September's at an End...

background work:Charles Long: observing art(ists)


September is officially over!. Don't worry, I have seen great shows including Carlee Fernandez at ACME, Micol Hebron at Jancar, Eamon Ore Giron at Steve Turner Contemporary, and Paul McCarthy at L&M Arts. In top of that I have also attended lectures that have left me in a non stop erratic train of thought. From the state of the Iranian Art market to museum deals with turned corporate gallerists-- I meant to say, those who got lucky!?

How can I forget Night Gallery?!...

I attended my first opening at Night Gallery this past Tuesday and in all sincerity, I was extremely impressed with the programming, the vibe, the artists, and the amazing Davida Nemeroo, responsible for opening Night Gallery.

Well, I'll glue myself later, after Big City Forum, Raid Projects, and a Writing Symposium at MoCA-- all in one day!.

You Tube Selections: Paul McCarthy

What exactly is performance art?!

The question always lingers in my head as I'm often asked to give my opinion on the subject. In my own words performance art is an artist's way of exploring bodily, geographic, and historical contexts. Once looked at more deeply they create meaning, that only through performance art is it visible.



Here is a great video of Paul McCarthy regarding his work, with some background meaning. However, I venture that alike the randomness that keeps our existence alive, Performance Art's main purpose is just that-- lurking different points of view to an argument.



"Ketchup having this association with commodity and America" - PAUL McCARTHY





After a decade of absence in the Los Angeles art scene Paul McCarthy will open the first season at the highly anticipated L & M Arts Venice this Fall . More details to come, because I wouldn't want you to miss this show!!.

I should start a short UBUWEB Selections. I give my heart to U B U W E B !!!


For now, sleep is my sailor, for tomorrow I have school.

Instant L.A Summer Closing Reception

September is infamous for the awakening of the art world; the new art season has begun, but we are also waving goodbye to Summer. Oh summer, when group shows reign and final plans for fall are underway!.

...but before summer is over, INSTANT LA SUMMER waves it's last goodbye with special musical guests. The night promises to be full of surprises and knowing the curator, Esteban Schimpf, surprises should be the highlight.




HIGHONS is the secret musical project of 3 leading Los Angeles musicians who have cultivated a vast international following over the last 15 years through their beautiful avant-garde music. They will literarily blow your mind.

GRIFFIN ALAN RODRIGUEZ is a recent Chicago expatriate who now calls the Hollywood hills home. GAR made his name known in the independent music world through his important record label Obey Your Brain and his collaborations with bands such as Icy Demons and Need New Body.

Some Things Last a Long Time: Pacific Standard Time & Public Art Festival: Call for Submissions!

Kent Twitchell's Ruscha: Haunting


Murals are the earliest works of Public Art that I can remember embracing. Growing up with murals from Eloy Torres to Kent Twitchell's infamous Ed Ruscha. Due to the consequence of time Twitchell's Ruscha no longer exists, but the tall figure of this mysterious man has haunt me since I first saw it as a child.

We can't deny that recent projects incline towards a stronger Public Art scene in Los Angeles. Earlier in the year, The MAK Center curated an intriguing show within the concept of public art, in the form of billboards. Where artists were selected to create a billboard that would be installed in different points across the city. Where West of Rome brought us billboards of Cindy Sherman, alike other great women artists in the likes of Jenny Holzer, Barbara Kruger, and a recent installment of artist Jennifer Bolande, currently on view. There's others we can't forget: Fallen Fruit for their creative programming, Outpost for Contemporary Art for their amazing artists in residency, the Watts Towers for it's continuing legacy. LAXART for Piero Golia's lighted wit in the Hollwood skyline. There's just so much to cover, and ironically not enough...

With all the open space, billboards, and deadly combustion... the city deserves more public art.

There's been rumors of a "HUGE" public art installment in the works from a well known artist in one of the most unique locations in Los Angeles, but I can't unfold those sheets at the moment. We will just have to wait!.


Chris Burden, Trans-Fixed (1974), Venice, CA


However, the festival will embrace, or in other words, celebrate the history of Los Angeles art, from the years of 1945-1980. Through the re creation of new works inspired or literally reenacted from it's original state, for an ephemeral set of happenings around the nexus of the city.


If all my talk on public art does not convince you on my true philosophy for the lack of public art in Los Angeles, then you really don't want me to get into performance art. There's a huge performance art scene in Los Angeles that quite often surprises even those living in L.A.. It's the lack of being informed that suffers in my city. Moving forward, I want to be the first to know if anyone would re-enact Chris Burden's Trans-fixed (1974). I'll leave the rest to you!...



Now here is your chance to take part into the city's current initiative. Yes, less than a week, but I just got this on my mailbox. However, I'm sure many of you were already aware of this great opportunity.

It's such an amazing time for the Los Angeles art community .... There has been great activity in recent months: A new art fair was introduced to our city and we were the spotlight of this year's ARCO-MADRID. Everyone seems to be riding the same wave of excitement for Los Angeles... Curiosity has been planted, and we should deliver!.



Artist: Yvone Rainer, Photographer: Gerard Smulevich. Taken from: MAK Center for Art and Architecture






CALL FOR PROPOSALS!



Pacific Standard Time Performance and Public Art Festival
Call for Proposals: Due September 15, 2010

The Pacific Standard Time Performance and Public Art Festival will be a presentation of large-scale performance artworks and temporary public art installations that will coalesce around a 10-day festival planned for January 20 through January 29, 2012. Presented in conjunction with the citywide initiative Pacific Standard Time: Art in L.A. 1945-1980, the festival will explore the legacy of performance and public art in Los Angeles through presenting contemporary reinventions of historically significant ephemeral artworks dating from 1945-1980. The festival aims to present a range of approaches to reinvention, including faithful reconstructions of original projects, artist-supervised reenactments using trained performers, re-imaginings of past works for a contemporary context, and the creation of totally new artworks by artists who take historical work as a point of inspiration.

A limited number of grants are available to non-profit organizations in Southern California to support the development of projects for the festival.


Proposals are due September 15, 2010, and should be addressed to:

LAXART
2640 S. La Cienega Bl
Los Angeles, CA 90034
C/O Pacific Standard Time Grant


Grant proposals should include the following:
• Name of Organization
• Title of proposed project (list artist(s), title, date)
• Curator of proposed project
• Associated Pacific Standard Time exhibition, if any
• Additional collaborators on proposed project, if any
• Potential site for project and how location will be secured (process of permissions relevant to public domain activities)


Please attach a narrative describing the project you propose for the Pacific Standard Time performance and public art festival. Be sure to describe the historical artwork or precedent upon which your project is based. If you are proposing a reconstruction or reinvention of a historical work, please note any major departures or modifications your project would make from its historical precedent (to the degree that they are currently known).

Please describe any major logistical challenges for this project, such as access to restricted or third-party sites, or access to specialized equipment, materials, or services. If you forsee logistical challenges related to your project how would you resolve them?

Please note whether the artists involved in your proposal (including the original artist(s) of any reinvented work) have been contacted, and whether their permission to produce this project is contingent upon conditions or restrictions.

If possible, please attach up to 5 images related to your proposal and/or its historical precedent.

Please attach an itemized detailed budget for the project including materials and production, artists fees, curatorial fees, consulting fees, travel, shipping, insurance, location fees, marketing. This budget should not include operational expenses related to programming. This budget should clearly delineate for each line item what portion you are requesting in grant funds and what the total cost for each line item will be.

Please include project production timeline and project implementation dates.

Describe any funds or support your institution has already committed to this project. Please delineate these funds as confirmed, pending or received. Are there other funding sources (grants, matching funds) that you plan to approach? Projects that have already received partial funding from the Getty Foundation may not be eligible.

Amount requested from the Festival Getty Grant will vary between $5,000-$35,000.

Please include one letter in support of the project from the director of your organization and a participating artist or public art partner.

Please include qualifications of core applicants by enclosing narrative biographies on each key participant (artists and curators).

Funding for the Festival is provided by a generous grant from the Getty Foundation