Spring Has Sprung – Art Blossoms at Loft at Liz’s, Durden and Ray and More

Posted on by Diversions LA

Finally, the cold weather that has plagued Los Angeles seems to be ending, and spring flowers are everywhere.  And so are terrific group art exhibitions.

As if celebrating the season, the Loft at Liz’s serves up a delicious, vibrantly colorful exhibition, Finding Beauty. Splashing big with texture, color, and light, the exhibition is all about natural beauty and ecology, and is the creation of a new multi-disciplinary art collective, UOOORS. Curated by Fatemeh Burnes and Mei Xian Qiu, the exhibition features the works of Aline Mare, Fatemeh Burnes, Naida Osline, Neal Taylor, Ray Beldner, Marjan Vayghan, Rob Grad, Sue Irion, John David O’Brien, Kubo Hkla, Poul Lange, Ellen Friedlander, Naida Osline, and Mei Xian Qiu.

Stellar works in a variety of mediums even included an opening night performance:  a ritual burial of a deceased lizard, joining the soil of a potted plant. It’s a jubilant and delightful exhibition, from the rich painted works of Vayghan and Burnes to the lush and liminal photography of Friedlander. The gallery is open every day 11- 6 with the exception of Sunday, and runs through June 12th.

Downtown there’s even more art in bloom. Head downtown to the Bendix Building for a wide range of shows on multiple floors. On the 8th, don’t miss the terrific new group exhibition at Durden and Ray.  Curated by Hagop Najarian and Stephanie Sherwood, Expansion Joint offers a visually stimulating, richly entertaining exhibition. Debby and Larry Kline‘s sculptural works appear throughout the show, both tying the varied images together and adding notes whimsical and mysterious – perhaps bunny astronauts or interstellar adventurers, they “visit” works by Gretchen Batchellar, Carsten Bund, Kim Garcia,  Hagop Najarian, Stephanie Sherwood, and HK Zamani.  

The exhibition as a whole investigates space – both on Earth and apart from it. Edgy and surreal, witty, and, well, expansive, the show includes an eight foot ink drawing (just one panel in a larger piece) by the Klines, “The Dark Side of the Moon (Phase 3);” as well as Sherwood’s fascinating abstract-painted discarded furniture, fusing 3D with 2D work. Similar fusion but a very different style,  Zamani’s mix of dimensions comes in vivid chromakey blue and black; it’s a slash of color that commands attention. Bund’s mesmerizing digital painting; and Najarian’s vivid, delightful mix of the figurative and abstract, are also among this show’s thoroughly immersive works. In short, this is an exhibition that stimulates, amuses, and, well, expands the viewer’s sense of artistic consciousness. Don’t miss – the show is only up until May 21st, and is open on Saturdays 12-6, and by appointment.

Elsewhere in the building, Christopher Ulivo’s fantastical, narrative, fun, and intricate egg tempura paintings,  Ancient Rome Today glows with light and calls out for a detailed viewing through June 3rd at Track 16; the gallery is open Wed-Sat 10-6.

Pas de deux: Death’s Crook is a spooky, cool digital exhibition pulsing with eerie black and white appeal by Jacqueline De Jong and Ozgur Kar at Chatteau Shatto next door, through June 4.

The absorbing, highly textural group exhibition at Tiger Strikes Astroid – Theories & Prayers on Concrete, runs through May 21st, featuring work that examines migration both physical and emotional, by Adrian MM Abela, Mariam Alcantara, and Lupita Limón Corrales, curated by Jackie Rines. 

Next door at Monte Vista Projects, a two-person exhibition blends sculpture and painted works in Push & Pull, an exhibition offering the painted work of  Wendy Duong and the wiry, inventive sculptures of Connor Walden.

And, 515 Gallery serves up a group show of tasty abstract works, many geometric in nature, through May 20th. A. M. Rousseau, Sijia Chen, Fatemeh Burnes, Mei Xian Qui, Ave Pilada, Ruth Trotter, Carolie Parker,  Danny Shain are among the fine artists exhibited in Rewire. Contact these galleries for hours.

Now, go spring into art action!

  • Genie Davis; photos by Genie Davis

Desert X 2023 – Both Desert and Art Take Center Stage

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I’ve been attending Desert X since it’s inception, and while my favorite years in terms of pure innovation and aesthetics may have been the first two iterations, the every-other-year, art in the desert sculptural excursions are still a don’t-miss for me.

It is perhaps the desert setting itself that makes the art “work,” albeit in varying degrees; sculpture in situ, a new way of looking at nature itself, that miraculous moment when light and sky and cloud and sculptures merge into one big, dimensional landscape.

Favorites: Lauren Bon and Metabolic Studios’ evening performance work with a literal beating heart pumping away to clean water from the Salton Sea – a literally alchemic exhibition, “The Smallest Sea with the Largest Heart”; Matt Johnson’s massive containers shaping a human “Sleeping Figure,” seemingly crash-landed in the desert, a giant among giant mountains; Mario Garcia Torres’ humming, reflective “herd” of mechanically moving art, “Searching for the Sky,” which literally reveals the desert horizon from all angles; and the playfully interactive, if very different works of Torkwase Dyson and Rana Begum, the first, a stunning, solemn black form, water descended from an alien world, “Liquid A Place,” while the second is a maze like interaction “#1225 Chain Link.”

A side note: we had the pleasure of running into the Roofless Painters who were creating plein air takes on the Desert X art at Tschabalala Self’s greaceful Pioneer, an equestrian statue that honors too-often-ignored birthright. Look for their depictions of Desert X in art exhibits based in the desert and in LA.

Here’s a quick look:

Desert X is up until May 7th, and it is more than worth the drive. And while you’re in the greater Palm Springs area, you might want to check out an entirely different dimension of light and color, the Phillip K. Smith exhibition, Light + Change at the Palm Springs Museum of Art. This exhibition is also up until the 7th of May.

 

Hurry up and go – you might see some wildflowers while you’re exploring the blossoming art.

  • Genie Davis; photos by Genie Davis

Linda Sue Price and Michael Flechtner – Neon’s Dream Duo Pair Up at the Fine Arts Building

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Neon carries an inherent sense of glowy magic. But in the hands of master neon artists, the magic transcends the medium and takes shape.

Now at the Fine Arts Building through the month of May, Linda Sue Price and Michael Flechtner each offer distinct and different visions of neon as a medium and as art in their latest iteration of Art + Science + Craft.

The two artists have exhibited paired solo shows in the same space multiple times: the alcoves and shadows of the building offer a well positioned and ornate space for honoring and displaying neon in all its lustrous glory.

This time around, the artists present some entirely new elements in their works.  Price, whose work is abstract, geometric, and sinuous all at once, has added natural wood to one piece, “Onyit,”  which includes compelling neon beading added to that wood amid a vibrant orange and red palette. She describes the work as one that “celebrates determined and consistent focus.”

Her “Mandis” is something entirely different, described as a work that”helps to eliminate distractions.” However, this playful piece is plenty distracting. Amid its tangled yellow neon coils, a small black computer tablet repeats a simlar coiled and moving pattern with animated beading on its screen.

Other works here by Price include alchemic looking green, blue, and yellow plant-like neon wall sculptures. A 3-D sculpture, “Montessence,” revealed as supporting connectivity and healing” in its desciption, is both plant and sensuous, growing and burgeoning life-form, reaching toward a sun possibly as bright as its own red, yellow and orange.

Flechtner’s often playful, smart, and amusing works are the literal yin to Price’s abstract yang. Where Price is exploring shape and pattern, Flechtner’s focus is on language, both literal and figurative, as he often uses words within his work. In this exhibition, he employs mechanicals in more than one piece. Gold, black, and white Japanese cats take a mechanized spin around a glowing red neon platform in one piece; in another, three of these cats wave, representing, with dark glasses, cotton stuffed in ears, and a mouth gag, respectively, the see no evil/hear no evil/speak no evil monkeys. Glowing with bright green, the scripted word “hell” pops out from a chroma-blue neon base; on top of this sculptural piece are yen, a collar sign, and black and red darts.  In another work, a pure neon piece, a cat with an open can of fish,waves within a neon circle. Combining mediums again, a golden neon bolt emanates between the eyes of two pink-faced Japanese cats.

In short, both artists create fun and fabulous neon worlds, abstract and mystical in Price’s work; profoundly clever in Flechtner’s. And both are adding new touches and mediums, new forms within their shining neon mastery of their art.

Go see these artists light up a (large) room.  And if you need a little brightness in your life, these gems are the kind to collect.

The Fine Arts building is open daily except weekends, noon to 5 p.m.

  • Genie Davis; photos by Genie Davis

 

Catalina Dreamin’

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If you’re longing for an island getaway, without the flight to Hawaii, Catalina Island is a great choice. With spring weather finally showing up for SoCal, taking a smooth and quick Catalina Express boat from Long Beach, San Pedro, or Newport Beach will land you in Avalon Harbor in just over an hour (a bit longer from the OC).

We stayed in the Hotel Atwater, which has been beautifully refurbished, from the elegant, art deco lobby – replete with a harp, to the tasteful, plush rooms, blissfully quiet rooms, too. Done in understated creams and pastels, the rooms exude a hushed but unpretentious elegance. Adjoining the lobby, guests can easily pass into a covered shopping area that includes a coffee bar that makes a nice stop for a morning bagel and of course, a cup of your favorite a.m. beverage.

For lunch or dinner, try the perfect bluewater view at, naturally the Bluewater Grill. Fresh fish, views for miles, an airy, maritime-themed dining room, and a capacious patio, plus terrific cocktails make this a must-stop. And of course, their renowned fresh baked sourdough bread. The buttery sauteed sand dabs with capers were perfect in a light, refreshin lemon buere blanc. Served with decadently rich scalloped potatoes and flavorful well-prepared spinach, it was a classic dish that tasted freshly caught. The same freshness was more than evident in the Black & Blue Ahi, served two ways: blackened and seared rare with a slightly spicy, delicious wakame seaweed salad, wasabi cream, coconut ginger rice, and broccolini. For dessert, a smooth, fluffy key lime pie. My cocktail was a well-seasoned meal in itself. The Fisherman’s Mary was made with Blue Ice Vodka, housemade Bloody Mary mix, and served with bamboo skewered shrimp, pimento stuffed olive, lime and a tasty pickled green bean. My partner went for the Serrano Margarita, made the way he likes it – hot. The drink featured Cuervo Tradicional Silver Tequila, De Kuyper Triple Sec, freshlime juice, a splash of fresh orange, organic agave nectar, and his favorite – hand-crushed fresh serrano chili with a requested extra application.

Along with strolling the streets and browsing the shops of Avalon,  must-do sfor any visitor to the island include a stop to see the latest exhibitions at the Catalina Museum for Art and History – see our earlier article on the Tiki Tales exhibition, running through September, and the recent, but now-closed, perfectly curated CROSSING WATERS: CONTEMPORARY TONGVA ARTISTS CARRYING PIMUGNA, both discussed in two earlier articles in this publication.

And, whatever you do, you can’t miss the Behind the Scenes tour at the Casino. Yes, there’s a considerably shorter tour that gives you just a glimpse of this beautiful building, but the 90 minute Behind the Scenes is the way to go, to explore the private screening room, sit down and watch the lights dim in the stunning theater, learn about murals, dressing rooms, the ballroom, and take in the views from the balcony.

Our guide was well-versed in the history of this palatial structure, which opened May 29, 2029, and served as a major achievement for the island’s then-estate holder, William Wrigley Jr. His vision to create a welcoming “playground for all” on the island included the casino theater and ballroom. The theater was among the first to screen a “talking picture.” The ballroom hosted all night dances that brought revelers on steamships to the island to swirl along to Big Band sounds, while partaking of non-alcoholic beverages in the undersea-themed lounges.

Another recommended dining experience is the Naughty Fox, a relative newcomer to Catalina’s cuisine. Here we enjoyed a lovely version of a classic Mai Tai – Vic’s features Don Q silver, Mysters dark rum, pineapple juice, orange juice, and orgeat syrup. My partner’s margarita with tajin rim was refreshing and bright. Our meal: a rich, dreamy  platter of elevated macaroni and cheese; and a trio of fresh-from-the-sea shrimp tacos, simple, and simply delightful. The meal is served with a street and bay view either at a hip bar with chartreuse seats or outdoors on a triangular patio.

And of course for tiki drinks, decor, and yummy sea-centric bar bites, the place to go is Luau Larry’s, a bit farther down Crescent Street, and open late, mentioned in last week’s look at Catalina Island.

So — what are you waiting for? Go ahead, enjoy an island getaway – without the hassles of TSA and a long flight.

  • Genie Davis; photos by Genie Davis and Jack Burke