Fine Art Events in L.A.

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"EYE OF THE STORM: WAR THROUGH THE LENS OF AMERICAN COMBAT PHOTOGRAPHERS"

Fine Art Photography Exhibition to Benefit
 Wounded Warrior Project

The exhibition opens Saturday, May 24, 2008 with a reception from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Memorial Day Weekend at the Los Angeles-based Reform Gallery at 816 N. La Cienega Blvd. between Melrose Ave. and Santa Monica Blvd.  Conceived and curated by Jensen, Eye of the Storm (www.eyeofthestormexhibition.com) benefits the Wounded Warrior Project, a Jacksonville, Fla.-based non-profit organization that provides assistance to injured servicemen and women. (The exhibition features haunting, dramatic images that stir the soul and give an entirely new dimension to the plight of American troops in Afghanistan and Iraq as well as to the current war. See just two of them them for yourself on Eye of the Storm page)

Michael Eastman: Vanishing America
Gallery II: Richard Gilles: Almost Home-Less

DNJ Gallery is pleased to announce its upcoming exhibition featuring photographs by Michael Eastman from the series “Vanishing America.” Michael Eastman’s large-scale photographs are vibrant documentations of decaying, iconic buildings, which once made up the greater American landscape.  Accompanying the exhibition is his book of the same title, which will be released in April 2008. This monograph will be available for purchase at DNJ Gallery and Eastman will be signing copies at the opening reception. 
Born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1947, Michael Eastman is a self-taught artist whose major influences include Eugene Atget and fellow St. Louis native, Walker Evans. Atget, a painter turned photographer, believed he was more an author of his environment, than a photographer. Using a large format camera, he shot the late 19th century storefronts of Paris usually in the early morning when the streets were nearly empty. Eastman’s images also have a quiet painterly attention to light and space, which translate magnificently to the vibrant colors of film. “Vanishing America,” is as much about capturing the perfect time and composition as it is Eastman’s interest in the physical place where past and present now collide. “Cuba,” the series preceding “Vanishing America,” shows Eastman’s delicate mastery in preserving the rich visual relics still remaining from the country’s chaotic history. “Vanishing America,” is a continuation of Eastman’s exploration in finding these structures that still exist in our society, holding evidence to our collective past.
In 2003, Eastman began his three and a half-year project for “Vanishing America,” crossing the United States six times. Shooting with his 4x5 camera has made him a keen observer of the world, and given way to a developed poetic vision of seemingly mundane architecture. Although, no people are present in his images, the presence of life, which has built and inhabited these monuments, is unavoidable. “Vanishing America” reveals the hidden jewels of rural American infrastructure, recalling a history that in modern times has often been traded for corporate chains and mass uniformity. “The heart of our country is not along its highways, but in the small towns that dot the map along the way,” Eastman says about his work. There is a definite nostalgia for a part of our past slowly being demolished, but Eastman chooses to preserve what remains in his photographs, taking subtle care as if he were an archeologist uncovering a long lost civilization.  
Michael Eastman has exhibited across the country and his work is included in many esteemed collections such as The San Francisco Museum of Art, The Art Institute of Chicago, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
 
Gallery II features the series “Almost Home-Less” by Richard Gilles. In this body of work, another part of American society is uncovered; the “homes” of those that prefer to go unseen and unnoticed. Photographing different mobile homes across the West Coast, Gilles characterizes the people caught between home and homelessness as the “almost home-less.” Referencing the New Topographics movement, Gilles’ unbiased photographs depict the distinct personality of each vehicle, while at the same time, offer no insight to its occupants. Through his images, Gilles asks us to look closer at the prevalence of this lifestyle, as well as the camouflaged vehicles dotting our city streets, beaches, and rural landscapes. Gilles was born in Brunswick, Georgia and received a BA from San Francisco State University. He has exhibited in galleries through out the United States and has won various awards for his work. This will be his first show in the Los Angeles area.
SHOW DATES:                          May 31 – July 19, 2008
RECEPTION & BOOK SIGNING: Sat., May 31, 6-8 pm

DNJ Gallery; 154 1/2 North La Brea Avenue in Los Angeles, CA 90036. Phone: 323.931.1311. Website: www.dnjgallery.net.

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Current Fine Art Exhibitions in L.A.

COLLECTING COLLECTIONS Highlights from the Permanent Collection of The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles. Through 05.19.08. The surprising depth and coherence of MOCA’s permanent collection is due in great measure to it being a “collection of collections,” of which key acquisitions and gifts from several important collectors form the armature. This exhibition surveys the major works acquired by MOCA since the museum’s 1979 founding that have defined and continue to define one of the country’s great groupings of contemporary art. Collecting Collections: Highlights from the Permanent Collection of The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, is organized chronologically into a cohesive presentation that reflects a span of important movements—abstract expressionism, minimalism, conceptualism, pop art, postminimalism, postmodernism, figurative sculpture, new figuration, appropriation, and postconceptualism. The exhibition includes paintings, sculptures, photographs, and works on paper that range in date from one of the earliest works in the collection, Piet Mondrian’s Composition of Red, Blue, Yellow and White: Nom III (1939), to recent works such as Maurizio Cattelan’s Charlie (2003). MOCA; 250 South Grand Avenue in Los Angeles. Website: www.moca.org 

“Ashes” Renowned Los Angeles-based artist Joe Goode presents “Ashes”. This exhibition is a culmination of three projects; “Burn Out!” - photographs of Goode’s destroyed studio, “Study for Lost Paintings” – small scale photographic studies of his last series of paintings before the fire, and “Lost Paintings” - large scale reproductions of his studies along with layers of paint.
This series revisits a curiosity Goode has always examined, that of creation, destruction, and re-creation. This fascination with the cycles of life has always been prevalent, whether exploring this through his Torn Sky/Cloud series (1969-76) or his Environmental Impact paintings (1979-83). Goode continued this retrospective approach in the “Lost Painting” series, an example of which, “Lost Painting, Fire,” is included in this exhibit and references his “Forest Fire” series (1982-86). The use of bright, fire-like colors further complicates the viewers’ experience, suggesting some form of alchemic relation to the chemical nature of the photographic process and thus calling into question the underlying fabric of the original imagery. It is a bold example of Goode’s observations of life through art. Show runs through May 24, 2008 DNJ Gallery; 154 1/2 North La Brea Avenue in Los Angeles. Phone: 323.931.1311. Website: www.dnjgallery.net

MOCA PRESENTS FIRST MAJOR RETROSPECTIVE OF LAWRENCE WEINER’S WORK IN THE UNITED STATES

The Art of News  NoHo Gallery LA presents the artworks of media professionals, cameramen, photographers, news anchors and producers to honor those who help create the news - showing the Art of News. Artists include: KNBC's own Cary Berglund & Scott Spiro, Thom Roslan, Bryan Frank, Jessika Ming, Khallid Shabazz, James Gonzalez, Dave Malkoff,Mike McCormick, Cris Nolasco, Brian Burchfield, Dan DeBevoise and more. Music by Jazz guitarist Tim Moran with special guest vocalist Scotti Austin. NoHo Gallery LA; 5108 Lankershim Blvd. in NOrth HOllywood, CA 91601. (818) 761-7784. Website: www.nohogalleryla.com. Exhibit Runs: through June 6, 2008

Allan Kaprow: Art as Life  Tracing his development from early abstract expressionist paintings to his highly influential Happenings of the 1950s and ‘60s, this comprehensive retrospective of the work of Allan Kaprow includes paintings, drawings, sculptures, collages, assemblages, Scores, photography, video, and reinventions of early Environments and various Happenings. On view through June 30, 2008. MOCA: 250 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90012

Lawrence Weiner:

AS FAR AS THE EYE CAN SEE

On View at The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA through July 14, 2008

The first major retrospective of Lawrence Weiner’s work organized in the United States, Lawrence Weiner: AS FAR AS THE EYE CAN SEE opened at The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) on April 13, 2008, and remains on view through July 14, 2008. A key figure associated with the emergence and foundations of conceptual art in the 1960s, Weiner remains one of the most remarkably dynamic and relevant artists working today. Lawrence Weiner: AS FAR AS THE EYE CAN SEE is a comprehensive examination of Weiner’s remarkable and cohesive oeuvre, assembling key selections and bodies of work from throughout his career of more than 40 years. The exhibition represents the full range of Weiner’s art, from the early Propeller and Removal paintings of the 1960s, to the artist’s “specific and general” works using language, which has characterized his art since 1968. Also included are works on paper, films, videos, books, posters, multiples, and audio works. The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA through July 14, 2008. MOCA: 250 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90012

LACMA EXHIBITION SHOWCASES PROVOCATIVE ARTWORKS CREATED AFTER THE CHICANO MOVEMENT  Groundbreaking works by Sandra de la Loza, Margarita Cabrera, Rubén Ortiz-Torres, and others on view through September 1, 2008. Phantom Sightings: Art after the Chicano Movement, on view at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), is the first major consideration of the legacy of Chicano art in almost two decades. Unlike most exhibitions of Chicano art that have preceded it, Phantom Sightings moves away from efforts to define a distinct identity or style and instead focuses attention on conceptual strategies that artists use to intervene in public spaces or debates. Phantom Sightings traces these tendencies to the late 1960s, adding a new dimension to our understanding of Chicano art history and notions of ethnic identity, cultural politics, and artistic practice. LACMA is located at 5905 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles CA, 90036. For more information about LACMA and its programming, call 323 857-6000 or log on to www.lacma.org

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Upcoming Fine Art Events and Exhibitions in L.A.

MOCA CELEBRATES SUMMER WITH NEW AFTER-HOURS SERIES

 CINEMOCA

Featuring outdoor film screenings, music, and gallery tours

Six Saturday evenings, June 7–July 12, 2008

The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) announces a new after-hours summer series, CinéMOCA. Taking place on six consecutive Saturday evenings from June 7 through July 12, 2008, CinéMOCA will feature outdoor film screenings, DJs, extended museum hours, and Exhibition Highlight Tours of Lawrence Weiner: AS FAR AS THE EYE CAN SEE and Allan Kaprow—Art as Life, now on view at The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA. Screenings will include films by exhibiting artist Lawrence Weiner and a special program by Target Video held in conjunction with the J. Paul Getty Museum’s California Video exhibition, as well as selections made by renowned contemporary artists Amy Adler, Edgar Arceneaux, Larry Clark, and Edward Ruscha. Beer, wine, and cinema snacks by Patinette Café will be available for purchase. Infiniti is the official vehicle of CinéMOCA. Media support is provided by Tu Ciudad magazine.

CinéMOCA will take place at The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA; entry is free with museum admission. Exclusively for this new series, the canopied plaza outside of The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA will be completely transformed into an inviting lounge area, where guests can listen to music, enjoy refreshments, and watch innovative film programming. The museum will be open until 11pm on CinéMOCA nights; guests may join Exhibition Highlight Tours, or view featured exhibitions on their own. Music from 7−9pm; Exhibition Highlight Tours take place at 7pm and 8pm. Screenings begin at 9pm; some seating will be provided and guests are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs and/or blankets. CinéMOCA presents a unique opportunity to enjoy an eclectic program of cinema. For complete details, see the screening schedule below.

General museum admission is $10 for adults, $5 for students with I.D. and seniors 65+, and free for MOCA members and children under 12. MOCA members are also entitled to express check-in for two. Self-parking is available in surrounding lots. For the latest news, please visit www.moca.org/cinemoca

MOCA GRANDAVENUE| THEGEFFENCONTEMPORARY ATMOCA | MOCA PACIFICDESIGNCENTER

CinéMOCA at The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA, Saturdays, June 7–July 12, 2008

CINÉMOCA SCREENING SCHEDULE:

SATURDAY, JUNE 7 from 7pm–9pm Music set by special guest Henry Rollins 9pm Screening of Underground Forces (Target Video, 1977–84, 120 min.)

Years before the birth of MTV, artist Joe Rees and his organization Target Video began taping and editing what would become some of the first conceptually and aesthetically driven music video productions. In conjunction with the J. Paul Getty Museum’s exhibition California Video, MOCA presents a special outdoor screening of a two-hour Target Video program. Selected from their Underground Forces series, the show features rare footage of west coast punk and New Wave bands, their east coast and European counterparts, and a healthy sampling of the artists, musicians, and fans that populated the underground music and art scene in the late-1970s and early ‘80s. The show includes Target Video’s creative montages and performances by the Avengers, Bad Brains, Bauhaus, Black Flag, Circle Jerks, The Cramps, Dead Kennedys, Devo, The Dils, Flipper, The Germs, The Gun Club, Johanna Went, the Mutants, Negative Trend, the Plugz, the Ramones, the Screamers, SRL, X, and the Weirdos, among others.

SATURDAY, JUNE 14 Selected Films by Lawrence Weiner (Total running time: approx. 95 min.)

PASSAGE TO THE NORTH (1981, 16 min., 16mm film, color, sound) PLOWMANS LUNCH (1982, 28 min., 16mm film, color, sound) HEARTS AND HELICOPTERS—THE TRILOGY (1999, 51 min., video, color, sound)

Lawrence Weiner began in the 1960s to create works that were central to the ongoing debate regarding the nature and meaning of art. He has defined art as “the relationship of human beings to objects and objects to objects in relation to human beings,” and that premise remains at the core of his work. Weiner’s oeuvre of film and video works broadens his ongoing interest in the relationship between object and viewer by adding the semantics of cinema to provide another facet to his investigation. PASSAGE TO THE NORTH and PLOWMANS LUNCH (shot in Amsterdam) are two companion pieces that explore what happens when objects, and people, are moved from one place to another. HEARTS AND HELICOPTERS—THE TRILOGY continues the themes of role- and game-playing, and the use of language.

SATURDAY, JUNE 21 Dave Chappelle’s Block Party (Michel Gondry, 2005, Rated R) and Wattstax (Mel Stuart, 1973), selected by Edgar Arceneaux (Total running time: approx. 120 min.)

Los Angeles–based artist Edgar Arceneaux’s work often involves complex explorations of cultural legacies and the traces that they leave behind. For this evening’s viewing, Arceneaux has selected two closely related films. Dave Chappelle’s Block Party is a festive celebration of music, comedy, history, and community, taking place in Brooklyn and featuring top acts like Kanye West, Mos Def, Jill Scott, and the Fugees, among others. Wattstax, which partially inspired Block Party, is a film documenting the 1972 Watts Summer Festival, a sold-out, day-long concert that took place seven years after the historic Watts riots. The festival featured important artists of the period—such as Isaac Hayes, Rufus Thomas, the Bar Kays, and the Staple Singers—and included commentary by African Americans on the state of the Watts community. Both films show the power of comedy to deal with the politics of its time—comedian Dave Chappelle is the catalyst for Block Party, while comedian Richard Pryor plays a key role in Wattstax.

SATURDAY, JUNE 28  The Ox-Bow Incident (William Wellman, 1943, 75 min.), selected by Edward Ruscha

In a well-known photograph, Edward Ruscha and Joe Goode are seen riding horses in Western gear. Ruscha has said that the image is a spoof of the two artists’ own roots in Nebraska and Oklahoma; while both grew up in those places, neither actually learned to ride horses while he was there. The Ox-Bow Incident is a critically acclaimed Western drama, based on an actual incident that happened in Montana in the 1880s. Henry Fonda and Harry Morgan star as two drifters who wander into town just after a farmer has been murdered and his cattle stolen. They join a posse to catch the perpetrators, and a gripping tale of vigilante justice and mob mentality unfolds.

SATURDAY, JULY 5  Los Muertos (Lisandro Alonso, 2004, 82 min.), selected by Larry Clark

Widely regarded as one of the most important and influential American photographers of his generation, Larry Clark is known for both his raw and contentious photographs and his controversial films focusing on teen sexuality, violence, and drug use. Clark burst into public consciousness with his landmark book Tulsa in 1971, and directed the groundbreaking film Kids in 1995. Los Muertos is a haunting film from Argentina in which a 54-year-old man, freshly out of jail, goes on a long journey through deep swamp and jungle territory in order to find his now-adult daughter. Highly atmospheric, the film has an unexpected ending that leaves viewers with more questions than answers.

SATURDAY, JULY 12  Brother Sun, Sister Moon (Franco Zeffirelli, 1972, 121 min.), selected by Amy Adler

Amy Adler’s work explores the interplay between a life lived on and off screen. She has worked directly with such well-known figures as Leonardo DiCaprio and Joni Mitchell to create bodies of work that question both the origin and the power of media-generated imagery and its effect on the creation of personal identity. Brother Sun, Sister Moon is a fictional biopic covering key events in the life of St. Francis of Assisi. Returning ill from war, the wealthy Francesco Bernardone undergoes a spiritual epiphany, renouncing his materialistic ways in favor of a contemplative life.

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