Jordi Alcaraz- Ideas of Sculpture
The works in Altered States, Jordi Alcaraz’s current show at Jack Rutberg Fine Arts, consistently challenge viewers perceptions. The glass frames surrounding drawings, paintings and sculptures are often broken or warped, where objects may have tried to get in or out. In others, it is the object itself that is being altered. The works get more intriguing as you progress through the gallery.
The show closes 12/21/13.
From Betye Saar’s :The Alpha & Omega-The Beginning & The End
Betye Saar’s installation at Roberts & Tilton contains many objects all coming together to contemplate time, identity, nature and the world around us. Unlike her previous show at the gallery, Red Time, which challenged the viewer with both its imagery and the power of the color itself; The Alpha and Omega, creates a feeling of calm, both in its color palette of blues and grays but also in the objects chosen like clocks and ships. In both shows, history is an important theme. This can be seen most clearly in The Challenges of Fate, a sculpture within the work, made up of a black bird perched on a cage housing a ship, which is above a globe resting on a glass box of bones, all set upon a stack of books.
Also at the gallery is Projections Part II: Film As Painting, curated by Aaron Rose. Multiple films by various artists are presented through different projections and monitor displays. The films are very different in content but work together to present the concept of film as not just film, but moving painting. There are thirteen films within the show and their creation dates range from the earliest, Len Lye’s A Colour Box (1935) to Rose’s own The Dress (2013). One standout is Marie Menken’s Go! Go! Go! (1962-4) a frantic speeding up of footage of life in the 1960’s in New York.
Both shows close tomorrow, 12/14.
One of the paintings from the series The Women by Sarah Awad
Currently at Diane Rosenstein Fine Art, this show closes Saturday (11/30).
Images from Lari Pittman’s From A Late Western Impaerium
From the Regen Projects press release:
Pittman’s From A Late Western Impaerium constructs a loose narrative of nationhood that travels between our present time and the distant past. The compositionally dense works play with the social and current realities of today, with an interest in ornamentation and surface, and draw on the legacy of history as told through the Western canon of painting and the applied arts. Pittman poses the question of what a contemporary “history painting” might be today.
For more information about Lari Pittman, check out this article in Artillery Magazine
The show is up until December 21, 2013.
Today (11/23) at Regen Projects there is also a Raymond Pettibon book signing from 4-6pm.
This is the last weekend for Arts ReSTORE LA: Westwood. There are several events planned for the weekend including Popup Arcade Extravaganza– a free event on Saturday with games designed by former and current UCLA students.
Fallen Fruit: Fruitique!
This art installation/ thrift store is part of Arts ReSTORE LA: Westwood. Everything is fruit themed within the space including the wallpaper, numerous thrift store finds and even the music playing (Cherry Bomb was on when I was there- although that may have been coincidence). They are also planning fruit related activities throughout the event.
Fallen Fruit is an art collaboration originally conceived by David Burns, Matias Viegener, and Austin Young.
They are also part of the Ojai Art Festival this weekend.
Graciela Sacco from the show Resistance, In Transit
Resistance, In Transit at ADC Contemporary Art Gallery in Bergamot Station is a must see if you are headed there. Several multimedia pieces by the Argentinian artist create an overall sense of unease.
Also worth checking out at Bergamot Station:
Laura Karetzky , Brad Durham at Lora Schlesinger Gallery
Alex Weinstein at Leslie Sacks Contemporary
Sebastião Salgado at Peter Fetterman Gallery
You’re A Very Bad Man! by A.S. Ashley
Tomorrow (9/22/13) is the last day to see the 2013 Los Angeles Juried Exhibition at Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery located at Barnsdall Park. It includes 74 works of art by 46 artists selected from more than 900 submissions by 368 artists.
Today (8/18/13) is the last day of the Gary Baseman show at Skirball. It’s a fun show and great for kids!
