LA ART NEWS
ARTS AND CULTURE IN THE NORTHEAST OF LOS ANGELES SECTION A
VOLUME 4 NO. 7
LAARTNEWS.COM
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OCTOBER 2016
BATCHELDER:TILE ARTISTRY & LEGACY
The artistry of Ernest A. Batchelder epitomizes the Arts and Crafts movement of the early twentieth century in Southern California. Straightforward and handcrafted, it represents a counterpoint to industrialization and to Victorian over-the-top tastes. Batchelder tiles graced fireplaces, furnishings, and walls in Pasadena, Northeast Los Angeles and everywhere Craftsman style took hold as a Southern California art form. They were found on walls of businesses in Downtown Los Angeles and far beyond. Today, they serve as a focal point in many houses, although an uncounted number were removed or painted over in the intervening time period. “Batchelder: Tilemaker,” at the Pasadena Museum of History, celebrates the artist’s legacy. The exhibit is curated by Dr. Robert Winter, architectural historian and Professor of the History of Ideas, Emeritus, at Occidental College. Winter is not only the leading authority on Ernest A. Batchelder, Sign of the Green Rabbit Batchelder and his work; A custom medallion featuring Batchelder’s insignia and for many years he has lived monogram, the sign hung in front of the Batchelder bungalow. in the house alongside the Arroyo Seco where Batchelder once lived and worked. Even viewers already acquainted with Batchelder tile work may be surprised at the scope of the artist’s legacy. The exhibit includes pieces from his early backyard kiln work in Pasadena and The Chocolate Shop (detail), 1914 The Chocolate Shop, 217 West Sixth Street, Downtown Los Angeles, was Batchelder’s first large commission. The entire interior of the restaurant is tiled with 22 large murals depicting Dutch genre scenes. The tiles were probably shellacked in the 1920s. One tile has the yellowing shellac removed.
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WHITE HOUSE ARTS AND HUMANITIES HONOREES REFLECT THE NATIONAL SOUL “The arts and the humanities are in many ways reflective of our national soul. They’re central to who we are as Americans--dreamers, storytellers, innovators, and visionaries. They’re what helps us make sense of the past, the good and the bad. They’re how we chart a course for the future while leaving something of ourselves for the next generation to learn from.” --President Barack Obama, presenting the National Medals of Arts and the National Humanities Medals The annual National Medals of Arts and the National Humanities Medals were presented by President Obama in a White House ceremony September 22. Recipients of the National Medal of Arts included: Mel Brooks for a lifetime of making the world laugh. As a writer, director, actor, and musician, he pioneered the art of musical comedy, and his hilarious, thought-provoking work on film and in theater have earned him the rare distinction of winning Oscar, Emmy, Tony, and Grammy awards. Sandra Cisneros for enriching the American narrative. Through her novels, short stories, and poetry, she explores issues of race, class, and gender through the lives of ordinary people straddling multiple cultures. As an educator, she has deepened our understanding of American identity. Eugene O’Neill Theater Center for its unwavering support of American theater. For over 50 years, the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center has nurtured award-winning playwrights, directors, and actors, enriched the craft of stage President Barack Obama presents the National Medal of Arts production, and delighted audiences with exceptional programs. Morgan Freeman for his outstanding work as an actor, director, and narrator. His iconic stage and screen performances to Sandra Cisneros in a White House ceremony on September have brought to life characters 22, 2016. Photo by Cheriss May, Ndemay Media Group from the whole spectrum of the human experience, moving audiences around the world, and influencing countless young artists. Philip Glass for his groundbreaking contributions to music and composition. One of the most prolific, inventive, and influential artists of our time, he has expanded musical possibility with his operas, symphonies, film scores, and wide-ranging collaborations. Berry Gordy for helping to create a trailblazing new sound in American music. As a record producer and songwriter, he helped build Motown, launching the music careers of countless legendary artists. His unique sound helped shape our Nation’s story. Santiago Jiménez, Jr. for expanding the horizon of American music. He has helped spread traditional conjunto music, blending the sounds and cultures of south Texas and Mexico. His lively melodies performed on the twobutton accordion have captivated audiences around the world. Moises Kaufman for his powerful contributions to American theater. His work sensitively probes questions of culture and sexuality. His award-winning Tectonic Theater Project continues to move audiences with its bold portrayals of contemporary social issues.
President Barack Obama presents a National Humanities Medal to Rudolfo Anaya, September 22, 2016. Photo by Cheriss May, Ndemay Media Group
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from the large factory he operated in Los Angeles from 1920-1930, the factory from which his work was shipped across the county. Highlights in the exhibit include a custom family medallion, “Sign of the Green Rabbit,” and segment from a huge 1914 custom creation for a Downtown Los Angeles “Chocolate Shop.” Batchelder tiles harmonized with the aesthetic and color pallet of Arts and Crafts and period revival architecture and furnishings. They drew subject matter from the natural environment--as well as from folklore, music and the popularity of Asian and Mayan influences. The Batchelder exhibit marks a major donation to the museum on the part of Dr. Winter of Batchelder tiles and archives. A related exhibit at the museum celebrates the major role Pasadena has played in the ceramics world. “Cast & Fired: Pasadena’s Mid-Century Ceramics Industry” features ceramic objects from over 30 companies, many of which began at kilns in local backyards and moved on to full-fledged factories. “Batchelder: Tilemaker” “Cast & Fired: Pasadena’s Mid-Century Ceramics Industry” Pasadena Museum of History Through February 12 www.pasadenahistory.org
Large Peacock Tile Marked Batchelder, Los Angeles. Design in 1923 catalogue Peacock Design Drawing From Batchelder’s book, Design in Theory and Practice
Custom tile with classical child holding laurel wreath Marked Batchelder, Pasadena. Identical to custom tile installed in 1914 Freeman House by architects Arthur and Alfred Heineman.
Ernest A. Batchelder, Tudor Rose Tile Ernest A. Batchelder, Mark Tile from Evangelist Series Both designs in 1912 catalogue
OCTOBER 2016
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STAFF Publisher/ Creative Director Cathi Milligan Managing Editor Margaret Arnold Intern Vince Caldera Contributors: Margaret Arnold, Cornelius Peter, Brian Mallman, Amy Inouye, Stuart Rapeport, Cathi Milligan, Jennifer Hitchcock, Florence the dog, Jeremy Kaplan, Harvey Slater, Kristine Schomaker, Baha Danesh, John McIntyre, Dani Dodge LA Art News is published monthly at the beginning of each month. LA Art News is available free of charge. No person may, without prior written permission from LA Art News, take more than one copy of each monthly issue. Additional copies of the current issue are available for $1, payable in advance, at LA Art News office. Only authorized LA Art News distributors may distribute the LA Art News.
ART CONNECTS PEOPLE... My favorite thing about publishing this newspaper is connecting people with art and art opportunities. People need more art! In my other job, as glass artist, I encounter so many different types of people that want to explore glass. I teach a number of different techniques, which includes blown glass ornaments. Where am I going with this? Well...I had a group of Girl Scouts, 7th graders from South Pasadena in my place learning how to blow glass ornaments. When they were done they wandered over to Galco’s to get some sodas. Next thing you know they had arranged to paint a mural there. See picture below. Connecting people...it’s pretty cool. Thanks, Cathi Milligan Publisher, LA Art News
Copyright No news stories, illustrations, editorial matter or advertisements herein can be reproduced without written consent of copyright owner. How to reach us LA Art News 5668 York Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90042 323-387-9705 Contributions cathi@laartnews.com Calendar information margaretnelaart@gmail.com Sales - cathi@laartnews.com sign up for our newsletter at laartnews.com Where’s Monica?
A fresh mural at Galco’s painted by the South Pasadena Girl Scout Troop 15441
continued from page 1 Ralph Lemon for his contribution to dance and the visual arts. As a self-proclaimed conceptualist, he uses dance as a source of physical communication, and his complex works withstand examination from all angles, revealing intimate truths about human nature and offering broader insights into the American experience. Audra McDonald for lighting up Broadway as one of its brightest stars. An unforgettable performer, she has won six Tony awards. In musicals, concerts, operas, and the recording studio, her rich, soulful voice continues to take her audiences to new heights. Luis Valdez for bringing Chicano culture to American drama. As a playwright, actor, writer, and director, he illuminates the human spirit in the face of social injustice through award-winning stage, film, and television productions. Jack Whitten for remaking the American canvas. As an abstract artist, he uses “casting,” acrylic paints, and compounds to create new surfaces and textures, challenging our perceptions of shape and color. His powerful works of art put the American story in a new light. Recipients of the National Humanities Medal included: Prison University Project, Higher Education Program, for transforming the lives of incarcerated people through higher education. Its programs offer opportunity and inspiration to their students, providing an example for others to emulate. Rudolfo Anaya, Author, for his pioneering stories of the American southwest. His works of fiction and poetry celebrate the Chicano experience and reveal universal truths about the human condition—and as an educator, he has spread a love of literature to new generations. José Andrés, Chef & Entrepreneur, for cultivating our palates and shaping our culture. He has introduced new and vibrant ingredients to our Nation, whether through his innovative techniques in the kitchen, his work on clean Elaine Pagels is awarded a National Humanities Medal, cooking technology and access to education, or the inspiration he provides to new Americans. September 22, 2016. Photo by Cheriss May, Ndemay Media Ron Chernow, Author, for bringing our Nation’s story to life. Through his examination of America’s successful giants Group and titans, he also invites his readers to discover their failures and foibles, uncovering enduring lessons that inform our modern era. Louise Glück, Poet, for giving lyrical expression to our inner conflicts. Her use of verse connects us to the myths of the ancients, the magic of the natural world, and the essence of who we are. Terry Gross, Radio Host & Producer, for her artful probing of the human experience. Her patient, persistent questioning in thousands of interviews over four decades has pushed public figures to reveal personal motivations behind extraordinary lives—revealing simple truths that affirm our common humanity. Wynton Marsalis, Composer & Musician, for celebrating the traditions of jazz music from New Orleans to Lincoln Center and beyond. As a virtuoso trumpet player, composer, and educator, he has brought jazz to a wider audience and inspired music lovers to embrace America’s quintessential sound. James McBride, Author, for humanizing the complexities of discussing race in America. Through writings about his own uniquely American story, and his works of fiction informed by our shared history, his moving stories of love display the character of the American family. Louis Menand, Author, for prose and essays that invite us to think in new ways about the forces shaping our society. His influential works of intellectual and cultural history probe the power of ideas from one era to the next as they ripple across politics and culture. Elaine Pagels, Historian & Author, for her exploration of faith and its traditions. Through her study of ancient manuscripts and other scholarly work, she has generated new interest and dialogue about our contemporary search for knowledge and meaning. Abraham Verghese, Physician, Professor, & Author, for reminding us that the patient is the center of the medical enterprise. His range of proficiency embodies the diversity of the humanities, from his efforts to emphasize empathy in medicine, to his imaginative renderings of the human drama. Isabel Wilkerson, Journalist & Author, for championing the stories of an unsung history. Her masterful combination of intimate human narratives with broader societal trends allows us to measure the epic migration of a people by its vast impact on our Nation and on each individual life. “It’s what’s so great about this country,” said President Obama, “that there’s no single set way to contribute. All of us belong. All of us have a story to tell. Even when you think your story is too different, too strange, too unique, there’s someone out there who’s been waiting to hear you tell your story because it is just like theirs.” “What a great gift all of you have given us,” Obama said to the medal recipients. “Today we thank you, today’s honorees who have had the bravery to go first and tell your story, and make us feel a little better about ours.”
President Barack Obama presents the National Medal of Arts to Luis Valdez in a White House ceremony on September 22, 2016. Photo by Cheriss May, Ndemay Media Group
LA ART NEWS SECTION A
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OCTOBER 2016
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LA ART NEWS SECTION A
EAT THE RIVER
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The Los Angeles River is at a moment in time that will not be seen again. It is at a point between the concrete flood control channel that industrial buildings turned their backs to and the restored waterway envisioned by river activists. It is this moment in time that French artist Frédérick Gautier puts on display for viewers to ponder with “Eat the River,” at Please Do Not Enter, Downtown. Gautier spent two months exploring the length of the river and creating ceramic pieces derived from the physical history of the place. There are over 100 pieces in the show. What was hidden becomes exposed. What was already familiar takes on beauty. Even the familiar becomes amazing when multiplied to the quantity of work contained in the show. The river has been a subject of ridicule due to its limited amount of water in dry times. But Gautier reminds viewers that the Los Angeles River is in fact almost 50 miles long, with both history and potential along the way. “I love the concrete that ages so ungracefully,” said Gautier at the onset of the project, “and I want to take samples of graphic relics from this massive movie set and turn them into a collection of utilitarian objects. I love the unreality of this concrete trench, this weirdly brutal, graphic slash across the landscape, overlaid upon the natural riverbed, creating surprising forms all along the 48-mile course.” Frédérick Gautier, “Eat the River” Please Do Not Enter 549 South Olive Street, Downtown Through October 25 www.pleasedonotenter.com
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NELAart SECOND SATURDAY GALLERY NIGHT HIGHLIGHTS
FOR October 8, 2016
Visit NELA Art Gallery Night on Facebook for last minute listings. Align Gallery Roberto Delgado. The Kwazy Wabbits series. New Art Works. Avenue 50 Studio *Lights of Farewell, Reinterpreting Tōrō Nagashi. An installation re-imagining, with shadow and light, the Tōrō nagashi, a Japanese ceremony in which participants float paper lanterns (chōchin) down a river. An installation by Leslie K. Gray. *"Honoring our Ancestors." Featured Artists: Ofelia Esparza, Rosalie Lopez, Rebeca Guerrero, Esau Andrade Valencia, Jacqueline Dreager, Ann Le, Leonard Greco, Toti O’Brien, Isabel Martinez, Todd Westover, Maja, Christina Carroll, Yvonne Ruiz, Patrick Quinn, Miriam Jackson, Robert Lowden, Mercedes Gertz, Arni Tecson, Donna Leteresse, Kacy Treadway. Bike Oven Spoke (N) Art Ride Meet at the Bike Oven for a fun, slow-paced bicycle tour of art galleries. Blinkie lights recommended. This month: Dia de los Muertos Ride. 3706 North Figueroa Street Meet at 6. Roll at 6:30. Cactus Gallery "Dollmakers V" will showcase doll makers and sculptors from different parts of the world, alongside works from several of our Cactus Gallery family members. Expect to find handcrafted art dolls and sculptures in many different styles and media, such as: needle felt, fabric, hand stitched and embroidered felt, paper clay, polymer clay, hand-dyed textiles and vintage veils, lace, and other vintage materials, assemblage using bones and found objects and more. Featured artist: Kat Anderson Studios. Participating artists: Ulla Anobile Art, Elisa Belloni, Christine Benjamin, Denise Bledsoe, Sheri DeBow artist, Dolldrums (Kylie Dexter), Rasa Jadzeviciene, Christy Kane Fine Art, Nefer Kane, Patricia Krebs, Mavis Leahy Art, Ann Lim, Linda Lyons Studio, Jazmin Molina, Paul Murray, Amanda Sue Myers, Richelle Nicole, Nobu Happy Spookyy, Karly Perez, Meghan Ritchey and more. Collective Arts Incubator New "Garden Party" Sculpture, video, illustration and illustration by Adrienne Adar, Frank Fu, Yves Gore, Caden Gray, Eden Mitsenmacher, Ayse Melis Okay, Juna Skenderi, Kris Swick, Martin Velez. Live performance by Sob Sister. El Diablo Moto Cartel "Dark Arts." Local artists will display paintings and custom-built motorcycles. +Face pointing and a food truck. ETA Mochilla & ETA present "The Specific Lens." Group photography exhibition featuring Al Myers · Alejandro Sanchez· B+ · Bob Flower · Chris Gutierrez · Dom Stills · Eric Coleman · Farah Sosa · Joe Kay · Laith Majali · Mario de Lopez · Mike Park · Natasha Calzatti · Pablo Aguilar + more. Future Studio "Your Heart Is One of My Kittens." New Paintings by Krystine Kryttre. Her work is dark, often explicit, and visually distinctive; it has been described by the Cat-Head Comics Catalog as "scratchboard gothic." Imperial Art Studios Paige Craig’s “On Broadway” series. A photographic essay. The historic theaters Downtown, though lit-up with optimistic flair, were enjoyed by a limited few as the late night ambiance felt more like a ghost-town or an abandoned movie set. Living Room Featured artist: Aaron Donovan. Music by Dark Clouds and Patrick John Costello. Matters of Space "South/West Diary." Photographic work of Hamish Robertson. A suite of 35mm and 120mm photographs made in the American Southwest and Southern California. Captured in multiple locations—from crowded airports, abandoned towns, and desolate parks, to the US-Mexico border fence, the scenes strive to depict isolation and divide across a range of emotional tones. Rock Rose Gallery & Production Studio Rock Rose Gallery Private Art Collection Auction continues. Your support will help match the California Arts Council grant funds 2016 & 2017 awarded Rock Rose Gallery for a new category "Cultural Pathways". Recognizing our work serving artists and communities since opening our storefront in Highland Park - August of 2000 - providing a nurturing environment for Visual and Performing Artists and Community to be inspired...To be creative. Showboat "Louise Ingalls Sturges: A Lot of Tears Make Rainbows."
LA ART NEWS SECTION A
NELAart
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Northeast Los Angeles Arts Organization, Inc.
October 8, 2016 - 7pm - 10pm
(Individual Gallery Hours May Vary. CHECK Gallery web sites for individual information. Just because a gallery is listed does not mean it’s open this month)
1. Avenue 50 Studio 131 No. Avenue 50 323. 258.1435 avenue50studio.org
21. The Market 1203 Avenue 50 www.themarkethp.com
2. Bike Oven/Flying Pigeon 3706 No Figueroa
22. Bob Taylor Properties 5526 N. Figueroa St. 323-257-1080
3. Namaste Highland Park 5118 York Blvd. www.namastehighlandpark.com 4. Offbeat 6316 York Blvd www.offbeatbar.com 5. Council District Office #1 Gil Cedillo 5577 N. Figueroa St. 6. Future Studio 5558 N Figueroa St. 323 254-4565 futurestudiogallery.com 7. Elephant 3325 Division St. 8. Meridian 5007 1/2 York Blvd. meridianstorela.com 9. Vapegoat 5054 York Blvd. 323.963.VAPE 10. ETA 5630 N. Figueroa St. 11. Shopclass 5215 York Blvd. 323.258.2500 shopclassla.com 12. Matters of Space 5005 York Blvd www.mattersifspace.com 323.743.3267
23. Cactus Gallery @ Treeline Woodworks 3001 N. Coolidge Ave 24. The York Check out their dog friendly patio. 5018 York Blvd. 25. Ball Clay Studio 4851 York Blvd. ballclaystudio.com 26. Collective Arts Incubator 1200 N. Ave 54 collectiveartsincubator.com 27. Antenna Studio 1617 Colorado Blvd. antennastudioart.com 28. The Greyhound Highland Park Independant Film Festival 570 N. Figueroa St. 29. Urchin 5006 1/2 York Blvd. 30. Two Tracks Pola Lopez, open studio. 131 North Avenue 50 31. O & M Leather 5048 Eagle Rock Blvd www.ommleather.com 32. Vapeology 3714 N. Figueroa St. 323.222.0744
13. Mi Vida 5159 York Blvd.
33. Pop-Hop 5002 York Blvd. www.thepophop.com
14. deb3321 3321 Pasadena Ave.
34. Social Studies 5028.5 York Blvd.
15. Antigua Coffee House 3400 N. Figueroa St. www.antiguacoffeehouse.com
35. Dotter 5027 York Blvd. www.dotterstore.com
16. Align Gallery 5045 York Blvd. www.aligngallery.com
36. Leanna Lin’s Wonderland 5204 Eagle Rock Blvd. www.leannalinswonderland.com
17. New Stone Age Mosaics 1754 Colorado Blvd.
37. Good Eye Gallery 4538 N. Eagle Rock Blvd. www.goodeyegallery.com
18. Panorama Press House 4700 York Blvd. www.thepanoramapress.com 19. Evil or Sacred Tattoos 4524 Eagle Rock Blvd. 20. Toros Pottery 4962 Eagle Rock Blvd 323.344.8330 torospottery.com OCTOBER 2016
38. Highland Cafe 5010 York Blvd. 323.259.1000 39. CucuArt Gallery 4704-06 Eagle Rocl Blvd. 323.202.0672 40. Vintage Tattoo Art Parlor 5115 York Blvd.
41. The U Space 2626 N. Figueroa St., suite C 42. The Situation Room 2313 Norwalk Ave. 43. Bookshow 5503 Figueroa St. www.bookshow.com
On the Seco Elysian Valle art and eate the updated
44. Vroom Vroom Bitsy Boo 5031 B York Blvd. 45. The Slow Down Gallery @ Random Gallery 200 N. Ave 64 46. Civil Coffee 5639 N. Figueroa St. 47. The Glass Studio 5668 York Blvd. www.theglassstudio.net 48. Rock Rose Gallery 4108 N. Figueroa St. 323.635.9125 49. All Star Lanes 4459 N Eagle Rock Blvd. 323.254.2579 50. Pop Secret 5119 Eagle Rock Blvd. 51. Apiary Gallery at The Hive Highland Park 5670 York Blvd. www.thehive.la 52. Leader of the Pack 5110 York Blvd. www.leaderofthepackvintage.com 53. Short Hand 5028 York Blvd. shopshorthand.com 54. Living Room 5807 York Blvd. livingroomhome.com 55. co-Lab Gallery 5319 York Blvd. www.co-Lab.com 56. The luxelust life Vintage Furniture 6095 York Blvd 57. The Erin Hanson Gallery 2732 Gilroy St. erinhanson.com 58. MAN Insurance Ave 50 Satellite 1270 N. Ave 50 323.256.3151 59. Possession Vintage 5119 York Blvd. www.possessionvintage.com 60. The Quiet Life 5627 N. Figueroa St. thequietlife.com 61. Showboat 6152 York Blvd. showboatgallery.com 62.El Diablo Moto Cartel 5657 York Blvd. www.eldiablomotocartel.com 63. Imperial Art Studios 2316 N. San Fernando Rd.
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ond Saturday of every month galleries, businesses, and artists in Highland Park, Eagle Rock, Glassell Park, Cypress Park, ey, and Lincoln Heightsopen their doors a little later in the evening and welcome visitors. Use this map for locations of eries, grab someone you love, get some dinner, and enjoy some art. Friend NELA Art Gallery Night on Facebook for d last minute list.
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Visit us at NELAart.org
LA ART NEWS SECTION A
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NELAART SECOND SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 2016
“Pop Quiz,” an interactive exhibit by Douglas Alvarez at Cactus Gallery
Sonia Romero at Ave 50 Studio
Allison Bambat, Guest Curated by coLAb at ETA
Douglas Alvarez at Cactus Gallery
OCTOBER 2016
Nina Palomba, “Studio Daze,” at Leanna Lin’s Wonderland
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Mariamawit Atnafu at Align Gallery
“This Used to be Mexico” at Avenue 50 Studio
Chicano Soul at Mi Vida
Hamish Robertson at Matters of Space
Carmen Garcia at The York
K Howell and Cynthia Rogers at Cactus Gallery
Sergio Teran at Avenue 50 Studio
FEATURED CLASS
Day Of The Dead Glass Skulls October 15 / Celebrate Dia de los Muertos and create a Day of the Dead “sugar” skull with the pâte de verre technique in this 2.5-hour class. 143 Pasadena Ave, Suite B South Pasadena 323.679.4263 bullseyeglass.com/losangeles Art Glass Supplies • Classes Use code ARTNEWS25 for 25% off your first introductory class
LA ART NEWS SECTION A
MUSEUM HIGHLIGHTS
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Pasadena Museum of California Art “Lloyd Hamrol/Joan Perlman: “a sky in the palm of a hand” By Dani Dodge Two Los Angeles artists — Joan Perlman and Lloyd Hamrol — have transformed a gallery at the Pasadena Museum of California Art into an exploration of landscape: luscious, glowing paintings reflecting the impermanence of nature, and earthy felt sculptures literally demonstrating impermanence by changing shape twice during the exhibition. “The work is really a still moment in this changeable universe,” Hamrol said of his felt sculptures. “But there is no such thing as permanence. Everything is in movement at some level. Everything is in flux. And the piece is like that, morphing.” The gesture fits perfectly with Perlman’s paintings, which, while static and hanging on the wall, create movement for the viewer within their rectangular shape. “The main thing for me is the connection to energy and nature,” Perlman said. The show, “a sky in the palm of a hand,” opened Sept. 25, 2016, and runs through Feb. 19, 2017, in the back gallery of the Pasadena Museum of California Art. The front galleries feature “In the Land of Sunshine: Imaging the California Coast Culture.” That exhibition includes about 90 paintings from the mid-1800s through present day that were inspired by the vistas, lifestyles and industries of the California coastline.
photo by Don Milici
While the representational oils, acrylics and watercolors of the front galleries exuberantly shout “location, location, location,” the back gallery with Perlman and Hamrol’s abstract and conceptual work whispers its messages to the viewers. You move closer. Listen intently. Still, an agonizingly glorious mystery remains. Hamrol’s two sculptures are made from circular pieces of 70- and 62-inch heavy industrial felt stacked into shapes that appear to move and cascade like water. One is a 9-foot piece that spills from the wall to the floor and that will remain stationary during the exhibit. The other is a 20-foot floor installation that will be transformed by the artist twice during the show, once in about November and once again around the New Year. Hamrol entered the L.A. art scene during the freewheeling 1960s. He made a name for himself as a creator of conceptual installations with his studio-based work. In 1965 he won the New Talent Purchase Award by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and was featured in the museum’s exhibition “Five Younger Los Angeles Artists!” Since the 1970s, he has become best known for his public art, including “Twenty-One Stones”(1985) at Exposition Park in Los Angeles and “Uptown Rocker” (1986) on Fourth Street in downtown Los Angeles. In 2005, though, he went back into the studio and discovered felt. In a sense, it was a part of his heritage. His grandfather was a garment cutter, and when Hamrol works on felt he uses the same type of tools his grandfather did. Hamrol said he also was drawn to “the sense of the ordinariness of the material getting a new life.” In this exhibition, he likes that felt has an association with carpet, so when it is on the ground there is a tension that builds with viewers. Should they walk on it? “That’s what I want,” Hamrol noted. “The seduction of the ordinary.” Perlman’s work has been exhibited nationally and abroad in solo and group exhibitions at venues including Wave Hill, New York; Long Beach Museum of Art; Hafnarborg Museum, Iceland; Riverside Art Museum; Santa Monica Museum of Art; Armory Center for the Arts, Pasadena; Centre for Icelandic Art, Reykjavik; and Santa Fe Art Institute, New Mexico. Her awards include fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts; the Durfee Foundation, Los Angeles; and Musée d’Art Américain Giverny/Terra Foundation for the Arts, France. Her work is inspired by the glacial rivers and plains of Iceland’s southern coast, and more recently by its rivers in the eastern highlands. Perlman first visited the region in 1995 and has gone there annually since 2004, missing only this year as she worked on pieces for this show. Video and photographs she shot during flights over Iceland’s remote highlands are her most relevant reference in this exhibition, she said. Her work in the show includes one video work, one work on paper, six works on Yupo and four large (5 x 8 feet to 8 x 12 feet) abstract, multilayered paintings on canvas. The pieces incorporate metallic paints and luminous glazes. They are infused with rich blacks, browns, grays and iron oxides. Poured paint speaks of nature, while a unique structure is created when she uses screens as a painting tool. The subtle works give the viewer the sense of looking down onto a changing world. Perlman said she hopes the museum visitor takes away “the experience of chaos and energy, loss and dissolution in nature and in ourselves; its physical/metaphysical expansiveness, light and depths; and our felt experience relative to these things.” Hamrol and Perlman have been friends for more than a decade, but this exhibition is the first time they have been shown together. Hamrol said there was never a doubt that they could make their work fit together, despite their differing inspirations and backgrounds. “Joan’s organic derivations hew toward greater abstraction; my minimalist informed baseline leans toward the biomorphic,” Hamrol said. “I find this to be a rather interestingly dynamic polarity, a significant adhesive in conjoining our separate expressions.”
photo by Don Milici
OCTOBER 2016
Pasadena Museum of California Art Hours: Open Wednesday–Sunday, 12:00–5:00 p.m. and the third Thursday of each month, 12:00–8:00 p.m. Admission: $7 for adults; $5 for seniors (62+); $5 for students and educators; free for PMCA members and children (12 and under). Free the first Friday and the third Thursday of each month. Location: 490 E. Union St., Pasadena, CA 91101 Website: pmcaonline.org
GOVERNMENT NOTES
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The SPARC City Wide Mural Program, funded by the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, has taken another giant step forward in its effort to clean up the historically significant murals that were originally produced through the SPARC Neighborhood Pride Mural Program of 1988-2002. The program has recently completed the restoration of “La Ofrenda,” a 1989 mural by Yreina D. Cervantez, located at the junction of Toluca and Second Street on the edge of Downtown. The mural, with its central image of Dolores Huerta, had been tagged to the point that it was unrecognizable. But now it is beautiful again. In late September work began on the restoration of an image of another famous Dolores--Alfredo de Batuc’s 1990 “Dolores Del Rio” mural at Hollywood Boulevard and Hudson Avenue in Hollywood.
Alfredo de Batuc, “Dolores Del Rio”
Yreina D. Cervantez, “La Oftenda
ARMENIAN GENOCIDE MONUMENT UNVEILED IN GRAND PARK The County of Los Angeles has installed a monument in commemoration of the Armenian Genocide, which claimed the lives of 1.5 million victims, in Grand Park, Downtown. The monument honors the memory of those who perished, as well as all survivors of the Armenian Genocide and other mass atrocities. The monument was crafted by artist Vahagn Thomasian. Made of volcanic rock indigenous to Armenia, it is split into two sections to symbolize the disruption in humanity caused by the Genocide. Speaking at the dedication ceremony in September, Thomasian said that one section of the rock is rough to symbolize pain. The other section is smooth to symbolize rebirth. The meeting of the two sections points toward Armenia. The rock is sculpted into angles of four degrees, 24 degrees, 19 degrees and 15 degrees, representing the date April 24, 1915, the day the Ottoman Turkish government began the massacre of the Armenian people. Text on the ground at the base of the monument quotes William Saroyoan: “In the time of your life, live,-so that in that wondrous time you shall not add to the misery and sorrow of the world, but shall smile to the infinite delight and mystery of it.” Los Angeles County is the home to the largest Armenian community outside of Armenia. The monument was conceived of and created through the work of the IWitness project with the assistance of Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich. iwitness Project members Ara Oshagan, Anahid Oshagan, Vahagn Thomasian (the monument’s sculptor), and Levon Parian at the Armenian Genocide Monument dedication
The witness Armenian Genocide Monument in Grand Park
LA ART NEWS SECTION A
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‘SHIFT AND FADE.’ LARGE AND SMALL. ART THAT DIGS DEEP INTO THE PERSONAL by Kristine Schomaker
The curators of “Shift and Fade” at BLAM didn’t want an exhibition that could be easily forgotten. Not by the people who saw it, and especially not for the artists involved. So Alanna Marcelletti and Dani Dodge invited artists they admired to be part of the show and asked them to create something new. And to dig deep. “Explore material as a metaphor for personal history,” they said. The suggestion made Pasadena sculptor Vincent Tomczyk pause, and then go back. Back in his memories. “I remember the tight dryness in my throat from breathing in my father’s cigarette smoke,” he said. “I wanted to blame him for stunting my growth. My mother tried to get him to stop by lighting up herself, long slim cigarettes — the kind you put in a deep narrow coin-purse-like thingy, with the lighter all nestled up front.” His work, created from his trademark material, paper, resembles an ashtray. The opening reception for “Shift and Fade” is 3 to 6 p.m. Oct. 8, 2016.The show will be open noon to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays and by appointment. The show closes Oct. 30, 2016, with an artist talk moderated by art critic Shana Nys Dambrot from 2 to 4 p.m. BLAM is located at 1950 S Santa Fe Ave. #207, Los Angeles, CA 90021. For more information and to add ‘Shift and Fade’ to your calendar go to the Facebook event. “Shift and Fade” will incorporate two major components: large-scale installations and a collaborative project titled “Curiouser and Curiouser.” Twenty-one artists, including Tomczyk, will contribute to “Curiouser and Curiouser,” each presenting an object, no larger than 12 x 12 x 12 inches. Each piece tells the story of who the artist is and where they’re from. “The beauty of curating at BLAM is we have the opportunity to show work that otherwise might not be exhibited or even created,” said co-curator Marcelletti. “Some of the sculptures in our collaboration will be from artists who have worked Camilla Taylor solely in a 2-D format up till now, and so I look Alexander Kritselis forward to seeing the results of their experimentations. To me it’s fascinating to think that all of these artists are creating works related to their individual histories but ultimately the piece will become a collective history.” BLAM, which stands for “Brooklyn Los Angeles meet,” is an artist-run gallery with locations in the Los Angeles arts district and Brooklyn’s Bushwick neighborhood. The curators try to incorporate artists from both coasts into their shows, and this one is no different. Several of the artists in “Shift and Fade” are from Brooklyn, including Beatrice Wolert, who will create an installation for the show. “Dani Dodge visited my studio in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, a few months ago and was interested in the diversity of materials used and had a strong emotional response to them,” recalled Wolert, who is deputy director at CUE. “She expressed interest in a couple of studies I had hanging in my studio that were cut and dripping. We decided that I would create a custom piece for ‘Shift and Fade.’” Wolert’s creation, “Offering #1 2016,” is a time-based kinetic wall and floor piece made of cake decoration piping bags filled with enamel and acrylic paint. “On the night the show opens, the bottoms of the piping bags will be cut, activating the paint to be released to drip down the wall and pool onto the floor covering,” Wolert said. “’Offering #1′ explores the spirituality of materials. The work looks at the fluidity and ephemerality of paint. As the paint drips from the wall to the floor, the viewer is asked to consider both the physical properties of paint in different states as well as the complexities of the giving and receiving aspects of an offering.” The connections between Los Angeles and New York run deep for the artists of “Shift and Fade.” Los Angeles artist Fran Siegel, who will have an installation in BLAM’s project Beatrice Wolert room, had her most recent solo exhibition in New York at Lesley Heller Workspace in the spring. (She has upcoming Los Angeles exhibitions at the Fowler Museum at UCLA and ACME.) Her work in “Shift and Fade” utilizes additive (collage, layering) and subtractive (cutting) forms of drawing. Hugo Heredia Barrera “It is informed by urban architecture,” Siegel said. “There will be several layered, woven drawings included in a composited installation. One piece, ‘Terre,’ is an elaborate drawing about ancient fences and walls near Marseille, France, and another, ‘Shukhov,’ is about a utopian continued on page 15
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tower in the former Soviet Union.” The contrasts in “Shift and Fade” exceed location and size by pushing the boundaries of light and dark. “Shift and Fade” allows for the juxtaposition of Hugo Heredia Barrera’s light in the form of a massive glass installation to occupy the same space as the dense black materials of Camilla Taylor. The title “Shift and Fade” is based on the poem “The Secret of Light” by James Wright. Los Angeles artist Alexander Kritselis said the invitation to the show prompted him to start a series of small sculptures that branch off his large-scale installations “Places and Travelers of Glow and Sorrow.” “With these new works I continue to examine sites around the globe where human activity has left an indelible mark on our contemporary psyche,” Kritselis said. “I began this series with a sense of urgency as domestic and global environmental, political and identity challenges began to unravel, causing deep fissures in the social construct. My journey is to find the threads that hold the ‘pieces’ together, and the tears that have been exacted on nature’s fabric.” The series of small sculptures under glass bells combine small-scale 3-D forms with miniature monitors — static with moving images. Fran Siegel “These 3-D sculptural vignettes operate as a metaphor for a world made of fragments. They are assembled in context as we respond to the physiological properties of the diverse mediums,” Kritselis said. “Moreover, in my personal search for meaning, each work comes together, apart, and together again over time in revised narrative forms — to essentially address the human stories in new ways for a new time.” Artists creating installations are Hugo Heredia Barrera, Kio Griffith, Erika Lizee, Fran Siegel, Camilla Taylor, Beatrice Wolert and Alison Woods. Artists of “Curiouser and Curiouser” are Nadege Monchera Baer, April Bey, Arezoo Bharthania, Debbie Carlson, Paul Catalanotto, Jennifer Celio, Dani Dodge, Tom Dunn, Jenny Hager, Pete Hickok, Alexander Kritselis, Alanna Marcelletti, Bhavna Mehta, Kristine Schomaker, Delbar Shahbaz, David Spanbock, Jesse Standlea, Vincent Tomczyk, Joe Wolek, Lena Wolek and Steven Wolkoff.
ART ON THE WALL
LA ART NEWS SECTION A
contemporary crafts market
www.CraftSource.org PASADENA CONVENTION CENTER EXHIBIT HALL 300 E GREEN ST · PASADENA, CA 91101-2399
NOVEMBER 11, 12 & 13, 2016 FRI & SAT, 10 to 6 · SUN, 10 to 5
ADMISSION: $8 · 12 & UNDER FREE INFORMATION: (310) 285-3655
www.CraftSource.org BRING THIS AD TO THE SHOW FOR UP TO TWO FREE ADMISSION TICKETS, or SCAN: BLOWN GLASS BY
ELAINE HYDE PHOTO BY GEORGE POST