Annual multi-gallery event at Barndall Art Park – Photos: Jack Burke
Held October 3rd and 4th at the LA Municipal Art Gallery at Barnsdall Park, Beyond Eden showcased some stellar examples of LA’s burgeoning contemporary art scene. The weekend-only exhibit filled the sprawling exhibition space, a perfect setting for an uniquely LA scene. Looking directly up at the jeweled miniature of Griffith Park Observatory from the balcony of the gallery, viewers got the buzz: of art in a quintessentially LA format.
Noticed that Los Angeles continues to grow as an art capital? That there are more and more amazing artists and cutting edge exhibitions in town? You’re not alone. This packed exhibition hummed on a summer-warm October night, with a wide variety of artists showcased from some top area galleries.
Andrew Hosner, co-owner / curator at Thinkspace curated the event, the 5th annual exhibition of Beyond Eden. Showcased were the works of five galleries: C.A.V.E. Gallery, Copro Gallery, Spoke Art, Hashimoto Contempoary, and of course, Thinkspace.
Solo mini-shows from artists Meggs and Mear One, and live painting demos were also a part of the event, which drew over 5000 visitors over the weekend.
Mear One, above, discusses his work. “I’m trying to connect what is beyond our understanding, and bring it into a more tangible place. There are a lot of things I see on the street that maybe others don’t see. You have to paint it, and hammer home the message they’re missing a little harder.”
Other artists included Jeff Ho, Vinz, Jim Darling, Matt Dangler, Candice Tripp, Brett Amory, Eric Jones, Mike Stillkey, Jessica Hess, Amy Sil, Liz Brizzi, Ken Ellyn, and many more.
While this will be the last year Beyond Eden exhibits, these artists – like the LA art scene itself – are here to stay.
A fandango is a party, and there was a big party for FoLAR, the Friends of the Los Angeles River, last Saturday night. Where? Along the banks of the river of course, now mired in flood channel concrete and separated from the glowing spires of downtown by train tracks and warehouses.
Lewis McAdams, FoLAR founder
Held on the east side of the River in what is becoming a burgeoning arts district, the event drew 700 plus guests, local politicians, and of course, FoLAR founder, Lewis McAdams. “I want people to be aware of Alternative 20, which the Corps of Engineers has signed off on. It’s going to take 1.35 billion dollars to take out eleven miles of concrete, and if we can do that, we can restore the river, and really get it going,” McAdams says. The issue is funding: the Corps wants the city to pay 80% of this cost, and the city is seeking a 50/50 split. McAdams, was born in Texas, and he has a vision as big as his home state where the river is concerned. Next year will mark the 30th year for FoLAR, and while the organization has achieved much, their dedication to a renewed and renewable river is unstoppable.
The evening was dedicated to the celebration of FoLAR’s achievements over the past year, building a pro-river community. Attendees were encouraged to sign FoLAR’s Alternative 20 petition – which can still be signed at www.folar.org/action – to ensure proper funding of the river’s revitalization. FoLAR’s goal is to create a swimmable, fishable, bikeable, boatable Los Angeles River greenway, a vision promoted at the event.
From a beautifully designed fish sculpture – crafted with river trash – titled “Steelhead, friendly ghost of the LA River” created by FLOD Enterprises to live art documenting river creatures and a vision of the new river itself by Man One, the evening was packed with entertainment.
Mudpeople
Also on board: the silent, ballet-like performance art by river-supporters the Mudpeople, whose literally mud-covered, masked bodies move together in an ethereal motion that evokes water and river reeds. Emblematic of the life of the river itself, Mudpeople do not speak, but serve as silent, sinuous witnesses to nature’s resilience.
The evening included live music, d.j. inspired break dancing, and exhibits representing different architectural visions for the river. Beverages from Austin’s all-natural Deep Eddy vodka and LA’s own Angel City and Firestone Walker breweries were supplemented by a buffet dinner provided by Pink Elephant. But the fun was accompanied by stellar messages about the ecology of the river.
Tone in Georgia
A mobile museum taken to schools to educate students about the plight of the river and its potential for greatness and greenness was exhibited in the vast dining hall, and community educator Ban Luu explained its purpose, as guests walked through. “We take it to schools to educate students about the past, present, and future of the river. We teach them what it looked like, and the floods in the 1930s that led to the concrete, how it looks now, and the future possibilities. There’s a part of the exhibit that allows you to create an interactive design. Students can add trees, fishermen, walkways. They can see what it will look like once the concrete is removed.” Luu stresses the historic significance of the river, a significance too often discounted. “If it wasn’t for the Los Angeles River, there would be no LA. In 1781, people came to live here because of the water source.” Luu points out plans to create reservoirs to conserve water for landscaping, and a seed bomb table. “We want our visitors to plant native plants that are drought tolerant.”
Man One
Creating art at the event, as well as displaying already-created pieces available for purchase, artist Man One’s live-painting of what the River could look like featured the proposed Piggy Back Yard. “The vision includes an expansion of the artists lofts at The Brewery arts complex, park land, retail shops, green sections that are tiered where there are now only railroad tracks,” he explains.
Lewis McAdams with Tom LaBonge
Dr. Carol Armstrong from the Mayor’s Office
Below, Alejandro Ortiz, FoLAR
During dinner, speakers such as city councilman Tom LaBonge and FoLAR chairman Alejandro Ortiz thanked generous donors, who offered some $340,000 in pledges. In the last year, LaBonge reports, FoLAR has successfully advocated for Alternative 20, and provided a “terrific education program on urban wildlife and the river that educates students and staff at area schools. I look forward to the next thirty years when the work on our river will be accomplished.”
Ortiz added “FoLAR can be trusted people say, and we’re very proud of that. Your trust is something we plan to earn.” Now that’s worth partying about.
Street artist, musician, art poet, Bleep‘s “Eat” exhibition closed Saturday at Stone Malone Gallery in Hollywood.
Gobble this one up – Bleep devours American food, pop culture, and that quintessentially American vacation, the road trip. The result: a poignant, even childlike mash-up of images, words, and emotion.
“I watched and listented to cartoons and music, and just sporadically splat right on paper and canvas, there were the images. I used media paper, which is very strong, as my canvas,” Bleep says.
The show features recipes acquired through travels around America, among other tasty cultural icons. “There’s bourbon baked beans from Texas. the Trinity’s Italian fare from Chicago. I even met Priscilla Presley, who gave me Elvis’ banana peanut butter sandwich and bacon recipe. It includes butter and cinnamon,” Bleep relates.
But beyond food, “Eat” offers a perspective on American culture. “Gurus, junk, Homer Simpson, King of the Hill. It all characterizes my own experience, its fragments of our culture, heightened points. Like free jazz, I just run with it,” Bleep says.
Watch for more Bleep, collaborative and solo – soon.
Reeling is dance theater at it’s finest. Inventive, sensual, hilarious, and interactive, you just plain haven’t seen this before. Missed it at the Moss Theater in Santa Monica? Then head to San Diego this weekend October 17-18 to see it at White Box in San Diego, or the weekend of Nov. 7-8 in Santa Barbara.
Choreographed and directed by artistic director Laura Karlin, the intense 70-minute Invertigo Dance Theatre production is entirely unique.
According to Karlin: “The show is set in a dive bar, and is inspired by the double meaning of the word reeling: first, to be off-kilter from drinking, getting punched, falling in love at first sight, and second, to try to pull someone into you, which is why a lot of people go to bars. I like multiple meanings, different angles to a story and whimsical imagery,” she says. “Underneath all of my work, the deepest inspiration is human connection. The dive bar is a great context in which to see characters interact with the underlying, driving desire to connect.”
Featuring eight stellar dancers, the piece shows them literally fishing for partners with rod and reel, flirting, texting, fighting, falling in love, diving off the bar. As Karlin says “These are recognizable stories, but always with a twist. The dancers never leave the stage once they enter, because the whole show takes place over the course of one evening in the bar. This show is the equivalent of a television “bottle episode.” Which of course plays into my love of word play, because. . . bar! bottle!”
The dancers are onstage, in character the entire performance, which, Karlin notes, requires a huge amount of stamina.
According to Karlin, Invertigo’s philosophy is that dance should be compelling, thought-provoking, fun and accessible. “I believe in beautiful, highly kinetic movement, bold theatricality, and striking imagery. I want to tell stories that matter, to crack open different subjects and examine them from many different angles. I want people who have never watched a dance show before to be able to connect with what we’re doing, even as people who are ‘dance aficionados’ find many layers as well.”
Invertigo does more than provide stunning performances. “We bring the same philosophy to our engagement programs: Invert/ED youth education and Dancing Through Parkinson’s. We believe in empowering people through the creative process and the idea that dance is for everybody and every body,” Karlin stresses.
A piece this demanding might seem difficult to cast, but Karlin demurs. “I have worked with 7 of the 8 dancers before, and our the newest member Jonathan Bryant, integrated seamlessly into the company. It feels like he’s worked with us for years already. Invertigo holds auditions when we need new company members, and we have a fairly low turn-over rate. I look for dancers with gorgeous technique, intriguing originality, creativity, and a kindness and generosity to their manner. As a choreographer, I work so collaboratively, and we need people in the room who are excited to be a part of that and who will support one another in the creative process.”
