Stephen Neidich Presents New Kinetic Sculptures @ Wilding Cran In Los Angeles

Two years ago, at the end of the summer, Stephen Neidich set about creating a new kinetic sculpture, Wake Me Up When It’s Over for the L.A. On Fire group show at Wilding Cran Gallery. The piece was constructed from a fully fabricated Venetian blind, rendered in steel with exposed motor sprockets, roller chain, and backlit by a fiery red light. When Neidich began thinking about five more minutes please, his second solo show with Wilding Cran—his 2019 debut with the gallery, oikkm56, which featured a single kinetic installation fit with over a dozen steel chains affixed to 14 camshafts that monotonously smashed the chains against rubble sourced from construction sites around the artist’s Frogtown studio—he wanted to reexamine the movement of kinetic blinds, this time using the chain as a more painterly line within the works.

“Without the light you only see the movement, but with the light you get this eerie flicker, the shape and projections of fire masked by these sharp, simple movements that are a result of the shapes and shadows of the blind. The kinetics of the sculpture become the fire. But it’s not fire, it’s this hollow idea of a fire…. Ultimately these are machines, and the integrity comes not from their obsolescence, but from the grace of their intended performance,” says Neidich. “I started to think about the movement of this often dysfunctional object and how best to enhance it to the point of being performative.”

The gallery is lit only from the glow of each work and visitors to the space activate the dozen works in the exhibition (each varying in blind orientation and size, from 24 x 24 inches to 9 x 16 feet) by tripping a motion sensor upon entry that sets off a subtle symphony, placing each visitor inside a surround sound panopticon, a voyeuristic platform with a vantage upon a series of abstract horizons.

five more minutes please is on view by appointment through April 3 @ Wilding Cran Gallery 1700 S. Santa Fe Avenue, unit 460. photographs by Lani Trock

Majeure Force: Part II Group Show Marks Tenth Anniversary Of Night Gallery In Los Angeles

In this second installment of Night Gallery’s tenth-anniversary exhibition, forty-one artists have been assembled from its roster and surrounding community to celebrate the exuberant city of Los Angeles. It is a testament to the endurance of creativity and the power of art to continue bringing people together. The closing celebration included a performance by Daniel Gaitor-Lomack photographed below by Lani Trock. Majeure Force Part Two features work by Sarah Awad, Cara Benedetto, Josh Callaghan, Cynthia Daignault, Mira Dancy, Ian Davis, Daniel T. Gaitor-Lomack, Samara Golden, Paul Heyer, Ridley Howard, Khari Johnson-Ricks, JPW3, Grant Levy-Lucero, Tau Lewis, Anne Libby, Rose Marcus, Jesse Mockrin, Luke Murphy, Rashaad Newsome, Sterling Ruby, Melanie Schiff, Elaine Stocki, Claire Tabouret, Marisa Takal, Kandis Williams, and Andy Woll.

Mimi Jung: Eleven Minutes Fom Home @ Augusto Remington

Through the systematic and meticulous processes of weaving or deconstructing a wide variety of unconventional materials—from luscious mohair yarns to synthetic utilitarian textiles, poly cord, and paper— Mimi Jung examines the space in between: weft and warp, process and material, viewer and art-object. Exhibition on view at opening reception and by appointment only. photographs by Lani Trock

Robert Moreland: Deliberation @ Wilding Cran Gallery In Los Angeles

Just when you think you have the measure of them, these composites of painting and sculpture slip out of mental reach. At first glance Moreland’s latest body of work evokes the geometry of industrial spaces: a saw roof; bi-fold windows; up-and-over garage doors…. But the closer you approach, the more the architectural undertones are disrupted. In the face of brightly painted, leather-hinged, canvas-covered wooden panels, architecture gives way to a story of making. Tacks, tucks, folds: no part of fabrication is disguised. These crafted elements may lurk in the shadows but they are handled in such a way as to become significant features. Like the sixties Minimalism movement that it references, Moreland’s work is without pretension; unlike the Minimalists, it is not devoid of emotion or artistic gesture. There are just discernible brush strokes on the painted surfaces, and his striking use of color points up the geometry of each piece. Deliberation is on view through October 27 at Wilding Cran Gallery 939 South Santa Fe Avenue, Los Angeles. photographs by Lani Trock

Dane Johnson Presents "House Party 2" @ Charlie James Gallery In Los Angeles

House Party 2 follows up Dane Johnson’s House Party exhibition from 2017, wherein in the course of a few short days he activated the whole of a condemned house in Silver Lake with floor-to-ceiling interlocking figurative installations made from wood and painted in bold primary colors. House Party 2 will expand on the first show, presenting a series of paintings and sculptures depicting various forms of human interaction, connected by functional pieces which change the viewer’s relationship to the work. The emotional temperature of the figures and their interplay remains warm, their intersections supportive and loving, and essentially chaste. Bodies stretch out in mutual support, hold hands, share ledges, and walk in unison. Sculptural paintings are pieced together to create stages, platforms, ledges, and curtains that frame the actions of the figures: walking, talking, embracing, kissing. The scenes depicted in the works are amplified and connected by an array of functional pieces installed within the gallery space. Benches, stairs, and platforms lead the viewer to rest, climb, and stand while regarding the work, sometimes mirroring the poses in nearby pieces. House Party 2, read against the backdrop of contemporary social tension and general unease, and seasoned with the simplicity of its figuration, operates like a primer on the foundational postures of human kindness and cooperation. House Party 2 is on view through August 31 at Charlie James Gallery 969 Chung King Road, Los Angeles. photographs by Lani Trock

Group Show 'TRANS WORLD' Opens at @ Nicodim Gallery In Los Angeles

According to multiverse theory, every decision a person makes causes a split in the universe, wherein an alternate version of one’s self continues to exist in an alternate universe, living with the consequences of an alternate decision. There are an infinite number of variations of ourselves existing throughout time and space, having made an infinite number of differing decisions. BUT WHAT IF AN INDIVIDUAL IS ABLE TO OCCUPY MULTIPLE UNIVERSES SIMULTANEOUSLY? Trans World is on view through August 10 at Nicodim Gallery 571 S Anderson Street Ste 2, Los Angeles. photographs by Lani Trock

Stephen Neidich "Making the rounds (a place to wait)" @ Wilding Cran Gallery In Los Angeles

Making the rounds (a place to wait) is a new installation by Stephen Neidich is on view now at Wilding Cran gallery in Los Angeles. Comprised of long metal chains attached to mechanized camshafts that generate a circular rotation across blocks of urbanite, the resulting sculpture produces a mechanical melody that echoes throughout the gallery. This creates a contradiction of theory and practice – industrial forms rarely induce feelings of serenity, yet there is something hypnotic and oddly calming about the rhythm of metal hitting concrete. Neidich has repurposed but not totally decommissioned these moving parts. He does not attempt to fully disguise their recognizable forms but instead alludes to the performative nature of machines, focusing on their aesthetic qualities. On view through July 27 at Wilding Cran Gallery 939 South Santa Fe Ave, Los Angeles. photographs by Lani Trock

Group Show 'The Shape Of Content' @ Ochi Projects In Los Angeles

The Shape of Content is an exhibition of works by Thomas Linder, Erica Mahinay and Andrea Welton. By definition, form is the essential nature of a thing as distinguished from its matter. In his book from which this exhibition takes its title, Ben Shahn expanded on this definition by writing that “form is the shape of content” and argues that form cannot exist without content. The Shape of Content contextualizes three artists, who each use distinct materials, in their exploration of relating content—experience, memory and idea, to form—gesture, color and material.The Shape of Content is on view through July 13 at Ochi Projects 3301 W Washington Blvd, Los Angeles. photographs by Lani Trock

"Of Survival, Celebration, and Unlimited Semiosis" Group Show @ Freedman Fitzpatrick In Los Angeles

Of Survival, Celebration, and Unlimited Semiosis is a group show featuring works from Dachi Cole, Tommy, Hartung, Alima Lee, Kyp Malone, Diamond Stingily.

… those who fail to reread are obliged to read the same story everywhere … [Barthes]

What does this paradoxical statement imply? First, it implies that a single reading is composed of the already-read, that what we can see in a text the first time is already in us, not in it; in us insofar as we ourselves are a stereotype, an already-read text; and in the text only to the extent that the already read is that aspect of a text that it must have in common with its reader in order for it to be readable at all. When we read a text once, in other words, we can see in it only what we have already learned to see before.
– Barbara Johnson, The Critical Difference

from “Of Survival, Celebration, and Unlimited Semiosis,” Neveryóna, Samuel Delaney

Of Survival, Celebration, and Unlimited Semiosis is on view through July 6 at Freedman Fitzpatrick 6051 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles. photographs by Lani Trock


Cassi Namoda Presents The Day a Monkey is Destined to Die All Trees Become Slippery @ Ghebaly In Los Angeles

The Day a Monkey is Destined to Die All Trees Become Slippery is Cassi Namoda’s first solo exhibition in Los Angeles and explores the mythologies and proverbs of daily life in East Africa from the perspective of a vibrant young storyteller. The Day a Monkey is Destined to Die All Trees Become Slippery is on view through April 18 at Ghebaly gallery 2245 E. Washington Blvd, Los Angeles. photographs by Lani Trock

Kacie Lees Presents Necessary Phenomenon @ O’ Project Space In Los Angeles

Kacie Lees is an interdisciplinary artist based in Brooklyn, NY who uses video, neon, sculpture & installation as tools to explore theories of the void and source pathways to underdeveloped senses. Her practice builds on the experimental legacy of new media with an expansion towards fluid notions of space. Necessary Phenomenon will be on view through April 14 at O’ Project Space 2618 Pasadena Avenue, Los Angeles. photographs by Lani Trock

Autre Hosts A Mezcal Bruncheon Celebrating Issue Six And LA Eyeworks' New Collection Part II

On Sunday, October 14, Autre magazine hosted a mezcal bruncheon to celebrate our Fall/Winter 2018 issue and LA Eyeworks’ new collection at their iconic Neil Denari-designed flagship on Beverly Boulevard. Madre Mezcal provided cocktails and Tacos la Restirada provided brunch. Avant-garde percussionist and director of Monday Evening Concerts, Jonathan Hepfer, performed Iannis Xenakis 1975 composition, “Psappha.” photographs by Lani Trock

Tyler Matthew Oyer Launches “Calling All Divas” Print Edition @ Oof Books

OOF Books hosts the launch of Tyler Matthew Oyer's CALLING ALL DIVAS print edition. An installation in the bookstore was accompanied by a reading and screening event on Friday, August 10. The poems are reflections on / conversations with queer, femme, HIV+ radical inspiring individuals. This edition is made up of poems for Kembra Pfahler, Ron Athey, James Baldwin, Paul Thek, Grace Jones + Keith Haring, Jack Smith, Charles Ludlam, and David Wojnarowicz. These works dance with themes of legacy, inheritance, fandom, idol worship, archiving and tenderness. photographs by Lani Trock

"Separation" Group Show @ Tin Flats In Los Angeles

Separation is a group show fueled by the trauma unfolding at our borders. AVA has invited artists to respond to the border crisis and examines different ways separation has existed as a political strategy in American history. "Separation" is on view through August 26th at Tin Flats 1989 Blake Avenue, Los Angeles. photographs by Lani Trock

Group Show “How They Ran” @ Over The Influence

Taking the name from the second chapter of Germaine Greer’s landmark text “The Obstacle Race” from 1979, “How They Ran” brings together a selected group of LA-based artists whose diverse practices represent the heartbeat of the Los Angeles art scene today. Greer’s book presented an art historical account of artists who are missing from academic literature and how they overcame historical obstacles to achieve notoriety anyway. Through this lens, Over the Influence will present a group exhibition of LA-based artists from different backgrounds, practices, and generations. "How They Ran" is on view through September 5th at Over The Influence 833 East 3rd Street Los Angeles. photographs by Lani Trock

No)one. Art House Performs Sky Echo @ The Getty Center

Choreographed by Samantha Blake Goodman, Sky Echo is a psalm whispered to the universe, drifting the dancers in and out of the museum’s fountains. It is a trio performed by Bianca Medina, Chris Emile, and Sasha Rivero. The dancers move in costumes provided by New York-based designer Mara Hoffman to live musical accompaniment by vocalists AKUA and Anthony Calonico. This transcendent performance sways audiences and softly carries viewers to a place of bliss. photographs by Lani Trock

Environment[al]: Curated By Herwig Baumgartner & Marcelyn Gow @ SCI-Arc Gallery

Environment[al] is a public exhibition examining contemporary attitudes toward environment in a post-digital context. The capacity of constructed natures to produce admixtures of the natural and the synthetic is a focus. The changing character of environment in the context of technological innovation is considered through the projects in the exhibition. Taking into account recent approaches to our understanding of environment and contemporary modes of ecological awareness, the exhibition considers the possibility of environments where qualities are fused with objects not normally associated with them. Sites, objects, and spaces become estranged to engender multiple authenticities and produce a fusion between architectural form and forms germane to constructed natures. A multivalent implementation of environment, one that involves an agile negotiation with the changing character of the ecological in the context of technological change begins  to surface, these environments produce invigorated forms of tangible architectural presence and performance. Environment[al] is on view through August 26 at SCI-Arc Gallery 960 East 3rd Street Los Angeles. photographs by Lani Trock

Catalina Ouyang's Death Drive Joy Ride @ Make Room

Death Drive Joy Ride is Catalina Ouyang’ s first solo exhibition in Los Angeles. The exhibition features a new body of sculpture, installation and video. Taking East Asian fox spirits as a departure point, the work positions mythic desires for immortality alongside a contemporary endeavor to find joy and community amid a seemingly inexorable drive toward planetary destruction. Death Drive Joy Ride speaks (or wails) honestly from the positionality of its maker: a lonely Chinese-American girl clawing her way through our Wicked Problems. Death Drive Joy Ride is on view through August 8 at Make Room 1035 North Broadway Los Angeles. photographs by Lani Trock

Debut Performance Of Maceo Paisley's Untangling Manhood @ PAM

On May 25, 2018 PAM hosted the debut performance of Untangling Manhood, Maceo Paisley investigates gender through embodied inquiry, juxtaposing identity and social constructs. Using movement, language, and audience interaction, Paisley guides us through a narrative that goes beyond making art, inviting audiences to confront themselves in the process. photographs by Lani Trock

Opening Of 'Water & Power' Curated By Noah Davis @ The Underground Museum

Noah Davis’ fourth exhibition curated from MOCA’s permanent collection features four seminal artworks by Olafur Eliasson, Hans Haacke, James Turrell and Fred Eversley that use natural phenomena as sculptural material, along with a poem installation by LA’s Poet Laureate, Robin Coste Lewis. The show is a meditation. Water. Flow. Woman. Moon. Aqueducts. Flint. Light. Climate. “Seeing yourself seeing”. Power. Water & Power is on view at the Underground Museum 3508 W. Washington Boulevard Los Angeles. photographs by Lani Trock