iiu Susiraja lives and works in Turku, Finland. This is her second exhibition with Ramiken, and her first exhibition in Los Angeles. Her work is now on view at the Rubell Family Collection in Miami in the group exhibition Still Human. She is currently an artist-in-residence at the ISCP in New York. 'What Am I ?' is on view through June 16 at Ghebaly Gallery 245 East Washington Boulevard Los Angeles. photographs by Lani Trock
Milka Djordjevich’s ANTHEM, presented by Los Angeles Performance Practice, currently on a three-night run at Ghebaly Gallery in Los Angeles, is a pulsing kaleidoscope of movement that is difficult to label. Maybe disco dressage comes close, a choreographed disintegration loop, something akin to the rising and fading blips on a Soviet-era heart monitor, performed by a distant artificially intelligent species programmed only with 1.44 megabytes of 20th century cabaret instruction. In actuality the dance is performed by four human women named Laurel Atwell, Jessica Cook, Dorothy Dubrule, and Devika Wickremesinghe.
According to Djordjevich, ANTHEM utilizes “existing and imagined vernacular dance styles” to explore “labor, play, and feminine-posturing.” You could say that this trifecta becomes a first, second and third act by which to break down the performance, and break down it will. Within the hour-long performance, an innocent playground clapping game turns into a cocaine fever dream that reminds you of Sydney Pollack’s 1969 adaption of Horace McCoy’s 1935 novel, They Shoot Horses, Don't They? It's about a Great Depression-era dance marathon the devolves into desperation, exhaustion, greed and death. ANTHEM is electric and existentially thrilling in the same context. It is a fragmented mirror reflecting an alternate reality that absorbs the viewer within Djordjevich’s enthralling matrix, helped maybe by the droning, undulating music of Chris Peck and theatrical communist bloc, discotheque-toned lighting by Madeline Best.
Each dancer, one with a full Petra Von Kant afro, arrive in a kind of centipede-like daisy chain, various lackadaisical rhythmic exercises turn into cavalier Saturday Night Fever dance moves performed with brilliantly stolid indifference. Soon, the dancers climb on top of each other, writhing double-deckers of velvet covered flesh. One chews gum, blows bubbles and makes awkward eye contact with the audience. Two of them lose their shoes. At points they all rehydrate and fix their hair as they fall into a hypnotic groove, one of which takes on a texture of movement that has a robotic, cool remove. Mascara, eye shadow and sweat glistens. The dancers slowly succumb to gravity and exhaustion, like bon vivants at dawn. They emerge from their stupor to return from whence they came. The fever has broken and no bitter tears were shed.
ANTHEM has three remaining performances in Los Angeles, Saturday 6/9 at 10pm, Sunday 6/10 at 3pm & 7pm. Ghebaly Gallery is located at 2245 E Washington Boulevard. photographs by Summer Bowie
Autre’s rainbow magic Summer 2018 Issue features a 23-page interview of the legendary Los Angeles-based Norwegian-born photographer Torbjørn Rødland who has three major solo exhibitions this summer. One in Los Angeles at David Kordansky gallery, one at Bergen Kunsthall in Norway and one at Fondazione Prada in Milan. The feature includes a double interview with Autre’s editor-in-chief Oliver Maxwell Kupper and one with Serpentine Gallery’s director Hans-Ulrich Obrist. This issue also includes over 40 pages of fashion editorials with LVMH prize finalist Eckhaus Latta and Maryam Nassir Zadeh. Autre also interviews actor Matthew Modine with rare photographs from the set of Stanley Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket, feminist surrealist Penny Slinger, Lisa Immordino Vreeland on the legacy of photographer Cecil Beaton with gorgeous self portraits, Duncan Hannah on living the high life in New York City, Marilyn Minter on her new show at Regen Projects, legendary German New Wave director Wim Wenders, and Herb Alpert. The summer edition also includes an excerpt from Françoise Hardy’s memoirs, interviews with Lauren Halsey about her community-based practice and Koak about the power of comics, and a special photo document from Pierre-Ange Carlotti. Preorder now – the first ten orders receive a previous issue of Autre of your choosing, for free (exempt are issues volume one issue three with John Baldessari and volume two issue one with David Hockney). Only 50 copies left of our Spring 2018 issue featuring Paul Thomas Anderson.
In Rachel Comey's daring new pre-spring collection vivid colors, along with delicate, varying textures and proportions abound as she responds to the current moment. A moment emboldened by an undercurrent of resistance and irreverence towards dominant structures long overdue for upheaval. Setting the stage of her runway show at the old Bullocks Wilshire department store where Helen Gurley Brown used to be a secretary and Angela Lansbury was a salesclerk, she takes inspiration from the space by embellishing materials and decorating the silhouettes themselves - layering tulle belts over zebra denim or colorblocked wool trousers. Hand cut and dyed flowers dangle from the ear, sit at the neck or frame the face. A zebra jacquard is used for volume on top and to finish the look in a purposeful wedge sandal. In the spirit of Katherine Hepburn who used to shop here for shoes in the men's department, she has proposed new tuxedos and other alternative ideas for event dressing. Fringe and rhinestone decorate the legs and feathers are used in one gesture at the neck or from the ear, while in other moments the body is stripes.
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
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., 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
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
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 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
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 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
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
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
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
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.
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
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
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
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
