I was very sad to hear the news of artist and activist Faith Ringgold’s recent passing. Throughout her incredible career she created work in a variety of mediums including painting, sculpture, and narrative quilts. She also wrote and illustrated several children’s books- including the wonderful Tar Beach, based on one of the quilts, which won several awards.
Pictured above is American People Series #20: Die, 1967, currently on view at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
From the museum about the work-
Recalling her motivation for making this work, Ringgold has explained, “I became fascinated with the ability of art to document the time, place, and cultural identity of the artist. How could l, as an African American woman artist, document what was happening around me?” Ringgold’s American People Series confronts race relations in the United States in the 1960s. This mural-sized painting evokes the civil uprisings erupting around the country at the time. On the canvas, blood spatters evenly across an interracial group of men, women, and children, suggesting that no one is free from this struggle.
Jo Westfall, “The Queens Astronomer”, 2023, Mixed media
Christine Mauersberger, “Kates Bouquet”, 2022, Digital print on Japanese Kozo paper, of loom weaving
Cat Mailloux, “Rose Window”, 2023, Quilted appliqué on found fabric
Suzi Hyden, “If the Sun Could Kiss Me”, 2023, Toned cyanotype on vintage linen hand-stitched onto metal fencing
Above are a few of the works from Common Thread, the current exhibition at Malone University’s art gallery. It is on view until 2/29/24.
From the gallery about the show-
Although quite different, all artists in this exhibition are united by the idea of textiles. Suzi Hyden’s work celebrates the environment by combining elements from nature and repurposed materials to create cyanotypes on vintage fabrics.
Cat Mailloux’s textile practice is focused in quilt making, pursuing connections between the visual language of churches, cathedrals, and domestic spaces that slowly bleed their way into imagined and limitless landscapes, exploring questions of the infinite through material.
Christine Mauersberger’s body of work is aesthetically eclectic. Hard and soft. Digital and analog. Some pieces fill a room, others can be held in your hand. The common thread is that each piece attempts to make the invisible visible.
Jo Westfall creates visual work considered resource art. It is portraiture, fiber art, and assemblage made with local materials that were discarded, overlooked, or unused. It reclaims the aesthetic capacity and utility of these items by integrating them into fresh renderings.
This exhibition includes my organically shaped geometric art quilts from various series from 2020-23. I utilize improvisation, repeat patterns and shifts in scale while incorporating colors, textures, and structures representative of the diversity of the people and the natural surroundings of my current home in South Florida.
I use diversely toned second-hand, gifted, or saved fabrics and dyes from locally sourced plants and rust. Textiles are also manipulated with burning and staining with inks and acrylic paint. Other materials, such as neoprene, sequins, and faux leather, reference Miami’s pop culture.
Along with my constant interest in American Folk-Art Quilts, geometric-abstract artists from the mid to late twentieth century are my influencers, including Gees Bend quilters, Elizabeth Murray, Helen Frankenthaler, Anni Albers, and Gego. These artistic voices have driven me to create quilts of scale with strong personal symbolism and narrative.
Día de Los Muertos at Hollywood Forever claims to be the biggest in the country. This year Lila Downs is headlining, and there will be dance performances, art shows and altars as well as food and drink all around the cemetery to celebrate ($20)- http://www.ladayofthedead.com/
Grand Ave Arts All Access has several events going on from 10am-5pm including a working orchestra rehearsal of LA Opera’s production of the new opera Moby-Dick, architectural tours of the Broad Museum, free entrance to MOCA and more- http://grandavearts.tumblr.com/
If you are downtown you can also attend the free Sixth Street Bridge Farewell Festival and Concert with performances by War, Aloe Blacc, and others and a fireworks show at the end to say goodbye to the iconic bridge that will soon be demolished- https://www.facebook.com/events/923096777770808/
Hammer Museum is having Hammer Bash to celebrate the opening of two new exhibitions of work by Frances Stark and Lawren Harris. DJs, drinks and food from 8-10 (free)- http://hammer.ucla.edu/hammerbash/
Saturday and Sunday
The Observatory in Santa Ana is hosting the awesome 2-day event Beach Goth 4– bands include The Growlers, Grimes, Die Antwoord, Juicy J, The Drums, FIDLAR, DIIV, Cherry Glazerr, Warpaint, and many, many, more ($100 for both days)- http://www.observatoryoc.com/events/beach-goth-4
LACMA is having a special screening of Claes Oldenburg’s “Possibly a Special on the Bag” which goes behind the making of his famous giant ice bag (free)-http://www.lacma.org/event/possibly-special-bag
Artist Frances Stark will discuss “the political subtext and artistry” of the film Casa de mi Padre starring Will Ferrell. He will be there along with the director, writer and producer “for a post-screening conversation about the distinctly unfunny
consequences of America’s appetite for drugs, including drug-related violence in Mexico”(free)- http://hammer.ucla.edu/programs-events/2015/10/casa-de-mi-padre/
