LAXART Reopening Benefit And Art Auction In Los Angeles

This summer, LAXART will be welcoming the international art community to celebrate its newly revamped exhibition space, kicking off the celebration with a multi-week festival of events and a new site-specific mural by Barbara Kruger. Under the leadership of Director Hamza Walker, LAXART will share its newly expanded mission and reinvigorated programming. Founded in 2005, LAXART promotes developments in contemporary culture through exhibitions, publications and public programs, using contemporary art and performance as a means of understanding key issues of our time. For this launch, the exterior of the building has been visually adorned with a new site specific work by Barbara Kruger. Wrapping around the building’s façade, Untitled (It) speaks to the immediate central Hollywood environ with its pawn shops, peep shows, dollar stores, nail salons, marijuana dispensaries and currency exchanges—all nodes of identity, commerce and elements that define the unique urban topology of Los Angeles. The opening benefit included musical performances by Rob Mazurek and Ambrose Akinmusire, as well as a selection of works on auction by Liz Larner, Karl Holmqvist, Arthur Jafa, Glenn Ligon and Jonas Wood. Kruger’s Untitled (It) is on display from June 3 through Fall 2018. photographs by Oliver Kupper

Underground Museum Hosts Rick Lowe Artist Talk As Part Of USC Roski's Public Lecture Series Social Practice Course

Rick Lowe is one of nearly a dozen artists invited to give lectures as part of USC Roski's *Culture in Action: Conversations in Social Practice Art. In this series students, international visitors and guest speakers consider an evolving practice in a seminar based on questions each participant brings to the classroom. What conditions apply to critical art practice in the public realm and how do these relate to the urban, social and political? What is the relationship between art and democracy? What is the long-term sustainability of community-based socially engaged art? How do informal pedagogic, public address and dialogic strategies apply to students’ own practices in art, design, theater, intermedia, cinema, communications and urban planning, among others? MA and Ph.D. candidates from schools outside of Roski are especially encouraged to apply to support their specific professional development goals. The course includes intimate conversations, public lectures, field trips, group dinners and an opportunity to study alongside Norwegian artists and curators. This intensive experience is a collaboration between Roski School of Art and Design and KORO, Public Art Norway in Oslo. For more information and full schedule of events visit Roski. photographs by Lani Trock

Made In L.A. 2018 @ The Hammer Museum in Los Angeles

Made In L.A., the Hammer Museum's exceedingly comprehensive biennial just celebrated the opening of its fourth installment, and it's decidedly the best one yet. Curated by the Hammer's senior curator, Anne Ellegood and Erin Christovale, the newest member of the Hammer's curatorial team, the show features 33 artists from widely diverse backgrounds who employ immensely disparate media and span an age gap of 68 years. While the biennial doesn't proclaim any particular theme, almost all of the work presented is new and was made in response to the predicaments of the present. Much has happened since the last installment of 2016, and our collective experience has been marked by devastating fires, hurricanes, earthquakes and drought, government-mandated religious bigotry, deportations sans due process, countless recorded accounts of police brutality against black and brown citizens, countless school shootings, etc. Heavily steeped in political and social response as it may be, though, there's nothing didactic or sanctimonious about it. Instead the thread that connects all of these works together is one that explores the idea of citizenship in the present moment. In it we see stories of our past, how they led to the present, how they define who we are, and determine what is in store. A collective moment to "count using only your breath" as taisha paggett instructs us to do on a handwritten note taped to a microphone. She is one of several artists who will be performing and activating the space throughout the run of the show. Throughout the summer there will also be numerous lectures and walkthroughs with the curators, so there are plenty of reasons to take your time and come back a few times. Artists featured include: Carmen Argote, James Benning, Diedrick Brackens, Carolina Caycedo, Neha Choksi, Beatriz Cortez, Mercedes Dorame, Celeste Dupuy-Spencer, Aaron Fowler, Nikita Gale, Jane Gordon & Megan Whitmarsh, Lauren Halsey, EJ Hill, Naotaka Hiro, John Houck, Luchita Hurtado, Gelare Khoshgozaran, Candice Lin, Charles Long, Nancy Lupo, Daniel Joseph Martinez, MPA, Alison O'Daniel, Eamon Ore-Giron, taisha paggett, Christina Quarles, Michael Queenland, Patrick Staff, Linda Stark, Flora Wiegmann, Suné Woods, and Rosha Yaghmai. To learn more about lectures, performances and programming related to Made In L.A., visit the Hammer. The exhibition will be on view through September 2, 2018 at The Hammer Museum 10899 Wilshire Blvd. Los Angeles. photographs by Oliver Kupper

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 Metamorphosis, Lightly (Intimacy Of Form) Group Show @ OOF Books

In a quest to challenge our perceptions of materiality, objectivity, gender identity and medium, Alex Rojas has curated a group show that pushes the individual boundaries of self.  Featured artists include Nasim Hantehzadeh, Carolyn Janssen, Larissa Lockshin, Erica Mahinay, Sophia Narrett, and Sarah Ann Weber. These works highlight the perennial and intimate connection with chaos inherent in human existence. Speaking to a desire for reason, these works provide intimate outlets for exploration and clarity through identity and physicality. The exhibition is on through July 1, 2018 at OOF Books 912A Cypress Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90065. photographs by Lani Trock

Charles Ray: "Three Rooms And The Repair Annex" @ Matthew Marks In New York

Charles Ray has divided the larger gallery, 522 West 22nd Street, into three rooms and installed a single sculpture in each one. Reclining Woman(2018), in the center of the main room, is machined from solid stainless steel. Presented in a relaxed pose on a rectangular steel base almost at eye level, the figure is slightly larger than life-size. The subject’s body has not been idealized, and every detail, from the toes on her feet to the mole on her cheek, is carved with a directness matched by her frank facial expression. Charles Ray: three rooms and the repair annex is on view through June 16 at Matthew Marks Gallery 522 W 22 Street and 526 W 22 Street New York. photographs by Adam Lehrer

Jean Dubuffet's Théâtres De Mémoire @ Pace Gallery In New York

Pace Gallery presents the first exhibition of Jean Dubuffet’s Théâtres de mémoire series in New York since 1979. The exhibition is curated by Arne Glimcher, the founder of Pace Gallery. “These gigantic collages are composed of overlapping papers, layer upon layer, where Dubuffet has tested their placement by moving the elements, adding, rearranging, and deleting images until an eventual perfect coalescence of the interlocking parts satisfied the artist,” says Glimcher. The Théâtres de mémoire is one of Dubuffet’s most important series of works, and contains some of the largest paintings he ever made. Each work is made up of smaller paintings, which the artist cut out and glued to the canvas. The paintings depict abstractions, landscapes, scribbles and figures from Dubuffet’s mind. For Dubuffet, each of the Théâtres de mémoire is a collection of actual places and scenes that crowd and conflict in our memory. The exhibition is on view through June 29th at Pace Gallery 510 West 25th Street New York. Photographs by Adam Lehrer

This Brush for Hire: Norm Laich & Many Other Artists @ Institute of Contemporary Art

This Brush for Hire: Norm Laich and Many Other Artists surveys an array of world-renowned artists and one indispensable assistant—the Los Angeles-based artist, sign painter, and fabricator Norm Laich. The exhibition will consist of paintings and graphic installations fabricated by Laich over the past three decades. Laich has been a key contributor to the production of many iconic works by a range of artists including Ed Ruscha, Paul McCarthy, Barbara Kruger, Allen Ruppersberg, and Jenny Holzer, among many others. The exhibition is on view through September 2 at Institute of Contemporary Art 717 East 7th Street Los Angeles. photographs by Oliver Maxwell Kupper

Carroll Dunham's Wrestlers Paintings @ Gladstone Gallery In New York

 This show features large-scale paintings from Carroll Dunham's Wrestlers series, which demonstrate Dunham’s continued exploration of and fascination with interpretations of the nude body with particular attention to the male form. Made over the last year, these paintings reflect a clear new direction for the artist through the lens of the distinctive approach to painting that Dunham has employed and tinkered with throughout his career. Using the visual language of mythological depictions of wrestling, mined from art historical sources and his own memory, these paintings propose new through lines in Dunham’s practice that are both formal and autobiographical in nature. The exhibition is on view through June 16 at Gladstone Gallery 24th Street New York. photographs by Adam Lehrer

"An Homage To Hollis Benton" Group Show Curated by Aaron Moulton @ Over The Influence Gallery In Los Angeles

Over the Influence Los Angeles is proud to present this unprecedented homage to Los Angeles gallerist Hollis Benton. In 1980 the Hollis Benton Gallery opened its doors on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. Architect Michael Graves gave the architectural concept pro bono. Decked out in chrome, marble surfaces, and harsh accent walls; it was a loud bullhorn for the day’s visual culture. In its nearly ten-year run the gallery broke all the rules for selling out and became an aspirational pioneer in the process. Hollis Benton was a brash British collector with family connections to Hollywood. He bought Memphis furniture, Patrick Nagel paintings, and Robert Graham sculptures. His scene was never part of the mainstream art world of Los Angeles and for him that made him a maverick. In 1979, thanks to Benton’s long friendship with Hugh Hefner, the artists Patrick Nagel and LeRoy Neiman both began collaborations with Playboy magazine. It would rocket their fame making them voices of a generation. For nearly a decade both artists would paint multiple exclusive images for every issue of Playboy. Neiman became the Playboy Mansion’s artist-in-residence. Click here to read more. An Homage To Hollis Benton will be on view until June 24, 2017 at Over The Influence gallery in Los Angeles. photographs by Oliver Kupper

Fotografiska Honors The Work Of 83 Photographic Masters In Their Brand New Monograph: The Eye

Ellen von Unwerth, Again?, 1997

To celebrate the first eight years of exhibitions in their iconic Stockholm venue and their 2019 openings, Fotografiska just released this gorgeous photography book, called The Eye.

Albert Watson, Waris, Ouarzazate, Morocco, 1993

The Eye, featuring 256 images from 83 of the best photographers in the world, is a vibrant photo book that interprets the evolution of the field. It highlights a unique selection of exhibited photography, ranging from icons to bold and exciting new talents, and includes work of masters such as Bryan Adams, Roger Ballen, Guy Bourdin, Nick Brandt, Edward Burtynsky, Anton Corbijn, Elliott Erwitt, Esther Haase, Pieter Hugo, David LaChapelle, Robert Mapplethorpe, Sarah Moon, Jimmy Nelson, Helmut Newton, Martin Parr, Andres Petersen, Bettina Rheims, Herb Ritts, Paolo Roversi, Sebastião Salgado, Martin Schoeller, Vee Speers, Christian Tagliavini, and Albert Watson.

Emma Svensson, Diva, 2016

The Eye is available for pre-order here.

Inez & Vinoodh, Joan via Inez, Theatergroep, Mugmetdegoudentand, 2015

Greg Ito's "Hallowed Ground" @ ArtCubed LA

Margaret Wise Brown’s iconic children’s book, Goodnight Moon, was published at a time when research on child’s psychology was germinating. The story was instrumental because it strayed from the fairytales and legends typically reserved for children and focused instead on what was directly familiar to them, i.e. what items lay about in their room. Familiarity manifests itself in Greg Ito’s penchant for giant neon-lit candelabras and paintings of mythological imagery juxtaposed with local geography, many of which are bordered by window sills echoing the illustrations from Brown’s book.

In conjunction with Ito’s installation is a dining experience from chef Richard Blais, who’s tailored his dishes to Ito’s works in order to complement and correspond playfully (some plates include “Bird in Hand” and “Unicorn Soup”) rather than mimic abjectly. Hallowed Ground follows a lineage of art and dinner-related installations; Judy Chicago’s The Dinner Party and more recently, Monkey Town, come to mind.

Pop-ups have become standard fare as fleeting outlets for creative synthesis; Blais himself could be recognized for his appearance on ‘Top Chef’. But with familiarity also lurks the unrevealed or obscured. “Everything is not what it seems”, muses Blais. The exhibition’s name reinforces the exhibition’s church-like layout, and Ito’s paintings adorn the walls like stained-glass windows. However, while the candelabras induce a divine glow, they also emulate a sordid motel’s vacancy sign or even the hues of a red-light district.

The marriage of Ito’s multidisciplinary installation and Blais’ culinary accompaniment creates a spectacle. Considering the show is also housed in a former Hollywood soundstage, Hallowed Ground alludes to the Entertainment Capital of the World’s capacity to seduce the city’s art world.

Hallowed Ground runs from May 11th - June 3rd, 2018 at ArtCubed LA (1541 N. Cahuenga Blvd., Los Angeles, CA, 90028).

Liam Casey is a freelance writer, researcher and DJ from Los Angeles. In addition to being a contributor for Berlin Art Link, he also has a background in housing and urban planning, co-developing a think-tank on Los Angeles’ housing crisis. He is also a co-organizer and resident of the queer collective Bubbles.

Monday Evening Concerts Closes 2018 Season With Meredith Monk & Julius Eastman

For the finale concert of Monday Evening Concert's 79th season, artistic director, Jonathan Hepfer offered a pairing of rarely performed works by the American mavericks Meredith Monk and Julius Eastman. Eastman's Femenine was described by the New York Times as "a longing, tender, grandly unruffled 70-minute masterpiece that takes its place at the pinnacle of the Eastman works that have survived," and Monk’s storied career as a vocalist, composer, dancer, choreographer and filmmaker has influenced luminaries from Bruce Nauman to Jean-Luc Godard. The towering pianists Ursula Oppens and Gloria Cheng join us to present selections from Monk's solo and duo piano catalogue. Eastman and Monk, who were colleagues in real life, are reunited in spirit at MEC’s 2018 season finale. photographs by Lani Trock

New Paintings And Photographs By Marilyn Minter @ Regen Projects Gallery In Los Angeles

Over the course of her decades-long career, Marilyn Minter has developed a singular and provocative pictorial language imbued with themes of desire, power, glamour, and beauty. Oftentimes simultaneously seductive and repugnant, her paintings and photographs mine the imagery of Hollywood, fashion, advertising, and pornography while also referencing the history of art. Inspired by feminism and sexual politics, her subversive pictures reframe the conversation about looking and the female figure in visual culture. The exhibition is on view through June 23 at Regen Projects 6750 Santa Monica Boulevard Los Angeles. photographs by Oliver Maxwell Kupper & portrait by Mathilde Huron

Los Angeles-Based Painters Mattea Perrotta & Jonathan Ryan @ The Landing

Both born in 1989, Mattea Perrotta and Jonathan Ryan. each started out as observational painters and are now working in abstraction. Mattea Perrotta began painting portraits, then pivoted to a simplified, abstract series of shapes that capture and distill the essence of her female subjects into flattened, geometric forms. Jonathan Ryan’s abstractions reference architecture and universal form, he uses repetition and drop shadows to depict impossible structures. The exhibition is on view through June 30 at the Landing 5118 w Jefferson Boulevard Los Angeles. photographs by Lani Trock

Seventh Installment Of National Peace Service @ Kinship Yoga

The ‘National Peace Service’ is an ongoing series of activated, immersive installations. Each site is connected by intention, but is unique in expression. The project employs methods of social art practice as an intentional inquiry into the artist’s role and responsibility in the active cultivation of a peaceful society. 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

The Eye Sees Not Itself Opening @ Nicodim Gallery

The Eye Sees Not Itself arrives from conflicting encounters with the Eurocentric academy, burgeoning metropolitan cultures and spaces, and indigenous histories as forms and concepts, systems and processes, to approach the metaphysical context of artistic practice and production. The exhibition includes works from artists Umar Rashid, Moffat Takadiwa, Charles Dickson, Lavar Munroe, Simphiwe Ndzube and Buhlebezwe Siwani. The Eye Sees Not Itself is on view through June 16 at Nicodim Gallery 571 S Anderson Street Ste 2 Los Angeles. photographs by Lani Trock

'Sweat' A Group Show About Labor @ Nous Tous Gallery

Sweat comes from work. All to often the people sweating, the people working. Are forgotten. This show celebrates members of communities of labor, their contributions, their agency. The exhibition features works from artists Oscar Ochoa, Robben Muñoz, Rosalee Bernabe and Ben Miover. Sweat was on view May 5th at Nous Tous Gallery 454b Jung Jing Rd Chinatown Los Angeles. photographs by Lani Trock

Todd Weaver Signing Copies Of His New Book @ Zebulon In Los Angeles

The book’s title 36 refers first, to the number of frames Weaver captured of each subject, and secondly, to the number of subjects he captured. Each shoot would only be 3 minutes long, each photograph taken every 5 seconds. I would photograph while I stood in one place and ticked off the time audibly, with the subject free to move in and out of frame as they desired. The book includes portraits of Ariana Papademetropoulos, Devendra Banhart, Andrü Sisson, Father John Misty, Robbie Williamson, Double Diamond Sun Body and more. The book is available for pre-order at www.toddweaver.com. photograph by Oliver Maxwell Kupper