in the infinite, the idea that

SOMETHING

THOUSANDS MORE YOU

AND

EVOLVED WANT

TO

OUT

THERE

THOUSANDS THAN

KNOW

YOU.

WHAT

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“

THERE’S

WOULDN’T DEAL

IS?

I’m just this tiny thing on another tiny thing that’s in this huge, massive thing. The pressure is off. Who gives a shit if anybody likes your song or doesn’t, it doesn’t matter. Not in a nihilistic way. It’s great; I can get up in the morning and have fun. My family doesn’t like it when I talk this way, but a lot of other artists get it—they only feel free when they think no one’s looking.” And most of us can agree, the best dancing happens in our underwear.

ST RE ET

STRE ET A stre RT et a rt

street art

S sT tRrEeEe Tt a r t A RT photos provided by RONALD PRE ERIN MITCHELL // LOSTANGELESSTREETART.TUMBLR.COM LA STREET ART GALLERY // LASTREETARTGALLERY.COM

GALLERY OPENINGS MIGUEL PAREDES & KYLE WILLIAM HARPER: Molly is Not A Hipster Known Gallery May 4th – May 18th Opening: Saturday, May 4th, 8 - 11 pm “Molly is not a Hipster� is a combination of Paredes interpretations of 1970’s animated characters like Rocky & Bullwinkle, Felix the Cat, Rawhide Kid, Dennis the Menace, Superman and more. Combined with LA based artist Kyle William Harper’s collage-like array of American cartoon imagery, the collection includes sketches, oil on canvas and mixed media that portrays the influence sex, drugs, nightlife, and celebrity has on the LA lifestyle. knowngallery.com SPEEDY GRAPHITO: NEWWORLDS Fabien Castanier Gallery May 11th – June 8th Opening: Friday, May 11th, 7 - 10 pm NEWWORLDS, the second solo exhibition by renowned contemporary urban artist, Speedy Graphito, presents work that explores the mutation and perception of the image. In the age of digital overconsumption, myriad channels of communication have transformed the planet into a formidable distribution network, invading our everyday lives on an intimate level. Speedy Graphito explores these concepts through a variety of different mediums. castaniergallery.com RINKO KAWAUCHI: Ametsuchi Rose Gallery May 17 - Jun 22, 2013 Opening: Friday, May 17th, 6 pm Japanese photographer Rinko Kawauchi’s work is marked by its serene and poetic style. In her latest work, Kawauchi shifts her attention from the micro to the macro—images of distant constellations and tiny figures lost within landscapes, as well as photographs of a traditional style of controlled-burn farming (yakihata) in which the cycles of cultivation and recovery span decades and generations. rosegallery.net DANIEL GORDON: The Green Line M+B Gallery May 18 - Jul 22, 2013 Opening: Saturday, May 18th, 6 pm “The Green Line� is Daniel Gordon’s first solo exhibition in Los Angeles. The exhibition title is a nod to Matisse’s well-known 1905 portrait of his wife and is visually referenced in several of Gordon’s works including large scale still-lifes and portraits, along with a selection of smaller works operating as isolated studies. mbart.com

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JAMES TURRELL: Sooner Than Later, Roden Crater Kayne Griffin Corcoran May 25 - Jul 20, 2013 Opening: Saturday, May 25th, 3 pm Acclaimed artist James Turrell presents a new body of work in the inaugural show at the gallery’s new 15,000 square foot location. Curated

by Richard Andrews, the exhibition will include drawings, photographs and models, as well as notes, tools, and architectural plans charting the evolution of Turrell’s vision for the Roden Crater project over four decades.

The exhibition will also include a Meditation Room, an immersive environment from his Perceptual Cells series. kaynegriffincorcoran.com MICHAEL DOPP Roberts & Tilton Jun 8 - Jul 13, 2013 Opening: Saturday, June 8th, 6 pm Working mainly in acrylic on canvas or fabric, Michael Dopp paints grid-like formations and abstract, geometric forms in space, probing the tension between positive and negative, space and void.

His spare visual language is the product of both planning and the accidental, as well as his interest in the aesthetics of the early abstract cinema. robertsandtilton.com

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RESSURECTED PICTURES: from Piss Christ to Pussy Riot Maloney Fine Art Jun 15 - Jul 20, 2013 Opening: Saturday, June 15th, 6 pm “Resurrected Pictures: from Piss Christ to Pussy Riot� explores the relationship between three moments of heightened cultural anxiety: the Culture Wars, Second Wave Feminism and the present. The exhibition is anchored by the work of Robert Mapplethorpe, Andres Serrano, and David Wojnarowicz. Resurrected Pictures locates precursors and predecessors similarly critiquing nationalism, religion and sexual norms and presses on to chart this genealogy to the present. maloneyfineart.com NEVER2501 Soze Gallery May 24th Opening: Saturday, May 24th, 7 - 10 pm Never2501 presents a new body of work in his solo exhibition featuring his signature wavy psychedelic lines. Paintings, drawings, and fragmented murals make up this incredibly inventive and well-curated collection. sozegallery.com

GET MORE OF LA’S BEST OPENINGS AT LACANVAS.COM

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HID D EN G E M S BEHIND THE SUBTLE STREET ART OF E L T B U S

E H T

D N I H E B

ARTIST AND DESIGNER PAIGE SMITH

T S I T R A H T I M S

F O

E G I A P

T R A

T E E R T S

R E N G I S E D

text ROSS GARDINER photo HEATHER GILDROY

D N A

THE PLEASURE IN HER WORK IS DERIVED FROM THE FACT THAT YOU MIGHT BE

I

f you’ve spent any time trifling around the thirtyfive thousand or so blogs on Los Angeles street art, you may have come across photographs

of Paige Smith’s unusual Geodes poking out from piping, gaps, and missing bricks. Mimicking the intricate jagged patterns of minerals like amethyst and pyrite, Paige’s sculptures fill the scars and broken teeth of our city with a glimmer of the unexpected.

The

striking,

apolitical

project

is

so

refreshing, quenching the thirst like soggy wheat paste philosophy just can’t do. And they’re not “about like, life and stuff, man” either. Much of their

pleasure,

ironically,

is

surface

deep

and

often derived from the fact that you might be the only person to notice them, and in noticing them, become enchanted for a moment by the idea that the entire interior of the building is laden with crystals.

Since its conception around Thanksgiving 2011, the project has contradicted its geological muse and developed rapidly, with Paige housing the tiny sculptures in the nooks and crannies of Los Angeles, San Francisco and even Madrid. There was also an enthusiast in Jordan that contacted her about putting some geodes around her hometown. Paige quickly sent her a paper folding kit and paint instructions, and later read a tweet from the girl explaining that people were rioting in the streets of her town, but all she could think about was finding places to put her sparkling new Geodes.

LOVE FOR IT “ITOWOULD BECOME A GLOBAL PROJECT WHERE PEOPLE MADE THEIR OWN GEODES AND PUT THEM ALL AROUND THEIR CITIES.

”

THE ONLY PERSON TO NOTICE THEM, AND

IN

NOTICING

THEM,

BECOME

ENCHANTED FOR A MOMENT BY THE IDEA THAT THE ENTIRE INTERIOR OF THE BUILDING IS L ADEN WITH CRYSTALS.

“I would love for it to become a global project where people made their own geodes and put them all around their cities.� I immediately told her of my impending trip home to the Highlands of Scotland. She started clapping her hands and smiling so broadly her lips looked like they would burst. I offered to stash a couple of Geodes in my luggage and put them up around the unsuspecting quarrying village of Ballachulish. There was something so beautiful, yet sadly unfamiliar in seeing someone exude such at the thought of sharing their art with the world, far and away from profiteering or recognition.

Paige started her artistic career as a child making quirky arts and crafts, before moving seamlessly into design and fabrication. Inspired by the ever-changing Stephan Sagmeister, Paige sought to develop a style of design that blurred the line between ergonomic and aesthetic value, challenging the

perceptions of the functionality of design and the beauty of art. Yet while she wants to continually change and grow there is a sense that her character and humanity are far too potent to hide in the background of her work, and that her infectious sense of hope will continue to define the work she produces in the future.

Looking around her workshop/home in the Arts District is to see wildly different projects in the works and attempt to decipher quite how they sprouted from the same fertile imagination. The Geodes and the fact that they could be spreading quickly away from their home in Los Angeles is her crowning piece of work thus far, but who could say if that will still be the case in another few years.

There is a strong sense that great work will continue to flow from this astonishingly well-rounded artist, and that the whispering little Geodes could have been the catalyst for a street installation career built on the foundations of raw creativity and an organic awareness of the world around her.

VISIT ACOMMONNAME.COM TO SEE ALL OF ARTIST PAIGE SMITH’S GEODES

38

JUST CURIOUS A CLANDESTINE COLLECTION OF ODDITIES AT THE MUSEUM OF JURASSIC TECHNOLOGY

text ERIN DENNISON photo HEATHER GILDROY Our country has no shortage of palatial institutions dedicated to

What precisely is the “Lower Jurassic”? Wikipedia won’t tell you and we

flaunting its own technological prowess. If you’ve been to the California

can’t either. One thing’s for sure; it does not include dinosaur bones. But it does

Science Center, then you’re familiar with the paradigm. These massive,

seem to echo a time when museums played a rather different role; one that was

light-filled structures celebrate not only the most formidable end-products

as much about what we didn’t know as what we did know. In this way, MJT is akin

of our curiosity, but the important steps, leaps and bounds along the way:

to Renaissance Europe’s Wunderkammer, or cabinet of curiosities. These privately

gliders, 747s, the Endeavor.

owned rooms contained an encyclopedic catalog of oddities, collected to be a

However not all paths that meander towards satiated curiosity

microcosm of the world, and provided a space for contemplation and solace.

continue on to momentous progress. Some end in dark corners. Should

Similarly, at the Museum of Jurassic Technology, gentlepersons

they be abandoned, erased, forgotten? Or is there some intangible value in

of science and casual patrons alike can find right and left-brain stimulation

retracing steps taken to answer a question nobody would ever care to ask?

as eccentric wives’ tales melt into scientific fact and mundane statistics are

The Museum of Jurassic Technology certainly thinks so, though

showcased with brilliant unorthodoxy.

it won’t go so far as to explain why. Antithetical in style as much as

The “Tell the Bees—Belief, Knowledge and Hypersymbolic Cognition,”

substance to something like the California Science Center, this oddball

demonstrates bacteriologist Alexander Fleming’s left-of-center thought processes,

little institution rests inconspicuously between a real estate office and a

and the surprisingly extensive list of pharmaceutical advances he derived from folk

forensic lab on Venice Boulevard just west of Robertson. The dimly lit,

remedies—one of which saved over 11,000 lives during World War I. And there’s the “Garden of Eden on Wheels,” where a stunning

window-less space is carved into a labyrinth of peculiar artistic, scientific,

light map hangs above census statistics documenting mobile home ownership

historic, psychological and “misc.” exhibits.

Upon entering, you won’t be provided a map, and no one will

at the turn of the 20th century. It’s a visual representation of an often-

offer you a headset audio tour. You might experience confusion as you come

overlooked subcategory of the US population and turns historical data into

across a dead rat on a piece of toast, a pair of decaying crystal dice, or a

art, folding emotion into a batter of hard fact.

miniature sculpture of Goofy standing on the head of a needle. The series

The genius of the museum is its witty, self-effacing take on our

of enigmatically arranged quotations threaded through the museum’s tangled

desperation to explain our environment with the 20/20 hindsight of a century

passageways don’t help much either.

and a half. Irreverent without mocking, MJT subtlety points out how far we’ve

G

All you get is an introductory slide show narrated by a spooky

come while embracing our desire to problem solve and explain the world around

A

monotone—the kind you might find on a Netflix documentary about serial killers.

us. It humbly showcases our follies while celebrating the learning process. Like

L

The voice furtively declares MJT “an educational institution dedicated to the

a picture of a picture, the museum is an expository of our innate wonder, in lieu

L

advancement of knowledge and the public appreciation of the Lower Jurassic.”

of a traditional and literal salute to the straight-ahead march of civilization.

E R Y

9341 VENICE BLVD LOS ANGELES, CA 900232 MJT.ORG

D

GRANT YOSHINO

CONSEQUENCES

models

ALEX @ VISION MODELS / SIMBA @ PHOTOGENICS / CLINTON @ PHOTOGENICS / COLIN

video

GRAHAM DUNN

stylist assistant

MAYA HARRIS

photography assistant

COLIN ANDRE BOOKOUT

hair

VERONICA VALDIVIA

makeup + grooming

LISET GARZA

styling

MONIQUE VATINE

art direction

MEAGAN JUDKINS

photography

WI T HOU T

E C I SIO N S

on simba jeans by LEVIS / shirt by AMERICAN APPAREL

on clinton pants by THE GAP / shoes by GERNERIC SURPLUS

on alex shoes by TOPSHOP

previous page

on simba tank by CHEAP MONDAY

on alex top by ROBERT RODRIGUEZ

on colin jeans by NUDIE / shirt by AMERICAN APPAREL / shoes by CONVERSE

on clinton shirt by CHEAP MONDAY / denim tank by COMUNE / shoes by GENERIC SURPLUS

shoes by CLAE

on simba tank by COMUNE / silk shirt by BEVZA for RTISTER.COM / windbreaker by CHEAP MONDAY /

dress by GUISHEM / sandals by CAMILLA SKOVGAARD

on alex black sweatshirt by CHEAP MONDAY / silver collared shirt by NEGARIN LONDON for RTISTER.COM /

on alex mesh bodysuit by CHEAP MONDAY / bra by CHAMPION / sunglasses by QUAY / RING STYLIST’S OWN

on clinton Jacket by CHAMPION / SHIRT BY COMUNE

on alex black sweatshirt by CHEAP MONDAY / silver collared shirt by NEGARIN LONDON for RTISTER.COM / dress by GUISHEM on simba tank by COMUNE / silk shirt by BEVZA for RTISTER.COM / windbreaker by CHEAP MONDAY on clinton shirt by CHEAP MONDAY / denim tank by COMUNE

on clinton shirt by AMERICAN APPAREL / jeans by LEVIS / shoes by CONVERSE

hollywoodandhighland.com

Hollywood Blvd & Highland Ave

TELL TH E T E AC H E R S WE’RE SU RF I N G WE’RE PICKING UP GOOD VIBRATIONS: BRITISH MENSWEAR LABEL HENTSCH MAN CHANNELS 1950’S SOCAL NOSTALGIA

photographer GRANT YOSHINO producer MEAGAN JUDKINS stylist TODD PEARCE makeup + hair JENNA KRISTINA model BRADLEY SOLIEAU @ NEXT MODEL MGMT text ERIN DENNISON

“

I WAS TOTALLY TAKEN BY THE COLORS AND THE ATTITUDE THERE. NOT ONLY DID IT INSPIRE THE WHOLE COLLECTION, BUT IT MADE ME WANT TO MOVE TO LA!”

”

C

itizens of the cool-kid blogosphere should be familiar with the name

everything that the ‘Hentsch Man’ was always going to like. So I think I

Hentsch Man; the British menswear label’s SS’13 lookbook popped

already had the idea in my mind before going out there. But when I visited

up everywhere from Opening Ceremony to Hypebeast this year.

last Easter, it was the first time I went to the West Coast, and I absolutely

And with good reason. Branding-savant Alexia Hentsch started the

loved it. I was totally taken by the colors and the attitude there. Not only

company with the simple M.O. of making the perfect shirt. Now just six seasons

did it inspire the whole collection, but it made me want to move to LA!”

deep into her first fashion industry venture, the designer finds herself in the

Alexia raves. And while the abbreviated manifest destiny was her own

coveted position of delivering what runways and buyers want without much artistic

personal renaissance, the vibe of Hentsch Man’s SoCal-inspired collection

compromise. She explains, “The collections are growing slowly, and though I do

is remarkably on-trend for spring ’13.

intend to be adding new categories such as pajamas and undergarments, etc.

Luxe sportswear and bold prints decidedly owned the runways

I like the idea of keeping things tight. I don’t want to overwhelm my customer.

in New York and London this fall, while designers like Thom Browne and

Men in general are shyer about shopping than women, so it’s better to keep the

Christopher Kane’s modern takes on retro nostalgia lined the walls of

selection tight and curated to help them in their choices.”

boutiques and department stores.

Along with childhood friend and Hentsch Man business developer

Hentsch Man’s short cuts on chambray, Hawaiian and striped T’s

Max Von Hurter, Alexia made her first pilgrimage to Los Angeles last year, and

paired with matching pants, jackets, and oxfords have proven to us what

like so many of us, became a bit starry-eyed upon arrival. The trip resulted in the

Alexia has known the whole time—fanciful palettes, homage to a narrative

prevalent 1950’s southern California vibe of Hentsch Man’s latest collection.

and elegant tailoring is the sartorial algorithm behind smart contemporary

“California has been on the fashion cards for a few seasons now. It’s the return of that dressed up 50s aesthetic, preppy and colorful—

menswear. So, who exactly is the Hentsch Man? “Anyone with a sense of humor and irony about his lifestyle.”

HENTSCHMAN.COM

ONLY ONE STAR

IS YOUR DESTINATION FOR BEAUTY

CALLING ALL BEAUTY FANS! MACY’S CULVER CITY & MACY’S BEVERLY CENTER SATURDAY, JUNE 15 NOON-8 P.M. Your favorite Macy’s just got a makeover – and now it’s your turn! Macy’s and LA Canvas invite you to join us at Culver City for the unveiling of the newly renovated Beverly Center Cosmetics Department, featuring Inglot Cosmetics and Impulse Beauty Shops.

Our Beauty Specialists will be on hand to share skincare tips and show you this season’s most glamorous runway looks – from smokeout eyes to pale pink lips – that will help you achieve pictureperfect results! Plus, with any purchase, pick up goodies* from all your favorite brands, including Philosophy, Smashbox, Urban Decay and more. So, get ready to step up your game with a fresh palette from a fresh store! For details, call

Culver City (310) 390-8911 ext. 2254 and Beverly Center (310) 854-6655 ext. 2359.

Events subject to change or cancellation. *One per customer; while supplies last.

53

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CARVER x PORTER MEN’S BOTANIC PRINT BACK-PACK $700

RAG & BONE FIN VEST $450 COCO & BREEZY THEMA YELLOW SUNGLASSES $275

PROENZA SCHOULER BUG PRINT SCARF $695

A.P.C. SLIM-FIT WASHER DENIM JACKET $290

RB of MCD LEATHER #3 $500

ILLESTEVA LEONARD ROUND-FRAME ACETATE SUNGLASSES $165

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WANT

NEED

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CARHART DUFFEL BAG $87 THE DISCOVERY CHANNEL STORE GHOST HUNTING KIT $99

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RIPNDIP GREEN PEACOCK BUTTON-DOWN $70 TOPMAN MID ACID BLUE DENIM SHIRT $64 KIEHLS SUPER FLUID UV DEFENSE $38

ESSIE SUGAR DADDY $8 10 DEEP GOLD STANDARD FIVE PANEL SNAKE $44

JUDY BLUME SUMMER SISTERS $10

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ECONOMICAL

HUF PLANT LIFE SOCKS $12

54 UNDERNEATH IT ALL UNDERSTATED UNDERTHINGS AT SUNSET’S MOST UNASSUMING LINGERE SHOP, LENCERIA BOUTIQUE text ERIN DENNISON As the great lingerie proponent Dita Von Teese once echoed: Glamour above all things. Well in this case, maybe it’s beneath all things. We’ll spare you our gripes about the male-designated standards for female sexuality, because no one can dismiss the feeling you get when you’re wearing the right underwear. Lenceria Boutique owner Juliana Correa agrees.

“One of the things I admire the most about the Latin American women around me is their confidence,” explains the native Colombian. “There is nothing sexier than a confident woman. Most of us get there when we are emotionally and physically comfortable with our bodies. I have the unique opportunity to meet my customers and find pieces to match their personality. I find that they are the happiest (and feel sexiest) when we find a piece that is new to them (and pushes some boundaries), but fits their body and personality seamlessly.”

Nestled within the Sunset Courtyard in West Hollywood, Lenceria, which is Spanish for lingerie, is an unassuming gem hidden between more ostentatious retail neighbors. The shabby-chic spot carries a meticulously curated variety of intimates and swimwear at a range of price points. Popular Latin American lines like ViX, Clube Bossa and Cia Martima line the walls, along with more abstract pieces from designers like Estivo, Maaji, Agua Bendita, Adriana DeGreas and Amulette in the mix, creating a remarkably unique selection of garments. Champagne and tea are par-for-the-course as you peruse the racks of outrageously elegant unmentionables.

Unlike most niche lingerie boutiques, Lenceria is also home to a range of lifestyle accessories like Poco Dolce chocolates and luxury candles, which coalesce into a manifestation of the ultimate Valentine’s Day Pinterest Board you wouldn’t dare show your friends.

There is obviously no unilateral definition of sexy, and the notion that black strappy crotch-less panties are the only things your lover google-images is pretty retro. The Lenceria customer might argue that an extravagantly delicate taupe-lilac bras sans underwire can get you a secret MMS folder much quicker than the former. Ultimately, you are the Czar of your privates, and the bouncer guarding the party under your maxidress. Concealed opulence is sort of a win-win for us all.

S T O R E

“THERE IS NOTHING SEXIER THAN A CONFIDENT WOMAN. I HAVE THE UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET MY CUSTOMERS AND FIND PIECES TO MATCH THEIR PERSONALITY.

“

photographer STEVEN YATSKO stylist JILLIAN CAINGHUG makeup JEFFREY BAUM hair DYLAN CHAVELS model CASSANDRA @ NEXT MODEL MGMT

8533 SUNSET BOULEVARD SUITE 101 WEST HOLLYWOOD, 90069 LENCERIABOUTIQUE.COM

E V E R Y T H I N G

H E R E

I S

GOOD P HOTO GRAP H ER E DWA R D C U S H E N B E RRY E X P L O R E S T H E M E S O F FA M I LY, L OV E , I N T I M ACY, F R I E N D S H I P A N D T H E S H I F T B E T W E E N REALIS M A N D R O M A N TI C I S M

03

SUSP E N S E

02

TYLER SHIELDS PUSHES T H E BOUNDARIES OF GRAVITY TO EXHILARTING L E N G T H S

“ S U S P E N S E ” O P E N S AT T H E G U Y H E P N E R G A L L E RY I N L O S A N G E L E S O N A P R I L 2 8 .

F OR MORE INF ORMATION, VISIT T YLERSHIELDS.COM

the legend of the f r y

Born from the underground and illicitly traded on street corners, Dante Fried Chicken is like a culinary urban legend. In Williamsburg, Brooklyn, around the turn of the millennium, word of Dante’s defiantly juicy poultry buzzed from the belly of his KFC RIP parties, the conceptual soirees that built a community around art, music, fashion, and of course, fried chicken (and tofu).

Later, Los Angeles got acquainted with Dante’s “Transatlantic African Cuisine” via his wildly popular food truck Ride or Fry. Alas, he closed up shop in 2011 to travel the world taking over kitchens, leaving behind a hype-wave and a lot of hungry Angelinos.

We’re happy to report that Chef Dante Gonzalez is back — and with a cookbook to boot. We caught up with Dante after his latest brunch pop-up at DTLA’s Daily Dose Café to find out how legends are made.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR CULINARY BACKGROUND AND INFLUENCES.

we’d tell you where to meet us and pick up your boxes of chicken. We

I’ve always been exposed to food, my whole family is culinary

ended up raising a little bit over ten thousand bucks.

based—half is from New Orleans and the other half is from New York. I grew up cooking with my grandmother, she cooked for a

WHAT WAS THE FIRST DISH YOU LEARNED TO COOK?

lot of Hollywood stars like Joan Crawford and Charlton Heston. I

The first noteworthy dish—other than like, oatmeal—was actually

used the churn butter with her. We’d make duck-fat, roast pigs in

fried chicken. When I was seven, I was left home alone really

the ground, and make homemade ice cream. I was her helper and

quickly while my grandmother went to the grocery store. She had

she would pay me in GI Joes and Transformers.

chicken marinating in buttermilk, and she always had seasoned flour on hand, so I thought, this’ll be cool, I’m going to try and fry

YOU’RE ORIGINALLY FROM LA BUT LIVED IN NYC FOR A LONG TIME.

chicken. I could barely reach the stove, but somehow I got oil in the

WHAT BROUGHT YOU BACK?

pan, and breaded the chicken. Back in the day, you needed paper

I wanted to open a food truck in New York, but it was too expensive.

to light the fire, so I found matches. Somehow the paper fell on the

I did some research and learned that if I showed up in LA with ten

ground and caught the floor on fire. I couldn’t put it out because I

thousand dollars, I could have a pop-up food truck for four months, no

couldn’t reach the sink. Then I heard my grandmother pulling up,

questions asked. So what I did in New York was start an underground

so I ran down to the den, pretended to be asleep and let the kitchen

fried chicken delivery service. It was like a pseudo-drug dealer service,

burn down. I don’t even know why I’m still frying chicken, but after

totally illegal, but with chicken, not drugs. You’d have to call, then

that my grandmother taught me how to do it right.

q + a REBECA ARANGO photo HEATHER GILDROY / MACEO PAISLEY

WHERE DOES FRIED CHICKEN COME FROM? The Chinese invented fried chicken—they were the first to deep fry meats, two or three thousand years ago. In America, fried chicken’s main cultural lineage is Scottish and West African. The Scotts didn’t do Sunday roast like the English, they did Sunday fry—everything was boiled in oil. So the Scottish immigrants in the South mixed in with the African slave culture to create what we know as fried chicken.

HOW DOES YOUR SIGNATURE FRIED CHICKEN STRAY FROM ITS BASIC FORM? The basis of a great fried chicken recipe is what I call “sextet spicing. You only need six spices: paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, black pepper and cayenne. My family’s recipe in particular is what we call “Sock-it-to-me” fried chicken. I believe it comes from my great-grandmother. In the depression era, she would cut the flour with crushed stale bread and crackers. Then oats would end up in there, and old nuts. The amount of flour

I’D COOK WHATEVER HE WANTED ME TO COOK, EVEN IF IT WASN ’ T IN MY COOKBOOK. YOU KNOW HOW PRINCE IS. YOU JUST DO WHAT HE SAYS.

kept shrinking; eventually it’d be like 30% flour. By the time that recipe passed down to my generation, it stopped being about

WHERE DO YOU DRAW INSPIRATION FOR ALL THESE DIFFERENT RECIPES?

conservation, but about being specific and creating your own

I’m really into the anthropology of food. I love Vietnamese food, I

flavor and character. I go to bread shops and get stale bread,

love Thai food, I love all the different nuances of Mexican food—a

crackers, oats, wheat germ, almonds—things like that, and they

lot of people think of it as this one ambiguous taco-burrito culture,

become my “bits.” You never know what might end up in there.

but if you go to Mexico it’s so varied in the culinary lineages.

It looks like granola-fried chicken essentially, with fresh herbs.

Same with the South—New Orleans vs. Florida vs. Texas vs.

Mississippi—each is extremely different from the other. And I

HOW MANY DIFFERENT VARIATIONS DO YOU HAVE?

believe that food transcends all prejudices. There are people who

In the cookbook, there are four fried chicken recipes. In reality, I have

will diss certain cultures but they’ll eat their food every day. It’s a

eighteen different recipes and five new ones that I’m still working on.

great learning experience that brings people together.

DANTEFRIEDCHICKEN.COM

WHAT’S YOUR MISSION AS A CHEF?

TELL US ABOUT ONE OF YOUR FAVORITE RECIPES FROM THE NEW COOKBOOK.

I think people who read the cookbook are going to be able to look at

I like the Sock-it-to-me Ambrosia Salad, which is a fruit salad.

soul food, Caribbean food or creole food in a new light, and look at

I also like the Pumpkin-beer-battered fish and chips, and the

is as Transatlantic African cuisine. Our food culturally is European,

Honey-pistachio Wings. The Tomatillo Collard Greens are one of

African, and indigenous American, that’s the unique blend

my favorite sides. The recipe dispels a lot about the collard green

that makes up “American Food.” I think soul food is outdated,

stigma, the idea that they need to be flavored with animal fats

Caribbean food is outdated—I don’t necessarily agree with those

and sugar because they’re tasteless. I make them vegan with full

terms anymore. But my number one concern is honesty with food,

flavor and depth. I roast tomatillos with garlic, purée them, and

and abandoning the industrialization of food. I think humans need

incorporate them into a broth with beer, amino acids, smoked

to touch food, and energy is transferrable through food. I know it

tofu, jalapenos, maple sugar and spices—no animal by-products.

is. That’s what I’m about.

They’re not seasoned with salt but amino acids instead, which is a raw unfermented soy sauce I use on most of my veggie sides.

I believe that if you make veggie dishes vegan, you’re forced to work harder to make the dish more flavorful.

YOU’VE COOKED WITH A LOT OF MUSICIANS, LIKE SANTIGOLD AND

WHEN CAN WE EAT YOUR FOOD NEXT?

RUSKO, ON YOUR DFC WEBISODES. WHO WOULD BE YOUR DREAM

There are some big things coming in LA, I think a lot of people

MUSICIAN TO COOK WITH?

will be happy. I’ve been a fried chicken bachelor all my life, and

Still to this day, I’d have to say Prince. I’d cook whatever he wanted

I’ve decided that I’m going to commit to having a space where

me to cook, even if it wasn’t in my cookbook. You know how Prince is.

people can come consistently and have my food. It drives people

You just do what he says.

crazy—they’ll see all this stuff happening in Sweden and they’ll be like, “dude, you live in LA and I’ve only had your food once in six months.” it’s time to change that.

vISIT LA CANVAS.COM FOR AN EXCUSIVE VIDEO INTERVIEW

IN THE BELLY OF THE BEAST

79

SURREPTITIOUS SLICES OF TOP-NOTCH SASHIMI AT SUSHI BELLY TOWER text + photo REBECA ARANGO

“The contents of this email are confidential and the evening is top secret,” reads our confirmation message from Sushi Belly Tower. “Please use discretion

when

recommending

the

experience to others.” Okay, here it goes: This is a story about an undisclosed chef hosting illicit dinner parties in an undisclosed location, and the stakes are

high—we’re

talking

Raw

Hon

Wasabi Root, Blue Maruka Sea Urchin, and Italian Caviar high. To protect the identities of those involved, we’ll call our protagonist Chef Red Ginger.

Red Ginger’s obsession with raw fish began some years back at a certain prestigious university, where his soon-to-be-diverted

journey

included

studying art and running track. One night, he dined at a local sushi restaurant, and that was the end. The sea-critters had him, hook, line, and sinker.

As it too often goes with addiction, Red Ginger found himself

workstation showcases a vibrant hunk of red tuna. We’re invited to grab a

throwing more and more borrowed money at maintaining his fix. Spiraling

shot of sake before being offered unlimited beer, wine, and soju. Anxiety

out of control, he devised a clever plan. Cutting out the middleman can be

gives way to an instant good time.

dangerous if what you’re craving is drugs, but in the case of Red Ginger and his need for fish, it simply led to the cultivation of a new talent.

The ten-course feast starts with wild harvest rice bowls topped with king crab, shrimp, and quail eggs. Next, Chef Red Ginger leads us through eight plates of

Procuring scaly specimens straight from the sea meant stalking

raw seafood, obtained from the market that very morning and sliced right before our

delivery trucks and smooth-talking merchants. No problem. Back at the dorm

eyes. Delicate slabs of pearly white tuna arrive in a spicy ponzu bath with jalapeno

room, Red Ginger and his track buddies would slice up the acquisitions. Eventually

and sriracha. Some cuts, like the royal hamachi yellowtail, take a quick dip in soy

Red Ginger became the resident expert, teaching eager freshmen how to properly

sauce; others, like the coveted blue fin tuna belly, are too good naked.

fold sticky rice and bundle up the perfect roll. Voila, a Chef was born.

As the meal unfolds, a local musician performs every rock-and-

As a member of the U.S. Olympic track team, Red Ginger spent his

roll song you know and love, from Bowie to Radiohead and back. Glass

post-collegiate years running around the world, tasting everything in sight.

carafes of sake are passed around between strangers from all over Los

Now settled in Los Angeles, Chef Red Ginger lends his culinary talents to

Angeles, our conversation punctuated by the oooh’s, aaah’s and mmm’s that

feeding Hollywood stars and catering high-profile events. Meanwhile, in a

surface as each new plate appears.

little over a year’s time, Red Ginger has served an undisclosed number of people in his clandestine little kitchen.

We watch and learn as Chef Red Ginger rubs an extraordinarily rare Wasabi Root from Japan against a sharkskin board, dabbing the fresh

On the night we’re to dine at Sushi Belly Tower, a password, an

green paste onto fluffy white pillows of jumbo scallop. Spoonfuls of entire

R

address, and a price land in our inbox. We whisper timidly to the doorman

sea urchin—the ocean’s most extravagant spiky little freak—are topped with

E

and are told to sit until summoned. Others filter in apprehensively. “Is this

caviar for a big buttery crescendo. Platters of mochi, strawberries and Swiss

S

your first time?” The inevitable Eyes Wide Shut joke incites nervous giggles.

chocolate close the curtain on a sweet note.

T

Our group is escorted to a dimly lit room painted with graphic

We discretely recommend you Google, ask around, and get on that

A

silhouettes of ocean dwellers and a rambling Cherry Blossom tree. A

mailing list. Fish-fiend or not, Sushi Belly Tower is a memory you’ll be glad to

U

long communal table is dressed in platters of edamame while the Chef’s

keep—if the bottomless sake doesn’t take it first.

R A N

SUSHIBELLYTOWER.COM

T

STRIP MALL SECRETS Paris has its regal avenues and mansard roofs; New York, its skyscrapers and brownstone stoops. And Los Angeles? Well, we have strip malls. Offering parking, convenience, and an open view of the big blue sky, these modest structures are a prominent architectural feature of our fine city. Notoriously home to many a nail salon, donut shop, and dry cleaner, the strip mall is often hiding some unexpectedly delicious dining. Join us as we plunder the depths of our urban sprawl and emerge victoriously well fed.

SILVERLAKE o AROMA

“Break Bread. Share Wine. Feed the Soul.”

THE STRIP: Silverlake already feels like one very long strip mall, but Aroma lights up a particularly notable stretch of it. This classic Italian gem is tucked into the iconic pea-green building that houses Silversun Liquors—where Silverlake’s biggest rock band used to “pick-up” their booze.

THE SCOOP: Aroma offers six different veal dishes, a stamp of Italian authenticity (or at least commitment) if we’ve ever seen one. But make sure you hear the specials before jumping on that Fettucini Alfredo, there could be a pile of Lobster-Asparagus risotto or pillowy Ricotta Gnocchi in your future. Deliberate over a plate of Aroma’s liberally buttered Bruschetta. aromainsilverlake.com

HOLLYWOOD o MAROUCH THE STRIP: Between the wood paneled windows and elaborate signage, Marouch has added plenty of flare to its 7Elevenadjacent digs. Inside, it’s decked out in faux-stone archways and flowy white drapes. Add the smell of wood-oven baked pita bread and you’ve got a Middle-Eastern escape smack in the middle of Hollywood. (Little Armenia, to be exact.)

THE SCOOP: Marouch’s kitchen is responsible for some of LA’s best Lebanese and Armenian cuisine. Think shawarma, falafel, kebabs, and big platters of hummus, tabouleh, and labneh. Corkage is a reasonable $6, making this a great place for a leisurely group feast with copious bottles of wine. marouchrestaurant.com

MID CITY o HIROZEN GOURMET THE STRIP: After you’re done shopping for unlimited light bulbs, it’s time for some gourmet sushi. Hirozen, a tiny spot crammed into the corner of a strip mall on Beverly, promises sophisticated Japanese cuisine minus the fussy glam. Instead, a minimalist space meets your basic needs while traditional technique meets your fancy palate.

THE SCOOP: This place is all about meticulously cut fish fresh from Japan. You’ll also find an impressive list of entrees, like Kobe Beef Tataki, plus an ample selection of salads, noodles, rice bowls and rare delicacies. Don’t feel like deciding? Try the Omakase course and let the chef do it for you. hirozen.com

CULVER CITY o GIOVANNI’S TRATTORIA & PIZZERIA THE STRIP: Sandwiched between a neon-clad nail salon and an ostentatious convenience store, Giovanni’s withdraws from the boulevard bustle with a classy green awning proclaiming: “AUTHENTIC ITALIAN RESTAURANT.” Inside, where it’s intimate and comfortable and there’s tortellini, you’ll forget you’re actually steps from a bong shop.

THE SCOOP: BYOB and bring all your friends. While seating is limited, this hype-and-pretention-free joint isn’t the kind that requires a long-term reservation. For about $25 a person, you’ll fill up on dishes like thin-crust Pizza Al Mascarpone, Rigatoni Bosciola, and Torta Della Nonna. giovannistrattoria.com

WEST LOS ANGELES o NOOK BISTRO THE STRIP: A short jaunt from the 405 in West LA, this mall is home to two places where you can buy lottery tickets. Follow the neon arrow through the corner and escape into Nook Neigborhood Bistro, a no-frills spot known for its modern take on simple, allAmerican comfort food, complete with a full bar and cocktail list.

THE SCOOP: Nook carries your favorite indulgences and quirky innovations in different sizes at moderate price points. Small plates include the intriguing Shitake and Gruyere Bread Pudding and Crispy Brussels Sprouts with cilantro, mint and scallions. For a bigger appetite, try the Spicy Gulf Shrimp & Grits with Linguica Sausage or the Wasabi Rubbed Hanger Steak. An unhealthy snack, sounds like homemade mac and cheese. nookbistro.com

GET TH E SCOOP ON LA’S LATEST A N D GR EATEST EATS AT LACA N VAS.COM

600 S. Main Street Los Angeles, CA 90014 www.artisanhouse.net 600 S. Main St., Los Angeles, CA 90014 213.622.6333

213.622.6333

Hours of Operation

Lunch: Mon-Fri, 11:30am-2:30pm Dinner: Mon-Thurs, 5pm-10pm | Fri, 5pm-11pm Sat: 5pm-11pm Sun: 5pm-10pm Happy Hour: Mon-Fri, 5pm-7pm

243 S. San Pedro St. Los Angeles, CA 90012

Hours of Operation

Lunch: Monday - Friday, 11:30am - 2:30pm Brunch: Saturday - Sunday, 10:00am - 3:00pm Dinner: Sunday - Wednesday, 5pm - 10:30 pm Thursday, 5pm - 11pm Friday - Saturday, 5pm - Midnight Happy Hour: Monday - Friday, 5pm - 7pm

241 S. San Pedro St. Los Angeles, CA 90012 LazyOxCanteen.com | Phone: 213-626-5299

Phone: 213-621-9500 | ToranokoLA.com

THE SECRET SOCIETY

83

LOCK & KEY HEAD BARTENDER CHRISTOPHE NAMER SHARES THIS EXCLUSIVE OFF-MENU COCKTAIL

It’s a convincing disguise: the frumpy white building next to the 76, lost in the bustling nexus where Von’s meets Ralph’s. If you didn’t know any better, you’d imagine a dive into a hazy pool of cheap beer. Even the adjacent food window (another red herring) conceals its treasures with misleading prices: who knew you could get gourmet butter-garlic fries for $2?

But go ahead, open the door. Enter a tiny all-black room outfitted with hundreds of doorknobs. In the kind of surrealist game Willy Wonka might have dreamed-up, you must locate the right one. Only then will you arrive at Lock & Key, not a dive at all, but a wood-paneled mixology lounge with plush stools and velvet banquettes, seemingly worlds away from its shopping-cart-and-gas-pump surroundings.

Because we’re suckers for covert charm and spot-on audio programming, Lock & Key has quickly becoming a favorite haunt. We could go on and on about the five-dollar friedchicken sandwiches, orderable from the bar via the aforementioned Stall 239, but what we’re really here to talk about is the booze.

Behind the beverage program is bar manager Christophe Namer, a French ex-pat and former sommelier with a flare for complexity and pronouncing names of things you’ve never heard of. He’s

RECIPE

into stocking rare spirits—small production cognac, scotch or mescal—and putting his own kooky spin on the classics.

Inspired by the Great Gatsby, the cocktail menu at Lock & Key is a glamorous balancing act of old and new, strong and smooth. There are

2 OZ UN-AGED CORN WHISKEY (NEW MAKE TRYBOX SERIES) 0.25 OZ RHUBARB LIQUEUR (ART IN THE AGE OF RHUBARB) 1 OZ LEMON JUICE

girly sippables like the Daisy B, spicy gems like the Shady Schemes, and

0.75 OZ MAPLE SYRUP GRADE B

traditional favorites like the Old Money. But for this story, Christophe went

0.75 OZ EGG WHITE

off-the-list and created a whimsical twist on a Whiskey Sour.

1½ STRAWBERRIES

A frosty rose color unadorned in a coupette glass, the Secret

1 BAR SPOON FRESH GINGER JUICE

Society is the prettiest outfit un-aged corn whiskey has yet to try on. Shaken up with sweets and sours and then double-strained into a Chartreuse-bathed vessel, the clear spirit transcends a moonshiner’s grandest aspirations. Velvet layers of sweet, tart, and herbal go down with a complex, creamy texture for a drink that’s strong and refreshing. This cocktail might be a little advanced for all you fledgling home-mixologists, but you can always order one at Lock

Muddle cut strawberries well and then add remaining ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Shake well for 5 seconds without ice, and then fill shaker with ice and shake again vigorously. Rinse the inside of a coupette glass with yellow Chartreuse.

Double strain cocktail (using a tea strainer held beneath your cocktail strainer) into

& Key for induction into the LA CANVAS Secret Society. (#LACSS)

yellow-Chartreuse rinsed glass.

D

239 S. VERMONT AVENUE LOS ANGELES. 90004 LOCKANDKEY.LA

R I N K

HIDING OUT

85

text REBECA ARANGO photo RACHEL MANY

BADASS BURGERS AND LIVE MUSIC AT DTLA’S MOST UNDERRATED WATERING HOLE: THE ESCONDITE The creepiest sign in Los Angeles communitcates not with lights or

Day is awesome. After watching neighborhoods emerge in his native Baltimore,

letters, but with a photograph of an eyeball peering madly through a gap in some old

the Lower East Side, and Chicago, Brian’s been working on influencing the DTLA

boards. That is what you should look for if you’re looking for the Escondite.

bar scene for almost eight years now.

Spanish for hideout, the Escondite is as its name suggests: a bar you

“I knew there needed to be a dive bar, or else Downtown was going

can retreat to on Friday night when every other place Downtown is overflowing,

to turn into Rancho Cucamonga.” So in 2005, Brian opened Bar 107 on 4th and

order a craft beer, and not be bothered; a restaurant where you can read a book

Main, when the Old Bank District lofts were still new and tenants were faced

in the middle of the day, eat a gourmet burger on the wood-encircled patio and

with what he describes as “Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ every night.” He decked

enjoy a view of the skyline with your dog; and a venue where you can catch live

it out in freaky clown art and animal heads, offered 24oz cans of PBR, and on

blues, rock, and Americana every single night without ever paying a cover.

Saturdays, started cooking up free burgers from the back of his pick-up truck.

Though for all its incognito appeal, the Escondite is above all else

It was in that makeshift test kitchen that he developed the wacky, yet irresistible

a community bar. “Neighborhoods revolve around bars,” says Erin Carnes, co-

combinations—like the Elvis, a burger with peanut butter, banana, and bacon—

owner and giver of the warmest hugs outside your mother’s bosom. “Everywhere

that are now beloved staples at the Escondite.

I’ve lived before has had a tight bar culture. You know people there. You throw

Unlike 107, the Escondite isn’t really a dive, but a casual,

your parties there. We have somebody throwing a baptism party here tomorrow.

comfortable, and artful spot for the everyman, any night. Nothing on the

People surround their celebrations of life around this community.”

menu is over $11 dollars, including the nine rotating craft beers on tap, the

Situated in a no-man's land between the Historic Core and the Arts

accessible “Cocktology” program (Erin’s term for a time-sensitive approach

District, Erin and her partner-in-crime Brian Traynam were advised against the

to fresh cocktails), or the veggie-friendly menu of burgers and fries,

skid-row-adjacent spot when they sought to open in 2011. But the location was

sandwiches, salads, and snacks (buffalo mushrooms FTW). As Brian and

part of the appeal. “It’s an area that’s still finding definition. The exciting thing

Erin see it, that was exactly what the city needed. “LA is all flash and pizzazz.

is being able to shape it,” explains Erin. Brian continues, “Crackheads and

Owners think, Nicolas Cage is going to come in here, and then everyone is

artists man. It’s the start of everything. It’s uncharted waters.”

going to know me! But where the fuck do the firemen drink? Where do the

A burly dude with a tough jaw, Brian is the ultimate host, the kind of guy who will put on a head-to-toe leprechaun outfit to make sure your St. Patrick’s

plumbers drink? Where do the normal people drink?” Ironically, it seems, the same places the celebrities go to hide.

410 BOYDE STREET LOS ANGELES, 90013 THEESCONDITE.COM

B A R

T

H

E

D

O

G

D A Y S A

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B A C K KOMBUCHA DOG BRAVES THE FERMENTED FIZZ MONOPOLY WITH A K-9 FRIENDLY MISSION

PHOTO MICHAEL FAYE

A

t first sip, Kombucha Dog left a bitter vinegar taste in my mouth. I put it down and walked away, signing it off as an unpronounceable

health beverage. Yet strangely enough, the next day I found myself craving one...and bad. Kombucha Dog, a venture ran by Michael Faye that’s been long in the works, has just begun distributing their fizzy feel-gooddo-good beverages to different health food stores and mini markets across Los Angeles.

For those uneducated on the eats and drinks of yogis, kombucha is a fermented tea that promotes detoxification, joint care, and a bunch of other great body benefits.

“Since I started drinking kombucha, I do not feel the extent of hangovers. I wake up after a night of a few more drinks than planned, and feel fine,” explains Faye. Michael says that his idea for creating a kombucha product stemmed from the lack of variety on the market.

“As legend has it, Lindsay Lohan claimed kombucha is what set off her alcohol detection bracelet when she was on probation. Since then, they have been pulling it off the shelves due to the higher alcohol content found in the product. Kombucha typically has an alcohol volume closer to two to five percent ” said Faye.

Whether Lohan caused the shortage cannot be proven. What is apparent is that Kombucha Dog is entering a market that is dominated primarily by one company.

“One brand has an 80% monopoly on all kombucha sold in the U.S. This brand doesn’t use the raw and organic quality products I am trying to utilize either. I wanted to make a kombucha that tasted great, was natural, and was able to yield the same results.”What makes Faye’s magic soda-like product different? It’s all in the name.

“All of the dogs on our labels are up for adoption and are being fostered in L.A. You can look them up on our website for contacts and more photos.”

We decided to visit the factory, a short walk away from the LAC clubhouse, to catch Faye taking pictures of the new pooches for the next round of labels.

Faye, originally a professional photographer for major ads with the likes of Nike and high fashion houses, first fled the glossy industry to run a professional dog portrait studio.

“Before I opened the kombucha factory, I was taking pictures of dogs for these rich people in Beverly Hills, which unsurprisingly got really old. I entered the photography industry when we were still using film. Modern photography is all about sitting behind a computer, and that started to drive me nuts.”

The

remnants

of

the

professional

photographer gone restless still remain: the almost untouchable Nikon, the backdrops, and the massive lighting umbrellas. Now the ruins are all ready for the shelter pups, and their moment in the spotlight.

“Big

Guy,”

a

massive

mixed

breed,

sits

nonchalantly, letting Faye shoot as many as pictures as desired.

“This guy has been in the adoption for over five years. He is such a dopey lover, but has a problem with Chihuahuas,” says his foster mom.

Faye is making an impact. Almost half of his first round of Kombucha dogs now have a home.

“If I could put homeless people on these bottles I would, but I don’t know how it would help.

Shelters and animal overpopulation is a solvable problem. I want to get to a point where we can start helping with education on the topic. This is just an attempt to alleviate some of the issues. Like a BandAid on an open wound.” said Faye.

While it may be a small step towards ending overpopulation in shelters, Kombucha Dog is doing its part, a commendable deed for animals combined with a phenomenal tasting product. Whether or not you’re practicing downward dog and looking into your fifth juice cleanse this year, kombucha can make a great alternative beverage for the health junkie and soda addict alike. Pick up Kombucha Dog products at various locations around LA, and visit the company’s site for all of the information on adopting the photogenic pooches.

KOMBUCHADOG.COM

“

ALL

OF

THE

DOGS

ON

OUR

LABELS ARE UP FOR ADOPTION AND ARE BEING FOSTERED IN L.A. I WANT TO GET TO A POINT WHERE WE CAN START HELPING WITH EDUCATION ON THE TOPIC. THIS IS JUST AN ATTEMPT TO ALLEVIATE SOME OF THE ISSUES.

”

PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER CAPTAIN

90

SCENE & HEARD Is that a fire-breather? Yeah, it's like that. Between our 2nd Annual Carnivale and all the Coachella Madness, the LAC crew has been extremely busy gifting, reveling, and bringing cool people together. We couldn't fit our entire catalog of celebratory voyeurism here, but if you've been snapped at one of our parties, head over to FACEBOOK.COM/LACANVASMAG to locate your shining face (tag at your discretion). Missed out? Make sure you're signed up

CARNIVALE

o

3.9

for the LA CANVAS Weekly to get in on the upcoming festivities.

VESTAL VILLAGE COACHELLA PARTY

E V E N T S

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4.12

LA CANVAS + WASTELAND PRESENT

THE DiVE CLUB BEGINNING

MAY 18TH, 2013 & SECOND SATURDAYS EVERY MONTH THROUGH AUGUST MUSIC SETS BY

RESIDENT DJ KEITH 2.0 & FRIENDS AWESOME SWAG AT EVERY PARTY!

TROPICANA POOL AND BAR 7000 HOLLYWOOD BLVD. 90028

RSVP AT LACANVAS.COM/ROOSEVELT

15

16 EVENT DISAPPEARS, THE VIVIDS @ THE BOOTLEG

17

CONCERT DALE EARNHARDT JR. JR. @ THE EL REY ART EVENT WINDSHIELD PERSPECTIVE @ A+D MUSEUM

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CONCERT ARIEL PINK @ HOLLYWOOD FOREVER

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CONCERT IAMX @ THE FONDA

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16 16

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18 16 ART FESTIVAL COUP STREET LIVE ART SHOW @ MCLOGAN

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20

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PARTY THE PRESETS, DRAGONETTE, CLASSIXX @ AVALON

PARTY HOLY GHOST! (DJ SET), COSMIC KIDS @ DIM MAK

ART EVENT THE GRAPHIC CANON @ LOS ANGELES CENTRAL LIBRARY

21 21

FILM FESTIVAL DISHLATINO PRESENTS THE HOLA MEXICO FILM FESTIVAL @ L.A. LIVE

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19 FOOD EVENT CRUSH FESTIVAL @ 18TH ST. ARTS CENTER

27

SPORTS EVENT DODGERS VS. ANGELS @ DODGER STADIUM

26

ART EXHIBIT JAMES TURRELL: A RETROSPECTIVE @ LACMA

ART EXHIBIT GARDEN OF THE RENAISSANCE @ THE GETTY CENTER

CONCERT LISSIE @ HOLLYWOOD FOREVER

ART EXHIBIT A. QUINCY JONES: BUILDING FOR BETTER LIVING @ THE HAMMER

PARTY DJ D RAD @ THE ACE HOTEL AND SWIM CLUB

FOOD EVENT BEST OF THE BAYOU: NEW ORLEANS FOOD FEST @ LITTLE DOM’S

CONCERT HAERTS @ THE EL REY

THEATER THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS @ THE AHMANSON THEATER, THROUGH JUNE 30TH

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WORKSHOP 1450 OCEAN: SEWING LESSONS @ CAMERA OBSCURA SANTA MONICA

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THEATER PRISCILLA: QUEEN OF THE DESERT @ PANTAGES THEATRE

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CONCERT ADAM GREEN + BINKI SHAPIRO @ THE ECHO

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C A N V A S

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CONCERT MARINA & THE DIAMONDS, CHARLI XCX @ THE OBSERVATORY

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CONCERT BORN RUFFIANS, MOON KING @ THE TROUBADOUR

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CONCERT BEAT CONNECTION, ODESZA @ THE CENTRAL S.A.P.C

4 ART EXHIBIT HANS RICHTER: ENCOUNTERS @ LACMA

13

MAY S

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FESTIVAL EAT. DRINK. ART @ BARNDSALL ART PARK

12

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CONCERT TAMARYN, THE BLACK RYDER, DREAM BOYS @ THE ECHOPLEX

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2

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PARTY DJ MATTHEW STONE @ SHANGRI-LA HOTEL

2

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ART EVENT UCLA ART LECTURES @ THE HAMMER MUSEUM

10 9

FILM SCREENING SHORT FILMS STARRING LLYN FOULKES @ THE HAMMER

ART SALE FILM SCREENING INCOGNITO EXHIBITION AND BENEFIT ART21 SCREENING @ LACMA ART SALE @ SANTA MONICA MUSEUM OF ART CONCERT OF MONTREAL, WILD MOCCASINS @ THE ECHOPLEX

CONCERT ROBERT SCHWARTZMEN @ THE SATELLITE CONCERT RHYE @ THE EL REY CONCERT CAITLIN CROSBY @ THE HOTEL CAFE

15 EVENT BEAUTY GALA @ MACY’S CULVER CITY/BEVERLY CENTER

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CONCERT CAMERA OBSCURA @ THE WILTERN

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EVENT SUMMER LAUNCH @ NICHOLAS BOWES

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FOOD + MUSIC EVENT GRAND OLE ECHO: COUNTRY MUSIC & BBQ @ THE ECHO

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DESIGN EVENT 2013 DWELL ON DESIGN @ THE LOS ANGELES CONVENTION CENTER

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CONCERT TILLY & THE WALL @ THE ECHO

21 CONCERT KISSES @ THE TROUBADOR

28

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27

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FOR MORE EVENTS, VISIT LACANVAS.COM

CONCERT RACHEL YAMAGATA @ THE TROUBADOR

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22 23

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CONCERT AUSTRA @ THE TROUBADOR

22 ART OPENING EDITH HILLINGER FUSION: A COLLISION OF CULTURES @ OFFRAMP GALLERY

WORKSHOP YOGA AND MARTIAL ARTS LESSONS @ THE ELECTRIC LODGE

EVENT OPENING NIGHT OF THE SUMMER SERIES @ THE HOLLYWOOD BOWL

CONCERT R. KELLY, NEW EDITION, THE JACKSONS @ STAPLES CENTER

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29 29 CONCERT KENDRICK LAMAR, SNOOP DOGG, SCHOOLBOY Q @ STAPLES CENTER

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1 ART OPENING A NEW SCULPTURALISM @ MOCA

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C A N V A S

JUNE

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CONCERT THE SOFT MOON + CEREMONY @ THE ECHO

6

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ART EVENT ART TALK: CHRISTOPHER MOUNT @ MOCA

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12 ART EXHIBIT THE PRESENCE OF THE PAST: PETER ZUMTHOR RECONSIDERS LACMA @ LACMA

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8

PARTY THE LA CANVAS DIVE CLUB @ THE ROOSEVELT HOTEL POOL

some things you just can’t download. happy hour rocks!

monday - thursday 4-7pm

$3 Domestic Drafts • $4 Well Drinks • $5 Wine

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tuesdays & wednesdays 5-7pm

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102

WHERE’S SETH? HE’S ON THE COVER, BUT YOU’LL NEVER FIND HIM. THOUGH PHOTOGRAPHER CHRIS BUCK HAS A SIGNED WITNESS STATEMENT GUARANTEEING HE’S THERE text ROSS GARDINER

This book is not going to be for everyone. You could lean back in your

surreal sense of humor and precise attention to detail. His portfolio revealed

russet recliner and chortle as you shake your head and note that, “no art is for

someone who was not only technically strong, but had a personality that put

everyone.” But Presence, the graceful yet unapologetic new photo book from

subjects at ease and soothed the presence of the intruding camera. And

celebrated pop culture photographer Chris Buck, is one of those things that some

whilst he was amassing his little black book of who’s-whos, which includes

people will never, ever see where the appeal lies. Like sardines, or Drum ‘n’ Bass.

Louis C.K., Steve Martin and even Barack Obama, he would end many of

Presence is a collection of celebrity portraits in which the celebrity

his shoots by politely asking the subject if they wouldn’t mind hiding behind

himself is hiding somewhere out of sight within the frame. Yup. I told you.

Presence casually swats away the inevitable “gimmick” tag by being

ceases mocking you. Yet the statements signed by the subject and by a witness

beautifully composed on every level. The concept, whilst having a breezy

tease you just enough that you start to peel away the layers of the photograph

air of whimsy and being almost immediately predictable, does carry a hefty

to dive deep into the depth of field. And it’s there that you imagine these

weight when examining the notion of celebrity and the objectivity of portrait

familiar faces crouched behind a sofa or standing behind the drapes, giggling.

photography. It is also a wonderful collection of photographs of America,

Underwhelming, yes. Contradictory, yes. Strangely captivating, absolutely.

with the promise of a hiding celebrity luring you to inspect the details as you

Chris Buck has been documenting the evolution of pop culture

L A S

something for a moment.

Each page turn is a taunting carrot-and-stick ordeal that never

probably wouldn’t otherwise.

since the early eighties, starting with the underground punk scene in his

There's a bold streak of humor as dry as marrow running through

native Toronto. He earned his reputation catching early glimpses of iconic

Chris Buck’s entire career, and his ability to convince The Talent to indulge in

artists such as R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe and the Fall’s Mark E. Smith, hinting at

his bizarre concepts really comes in as a triumphant after-thought. Originality

the abstract projects and themes that would later define his work and cement

is high on his list of priorities when composing collections of photographs, and

him as one of the genuinely unique photographers in the industry.

while some would write that off as being a hindrance to his unquestionable

After a few years submerged in the Canadian music scene, he made the jump to New York City, where there was immediate demand for his

brilliance as a portrait photographer, it does bring him into a world of fine art that clearly suits his mind as well as his eye.

T L O O K

CHRISBUCK.COM