Artist and Activist Mel Greet and Jeff Vespa’s Photographic Works Put the Spotlight on Gun Control

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Sculptural social realist Mel Greet presents a powerful and unique show, The Truth of Consequences, at the Bruce Lurie Gallery, opening February 9th. Green’s three-dimensional work is commanding, as he conceptually reshapes conventional objects to provide meaningful insight into social conditions.

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The familiarity of many images allows viewers to find and understand essential issues, while offering sometimes humorous takes on the world around us.

Paired with Greet at the Gallery are works by photographic artist Jeff Vespa, to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the seventeen students murdered at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb 14th last year in Parkland, Florida. Vespa offers 16 black and white portraits of the victim’s classmates along with a large screen video installation with testimonials created by Vespa. His work was originally featured in People Magazine and Buzz Feed.Wall Layout

Greet and The Bruce Lurie Gallery are donating part of the proceeds of two of his works “Going Shopping” and “New Math,” to the Brady Campaign. Greet hopes that the exhibition itself will serve as a focal point for politicians to recognize and act on sensible gun legislation.

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As to Greet’s work itself, his sculptural pieces utilizes a wide range of mixed media, from copper wire and textured plastic to the actual taxidermied skin of a snake. The artist’s involving textures help to shape his subject matter, and his sometimes whimsical take on modern life reflects the surrealism of Rene Magritte, the artist’s namesake. His goal is to create a connectivity with his viewers to engage them, encourage understanding, commitment, and action. 

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“Going Shopping” exposes just how easy buying an automatic weapon is — as easy as going to the grocery store for a carton of milk. If we haven’t recognized the horror of our bullet-riddled shopping sprees before, the artist demands we notice it now. This work uses a classic, discontinued grocery cart model as base, with bronze automatic weapons rise like a bristling bouquet inside the cart basket.

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“New Math” features a chalkboard as canvas, with  hash marks that eerily appear to represent attacks from or death by automatic weapon. The weapon itself is suspended in front of the board and hash marks, as if it were the chalk used to write this legacy of violence and destruction.

“Ultimately,” Greet says, “the question we all must ask is, how will we embrace the future collectively and individually?”

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Born and raised in Hollywood, Greet’s show biz experience as a child actor and film studio marketing executive informs his work, entraining and educating with visceral, vibrant images.  His media experiences have made him acutely aware of how imagery can impact society and shape communication about issues.

His inclusion of Vespa’s work in his gallery show began with an introduction to Vespa by Ross Misher of the Brady Campaign LA office, he explains.  “We all felt that it should accompany the sculptures, making the evening a much larger conversation, since it’ll be the 1 year anniversary of the Parkland shooting on Feb 14.”

Through Vespa’s contacts, Greet and the gallery enlisted TOMS brand clothing and shows, what he describes as a “giant push towards ending gun violence.” As a partner in the exhibition, TOMS will have iPads available for attendees to sign up to send postcards from TOMS.com as part of their End Gun Violence Together initiative. Each postcard urges merembers of Congress to take immediate action by passing legislation for universal background checks, which over 90% of all Americans support. TOMS is currently driving across the country to deliver 700k-plus postcards to Congress, and collect stories from  and voices of Americans affected by gun violences along the way. The volunteer-led postcard distribution to Representatives in Congress will be made February 12th.
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Greet asserts that “What I most want viewers to know about this exhibition, is what the title states: The Truth of Consequences. That there’s a consequence for complacency and I feel compelled to address certain issues: planet exploitation, drought conditions, old age, #me too movement, sensible guns laws, the rat race, an elevated level of hate, wage inequality, truth manipulated.” He notes that all too often “interacting with one another is distant and impersonal and only validated by social media.” He posits that our images of “how we see our own true selves in these times of fractured truths” is important and could be viewed as “half full or half empty.”
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The Truth of Consequences opens February 9th, and runs through February 28th.
Lurie Gallery 2736 S. La Cienega Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90034 https://www.luriegallery.com/
– Genie Davis; Photos courtesy of artist.

A New Take on Opera from Juan J. Colomer Composer, Co-Founder of LA Grand Ensemble

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LA has a new opera in town – and a new take on a classic. Created by Juan J. Colomer, the composer is also the co-founder of the LA Grand Ensemble.

Dulcinea XL performed at the Colburn School in DTLA this week, is based on episodes of Don Quixote, according to Colomer. “It is based on the one in which Sancho, in order to cover his own lie, tries to make Quixote believe that an ugly and overweight peasant is the beautiful Dulcinea. Only this time, Quixote sees the reality, and thinks that he might be under a spell and that’s he can’t see her beauty. In the second act, a couple of Noblemen try to have fun at their expense, which includes Sancho having to pay for his lies.”

Colomer notes that while recently many classic operas or plays have been changed to a more recent time period to make the appeal more modern for a 21st century audience, that was not his choice.

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“When I wrote this opera, I preferred to do something more subtle, and instead of extrapolating, just focus on a minor detail of the original book. By changing the focus to an idea that existed in the original but nobody cared about, we bring the attention to an issue that is absolutely relevant now. The fact that Dulcinea is extra-large resonates more with people now and is a reflection of the issues of this time.”

Colomer stresses that another issue is self-acceptance.

“Dulcinea is secure of herself and knows a fool when she sees one. She could easily be flattered that an apparent ‘knight’ fell for her and believe his lunacies, but she was grounded and knew who she was and that made her secure enough to make fun of Don Quixote. That could easily be extrapolated to Hollywood and how easy is for people to fell prey of ‘pseudo-producers’ that tell you how rich and famous they’ll make you, when it is clear from the beginning that their offices might be a mail box and and their cars wouldn’t pass the slightest inspection.”

Prescient and perfect for our time, the opera promises to be an exciting evening at the Colburn.

“In a sense, these classics have withstood the passage of time, and remain relevant because they talk about the human character, and that remains the same,” Colomer says.

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The L.A. Grand Ensemble is a flexible group composed of musicians mostly from the Los Angeles Opera and LA Philharmonic, according to Colomer. The group offers concerts with visual elements, lights, projections, dance, and costume design. He felt that an opera was a natural medium to explore all elements, and stresses that “All the visual aspects of the production are present and the audience can enjoy the musicians on stage instead of buried in the pit, which is also a part of the visual appeal, especially when they are some of the best musicians in Los Angeles.”

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The eclectic and original work features singers, Xavier Prado, Milena Gligiç, Melissa Treinkman, David Castillo, and Camila Lima, shown above.

“Costume designer Swinda Reichelt with her completely unique vision of the über famous characters, and the choreography of Lorin Johnson add another layer of humorous drama,” Colomer says. Dancers are Meg Murphy and Katelyn Sanchez.

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“We are also very excited to have a video animation and illustrations by the charismatic Sergio Arau that serve as set design. All of that under the baton of Maestro Ignazio Terrasi.” (above)

He adds “We are also very thankful that the Tourist Office of Spain has helped us bring this production to life.”

Looking ahead, Colomer says the LA Grand Ensemble has many projects to choose from. With Dulcinea Xl, however, he says  “Our main goal with is to serve as a presentation of the work, so that other people or organizations looking for new operas can see it and present it at different venues.”

Be one of the first to see this exciting production on Wednesday, January 30th at 8 p.m. at the Zipper Conert Hall, located at 200 S. Grand in downtown LA. Tickets are $30 to $50. For more information, visit: LA Grand Ensemble; tickets at: Eventbrite

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Devin Thor: Paleolitic Creatures Cut from Stone

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50882500_10216427681391788_8757765507152609280_nWith several unique stone sculptures now on exhibit as part of MOAH’s powerful Peace on Earth, running at the Lancaster museum through April 21st, it’s a good time to take a look at Devin Thor’s powerful sculptural presence.

At MOAH, Thor presents three pieces from his Paleolithic Creatures stone works, raw, unique works that make extinct creatures live again as sculptures cut from sandstone. Both in their use of color: russet, gold, brown; and in their use of material, they appear as if they arose from the earth itself, creatures of a Southwestern world, of raw, open plains and red-rock wanderings.

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The artist’s use of material makes these flat works fascinating in texture as well as image. Seeming tribal in nature, their beautiful simplicity serve as an elegy to the losses of the past, and a pristine prayer for a better future. Thor is a geologist as well as an artist, which is in part the likely reason for his choice of material here. The rough brown surface creates an elegant but primal visual perspective, a tribute to the beings themselves, and the land on which they roamed. His minimal approach is wonderfully relatable; he has shaped easily recognizable, universal figures that open the world of the past with hope for tomorrow.

Thor says of his stone work that it is “an homage to our prehistoric ancestors, but also an exploration of the global influence of humans on our environment…” adding that “modern humans have modified the planet and now must take on a stewardship role, otherwise we might face the permanence of extinction ourselves.”

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Inspired in part by the cave paintings of Lascaux, Thor relates that he paints and sculpts using “the energy that flows from my emotional imagination. As a geologist, I explore the structure of the natural world with the logic of a scientist.”

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The works displayed at MOAH include the jewel eyed “Antelope Doe and Antelope Fawn II” as well as “Sentinel Bison II.” The former pieces incorporate vividly colored stained glass as their eyes, and stand on thin iron legs.

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The latter work has no crafted eye, yet the crags of the sandstone chosen to create his bison series hang as if they were fossilized fur, disguising the eye of the massive creatures.

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Some bison images Thor has created are grazing, or bent; some crafted from cast iron, others from different colors of rock.

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In each, there is a poignant reminder that despite the bulk, the weighty purpose of these beings, they were in the end too fragile to survive. They are a cautionary tale for preservation of other species, and our own.

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Thor also creates the more whimsical wood and found objects in his Gumby Goes series. These fanciful images are based on the Claymation character of Gumby, his magical adventures, and his iconic cultural status. Despite these green wooden works witty characteristics, Thor says they represent a darker side of human nature. With gauges as eyes, a gear ringing his mouth, and an alarmed expression, “Gumby Goes Borg X2” is a study of futuristic anxiety. “Gumby Goes Pinball,” which includes pinball machine parts, is brighter in color but no less fraught with a sense of anxious awareness of the human condition. We are perhaps all being played.

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Additional sculptural works include more abstract images, such as “Space Relic X01,” created using salvaged Sycamore wood, plywood, anodized aluminum, and stainless steel tubes. Again, Thor has managed to create a work both delicate and substantial, named for the space beyond us yet somehow representative of the planet on which we reside.

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Thor’s sculpture are indeed a sign of our times: of life on this planet, our collective past, and our equally bound future.

Art, Theater, Therapy: Elizabeth Tobias Creates Immersive Engagement

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“Self-nurturing and healing through the arts.” That’s how Elizabeth Tobias, a trauma-informed therapist, community advocate, and multi-media artist describes her work. She creates change, through immersive arts therapy programs that have assisted both individuals and groups, offering profound assistance in dealing with and overcoming depression, anxiety, trauma, assault, and PTSD. She also provides relationship therapy. And, she performs works of art at public events that address timely social issues. Her purpose is always about creating positive change: with her performances, she’s engaged in creating awareness in the community about a wide range of issues.

Tobias says “Expressive arts therapy aligns so well with what I do as a perfromance artist …it’s about the process, not the product. We are on a journey together…whatever the theme may be…not knowing what the outcome will be, and just trying something different, taking risks in order to try to create change.”

As both artist and therapist, Tobias has always been a risk-taker. With an MA in Spiritual Psychology from The University of Santa Monica and a Professional Diploma from The Expressive Arts Institute in San Diego, she’s prepared herself to combine her artistic discipline and achievements with game-changing performances and installations that confront some of the most serious issues of contemporary life.

From elementary to high school groups, to The San Diego Unified School District Department of Student Advocacy, The LA Gay and Lesbian Center, Girl Up, and Lifting Generations, to The Expressive Arts Foundation, Tobias has opened hearts and minds, assisted with mental health issues, addressed and offered relief from traumas. And running like a thread throughout her career is her unique ability as artist and advocate to address cultural and societal issues that impact a broader audience as well as affecting smaller groups and individuals.

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In 2011, she addressed food scarcity with her Let Them Eat Cupcakes, exploring hunger in LA. She traveled throughout the city setting up home-made cupcake pop-up shops from Skid Row to Beverly Hills, exchanging cupcakes for stories about hunger and homelessness. The culmination of this program was partcipation in a group show at Chapman University. In the group show, her pop-up became installation art, an ersatz colorful cupcake party housed in a yellow emergency tent. She earned a Durfee Grant for this exhibition on the hunger epidemic in 2012, traveling the project nationwide to destinations including Harvard College. In 2014, she received a Learning Innovation Fellowship from the National Science Foundation for a collaborative project on climate change.

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Now, in 2019, the LA Art Association selected her to develop a presentation for The LA Art Show. Her performance will touch on another pressing and prescient issue: sexual assault. With Survivor! Share Your 98 Second Story, she’s working with a collective of 24 artists.

Calling her work experimental as well as experiential, Tobias says “I work to engage audiences with me in a process that helps to bring awareness to very sensitive issues …I take these issues very seriously, whether I am working in a private or public venue.”

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Survivor! is a strong continuation of her multifacted approach to art and therapeutic transformation. Tobias, whose advocacy on this subject has recieved commendation from Sen. Kamala Harris, will use a combination of live performance, audio, and her unique social practice to create a fully immersive project for viewers. Choreography for the performance was assisted by the Ooh La La dance company. The project also includes support from Los Angeles Art Association/Gallery 825, Shoebox PR, Kristine Schomaker, Peter Mays, Micol Hebron, Dawniel Carlock, Stewart Naomi, Tara Judith, Greer Essex, Wes Chester, Expressive Arts Institute, Tara Graviss, Anna Cirronis, Felís Stella, Joi Cole, Robyn Alatorre, Dee Weingarden, Kayla Cloonan, Natalie Brewster Nguyen, Seven McDonald, Janet and Jennifer Danica Teyssier, Lifting Generations, and the many more.

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Sexual assault is an epidemic in this nation, yet it is often under-reported. The #MeToo movement has barely scratched the surface. Survivor! will illuminate the overwhelming and brutal fact that every 98 seconds there’s a sexual assault occuring in the U.S. The hash tags that Tobias is using in regard to the piece are to the point: #WeInsistOnProgress#ThisIsHowWeEndSexualViolence. Spoken word and improvised sound form the delivery system for Tobias’ performance along with an ensemble of artist survivors. They’ll speak to the need to raise awareness and advocacy for sexual assault survivors throughout the public – and specifically in the art community as well. 

Part of Tobias’ advocacy with this project is devoted to addressing the need for support and resources in general terms; within the arts community, she is looking toward the expression of survivor stories within it and beyond it, for those who’ve experienced or been impacted by sexual assault.

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In both her upcoming performance at The LA Art Show and moving forward with this project from there, Tobias aims to not only destigmatize what survivors have experienced, but to decrease the potential for future assault.

How so? Interpersonal violence expert Dr. Jennifer Freyd, has presented imperssive statistics that show the literal act of speaking out – which Tobias is doing at The LA Art Show, has a measureable impact on decreasing violence. Optimally, courageously, Tobias’ group performance has the potential to directly reduce the statistics. Now that’s true political, consciousness-raising art.

Survivor! will take place at The LA Art Show at the LA Convention Center at 2 p.m. on Sunday the 27th.

Don’t miss.

  • Genie Davis; photos provided by Elizabeth Tobias and LA Art Show