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

Art Autre at Actual Size Gallery: Katie Herzog

Abstract painting and art history go way back....


The fruition of a concept has many branches and we see visible signs of those branches in abstract art-- Abstract Expressionism was one of the more popular forms of the movement, and not to mention one of the first actual embraced schools in American art.

However... a rendition of that was the french art Autre, or Informel. Autre literally meaning other, as many tried to differentiate a new style of painting that was unknown at the time, but would become incredibly popular to the post war era.


Katie Herzog's current show at Actual Size Gallery takes shape around the ideas of the french abstract school -- Informel. Herzog presents five works mainly in the painterly style. I can't begin to describe how happy it makes me to come across painted canvas.

Herzog tints my memory with pattern shifts of Rauschenberg , Pollock, and even a tint of Louise Bourgeois' drawings.




Informel View!


We can't ignore Herzog's linkage to the process of processing information--

"Herzog employed a premeditated structure to create the highly improvisatory and gestural painting, "Braille Institute: Sight Center". For this painting Herzog visited the Braille Institute on Vermont and Melrose for an hour every day for five weeks. After studying the facade of the building from across the street she traveled directly to her studio, closed her eyes, and painted her memory of the building using her hands." - Actual Size Gallery



This Saturday Join Katie Herzog and the Actual Size family for the uniquely opportunity to submerge, dwell, and explore the subject of animal assisted literary programs at Une Alphabétisation Autre. Which pokes at the origins of the coined art term-- Informel, with it's origin of art Autre. In this case the informel (informal) use of language and it's different mediums.



"Katie Herzog and Actual Size Los Angeles are pleased to announce Une Alphabétisation Autre, a special day event organized in conjunction with the closing of Katie Herzog’s exhibition, Informel. Animal assisted literacy programs have become increasingly popular in libraries and learning centers throughout the country. These innovative programs provide canine mentorship to foster improvement in confidence and literary skills of school aged children. On Saturday, August 28th, children and adults are invited inside the gallery to read to Eli and Ivy, two trained therapy dogs. Light snacks will be provided." - Actual Size Gallery




INFORMEL

New work by Katie Herzog
August 7 - August 28, 2010

741 NEW HIGH STREET
LOS ANGELES CA 90012
WWW.ACTUALSIZELA.COM

Hours: Sat- Sun 12:00- 5:00 pm
Mon-Fri by appointment.

twitter.com/ActualSizeLA
facebook.com/ActualSize

Mexico's Elite Brigade The Art World : Yyvone Venegas at Shoshana Wayne Gallery

We tend to stay away from that which we fear, or is unknown to us. That was the case with Bergamot Station... My relationship with Bergamot was, and still isn’t quite on level. Probably, I always visit when the season is bad?! Probably…


However, I can’t darkened all of my thoughts of Bergamot-- The Santa Monica Museum of Art deserves some credit. I will admit that I have found myself two times at Bergamot this Summer. On my first visit, I attended Irvin Blum’s story telling whims, and the second time, I was there with a plan: to find that which moved me. In the mix of the usual eager dealer, and amidst the Dennis Hopper trend -- It can make my life sour. I found a gem, not a unique find, but quite interesting.

Yyvone Venegas born in Long Beach, California in 1970, and raised in Tijuana, Mexico. Apparently twin sister of the famous music artist Julieta Venegas. After my understanding of her twin sister, I will admit my liking of her died a bit, but I contemplated in the exploration of her more, and more, until it finally felt right…




At First Sight: Yyvone Venegas at Shoshana Wayne Gallery


Mainly falling under the category of documentatary photography, Venegas explores Mexico’s social status through the then former mayor of Tijuana, Jorge Hank Rohn, with permission of his wife, Maria Elvia del Hank.


Venegas has the eye to produce such photographs in the verge of the bizarre, and the melancholy. Her approach to minimalist titles help her complete a real effect-- the bizarre notion of social status in Mexico.

In “Velas”, 2008 (Candles, 2008), Venegas shows us her side of the absurd, but witty commentary-- a sort of humorous shot at the high society of Mexico.

The documentation of adult figures in Venegas' photographs give name to vanity, but what really caught my eye was the photographs of the children, with an environment ever so fast paced to meet the needs of the other family in the hierarchy of social status...




Jorgito, 2008: Serving right...



Nirvana, 2006: Finally reached



Bolsa (Bag), 2009: In the air



"Maria Elvia does not believe that a picture of her would give me access to the art market, who would be interested in having a picture of her hanging on their wall?!" - Yyvone Venegas


I say she fits right in...




Yyvone Venegas
MARIA ELVIA DE HANK SERIES
June 5 - August 28, 2010


Shoshana Wayne Gallery
2525 Michigan Avenue
Santa Monica, CA 90404-4031
(310) 453-7535 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (310) 453-7535 end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Tue-Fri 10am-6pm
Sat 11am-5:30pm

Performance Art in Chinatown: Perform Now Festival- July 21 - August 1, 2010

Perform! Now!


Los Angeles plays as background to countless summer festivals, from music to the ever so popular food festivals, but art related events are also spur to this mix of summer festivities-- Chinatown's art district did not fall behind. Perform! Now! in it's second year promised a longer and steadier duration of last years show, for better or worse.

Crowds came and went, many hung around to follow the crowd from one performance to the other. Detailed schedules were printed and distributed, but many preferred the road of instinct.



Highland Park based non profit Outpost for Contemporary Art offered one of the most intriguing performances of the festival with the contribution of artist Vlatka Horvat who performed her eight hour performance titled, This Here and That There. Horvat was set to perform earlier this year, but was moved due to water levels of the LA river, as I recall. Yes, the Los Angeles River, or flow of water was the main setting of Horvat's performance. Commentary to time, space, and movement, in connection to Los Angeles and it's inhabitants was the artists main exploration.

For Pictures of Vlatka Horvat's Performance: Click Here


Micol Hebron performed several pieces at JANCAR Gallery as she ends her trails in the city of Los Angeles. Hanna Wilke's S.O.S. was one of the highlights, but her performance Essence stimulated an endless conversation on feminism, gay liberation, and overall pussy power.


I really enjoyed Emily Mast's performance as she soaked all of my energy. I guess that goes to the power of connection, or sharing a smile with another, or the beginning of establishing a relationship.

Eric Wesley knows good jokes, as he did an impromptu set right before Gustavo Herrera took over to close Saturday night's performances.


Oh, and how can I forget Nancy Pop, where she literally interconnects Chinatown structures, uniting all in the harmony of a really, really, long strand of bright colored string. I was in Chinatown this past weekend, like any other weekend, and Pop's brightly colored unison is still going strong. Wish I had pictures...


There's a connection with all of the performances, but admitting to feeling a sense of stress may perhaps give some liberation. What I'm trying to say is that, I missed a lot of performances, and dwelled on why Skip Arnold made a fuss and decided to screen his videos rather than to perform-- I was really looking forward to his performance. So, I have strayed and have debated if I should even post pictures since my responsibility of seeing all of the performances was not met.. Therefore, I feel short to a greater view that I do not have. I attended Saturday and Sunday, but even then missed many performances. Nonetheless, my fingers are too itchy, and I feel the need to share some photos with you.


Enjoy!




Micol Hebron- Intellectual Labor at JANCAR Gallery


Micol Hebron - Essence at JANCAR Gallery


Emily Mast at Human Resources Gallery




Dorit Cypis at Dan Graham Gallery


Megan Daalder - The Closet at the Trifecta



Morrisa Maltz



Morrisa Maltz



Steve Roden performs a set of experimental sound


Skip Arnold: on video, and on the phone!


Mariel Carranza


Jason Wallace Triefenbach at Human Resources



Jason Wallace Triefenbach at Human Resources



Eric Wesley- " three vampires walk into a bar... "



Gustavo Herrera - The Birth of Satan pt. 1 at Human Resources Gallery



La Fundacion Wanna Winni


La Fundacion Wanna Winni







See You Next Year!