LA Art News February 2016 Section A

Page 1

NELAart SECOND SATURDAY GALLERY NIGHT MAP ENCLOSED

LA ART NEWS Section A Volume 3 No.10 laartnews.com find us on Facebook February 2016

HOW DO YOU CREATE?

“SCAR STORIES - EVERY SCAR TELLS ONE” Ted Meyer At Muzeumm

“Scar Stories” centers around the work of Northeast Los Angeles artist Ted Meyer’s 17 year project “Scarred for Life.” “It isn’t just a scar. It’s my scar,” is something Ted Meyer hears all the time. After years of doing work about his own rare illness, and becoming bored by his personal situation, Meyer changed focus and began visually telling the stories of other people who have been through major traumas. For over 17 years Meyer has been creating a graphic yet beautiful depiction of people’s suddenly altered bodies and the resulting scars in an ever-enlarging collection of artworks entitled, “Scarred for Life”. “Scarred for Life” continues to grow and now consists of almost 100 artistically enhanced mono-prints taken directly from the scarred skin of his subjects. Each image – accompanied by a photographic portrait taken by Ted and a written story by his subject - tells a unique and intriguing story of medical crisis, resilience and healing. The project’s title embodies a duality of ideas that are explored in depth: first, that medically related scars or physical disfigurements often have a profound lifelong impact on a patient’s self-identity, and secondly, that those scars have the potential to serve as powerful symbols of regeneration and life, and as learning tools as well. Exploring facets of self-adornment, contemporary trends in body modification and the ways in which art has been used to redefine aesthetic norms, “Scarred for Life” presents ways in which medical patients can grow to view their scars as beautiful symbols of personal resilience. The Scarred for Life project has grown into a lecture series and a book, and has led Ted to his position as the first Artist in Residence at UCLA Geffen School of Medicine. “Scarred for Life” is also currently being shown at the Lancaster Museum, and in November it will be exhibited at the National Museum of Health and Medicine in Bethesda, MD. www.tedmeyer.com www.facebook.com/scarredforlifeart Ted has exhibited his paintings and photographs internationally, including at the Chicago Art Institute, the United Nations in New York City, and in Osaka, Japan, Dublin, Ireland and Istanbul Turkey. He has met and worked with other artists from all over the world who focus on Scars. MUZEUMM has asked Ted to include some of his favorites in the continued on page 2 exhibit:

STUFFING MIX AND WALLPAPER A CZECH COTTAGE AND A TRIANGULAR HOUSE Eclectic Historic Buildings of Northeast L.A.

Several Northeast Los Angeles buildings have been recommended for the City's list of Historic-Cultural Monuments lately. Each is highly unique, and, taken together, they speak to the incredibly diverse nature of Northeast L.A.'s cultural and architectural offerings. Casa de Mi Sueño 3820 E. San Rafael Avenue, Mount Washington Current Owner and Applicant: Peter R. Luttrell Represented by: Charles Fisher Anyone old enough to remember the early decades of television certainly remembers Mrs. Cubbison, who not only promoted her stuffing mix on commercials, but also guested on a variety of programs, ranging from talk shows to children's programming. Meanwhile, in her private life, Casa de Mi Sueño Mrs. Sophie Cubbison lived in a Spanish Colonial Revival house near the peak of San Rafael Avenue in Mount Washington, not far from the Cubbison Lincoln Heights baking plant. Sophie and Harry Cubbison's home was built by a contractor in 1936. But Mrs. Cubbison herself was the guiding force behind much of the design. Her cooking was clearly influenced by her German father's side of her family. Her architectural sensibilities were clearly influenced by her Californio mother's roots. As Sophie Huchting, the future Mrs. Cubbison had cooked five meals and snacks a day for 40 laborers on her father's lima bean farm. She thereby raised enough money to put herself through college. The Cubbisons married in 1916 and Casa de Mi Sueño founded a bakery specializing in healthy products. In 1925, they sold part of that business and founded "Mrs. Cubbison's Melba Toast and Zweiback" which soon became "Cubbison's Melba Toast and Cracker Company." In 1929, melba toast became a major diet fad, and business boomed. The Cubbison house was designed to resemble a California adobe. Interior features included custom tile floors, one of which features an Aztec calendar, with the tile laid by Sophie Cubbison herself, as well as a circular wooden stairway and a circular fireplace with a tiled hearth. Madeline Veverka residence Mrs. Cubbison sold the house in the 1950s, not long after her husband's death. But she lived on until 1992, when she died at the age of 92. On January 21, the City of Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission voted to support the application for historic status for the house and to send the application on to the City Council. continued on page 12


2 continued from page 1 Zeina Baltagi was the first person to get her full tibia replaced along with her knee and half her femur with a titanium endo-prosthetic, due to osteosarcoma, bone cancer. Post survival, she took back ownership of her body. Like bodies develop histories, her work endures a similar transformative process. Diana Hobstetter’s “Fragile Flesh” paintings tell stories of people’s scars and look at the relationship between memory and the body. Like scars themselves, Diana’s creative process includes a wounding and scarring process—the words are carved into a thick, fleshy paint revealing the blood color below the surface. Lilli Muller’s casting sessions are a visual diary, using art as a language that transcends fear, expectation, stereotype, and policy to arrive at an unexpected place of power and beauty. Alison Romanczuk is a photographer from London with her own scar owing to, so far, two operations to remove a persistent sarcoma. Shortly before her last operation she met with the Children of Fire charity. She has photographed the children and their scars both in London and Johannesburg and has become very close to them and their fundraising for a better future. May Tanferri is located in San Palo, Brazil. Because of her own large burn scars has she created a doll with multiple burns that comes with all the matching medical dressings and supplies that a burned child would see during their treatment. Her hope is to give burned children a doll that looks just like them, and to teach the non-burned about their burned friends. MUZEUMM, 4817 West Adams Boulevard Reception: Saturday, Feb 6, 2-6 p.m. Through February 28 www.muzeumm.com

FEBRUARY 2016


3

STAFF Publisher Cathi Milligan Creative Director Cathi Milligan Managing Editor Margaret Arnold Advertising Sales Cathi Milligan Contributors: Margaret Arnold, Cornelius Peter, Brian Mallman, Amy Inouye, Stuart Rapeport, Cathi Milligan, Jennifer Hitchcock, Traci Green, Jeremy Kaplan, Larisa Code, Harvey Slater, Kristine Schomaker, Dani Dodge, Lance Barresi, Desiree Cormier, Baha Danesh, Jeff Rogers 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. 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

ART FAIR SEASON... This past weekend was the weekend for art fairs. Tons of art...tons of people. What I loved most about walking around the LA Art Show was seeing so many of the general public there. Yes the place was packed almost everyday, but the weekend...it was crazy. Couples, families, friends, art enthusiasts. And where else can you see so many galleries and artists represented. The more the general public sees and experiences art, the more art we will all have in our lives. Los Angeles is the creative capitol of the world. I repeat this over and over. I think other people are beginning to understand this too. Let’s spread the word. That’s why I love this newspaper. We get to spread the word about art and creativity. Our city is built on the arts, whether it be the entertainment industry, which includes music, film, and performance, fashion, fine art, architecture and design, culinary arts, and all of the peripheral businesses that result from everything it takes to make these industries flourish. Think about what you do and how it relates to creativity. Are you in a creative industry? And on a sad note...I have to mention the losses we have all suffered with the passing of so many talented entertainers, most notably David Bowie, and someone who has actually been mentioned here in the paper, Lemmy. We are better people for having them in our lives. Thanks, Cathi Milligan Publisher, LA Art News

Calendar information margaret@laartnews.com Sales - cathi@laartnews.com cathi@laartnews.com laartnews.com Where’s Monica?

From the LA Art Show, David Bowie.

Namaste Highland Park Yoga Studio | Art Gallery | Tea Shop www.namastehighlandpark.com

Vinyasa Flow| Power Lunch | Candlelight Flow | Prenatal Kids Yoga | Yoga Sculpt | Mixed Level Flow

5118 York Blvd | Los Angeles | CA | 90042

LA ART NEWS SECTION A


4

FEBRUARY 2016


5

LA ART NEWS SECTION A


WE HEART EAGLE ROCK ART WALK

6

Everyone is invited to join Eagle Rock on Saturday, Feb. 6, for their Inaugural We Heart Eagle Rock Art Walk: A monthly Art Walk & Shopping Experience for the whole family! Experience the unique and diverse art Eagle Rock has to offer by visiting Art Happenings at the Eagle Rock City Hall, Leanna Lin’s Wonderland, Milkfarm, O & M Leather, Pop Secret Gallery, Purple Twig, Top Knot, and more! Leanna Lin’s Wonderland is having a pop-up & live art event with three artists from Leanna’s current “Cute Every Day” art show: Jenna Puente, Ming Ong, and SaoZen. 4-8 p.m. O & M Leather is presenting a solo art exhibit with local Eagle Rock artist, Mary Francis Spencer. Her new watercolors are inspired by the elements of air and light in nature. 4-8 p.m. Pop Secret Gallery is having it’s opening event for “The Sweetheart Show” featuring animators Genevieve FT, Chrystin “Lady” Garland, and Casey Robin. 5-9 p.m. On exhibit at Eagle Rock’s City Hall are works by Bridget McManus, Damienne Merlina, and students from Eagle Rock High School, curated by Chis Hulan, the Art Director for the Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council. Reserve your spots for a Valentine’s Printmaking workshop at Purple Twig and Dream Catcher Workshop at Milkfarm.

Jenna Puente at Leanna Lin’s Wonderland For more information, please visit the Facebook Event at Facebook.com/WeHeartEagleRock Mark your calendars for the 2016 Dates! March 5 / April 2 / May 7 / June 11 / July 9 / August 6 / September 10 / October 1 / November 5 / December 5

Mary Francis Spencer at O & M Leather SaoZen at Leanna Lin’s Wonderland

FEBRUARY 2016


7

NELAart SECOND SATURDAY GALLERY NIGHT HIGHLIGHTS FOR FEBRUARY 13

Avenue 50 Studio: “Duality: Blaxicans of L.A.” Featuring the work of Walter Thompson-Hernandez and Curated by Nathalie Sanchez. L.A. boasts a large concentration of people who identify as “Black” and “Brown.” Using a multimodal storytelling approach, the Blaxicans of L.A. project, ultimately, builds from this genesis story and exists as a way to situate contemporary questions of race, ethnicity, and identity as they unfold in Los Angeles and the United States. and “The Love Show.” An artistic contribution to Valentine’s Day. On this night Love will be defined in myriad ways and mediums. Spoke (N) Art Ride: Meet at the Bike Oven for a fun, slow-paced bicycle tour of art galleries. Blinkie lights recommended. Meet at 6. Roll at 6:30. Bob Taylor Properties: One year anniversary in NELAart Gallery Night. Featured artists from the past 12 months in a festive and colorful celebration. Artist Katherine Arion will create pastel portraits on request. Wearable art by Marilynn Pardee and limited edition t’s printed w/ vintage original LA punk club graphics. Live music with Carlos Guitarlos. Book Show and Madame Pamita’s Parlour of Wonders: “My Paradox,” an Open Mic for erotica and sex positive poetry and prose. There will be featured readers and then the open mic. Cool vendors. co-LAb: “PAPER HEARTS” guest curated by Tuesday Bassen and Little Friends of Printmaking exhibit. Good Eye Gallery “Objects of Desire.” The show features Bay Area artists Aaron Bray and Meghan Shimek. (Until 8 p.m.) Haggus Society: The Haggus Society in collaboration with Julie Montenegro State Farm presents the work of Georgia Taylor. A semi-abstract artist living in the colorful Sonoran Desert, Taylor simplifies impressions of her surrounding environment into large canvas paintings. The Market: The Market will be paying tribute to David Bowie with a special projection screening of a concert. Live performance by Homenaje, a Cuban Jazz Band. Smores and songs around the warm campfire are in full effect. The NELA53 Artwalk Art, music, and food trucks. 10 plus local artists, live jazz with The Elliott Caine Sextet. 364 Ave 53. 6pm - 10pm. Rock Rose Gallery: Rock Rose Gallery presents “Los Angeles on my Mind,” featuring recent paintings of Jane M. McCabe. “Original Love”--PCC Graphic Design Program Prints **New Venue** Shorthand A sneak peak. Shorthand, a store by Highland park letterpress printers, Iron Curtain Press, will be opening in early 2016. Friends and neighbors are invited to a Valentines pop-up. Greeting cards, flowers and refreshments. Custom letterpress printing. 5028 York Boulevard 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

LA ART NEWS SECTION A


NELAart

8

On the Seco Elysian Valle art and eate the updated

Northeast Los Angeles Arts Organization, Inc.

February 13, 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. Keystone Art Gallery 2558 N. San Fernando Rd.

3. Namaste Highland Park 5118 York Blvd. www.namastehighlandpark.com

23. Cactus Gallery @ Treeline Woodworks 3001 N. Coolidge Ave

4. Offbeat 6316 York Blvd www.offbeatbar.com

24. The York 5018 York Blvd.

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. Bearded Beagle 5926 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 13. Mi Vida 5159 York Blvd. 14. deb3321 3321 Pasadena Ave. 15. Antigua Coffee House 3400 N. Figueroa St. www.antiguacoffeehouse.com 16. Align Gallery 5045 York Blvd. www.aligngallery.com 17. New Stone Age Mosaics 1754 Colorado Blvd. 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 JANUARY 2016

25. Ball Clay Studio 4851 York Blvd. ballclaystudio.com 26. Handcraft and Hart Hair 4733 Eagle Rock Blvd. handcraftandhart.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 33. Pop-Hop 5002 York Blvd. www.thepophop.com 34. Social Studies 5028.5 York Blvd. 35. Dotter 5027 York Blvd. www.dotterstore.com 36. Leanna Lin’s Wonderland 5204 Eagle Rock Blvd. www.leannalinswonderland.com 37. Good Eye Gallery 4538 N. Eagle Rock Blvd. www.goodeyegallery.com 38. Highland Cafe 5010 York Blvd. 323.259.1000 39. CucuArt Gallery 4704-06 Eagle Rocl Blvd. 323.202.0672

42. Eklectomania 6152 York Blvd. facebook.com/EklectoMania 43. State Farm Insurance (Haggus Society) 5683 York Blvd. 44. The New Seed Ave 34 & Verdugo 45. The Slow Down Gallery @ Random Gallery 200 N. Ave 64 46. Curve Line 1577 Colorado Blvd. 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. Bookshow 5503 Figueroa St. www.bookshow.com 53. Short Hand 5028 York Blvd. shopshorthand.com 54. Rosie Bunny Bean 1309 N. Ave 51 rosiebunnybean.com 55. co-Lab Gallery 5319 York Blvd. www.co-Lab.com 56. The luxelust life Vintage Furniture 6095 York Blvd 57. Bob Taylor Properties 5526 N. Figueroa St. 323-257-1080 58. MAN Insurance Ave 50 Satellite 1270 N. Ave 50 323.256.3151 59. Possession Vintage 5119 York Blvd. www.possessionvintage.com 60. The Hunt Vintage 5317 York Blvd. www.thehuntvintage.com

40. Vintage Tattoo Art Parlor 5115 York Blvd.

61. The Erin Hanson Gallery 2732 Gilroy St. erinhanson.com

41. The U Space 2626 N. Figueroa St., suite C

62. NELA 53 364 N. Ave 53


9

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.

Second Saturday Gallery Night map is sponsored by

27

50 31 36 20 267 49

46

17

39

60

37 19

25 18

35 12 8 16 54 21

4 29 34 9 583324 53 38

59 55 48 40 31 13 11

43

56

47 51

3

52 1

10

5

6 57 62

30

42

45

28

44

7 22

61

23

48

32 2 15

41

14

Visit us at NELAart.org

LA ART NEWS SECTION A


NELAART SECOND SATURDAY JANUARY 2016

10

Miriam Jackson and Jayala at Bob Taylor Properties

EAT Art Open Mic at Book Show

The Haggus Society in collaboration with Julie Montenegro State Farm presents the work of Georgia Taylor.

Electric Sound Bath at The Market. Video art projections by The Current Sea.

FEBRUARY 2016


11

Sheku Kowai at Align Gallery

Music with Carlos Guitarlos at Bob Taylor Properties

On York Boulevard Dan Paul Becker and Kate Dedlow at Namaste

Chicano artist Julian Mendoza and Mexica pinup Lisa Love at Mi Vida

LA ART NEWS SECTION A


continued from page 1

12

Madeline Veverka Residence 2361 West Addison Way, Eagle Rock Current Owners and Applicant: Anna Pehoushek and Alfred Zelinda Represented by: Vanessa Withers Building Biographer: Tim Gregory In 1927, Dr. M. Madeline Veverka, a noted figure in the field of education, decided to greatly enlarge her circa 1922 Eagle Rock bungalow, in order to, according to anecdotal accounts, make it more accommodating for entertaining. Dr. Veverka, a Czech immigrant, hired Czech architect Joseph "Joe" Taus, who ornamented the addition with intricate detailing and woodwork inspired by Czech cottages. Dr. Veverka (1873-1952) arrived in Los Angeles in 1914. She worked as Supervisor of Kindergarten and Primary Education for the Los Angeles Public Schools and then as Director of Elementary Curriculum. Her specialties included teaching reading and English to foreign students. She also wrote text books and served on the California State Curriculum Committee. In 1927, the Santa Monica Evening Outlook, reporting on a convention of university women from throughout the State, said that keynote speaker Miss Madeline Veverka, "in a quaint and colorful costume of her native Czecho-Slovakia" stressed the role of women in the life of the day, saying, "They are wonderful, these women, they have had to struggle so for any position of vantage and they are making such splendid use of the influence they have gained." According to the applicants' representative, Vanessa Withers, Dr. Veverka's house "was a gathering spot for a lot of members of the Czech community." Her many friendships included Czech artists of note such as Emil Kosa, Boza Hessova and Cyril Jurecka. Dr. Veverka passed away in the 1950s, but the house has remained in the ownership of family members. On November 5, the City of Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission voted to support the application and send it on to the City Council. Commissioner Gail Kennard called the building a "charming, very well maintained home" and suggested that the neighborhood could be a Historic Preservation Overlay Zone, given the number of homes that are unique. The Los Angeles City Council approved the application on January 27. Albert Van Luit Complex

4000-4010 E. Chevy Chase Drive, Atwater Village Applicant: Atwater Village Always Represented by: Charles Fisher The complex is made up of two buildings that were designed in the mid-1900s for the manufacture and sale of wallpaper. Albert Van Luit Complex Albert Van Luit & Company is noteworthy not only because it was the first wallpaper manufacturer in California, but also because the company developed a method of printing, rather than hand-screening scenic designs. The company was founded in Hollywood and outgrew facilities there and in Glendale before arriving in Atwater Village. James Raymond Wyatt, Jr. was hired to design a factory in 1950, and Edward Abel Killingsworth and Jules Brady designed a showroom and offices in 1965. Killingsworth also designed the landscaping for the complex, including a courtyard and colonnade. continued on page 13

FEBRUARY 2016


continued from page 12

13

The factory building was constructed of poured concrete, as a "Daylight Factory." The strength of steel-reinforced concrete allows for a large, unobstructed workspace with expanses of mostly north-facing windows that let in large amounts of natural light, without the heat of direct sun. Killingsworth, the architect of the showroom, was well-known for his ability to create feelings of space, creating the impression that any building was bigger than its actual square footage. His techniques included tall doors, the incorporation of patios and outdoor spaces into what appears to be the footprint of buildings, glass-enclosed atriums and other design elements that brought the outdoors in. Today, the factory building is used as storage and the showroom building as offices. Demolition permits were issued for both buildings in 2014, but they are on hold because an environmental review for a new project--a 60-unit small lot subdivision--has not been performed. On December 3, the City of Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission voted to take the application under consideration, pending a site visit and further investigation. Coughlin House 1501 Nolden Street/5631 Tehama Street, Highland Park Current Owners and Applicant: Jaime and Dana Rummerfield The Coughlin House is a 1965 Mid-century modern residence, described by its architect, James Allen Walker, Coughlin House as "the home the lot required." The 1,108 square-foot house was designed in a triangular shape to make it possible to build on a nearly inaccessible hillside lot. "The Coughlin House, when viewed from above is shockingly reminiscent of a modern day stealth bomber," write owners Jaime and Dana Rummerfield in their application. The design maximizes views--across Highand Park to the Santa Monica Pier--in a surprisingly affordable way. The split-level, redwood and glass house, which is not visible from street level, is oriented toward the higher portion of the lot, while cars enter the property from the lower portion. The focal point is the northwest elevation, comprised entirely of fixed and louvered floor-to-ceiling windows and doors. A 16-foot high ceiling and a very open floor plan make the interior of the house seem bigger than it

Coughlin House actually is. In 2012, Katya Tylevich, writing for Domus Magazine, said, "This space, like others by Walter, marks a tension between the concept of home as 'haven' and 'open stage'." Walker designed other homes in the area, in South Pasadena and Mount Washington, and he maintained his offices on North Figueroa Street in Eagle Rock. On January 7, the City of Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission voted to support the application and send it on to the City Council.

The City has over 1,000 landmarks on its list of Historic-Cultural Monuments. The list is maintained to foster pride in neighborhoods and business districts and to help develop a sense of place and time. Placement on the list means approval is required for alterations, and preservation alternatives are examined in lieu of hasty demolition. For owners, a listing means eligibility for property tax reduction.

LA ART NEWS SECTION A


14

We Choose Art
 Wyatt Mills | NORMAL Written By: Baha H. Danesh 
From WeChooseArt.com We Choose Art has yet again fallen in love with the new works of Wyatt Mills, a Los Angeles based painter who admires telling stories through contorted lines, fragments of thought, and hidden imagery. His newest body of work, “Normal,” confronts standard ideologies and concepts surrounding what it means to be normal in our society. Each vibrant painting invites the viewers to pause and contemplate the impact of his art. His imagery can be eerie, reflective, seductive, and psychologically sensual. His well-rendered, distinctive figures combine with painterly abstraction take us to a new dimension that projects our own subjective experience. Wyatt physically portrays the anxieties, neuroses, and personal battles swirling through his subject’s heads, forcing the viewers to confront what their concept of “normal” is. Wyatt explains: The show is about how it’s completely normal to have some extraordinary drama in our lives. At the same time acting normal is something we hide behind to mask our internal wilderness. These pieces are subjects or figures with their mask of normality removed, exposing their internal dialogue all over the exterior. Everyone sees things differently and these pieces are sort of like little adventures into someone’s version or perception of reality. Wyatt earned a BFA in Fine Arts at the School of Visual Arts in New York and currently a resident at The Brewery Arts Colony. His most recent solo exhibition, “Normal,” is currently on view at Project Gallery and will remain on view through March 6. For more information about Wyatt Mills please visit his website at IDoesArt.com or find him on Instagram at @Wyatt.Mills. Image provided by Baha Danesh

FEBRUARY 2016


MUSEUM HIGHLIGHTS FEBRUARY

By Dani Dodge Los Angeles artist Oscar Tuazon, who makes minimalist sculptures from a mixture of natural and industrial materials, will have his first Los Angeles museum solo show at the Hammer Museum this month. Tuazon produces objects and environments that make connections between people and their built environments, such as “Natural Man” (2015), which will be in a planter in the Hammer’s outdoor courtyard. The piece features a tree that has been given a fork shape by the addition of a concrete “branch”. This summer, one of Tuazon’s performances consisted of tearing down a garage (the former gallery Paradise Garage) by pulling a rope attached to the structure. Within moments it collapsed flat as a pancake, except for a jutting skylight. (See a review and video at aqnb.com) Hammer curator Ali Subotnick wrote in an essay that this “seemingly simple gesture” demonstrates key aspects of Tuazon’s work. “He is simultaneously an admirer of architecture and nature and an iconoclast, more than willing to tear something down in order to salvage its parts and resurrect it into a new form and/or function,” Subotnick wrote. “Tuazon produces objects and environments that draw out humanity’s relationship to buildings, interior and exterior spaces, and other objects and structures.” For his Hammer show, Tuazon will display site-specific sculptures in several spaces, both inside and out. “I hope that the effect of my work is mostly physical,” Tuazon said on the Jonathan Viner Gallery (London) website. “That’s what I like — walking through something, having an experience of the weight of things, or an experience of balance… That kind of really basic physical thing makes the work interesting; it makes it disarming and strange.” Tuazon was born in 1975 in Seattle. He grew up in the Pacific Northwest, and studied at Cooper Union and the Whitney Museum of American Art Independent Study Program, both in New York. He now lives and works in Los Angeles. He has shown his work extensively in the United States and Europe, and was included in the 2012 Whitney Biennial, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York. The Hammer Museum 10899 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90024 Hammer Projects: Oscar Tuazon Organized by Ali Subotnick, curator, with Emily Gonzalez-Jarrett, curatorial associate February 6–May 16, 2016 February 10, Lunchtime Curator Talk on Oscar Tuazon Free to the public hammer.ucla.edu Other highlights in February

15 Hito Steyerl: Factory of the Sun Factory of the Sun uses the motifs of light and acceleration to explore what possibilities are still available for collective resistance when surveillance has become a mundane part of an increasingly virtual world. February 21–September 12, 2016 Curator: Lanka Tattersall General admission: $12 moca.org Los Angeles County Museum of Art 5905 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90036 Morris Graves: The Nature of Things Throughout his life, Morris Graves lived in remote settings, drawing inspiration from the close observation of nature and imbuing his subjects— predominately animals and plants— with poetic and symbolic qualities. Curator: Susan Power February 20–July 4, 2016 General admission is $15 L.A. County residents receive free general admission after 3 pm every weekday lacma.org J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Center N Sepulveda Blvd & Getty Center Dr. Los Angeles, CA Oscar Tuazon, Natural Man, 2015. Black 90049 walnut, fiberglass concrete, pump, water. Noir: The Romance of Black 96 × 26 × 20 in. (243.8 × 66 × 50.8 cm). in Nineteenth-Century French Drawings and Prints Courtesy of the artist and Maccarone, New Beginning around 1840, French York/Los Angeles. artists began depicting shadowy, often nocturnal or twilight scenes in which forms emerge and sink back into darkness. This quest for darkened realms accompanied an exploration of new forms of subject matter, such as dream states and nonidealized representations of the poor and working class, and new black drawing materials, such as manmade charcoal, black chalk, and conté crayon. Curator: Lee Hendrix February 9–May 15, 2016 Free to the public getty.edu

MOCA Grand Avenue 250 South Grand Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90012

LA ART NEWS SECTION A


tracy do

www.5013mountroyal.com

www.griffithfourplex.com

real estate www.tracydo.com • tracy@tracydo.com • 323.842.4001

www.2052mayview.com

Warmington Residential and Tracy Do Real Estate are pleased to introduce The E.R.B., a collection of new small-lot homes currently under construction in Eagle Rock. The innovative development will offer mixed-use and single-family residences providing a unique opportunity for owners to live and work with zero commute. Spacious 3 or 4 bedroom floor plans have up to 2,500 square feet, and available rooftop decks provide private outdoor space with panoramic views. The great location gives easy access to all of your favorite spots in Eagle Rock and Highland Park. The E.R.B. is located at 4320 Eagle Rock Blvd. near the corner of York. Currently in pre-construction with homes expected to be available for purchase in Fall 2016. We invite you to join our interest list and look forward to seeing you.

Online at www.theerb.com • info@theerb.com • 323-842-4002 We’re dedicated to our community and proud to support: Silver Lake Reservoirs Conservancy, Friends of Ivanhoe Elementary, Friends of Micheltorena Elementary, Friends of Glenfeliz Elementary, Children’s Hospital LA, Hollywood YMCA, LUXE Paws, Santé D'Or and Habitat for Humanity. Looking to support local affordable housing?

DONATE & SHOP at the Habitat for Humanity Atwater Village ReStore.

We are a home improvement store and donation center that would LOVE your donation of new or used building materials, furniture, appliances, and anything in working condition that can be used to improve or furnish a home. All revenue made from sales supports Habitat's homeownership programs. Atwater Village ReStore DONATE & SHOP TODAY! OPEN Mon-Sat 9am-5pm 5201 West San Fernando Rd Los Angeles, CA, 90039

Have items that won’t fit in your vehicle? Let the ReStore team help you by scheduling a pick up today. (818) 550-7467. As a 501c3 affordable housing non-profit, all gifts are taxdeductible with a receipt provided at the time of donation. EVERY DONATION HELPS US ELIMINATE POVERTY HOUSING HERE IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.

Compass CalBRE #01350025


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.