Yeah, I did it.  I made smart use of the opportunity presented by my last “official” show at Angels Gate Cultural Center to riff on aesthetic alpha & omega that is To Live and Die in L.A. (playing at Cinefamily on November 23!), thanks to the inspiration of title-suggestor Nicholas Klemek, whose intricate, [...]]]>

Yeah, I did it.  I made smart use of the opportunity presented by my last “official” show at Angels Gate Cultural Center to riff on aesthetic alpha & omega that is To Live and Die in L.A. (playing at Cinefamily on November 23!), thanks to the inspiration of title-suggestor Nicholas Klemek, whose intricate, considered work joins “drawings” by a motley crew of twenty-seven artists in this exhibition.  There’s a range of works in media ranging from stuffed animals to video to performance to conceptual, instruction-based work to traditional drawing in the show, and that’s how I like it.  The show is a good hustle of great art by some of my favourite and most resourceful people.

Artists in the exhibition include: Edith Abeyta, Rochelle Botello, Carol Es, Finishing School, McLean Fahnestock, Jocelyn Foye, Jeff Foye, John Michael Gill, Bean Gilsdorf, Dan Gilsdorf, Betsy Lohrer Hall, Darren Hostetter, Michele Hubacek, Eric Johnson, Nicholas Klemek, Sojung Kwon, Elana Mann, Christine Nguyen, John O’Brien, Ric Rowland, Yong Sin, S. Ian Song, Macha Suzuki, Matthew Thomas, Devon Tsuno, Gordon Winiemko, Meeson Pae Yang

Also, in my last act, a show three years in the making, a commissioned exhibition by Bay Area artist Lisa Solomon.  I fell in love with her work a lifetime ago and have been working with her to bring her to AGCC for several years.  Lisa’s work in this exhibition is inspired by NASA imagery of deforestation in the Tierras Bajas, Bolivia.  The pictured quilt seems abstract until you see the crazy, geometric pattern of the actual deforestation – that’s the human signature Earth, right there.  Lisa arrived in LA today to start the install, and the work above is going to be joined by a series of beautiful objects in a variety of media.

Both shows open November 7.  Receptions are 2-5 pm.  Join us.

There’s also a Fall Festival and a Cevapacici Festival taking place the same afternoon at AGCC.  Cevapacici is a Balkan sausage that’s a local San Pedro staple.  Come for the art, but stay for the sausage, I say.

Sunday! Sunday! Sunday!

This space has been blank for a while, as I’ve been up to my neck in preparation of Open Studios at Angels Gate.  Sometimes you’ve gotta choose between doing your job right and busying yourself as an unpaid internet loudmouth.  Spring is always the busiest time of the year for [...]]]>

Sunday! Sunday! Sunday!

This space has been blank for a while, as I’ve been up to my neck in preparation of Open Studios at Angels Gate.  Sometimes you’ve gotta choose between doing your job right and busying yourself as an unpaid internet loudmouth.  Spring is always the busiest time of the year for me, and it’s been worth it.  In Mass Emergencies, we’ve hustled up a great exhibition brought to you by the ever excellent Devon Tsuno, his students at Cypress College and a crack team of CSULB folks.  Elana Mann and Autumn Rooney are experimenting economically and performatically through their project, Artist Bailout: Renegade Bounty Exchange, which brings a host of artists to Angels Gate in search of support for their projects.  About 50 artists in our Studio Artist Program will be opening their doors – lots of new folks to see at Angels Gate this year.  Oh, and the Tastymeat truck is coming – think doner kebab, shaved fresh from the spindle.  You can download the brochure for the event here, which lists everything.

Beyond Angels Gate, another 30 artists will be opening their studios as part of the San Pedro Studio Tour including all of my studio mates at The Loft.  If you’ve come to 1st Thursday before, don’t think you’ve seen everything, we’ve got a lot of folks off the 1st Thursday path to open up for this one, including Austin & Lida Lowery, Norm Looney and Craig Antrim on Pacific Avenue, Karena Massengill just down the hill from Angels Gate and Dar Horn at Union Art Works on 5th & Mesa.  Download a map for the Studio Tour here.  My studio is on the tour, but I won’t be able to be there (I’ve gotta work or something…) – come check out the awesome sparseness and cleanliness of my studio at the Loft while you’re there.

Where: Angels Gate Cultural Center & San Pedro
When: Sunday, May 16, 10am – 4pm.  Mass Emergencies reception is 2-4 and Artist Bailout takes place from 1-4pm.

See you there.

We’ve been working on two really exciting exhibitions at Angels Gate that open this Sunday (2-4pm, come on down!).  The first, Sojung Kwon’s Planning A Year: Mondays and Sundays, is a solo show in our main gallery that will display all the documentation of the daily “Actions” carried out on Mondays and Sunday [...]]]>

We’ve been working on two really exciting exhibitions at Angels Gate that open this Sunday (2-4pm, come on down!).  The first, Sojung Kwon’s Planning A Year: Mondays and Sundays, is a solo show in our main gallery that will display all the documentation of the daily “Actions” carried out on Mondays and Sunday during her two-year performance project.  It’s a linear narrative of videos, drawings, artifacts and records of 2/7 of 730 days of planning and actions. For a preview of the whole project, check out planningayear.com.  That’s Sojung at top, measuring and installing.

Some, but definitely not all of the work laid out on the floor.  Most of the work was framed in Korea and shipped over.

The Plexiglas on the pieces that were framed in Korea came with their protective coating still on.  I kind of liked the layering effect, but I think that might just be part of my exaggerated case of “curator’s disease”, which causes me to find high levels of aesthetic meaning and interest in moments from the process of installing a show.  Come see the show in person to see the work sans covering!

Downstairs, we’re presenting the first exhibition of a new program, the Community Gallery.  The Community Gallery is a new effort by the Center to provide access and exhibition opportunities to all kinds of local amateur artist organizations, school groups and also to showcase our various on and off-site educational programs.  For this first show, we’re using the whole downstairs, and the show is Things That Can’t Be Unseen, which is an exhibition of works by and organized by students in Michael Lewis Miller’s gallery management and portfolio development class at El Camino College.  These students are the future of the South Bay, and it’s a real pleasure to give them the experience of installing their work in a real gallery.

Above, students work together to lay out the show.  This is the hardest part, making decisions on how to fit all the work into the gallery.  Michael’s class this semester is huge, so they really had to negotiate where everyone was going to go to both present a good show and also keep everyone happy about how their work was displayed.

Students wiring a painting.  So many students know a lot about making art, but not a lot about presenting it to the public.  Michael’s class addresses this.  There are people wandering around with MFA degrees that don’t have these basic, necessary skills.

Hanging a piece.  All the students did an amazing job of working together to support one another.  Working in teams, they were able to work quickly and avoid making beginner’s mistakes.  The show looks incredibly good.  See you on Sunday.

About two years ago now, the Community Redevelopment Agency of Los Angeles contacted Angels Gate about curating a site-specific artwork for the La Salle Lofts.  We put together a process that looked at several Southern California artists and ended up commissioning AGCC Studio Artist Slobodan Dimitrov to design a photo-based labour mural.  Getting [...]]]>

About two years ago now, the Community Redevelopment Agency of Los Angeles contacted Angels Gate about curating a site-specific artwork for the La Salle Lofts.  We put together a process that looked at several Southern California artists and ended up commissioning AGCC Studio Artist Slobodan Dimitrov to design a photo-based labour mural.  Getting to curate a labour mural somehow seems both traditional and subversive at the same time, and I’m really excited to see the work realized in my community.  See more photos of the installation here.

Extract from CRA/LA press release:

LA HARBOR- “The Longshore” a striking photographic mural by Los Angeles based artist Slobodan Dimitrov is the Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles (CRA/LA) newest addition to their growing list of timeless art that helps define their revitalization efforts throughout the City. The artwork measures approximately 200 sq.ft. and is a part of the 26-unit adaptive reuse La Salle Lofts project, located at 255 W. 7th Street, within the growing San Pedro Arts, Culture and Entertainment (ACE) District, of the Pacific Corridor Redevelopment Project Area. The pieces were commissioned through the CRA/LA Art Program, which requires developers working with financial participation from CRA/LA to contribute 1% of development costs to art projects, in association with developer Team Companies.

The mural is featured on the front of the parking structure just east of the original façade which is a separate building from the La Salle Lofts residences. ”The Longshore” draws distinct attention to the La Salle Loft residences, and the composition is a fitting tribute and recognition of labor in the development of one of the world’s largest international ports. The photographs depict the skill of working men and women in the harbor, and also celebrate the unique fact that San Pedro has an unusually high number of residents who are members of labor organizations.

Join us at 4:30 pm for the unveiling and then do the 1st Thursday thing.

Technorati Tags: The Longshore, CRA, Community Redevelopment Agency, La Salle Lofts, Slobodan Dimitrov, mural, labor mural, labor, San Pedro

12 hours of taxis, group meetings, meet and greets, studio tours in Korea will leave you carrying 20+ pounds of paperwork.

Really, though this post is about one of the many, major differences between art in Korea and the US.  Every show, no matter how small, usually has a small catalog or brochure [...]]]>

12 hours of taxis, group meetings, meet and greets, studio tours in Korea will leave you carrying 20+ pounds of paperwork.

Really, though this post is about one of the many, major differences between art in Korea and the US.  Every show, no matter how small, usually has a small catalog or brochure here, and every artist has a well-made and prepared portfolio on hand.  There’s a combination of aggressively cheap and enthused graphic design labour here and cheap, reasonable quality printing that leaves the art world brimming with printed materials, curatorial essays and literature about artists.  A huge and almost unfathomable record of what’s happening moment to moment in contemporary art is present, and it’s both overwhelming and staggeringly impressive.  Add to that the constant, formal exchanging of name cards or business cards and you’re awash in a hypertext information space that speaks to the raw power of networking and community that exists here.

The prevalence of all this printed matter serves as a real illustration of the health of the arts economy here, in a sense that goes way beyond the simple sale of objects.  Here, there is not only constant work for the producers of art, but a steady flow of labour on the part of designers, curators and critics to participate in a multifaceted dialogue about artwork that just doesn’t exist in the US, unless one is lucky enough (and I mean lucky) to ascend the “art success ladder” to a certain point of relevance.  The arts economy here has a use, a paid use, I might add, for non-artists in support of artists at every level of the economy.s.  There’s not just vibrancy at the top and desperation at the bottom, there’s life all the way up the vine.

In the US, many, many more artists and institutions are taking it upon themselves to use print-on-demand services, their bootlegged copies of Adobe Indesign and their unpaid hours (or a friend’s unpaid hours) to produce small printed catalogs.  Now when I do studio visits with artists in the US, they’re not unlikely to have similar materials to their Asian counterparts.  Given the clear poor health of the American art economy, is this a step towards better health?  I think so.  Is it a sign that the Asian art world is coming into its own and beginning to have global influence in terms of artistic and professional practice?

Sunday is shaping up to be a busy day at the Cultural Center, with two gallery openings, a free pancake breakfast and the [...]]]>

It’s not all swords and respirators for me these days, I’m still busy as ever over at AGCC, where we’re having a very busy Sunday. Cross-posted from the AGCC Blog.

Sunday is shaping up to be a busy day at the Cultural Center, with two gallery openings, a free pancake breakfast and the Crafty Vixens Holiday Sale. So here’s the breakdown of where to be, when to be there and whether you should bring your own maple syrup.

10am – Noon. The Coastal San Pedro Neighborhood Council has chosen to bless Angels Gate as the site of their annual pancake breakfast. This is your chance not only to meet your local council members, but also to get yourself a free tote bag. But wait, there’s more, that being FREE pancakes, sausage, coffee, juice and milk. That is if you can get there early enough to get in line behind me, because I’m going to finish it all off. I’m warning you. Nothing about free syrup, but I might bring my own, just to show off. And there’s a raffle.

11am – 5pm. 2nd Annual Crafty Vixens Holiday Sale.  Follow the “Glitter Streamer Poles” to building H where a variety of local and Angels Gate craftspeople will be taking care of your holiday gift needs.  It has it’s own potluck going on, so you can top off your pancake tummy with a plate of surprise food.  There’s also a raffle, performances by belly dancers and all kinds of things to buy.

2-4 pm. Opening receptions for Plain and Simple and F Sculpture Show open in the galleries.  Two shows that I’m really pleased to have wrangled up, or as we say in the “industry”, curated.  Plain and Simple features the work of Betsy Lohrer Hall and Yong Sin (at top), two former Angels Gate Studio Artists who are good friends and who both make use of complex and idiosyncratic systems to construct their work, one tiny painted element at a time.  When the work arrived on Tuesday and we laid out the show in the gallery, I was very, very pleased.  The few folks who have snuck in for a preview seem to be feeling what I’m feeling.  F Sculpture Show, the latest in a series of exhibitions by Koh Byoung Ok will be in Downstairs Gallery, and we’ll be hanging the show tomorrow.  The for this show is based on a commission and I’m still not 100% sure what Koh has cooked up in his studio, but knowing his work, it’s going to have elements of humor and a profound sense of time and place.

Tomorrow, Thursday, October 22, at 7 pm, artists Darren Hostetter and S. Ian Song will take part in a roundtable discussion about their work for Flying Machine, their current two person show at Angels Gate Cultural Center. Flying Machine brings together two artists with a shared enthusiasm for the forms and aesthetics of [...]]]>

Tomorrow, Thursday, October 22, at 7 pm, artists Darren Hostetter and S. Ian Song will take part in a roundtable discussion about their work for Flying Machine, their current two person show at Angels Gate Cultural Center. Flying Machine brings together two artists with a shared enthusiasm for the forms and aesthetics of aircraft, who also have deep insight into relevant social, political and historical issues that surround their subject matter. Ian and Darren are two fascinating conversationalists with perspectives that span a plethora of issues and fields, and this exhibition was in planning for a very long time and is particularly dear to my heart. I’ll be moderating. These talks are very informal, and are a great opportunity for you to ask artists real questions about their work and to get serious, thoughtful answers. Be there or be square.

Finishing School will be participating in a Farmlab Public Salon about their recent project at Angels Gate, M.O.L.D., tomorrow, Friday July 31 at noon. Very excited to hear the guys talking about one of the most interesting exhibitions the Center has ever been home to.

Technorati Tags: Finishing [...]]]>

Cross-posting from Up at the Gate.

Finishing School will be participating in a Farmlab Public Salon about their recent project at Angels Gate, M.O.L.D., tomorrow, Friday July 31 at noon. Very excited to hear the guys talking about one of the most interesting exhibitions the Center has ever been home to.

Technorati Tags: Finishing School, Farmlab, art, contemporary art, salon, M.O.L.D.

I’ve been watching Finishing School in action as they transform half of Gallery A into a “hot zone-themed wet lab” and the other half into a multimedia cluster for their installation, workshop and performance, M.O.L.D. that starts Sunday. Lots of plastic sheeting is involved, along with petri [...]]]>

Cross-posted from Up at the Gate.

I’ve been watching Finishing School in action as they transform half of Gallery A into a “hot zone-themed wet lab” and the other half into a multimedia cluster for their installation, workshop and performance, M.O.L.D. that starts Sunday. Lots of plastic sheeting is involved, along with petri dishes, pipets, computers, surveillance cameras, video projectors – the whole works.

On Sunday, from 12-4pm during Open Studios, small groups of visitors will get to enter the wet lab and take part in a series of exercises and activities, constructing their own bioindicators, while other visitors can watch the instructional video and surveillance feeds from inside the lab. The event will also be streamed live via M.O.L.D. CAM to the Finishing School’s blog from 12-4.

Above – Ed Giardina and Brian Boyer staple plastic into a tunnel.

Above – Jason Plapp does some last minute polish on the animated informational video that viewers will see in the first part of the show.

Above – James Rojsirivat unboxing the security system. This thing is too much fun to play with – way too much fun.

Above – Jason Plapp and James Rojsirivat test camera and projector equipment in front of the surveillance cam projection.

Above – I photograph three Finishing School members as they scheme.

Technorati Tags: Finishing School, art, contemporary art, installation art, AGCC, Angels Gate Cultural Center, Jason Plapp, James Rojsirivat, Ed Giardina, Brian Boyer, Gallery A, M.O.L.D.