Performance Art in Chinatown: Perform!Now! Festival- July 29 - August 1, 2010

Perform! Now!: Image Credit: Sandy de Lissovoy and David Kelley


Perform! Now! Festival in it's second year promises to be better. With a fundraiser that took place tonight at Human Resources in collaboration with Francois Ghebaly gallery. Ghebaly being a key component to the festival since he collaborated in the birth of Perfrom! Now!.

I did not make it to the fundraiser, but I hope sure you did!!!


I can't think of a more perfect setting than Chinatown-- with all it's charm, it plays great as the background for the so many performance artists who will play, indulge, and subdue it's audience this weekend.


Oh, and don't fear, the event is FREE!!!. Thanks to all the volunteers and organizers for all your hard work, and passion to the arts. I'm quite interested to witness how the local neighborhood, or the tired tourist who will randomly come across the Perform! Now! programming react. I venture, that good times are ahead for those of us who are anticipating the festival, but even greater for those will randomly come across it... That's just my personality, I like random play-- SURPRISES!

I know I'm not missing Skip Arnold's performance on Saturday, or Megan May Daalder's performance: The Closet at Human Resources. And Paul Pescador will also perform, with Chinatown as his background palette. Pescador is one of my favorite artists, but then again the list is never ending. However, there's more... Actual Size Gallery will play host to Haircuts and Popsicles this Saturday: free haircuts and three dollar pops because it's summertime, and who doesn't enjoy popsicles?!


Aaron Wrinkle is Chinatown's Dan Graham, by showing artists in the form of the once John Daniel's gallery. And this Saturday at Dan Graham gallery artist Dorit Cypis will perform: Inside/Outside/In (performer/audience/mirror/dan graham/1975), 2010. Dorit Cypis performance will not be a re-interpretation of Graham's performer/audience/mirror/(1975), but rather a dialogue/exploration of how audience, space, and artist work together to create a performance platform.


On Sunday La Fundacion Wanna Wini will debut as I believe, it's first Los Angeles performance, with a live Skype broadcasting from Mexicali, Mexico. I first heard about these guys when they participated in the MexiCali Biennial 09-10, and I'm happy to hear more, once again.


Now, for a more detailed schedule!. See You There!!!




SCHEDULE FROM PERFORM!NOW! WEBSITE

PERFORM! NOW! 2010
Detailed Schedule (Subject to Change)

Thursday ($20 suggested donation):
7:00 PM - 11:00 PM / Benefit Performances by Julie Tolentino and Stosh Fila / Marcus
Civin / Warren Neidich / Emily Lacy / Human Resources and François Ghebaly

Friday (Free all day and all night):
5:00 PM - Ongoing / Morrisa Maltz / Human Resources Hallway
5:00 PM – Ongoing / Douglas Green / Bernard Street Cul-de-sac
5:00 PM – Ongoing / Paul Pescador / Traversing Chinatown
6:00 PM – Ongoing / Alexis Disselkoen with John Burtle, Jessica Smith, Laura Hoang,
Kuan Hwa, Amber Williams, Katy Wang, Tom Cantwel, Tessa Kurszewski / Traversing Chinatown
6:00 PM - Ongoing / Elena Bajo / Cul-de-sac
7:00 PM - Ongoing / Megan Daalder / The Closet (adjacent to Human Resources)
7:00 PM - 7:30 PM / Emily Mast and Jerome Bel / Human Resources
7:00 PM – 8:00 PM / Alex Staiger and Superman / Cul-de-sac
7:30 PM - 8:00 PM / Corey Fogel and Liz Glynn / Chung King Rd.
8:00 PM - 8:30 PM / Math Bass / Human Resources
8:00 PM – 9:00 PM / Marcus Civin / Francois Ghebaly Gallery
8:00 PM - 9:00 PM /Flora Wiegmann, Amy Granat and Jmy Leary/ Pepin Moore Gallery
8:00 PM - 9:00 PM / Samuel Vasquez / The Company
9:00 PM - 9:15 PM / Sister Mantos / The Company
8:30 PM - 9:00 PM / Matt Greene / Cul-de-sac
9:00 PM - 10:30 PM / Warren Neidich / Human Resources
9:30 PM - Ongoing / ing / Cul de sac
9:30 PM / Mark Verabioff / Kunsthalle LA
9:30 PM – 10:30 PM / Tiffany Trenda / 997 N. Hill Street
10:30 PM - 11:00 PM / Team Zatara / Human Resources

Saturday (Free all day and all night):
9:00 AM – 5:00 PM / Vlatka Horvat / The Los Angeles River under the Fletcher Bridge, near the intersection of the 5 and 2 Freeways Treiops Treyfid / Roving Chinatown

12:00 PM - Ongoing / Douglas Green / Bernard Street Cul-de-sac
1:00 PM - 4:30 PM / Megan Daalder / Human Resources
1:00 PM – 6:00 PM / Haircuts and Popsicles / Actual Size Los Angeles
2:00 PM / Nancy Popp / Bamboo Plaza Rooftop Parking Lot
2:00 PM - Ongoing / Charles Irvin / Cul-de-sac and roving
3:00 PM / Nancy Popp / Chung King Rd, Near the Box Gallery
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM / Marcus Civin / Francois Ghebaly Gallery
3:00 PM – 7:00 PM / Dorian Wood and Joseph Tepperman / Kunsthalle LA
4:00 PM / Nancy Popp / Chung King Road, South Rooftop
4:00 PM - Ongoing / Morrisa Maltz / Human Resources Hallway
4:00 PM – 7:00 PM / Dorit Cypis / Dan Graham
4:00 PM - 7:00 PM - Marc Horowitz “Talk Show” / The Company
4:30 PM - Ongoing / Megan Daalder / The Closet (adjacent to Human Resources)
5:00 PM – Ongoing / Paul Pescador / Traversing Chinatown
5:00 PM / Nancy Popp / Moytel Rooftop, Near the Company
5:00 PM - 5:30 PM / Elena Bajo / Human Resources
5:00 PM – 6:00 PM / Material Presents The Oratorium: Farrah Karapetian, Jason Underhill, Susan Silton, Ellen Birrell, Ginny Cook, Dee Williams, Dan Hockenson, Daniel Lucas, Kim Schoen, Olivia Booth, Wendy Mason / Mandarin Plaza
5:00 PM – 12:00 AM / Micol Hebron / Jancar Gallery
6:00 PM - 6:30 PM / Math Bass / Human Resources
6:00 PM – Ongoing / Alexis Disselkoen with John Burtle, Jessica Smith, Laura Hoang, Kuan Hwa, Amber Williams, Katy Wang, Tom Cantwel, Tessa Kurszewski / Traversing Chinatown
6:00 PM / Nancy Popp / Francois Ghebaly Rooftop
7:00 PM / Skip Arnold / 997 N. Hill St.
7:00 PM - 7:30 PM / Emily Mast and Jerome Bel / Human Resources
7:00 PM / Nancy Popp / Mandarian Plaza Rooftop
7:00 PM - 8:00 PM / Jill Fogel / Cul-de-sac
7:00 PM - 8:30 PM / Brian Getnick and Kristian van der Hayden / Dumpster alley off of Chung King Road
7:00 PM – 9:00 PM / Monica Duncan / Traversing Chinatown
7:00 PM – 10:00 PM / Volume Presents Steve Roden / 993 N. Hill St.
7:00 PM – 11:00 PM / Mariel Carranza / Chung King Road
7:30 PM - 11:30 PM / Margie Schnibbe / Cul-de-sac
8:00 PM / Nancy Popp / Bamboo Plaza Rooftop Parking Lot
8:00 PM - 8:30 PM / Andrew Printer / Kunsthalle LA
8:00 PM - 8:30 PM / Team Zatara / Human Resources
8:00 PM – 9:00 PM / Material Presents The Oratorium / Mandarin Plaza
8:30 PM - 9:00 PM / Matt Greene / Cul-de-sac
9:00 PM – 9:30 PM / Yong Soon Min with Ofunne Obiamiwe, Tommy Gear, Gina Osterloh, Matias Viegener, Ian Song, Linda Kunik, Raksha Parekh, Paolo Villanueva, Stephen van Dyck, and Mike Davis/ Cul-de-sac
9:00 PM – 10:00 PM / Lucas Murgida / Charlie James Gallery
9:00 PM - 10:30 PM / Warren Neidich / Human Resources
10:30 PM - 11:00 PM / Aaron Wrinkle / Dan Graham
10:30 PM - 11:00 PM / Zackary Drucker / Human Resources Patio
11:00 PM - 12:00 AM / Jason Wallace Triefenbach / Human Resources
11:00 PM / Brendan Fowler / 2nd Cannons
12:00 AM - 1:00 AM / Gustavo Herrera / Human Resources

Sunday (Free all day and all night):
2:00 PM - 7:00 PM / Samuel Vasquez / 993 N. Hill Street
2:45 PM - 7:00 PM / Julie Tolentino, Stosh Fila and Mark So / 993 N. Hill Street
4:30 PM - 5:00 PM / Elle Mehrmand & Micha Cárdenas / 997 N. Hill Street and simultaneously live in Second Life
5:00 PM - 6:30 PM Brian Getnick and Kristian van der Hayden / Dumpster alley off of Chung King Road
6:00 PM - 6:30 PM / Fundación Wanna Winni / 997 N. Hill Street
6:00 PM – 7:00 PM / Alex Staiger and Superman / Chung King Road
2:00 - 8:00 PM / VOLUME presents short, intimate personal listening sets by: Julia Holter, Mark Trayle, Sander Roscoe Wolff, Jen Boyd, Mark So, Sublamp, Marc Manning, Justin Varis, Adam Overton, Shuttle358, Akira Rabelais and Kadet Kuhne / 993 N. Hill Street: 2:00 Julia Holter, 2:30 Mark Trayle, 3:00 Sander Roscoe Wolff, 3:30 Jen Boyd, 4:00 Mark So, 4:30 Sublamp, 5:00 Marc Manning, 5:30 Justin
Varis, 6:00 Adam Overton, 6:30 Shuttle358, 7:00 Akira Rabelais, 7:30 Kadet Kuhne

“You are so young… so much before all the beginning, and I would like to beg you, as well as I can, to have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and to try to love the questions themselves as if they were locked rooms or books written in a very foreign language. Don't search for the answers, which could not be given to you now,because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer" -Rainer Maria Rilke






Walter Hopps: Genius!



Roberta Smith: Genius!


Jeni Spota- Mistakes: Genius!


Leigh Ledare- Mom in New Home: Genius!


I don't even know anymore... Probably I'll never attain the answers, but I will remain in the boat until it sinks.

A Conceptual Trifecta: Rena Small, Claire Nereim, and Kathrin Bumester at Jancar

JANCAR Gallery: At First Glance

Photography may be a trend you often meet at many art shows, given the accessible tools of the trade or the joys of the sweet battle for that perfect photograph, but currently at JANCAR Gallery in Chinatown artist Rena Small gives photography a good name.

The show consists of Polaroid’s taken between the years of 1975-1982, both in the format of the most common Polaroid SX-70 and the 20x24 prints that are traced back to the early 1980's. Polaroid was known for reaching out to teachers, and many in the line of photography, but most notably Polaroid made tools accessible to artists, and often collecting several pieces for their collection.



Rena Small, Los Angeles born and based graduates from Cal Arts with an MFA in 1977. Just after graduating Small moved to New York City in 1978, and stays in the east coast for eight years, returning to Los Angeles in 1985.

A conceptual artist most known for her early Polaroid work, works within photography and painting. Small’s other work explores the mysterious language of a persons hands including artists in the likes of Ed Ruscha, John Baldessari, and Andy Warhol. Or her conceptual paintings that spark a game with life...


I have looked closely at the mysterious presence of human emotions veiled in the hands, the essential tools of all artists.- Rena Small




Rena Small- Red Chair,1978, Polaroid SX 70


In Red Chair (1978) Small plays with the spectator, creating semi visual illusions by her selection of Polaroid’s. A flying foot, a seated bosom… A puzzle of the artist bare naked body.

Small does not only play with visual puzzles, but with language, as is the case in Four Shots (1979)




Rena Small- Four Shots, 1979, Polaroid SX-70


There’s more than meets the eye!!!.....

Claire Nereim conceptual pieces in the second room of the gallery... Nereim’s pieces create a glorious stillness just after playing spectator to Rena Small’s often playful and politically inclined body of work. However, I had a difficult time understanding Nereim's work. Traces of Eva Hesse came to mind, and the study of memory. Though, I venture Nereim explores memory, since it ever so often inspires human emotion.


Claire Nereim: Gallery View



The Underground

The conceptual trifecta wouldn't be complete without Kathrin Burmester.

Burmester an Otis alumni and current professor works with film, photography, and video. Her work mainly consists of studies of human behavior in our technology bound culture, but most significantly the role of spectator in an ever so fast driven environment.

In Tour, a fifty three minute video of a tourist boat along the river Spree in Berlin, Germany documents the ephemeral significance of mass tourism to a city like Berlin along with cultural commentary to sites along the tour, which are often witty.

Burmester reaches nostalgia, and leaves the viewer in trance. Repeated sets of words, or more like repeated social commentary glue the viewer with witty comments as : " There's no one in this part of town, if you see someone, I encourage you to take out your cameras" .. or in the likes of that.

We found ourselves watching most of the fifty three minutes, in a sort of dream like state.






Kathrin Burmester: Tour, 2008/2010, One-channel video, color, sound, 53 min.


The tryptich of Small, Nereim, and Burmester incorporates the essentials of conceptual art, marrying each other quite nicely.

So if you haven’t seen the show yet, get down to Chinatown!. On your way, why not explore what this neighborhood offers?! .. Trust me, there’s more than meets the eye!.




July 10 - July 31, 2010
Rena Small: Early Polaroid Work 1975-1982
Claire Nereim
Kathrin Burmester


JANCAR Gallery
961 Chung King Road
Los Angeles, CA, 90012
213 625 2522

Human Resources: The Mystics Circle

I can't begin to tell you the excitement that takes over me when I find out of a worthy event. An event worthy of my excitement, of course.

That was the case with Human Resources. A romanticized feeling arises once in a while, and out of those moments of spark, I can't help but think of the marks, and traces we are creating for future generations to look upon... To romanticize about.. All of this sweetness is mixed with history in the making.

Should I recall my friends words: " so today is a big day for you " when I explained to her the performances that were on the bill the night of Human Resources grand opening.

Dawn Kasper is already an L.A. hero, but My Barbarian Collective is the epitome of Los Angeles. I for one can tell you that they truly love what they do; passion at it's best labor. I'm living truth of their passion since, I was happy enough to participate in a workshop Jade Gordon hosted along Alexandro Segade one Sunday afternoon at Human Resources, and what a time I had.

Human Resources has quickly gathered a following, but that was apparent since their opening back in May during their May Day celebration. If you're in Los Angeles you know that an event at Human Resources is not to be missed. Perhaps, the only gallery in the area that stays up late, and closes till the public quits and heads home.

Dawn Kasper works closely with the space along with other artists, volunteers. The lovely Carol Cheh of Another Righteous Transfer blog, one of Los Angeles very own performance art blogs interviewed the backbone of Human Resources.


Human Resources: May Day Performances and Grand Opening... What a turnout!


Human Resources success has finally become official with their current exhibition of video art, titled The Mystics Circle. At first thought, The Mystics Circle was the circular display of the artists work, and the mystic was a contribution of each artists own darkness, whims, and tendencies. However, a more straight forward explanation can be found on their site.


The Mystics Circle
Coinciding with the summer solstice the show’s titled alludes to the summer slaying of a UCLA student in 1991. The killing happened in the mouth of The Manson tunnel, a railroad outpost frequented by cults in Chatsworth, on the brightest night of the year. The work presented in the show investigates the dual themes of comedy and tragedy through the identity of Los Angeles as a saturated paradise that pumps crude oil into broad daylight.





The Mystics Circle: Gallery View

The participating artists have contributed to Los Angeles video art history, with names in the likes of Skip Arnold, Margie Schnibbe, Hilja Keading, and Mike Kelly and a more contemporary Brian Bress, Candice Lin, William E. Jones, and my first ever introduction to Davida Nemeroff. Each individual artist contributing a side of the grotesque, the ephemeral, performance, and uncanny tendencies.

The contribution these artists have given Los Angeles in the shaping of video art history is marked as the second chapter, or what is likely known as the 1980's period. That period which marks the next generation of Los Angeles contemporary art history.

I quote Skip Arnold: " It was the eighties in L.A., the artists were scattered and the punk scene was moving"... Yes, I literally wanted to fall off my chair when he spoke those words, over at the panel I attended at Human Resources in conjunction with the exhibition. Skip Arnold remembers the 80's punk scene in Los Angeles as much as he remembers the sprawling of artist melting in the sun, and hiding behind the many palm trees. Can you tell a higher appreciation for Skip Arnold has just grown ?! but it only makes perfect sense...

A second panel will take place on July 25 at Human Resources, starting at 6 pm. Don't miss out on a great exhibition of Los Angeles video art. I feel like the exhibition should have been titled: The Second Chapter.




Don't Miss!!!


The Mystics Circle
June 19 - July 29

HUMAN RESOURCES
510 Bernard St, Chinatown, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Thursday through Saturday: 12- 6 pm

Cal Arts: BOX SCHEME

Twenty nine recent MFA Cal Arts graduates had the opportunity to show their works in different participating galleries in Chinatown’s Arts District. The sprawl of art brought Calartians and spectators together on July 2, 2010 for the opening of BOX SCHEME. Under the curatorial work of Ana Vejzovic Sharp, the former director of China Art Objects.

Out of twenty nine artists only one painting was displayed. Nicolas Greiner visions a communal unison of all social levels. The work is strong in content. A form of satire towards social political theories of American living.


Nicolas Greiner: Integrated Community, oil on canvas, 86 x 122 inches

Installation/sculpture was a repetitive trend, but not necessarily a bad one.


Ari Kletzky - A Constant Questioning : Don't rest, it's art!

Ari Kletzy's A Constant Questioning was one of my favorites, due it's background content.



And then there's Margeret Haines. An artist, I'll definitely keep an eye on.



Margaret Haines different C Prints : A Friend Once Told Me The Best Way To Say Fuck You In Los Angeles Is Trust Me


Video couldn't be absent, taking into consideration Los Angeles long history with video art. From Skip Arnold to Michelle O' Marah...

At Actual Size Gallery, the dark genius of Zach Kleyn kept on giving.



Zack Kleyn-The Rapture Remembered,The Gingerbread Lesson: Keeps on giving

The dark conversation of the video and action of baking ginger bread cookies deliver the attraction. While Kleyn dubbed the female voices with his voice and his twin brother as I'm told by Esteban Schimpf of Actual Size. Traces of the obscure and the playful sum up the video, with steps to an unknown future.

The future may be unknown, but the mystery intrigues... Though, on July 15 REDCAT hosts a video showcase of the recent MFA Cal Arts graduates. Now, that's a future I'm intrigued with...


DON'T MISS!!!

LACMA: TRANSFORMATION at The Resnick Pavillion

Wilshire Boulevard is as historic to Los Angeles as Route 66 is to the entire country. The fame and grace of Wilshire Boulevard still ceases to exist with new neighborhoods and traces of it’s glamorous past. Down the road that leads one to the famous beaches of the west coast we find museums and a line of art galleries. Wilshire art district is home to many art galleries that host their own seasonal art walk. On the array of Wilshire’s art spaces stands the art fortress surrounded by tall fences, a decorative light sculpture and it’s so many buildings that make up the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

Infamous in it’s name LACMA was officially established as an art museum in 1961. We have to remember the great hype that was shaping the Los Angeles art scene at the time-- all and mostly coming from the artists affiliated with FERUS Gallery. This very period marks Los Angeles on the map along with the east coast art hub of New York City. It seems like it’s just the perfect time for LACMA to take that jump and become a museum.

Since early 2007 LACMA undertook it’s greatest project since opening in 1961. The project by the name of TRANSFORMATION promises to literally transform LACMA’s campus. This metamorphosis gave birth with the highly anticipated BCAM building, back in 2008. However, BCAM was not the only addition to the museum, but the now iconic Chris Burden-Urban Light sculpture. Also on the list,the now anticipated Resnick Pavillion.

Do you recall Eli Broad’s roller coaster set of news?! …

The news travels up and down the L. A. Times consecutively some weeks. Surely nothing new if we look at the Hollywood phenomena. Just how a movement proceeds the inspiration towards the next big thing, Eli Broad has helped shaped Los Angeles art centers like no other Los Angeles resident ever has. Maybe J. Paul Getty is up on that list since his estate continues to aide, but this is Eli Broad’s period.


In latest news the Broad Art Foundation plans to expand Grand Avenue in Downtown Los Angeles by building a new art museum for the city which is still in the works.

If you don’t wish to ride on Broad’s roller coaster, I have good news for you. Hidden in that list of donors to TRANSFORMATION are Lynda and Steward Resnick donating $25 million dollars to what is now the anticipated Resnick Pavillion.


The Resnick Pavillion: Walter De Maria - the 2000 Sculpture

Currently Walter De Maria’s piece The 2000 Sculpture, takes hostage of the spacious pavilion. Only a “test” work to calculate the capacity of the space as stated by the LACMA director Michael Govan: “The sculpture provides an ideal way to test the Resnick Pavilion’s capacity to deal with large-scale work in the context of its architecture."



The Resnick Pavillion: Walter De Maria - the 2000 Sculpture


De Maria is the perfect artist for the vast space considering that it's cousins are next door at BCAM-- Richard Serra's Band and Sequence, artworks deserve a greater space alike Resnick. It's crucial for the museum to value it's artworks and shift the way it's public views their works. Richard Serra and Walter De Maria are artists that deserve great detail in the installation process.

You can only imagine how I felt when a guard explained to me that -- The 2000 Sculpture was only a test , and walls would soon be added to the pavilion in order to separate certain galleries. The natural lighting of the space helps De Maria, and it helps the public. I will admit that I' am architecturally proud of a space that serves it's purpose. One can only wait until the final opening this Fall.


I don't know about you, but LACMA will always humorously remind me of Ed Rusha's infamous piece: LACMA On Fire




UPDATE:

In LACMA's "TRANSFORMATION" release it stated that $25 million dollars were given to LACMA from the Resnick's, but the Los Angeles Times later confirmed that $50 million were granted.

In money business we can't quite understand, one things is clear: deals are sure to be hidden from the public, but what really matters is the accessibility of the artwork?!


"LACMA announced on September 29, 2008 that it had received a gift of $55 million from Los Angeles-based philanthropists Lynda and Stewart Resnick, including $45 million toward LACMA’s ongoing Transformation, a campaign to unify the museum’s campus and refurbish and expand its gallery spaces. Additionally, the Resnicks have promised LACMA gifts of art valued at $10 million. In honor of their generosity, LACMA will name a new Renzo Piano-designed building, slated to open in 2010, the Lynda and Stewart Resnick Exhibition Pavilion"