It was great to see new work by Keya Tama and his partner Isolina Minjeong at Court Tree Collective in Industry City. I last saw Tama’s work in Los Angeles in 2019. The woven and ceramic pieces they have created for Defender are charming and reflect their personal backgrounds. The couple have also kept the prices low to encourage younger collectors.
From the gallery-
Court Tree Collective proudly presents “Defender”, a duo exhibition by Isolina Minjeong and Keya Tama. These two young artists work by blending the old with the new and by infusing their cultural heritage into their creations. This new body of work breathes fresh life into traditional art forms. Their work is a vibrant reflection of their identity and experiences, enriching the viewer with diverse perspectives and narratives. The title “Defender” is for upholding traditions in a modern world. The exhibition features folklore history through ceramics, paintings, and tapestries. Combining traditional art forms, while incorporating elements of pop culture brings to light the protection of the past. Exacting the moment of when history becomes relevant in both the past and future.
Playing off each other’s strengths has unified the work as something special. Not only as two artists in pursuit of creating together, but in working in the present to bring a unique perspective on art history.
“Defender” is an exhibition of their collaborative language. Through tapestries, paintings, muralism, and ceramic sculptures, Keya and Isolina protect each other’s hearts. This is their first duo exhibition in New York.
Justus Proffit is having a record release party at Zebulon with Pardoner and Orchin also performing
MOCA Grand Avenue is having the last iteration of its Blame the Audience free film series organized by Jason Simon. Tonight features the films Tiger Morse by Andy Warhol, If Andy Warhol’s Super-8 Camera Could Talk by Roddy Bogawa, and Outfitumentary by K8 Hardy.
There’s an art walk and block party with live music, live artists, vendors, art, and more in Mar Vista
Brooklyn based multimedia artist Miss Eaves will be performing her songs at The Hi Hat (free)
Adia Victoria is playing at the Moroccan Lounge with Dick Stusso and Sofia Bolt opening
Friday
ArtNight Pasadena returns with its free evening of live music, performances, and free admission to museums and galleries in Pasadena. There will also be free shuttles to take you around to the various locations.
Artist Carrie Mae Weems is combining music, text, projection and video for her performance based work Past Tense at The Theatre at the Ace Hotel. The work looks at the famous work Antigone and its relevance to today’s political times.
French for Rabbits and Kate Teague are playing a free early show at Gold-Diggers
Big Wild are playing at The Novo with Robotaki and Mild Minds opening
Rosie Tucker will be performing at The Hi Hat to celebrate the release of her new LP
Small Forward and Jerkagram are opening for Reptaliens at The Satellite
Black Midi are playing at the Bootleg Theater with SK Kakraba and Superet opening
Saturday
Empress Of is playing at the El Rey Theatre with Salt Cathedral and Saro opening
At Bergamot Station there will be several artist talks starting at 10:30am with Stan Edmonson, Lou Beach and Pierre Picot speaking at Craig Krull; Laurie Raskin at Skidmore Contemporary Art at 11:30am; and Gabriel Sanchez and Carlo Macucci at Lora Schlesinger Gallery at 12:30pm
Helms Bakery District has free screenings all day of over 24 short films on architecture and design. They will be shown on a loop in the six participating showrooms.
Atlas Obscura and Adam Papagan are hosting a screening of Public Access Talent Show, which focuses on performances unique to LA, at Zebulon
Beatriz Cortez and Rafa Esparza will be at Craft Contemporary to speak about their collaborative relationship as artists and friends and their work (free but rsvp)
Sad Park are playing at The Smell with The Groans, Gold Vine and .XOM
Julia Holter is playing Lodge Room with Tess Roby opening
Sammy Brue, Alaska Reid and Will Fox are playing a free show at Bootleg Theater
Sunday
Zebulon has a free screening of Stanley Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove- Or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love The Bomb and later they are hosting Weirdo Night with Dynasty Handbag, Patty Schemel and other performers along with a screening of the 1983 film City of Lost Souls, a queer punk musical starring Jayne County
It’s the last day to see Ralph Ziman’s Casspir Project at The Rendon Gallery and the second day of live painting that Ziman will be doing at the gallery with fellow artist Keya Tama
Smokescreens and The Molochs are opening for The Monochrome Set at the Echoplex
DJ Windows 98 (Win Butler of Arcade Fire) will be performing at 1720
Currently at The Rendon Gallery, at a pop-up space on Palmetto Street, is Los Angeles based South African artist Ralph Ziman’s exhibition, The Casspir Project. The Casspir is a massive military vehicle that was used to terrorize the civilian population in South Africa during the apartheid-era. Sadly, they are still used by police forces in certain parts of the world, including in the United States. Ziman, with a team of artists from Zimbabwe and the Mpumalanga province of South Africa, have covered the Casspir in brightly colored beads in traditional patterns, making something beautiful out of what was once a symbol of horror.
Although the vehicle is the centerpiece, the exhibition also focuses on the arms trade and includes photos, a video, and additional beaded work. From the press release-
For this iteration of The Casspir Project, Ziman has designed the massive gallery space with a “macro and micro” experience in mind. Each room within the gallery space brings context to the next, informing the project as whole. The exhibition starts with an installation of brightly colored AK-47s leading into a room with large photographs taken in Soweto. For the photos, Ziman recreated scenes from newspapers during the apartheid, incorporating many of the elements found within the exhibition such as the beaded guns and SPOEK 1. A screening room shows a 20 minute documentary by Ziman which tells the history of the Casspir, from its design and conception to people’s personal experiences with it in the ‘70s and ‘80s. It chronicles Ziman’s reclaiming of the Casspir, detailing how he transformed and Africanized it. The exhibition culminates with the dramatic presentation of SPOEK 1, lit only by a spotlight in a dark room.
Opening a dialogue between those who remember and those too young to know, The Casspir Project is a profound attempt to reconcile history. Ziman has reclaimed the savagely violent brute—embellished and bedazzled, the Casspir has been made less threatening, its power and authority subverted.
This exhibition has been extended through 3/10/19 and this weekend Ziman will be live painting at the gallery with artist Keya Tama.
