Lauren Kasmer’s Momenta Offers Tactile Experience Online

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From Mount, a segment of Momenta

Momenta, a solo exhibition from multi-media artist Lauren Kasmer, is one of the rare online exhibitions that allows viewers to almost feel its textural, tactile elements. Curated by Susanna Meiers, and presented by El Camino College Art Gallery, the exhibition has been extended through May 9th.

The show offers five segments, and perhaps the most absorbing was the video exhibition, Mount.

Mount tells a visual rather than narrative story, as layered as chiffon on silk, and just as graceful. Addressing a hard subject – a fire that destroyed a great deal of Kasmer’s home and art work, as well as the wildfires throughout California, it is poignant, prescient, and poetic.

But each of the exhibitions is lovely: Wardrobe consists of garments printed with photographic images; these are wearable fine art works and upcycled rugs and hangings. Delicate abstract nature imagery created by the artist create the patterns. Having produced wearable art to accompany installations for over ten years, in this exhibition, Kasmer successfully repurposed some of them, as remnants in sitting rugs.

Equipose offers an interactive installation experience. This section was planning initially for public, in-person viewing, but instead here it is viewed photographically; a meditative space with fine art ritual objects.

How is it interactive? Through an Activation section that suggests what viewers can create themselves as a space for contemplation.

There are also two additional photographic sections, Collaboration at a Distance, and Flourish from Fire, featuring stills from 2019’s Blind Courier exhibition at Brand Library.

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Collaboration at a Distance integrates work made by Kasmer and ten female friends via Zoom, Skype, and email during the pandemic. Through photography, they both wore and displayed ten years of Kasmer’s printed clothing.

Flourish from Fire, relates to Kasmer’s devasting home fire experience, and is sourced from that as well as the original arrangement exhibited at the Brand.

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Kasmer wants viewers to “tap into the universality as well as respect for the veiled personal history that we each possess. Because of the viewing style, they can relate to the exhibition as a whole or as individual parts.” And about those parts – “While the separate parts of the exhibit might appear unrelated, there is a constant thread of transformation that is expressed in each. I would hope that they can relate the images and film experience to their own lives. I would also hope that they might also tune in viewing a live streaming from one portion of the show that will occur April 30 – May 2.”

While some of the work in the show is new, and specifically related to today’s world, others rework previously exhibited elements, which relates saliently to the layering Kasmer uess in her artistic process. Kasmer feels that each component of Momenta works independently, but notes that. “Each part is likely to be integrated into another project in the future, so there is also a hint of what is to come.” She adds that “There are constants that relate to each other on a physical level but also embed universal themes of generative and restorative powers…Much of the imagery on the wardrobes are sourced from my photograph of the powerful force of fire, and many contain indigenous flora and fauna, both on a microscopic and macroscopic level.”

Mount’s tactile, sensual quality is entirely unique, and the visual poetry is ably abetted by a composed soundtrack. Kasmer describes the work as “both a poetic and abstract interpretation of the regenerative and restorative power that is nature. Imagery was shot in a variety of locales such as environments affected by the Woolsey and Thomas Fires, fires that impacted extended communities throughout California coastline and beyond, as well as the fires that affected me personally. Aspects were also shot in native gardens that were not affected.” Mount is available in three versions, two of which are designed to accommodate viewers with hearing or vision challenges.  

As an online exhibition, a first for Kasmer without a physical gallery presence, the artist worked to “reorient myself to the fact that there would not be an in-person experience nor event where interaction with the works is a key part to the experience…I had to reframe and embrace technology knowing that this presentation would only be virtual. This induced new challenge actually spawned creative opportunity and expanded influences.”

As an artist, despite the wide array of alternative processes which she works in, she primarily considers herself a fine art photographer, she relates, with work that segued into live action in film and video and installations as well as events. “My history as the daughter of a clothing designer made its way into the work early when I began an action called the Clothing Exchanges. Those were a series of public participatory artworks, where people traded or bartered for clothing others donated anonymously to the exchanges.” This idea transformed over time with Kasmer using “transferred imagery that was manipulated and edited to create patterns and designs that maintained an affinity with their origins – even if not recognizable.” In other words, the beautifully mysterious patterns on present garments. 

The exhibition’s planned live streaming event at the end of April will feature COVID-safe individuals and couples performing within the unoccupied apartment bedroom that houses the Equipoise installation.

At that time, Kasmer will also unveil a new book based on the exhibition. Already available is a limited-edition Viewmaster which she says is “intended to evoke the feeling of being in the presence of the elements via the use of an art object that you can hold in your hands,  a contrast to this virtual exhibition.”

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After Momenta, Kasmer will embark on other exhibitions, New York City museum space, and with the curation of an exhibition for the Angels Gate Cultural Center.

In the meantime, don’t miss Momenta or its live-streamed event.

Live Stream: April 30-May 2nd.

Exhibition viewable at https://www.laurenkasmersmomenta.com/

  • Genie Davis; photos provided courtesy of Lauren Kasmer

SxSW 2021 Continues From Documentary to Midnighters

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SXSW 2021 online continued to offer a rich and varied platform as the week unspooled. While some films didn’t work for me, uniformly all of them were well-worth viewing.

Case in point was Mei Markino’s Inbetween Girl. The bittersweet coming-of-age-the-hard-way story crammed a lot into its run time, with teen Angie Chen indulging in secret hooking-up with an unfaithful boyfriend. Her burgeoning friendship with the boy’s main squeeze was the most interesting part of the well-acted, angsty film; the boy/girl fling just didn’t compel. Touching on racial topics and stereotypes enriched the story, Markino will do much more.

The conflicts of gentrification and the lives of real, gritty, down-on-their-luck residents resonates in director Liz Lambert’s Through the Plexi-Glass: The Last Days of the San Jose. Both as a character study and the history of a neighborhood, the story took turns and twists. Fascinating and raw.

While Disintegration Loops bore marks of a low-budget production (cue the grainy zoom images), it was nonetheless quite wonderful in revealing the composer behind a haunting and beautiful piece of “found” looped music. Director David Wexler merges interviews and 9/11 footage with filming of New York City under early pandemic lockdown, introducing viewers to composer William Basinski in the process. Basinski’s work received widespread recognition when the music was presented as an elegy to 9/11. I wanted it to last longer.

Violet, from director/screenwriter Justine Bateman, was literally the only film viewed in the festival that did not grab me in one way or another. Boasting a full cast of well known’s, including lead Olivia Munn, the thin story centered on a film-development executive trying to overcome an abusive childhood that resulted in her own negative guiding voice. Perhaps in another, less reverentially meta work setting, I might’ve cared. Some.

Witch Hunt, on the other hand, was an extremely smart use of the horror genre to confront racism.

Director and screenwriter Elle Callahan crafted a nail-biting horror thriller in an America where witches are not only real, they’re outlawed, and the witch-hunting version of ICE persecutes them. Safe territory is Mexico, but can a sheltered teen make it there? And will America ever change? Definitely could not look away at the hope we can burn racism at the stake.

Oh no, not a pandemic comedy! Too soon? Apparently not. Recovery is nothing if not zany fun, with a number of genuine laugh-out-loud moments. Directors Mallory Everton and Stephen Meek, along with screenwriters Whitney Call and Mallory Everton, lead viewers on two sisters’ wild journey to “recover” their grandmother from a nursing home experiencing a COVID outbreak. We could all use a dose of smart n’ silly about now.

The Fallout is an absolute wow. Justifiably the jury pick for a Narrative Feature win, the film had me dissolved in tears and hurting with anger.

Perfectly acted high school drama about the aftermath of a school shooting, writer/director and co-star Megan Park focuses on high schooler Vada and her relationships with her family, friends and future. A film that ached to be made, its powerful and resonant. Park scores high on all counts.

The documentary Lily Topples the World introduces us to the cool and successful world of a domino artist. Director Jeremy Workman tackles another jury award winner with the insightful story of 20-year-old Lily Hevesh, the only woman in her field. While this was an excellent character study, the documentary that blew me away – was the story of 25-year-old Reality Winner.

Director Sonia Kennebeck does a riveting job of exposing the perfidy of the FBI and truth about the young woman who disclosed one document about Russian election interference to the media in the United States vs. Reality Winner. Persecuted by the Trump administration, this armed service veteran and down-home Texas girl has received one bum rap. Here’s hoping President Biden pardons her, and the film is widely viewed; Kennebeck does stellar work on a do-not-miss story.

I’m Fine (Thanks for Asking) a strong concept and well-performed lead can’t save Kelley Kali and Angelique Molina’s film about a beleaguered single mom and young widow forced to live in a tent with her young daughter. I was rooting for them, but amateurish supporting performances and a repetitive, rather sluggish storyline derailed the power of what could’ve been a truly moving film about being houseless in Los Angeles.

Shorts

Above, Joanne is Dead

Sisters – Director and writer Jess Brunetto expertly explores a tense relationship between two estranged sisters with wit and a perfect third-act twist. Lots of story packed in a small package, the film expertly strides the line between funny and poignant.

Joanne is Dead – I loved the black comedy of this film about one wicked old spy in a nursing home. Director, writer and co-star Brian Sacca does not fail to surprise.

O Black Hole – Animated and adventurous, this didn’t grab me, but it is visually lovely and uniquely spiritual. Renee Zhan’s Jury prize winner touches on deep subjects such as the passage of time, singularity, and loneliness.

Puss – Okay, so it’s odd, to say the least, but ultimately fun; the story of a pandemic-cloistered woman seeking a booty call with a kitty at home definitely made me laugh. Writer/director Leigh Shore has shaped an edgy, clever, and enjoyable Midnight Short.

Significant Other – taut and well-done, this super-short horror tale gives us a red orb throbbing away in the madness of late night. Wonderfully creepy, writer/director Quinn George knows how fashion one weird glow.

A Really Dark Comedy – Absolutely loved this funny and quirky tale crafted by Texas High School filmmakers about a lovelorn boy, a potential prom date, and a dog in the wrong place at the wrong time. Director Manasi Ughadmathe and writer Jackson Coates have done an awesome job, one which should predict a bright film future.

Overall verdict on SXSW 2021? Not only was it an often outstanding film festival, I just wish I had more time to explore other programming sections. A festival I will not miss, pandemic or no pandemic, this was a deep breath of fresh and intelligent filmmaking.

  • Genie Davis; photos courtesy SXSW

South by Southwest 2021: SXSW is Innovative as Ever

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SXSW2021 is my fourth virtual film festival within the last year, but the platform has many offerings beyond film, although that is the section of the festival we’ll be focusing on here. VR, comedy, music, education are all major elements of South by Southwest online, but with a short run of 5 days, film comes first.

Here are the first capsule reviews of films I’ve viewed so far, and which for the most part receive a consistent thumbs-up here. Some of my favorites were in the Documentary and Midnighters sections, but there were exceptional exceptions to that rule as well.

Here Before, from director and screenwriter Stacey Gregg fooled me. I was expecting a straight up horror premise, and instead received a really riveting psychological thriller touching on grief, motherhood, and marital fidelity. Shot in Belfast, the U.K. production stars a compelling Andrea Riseborough, and is filled with a compelling, harrowing tension. Possibilities from possession to madness swirl, and if the conclusion is slightly more prosaic than that, it does little to discredit the powerful and absorbing film that comes before. With riveting and pitch perfect performances, the film remains one of my favorites.


Our Father is quintessentially American, in both its sense of aimlessness, pressing money matters, and family strife. The turbulent relationship of two estranged sisters, Beta and Zelda is temporarily rebonded as the pair defy the certainty of their more estranged stepmother and her three sons, and go in search of their missing uncle, mentioned in their late father’s will. The story is elusive at times, but director/writer Bradley Grant Smith sets an absorbing and poignant mood that hurts, haunts, and often amuses. Strong cast, too.

The End of Us is another of those “my relationship in pandemic lockdown” movies that keep cropping up, and that I inexplicably keep watching, hoping one will offer profound insight. That said, while this one does not, director/writers Henry Loevner and Steven Kanter manage to create a film this is often charming, and often sweet, in which a broken-up couple must remain together yet negotiate their own way through the uncharted territory of a pandemic lockdown, both together and apart. A much better film than the bigger star-powered WB-film Lockdown that came before it, here, there were strong moments and waves of good humor popping up that kept me watching.

Kid Candidate is a quite wonderful documentary about a 24 year old musician and his run for city council in Amarillo, Texas. As smart and winning as its upstart subject, director Jasmine Stodel creates a surprisingly intimate portrait of an honest and passionate young man. The corruptness of our money-driven political process is the B-story, and that resonates too. Having once run for local school board and finding even that supposedly not-so-partisan office overrun with moneyed candidates, this one was a no-brainer for me to watch, and a wonderful and heartfelt character study, too.

If Kid Candidate was winningly sweet, The Oxy Kingpins is anything but. A harrowing expose, this documentary feature from skilled director Brendan FitzGerald is an astonishing and horrifying story of the ways in which a network of pharmaceutical “leaders” engaged in criminal behavior. And doubtlessly they still do, as they remain out of jail despite their operation and perpetration of the opioid crisis in America. Drug dealers: jailed. Addicts: jailed. Corporate criminals: free to continue wreaking havoc – isn’t that the American way? Devastating and important, this is simply a must-see.

I really was rooting for the narrative feature Ludi, which was a sweet story of a hard-working nurse as she struggles to survive her American Dream/Nightmare of money needs and long hours. The problem for me was that the set-up and twist to the bonding between Ludi and her elderly overnight client was easily predicted; and the curmudgeon she wins over a frustrating mess. Touching moments and a winning lead performance do work, unfortunately for me the film as a whole did not. Director Edson Jean and screenwriters Edson Jean and Joshua Jean-Baptiste doubtlessly have more powerful projects ahead.

Alien on Stage is a documentary that puts a smile on your face and keeps it spreading. I loved this U.K. film from director/producers Danielle Kummer and Lucy Harvey. Sweet, fresh, surprising, the film documents an amateur theatrical production of Ridley Scott’s film Alien. While not a hit in the small community its initially staged, the bus drivers and their friends involved in the production nonetheless hit the big time with an offer to perform the saga in London’s West End. It’s a pure delight, and I defy you to find one better.


Broadcast Signal Intrusion is a fascinating, narrative dark horror, one ultimately as mysterious when it concludes as when it began. Eerie pirate broadcasts interrupt programming and women – including the video editor/protagonist’s girl friend – disappear. We follow a maze of breadcrumb trails into the heart of darkness and emerge somewhat dazed. I couldn’t stop watching, and if the sum isn’t quite as great as its parts, this was still a terrific, taut film from director Jacob Gentry and screenwriters Phil Drinkwater and Tim Woodall.

Director/Screenwriter: Mickey Keating weaves a richly creepy spell with Offseason, in which a daughter must visit a shuttered town, ostensibly in the Florida Keys, to deal with vandalism to her mother’s grave. But the desecration is merely a lure, as the devil has cast his own bargain with the town’s inhabitants and descendants, and a night of terror begins. Despite a conclusion that veers toward horror convention, it’s a grand nail-biter, with shades of The Shining, Preacher and Cape Fear mixed together. An atmospheric and fun horror ride.

Shorts

Still from The Moogai

Marvin’s Never Had Coffee Before is a witty take on trying to fit in and find friendship during the pandemic. Brief and sharp, can a cup of coffee really create a bonding experience among co-workers? Director Andrew Carter and screenwriters Carter and Kahlil Maskati think it can indeed. A fun little brew.

The Mohel is somber and sweet, as director and screenwriter Charles Wahl explores the tension from family convention and financial stress after the birth of their first born son. Celebrating a traditional circumcision ceremony with the help of a renowned Mohel, questions of faith and reverence arise. Artful and moving.

The Other Morgan invites us to meet two sisters, one whom knew nothing about the other, but who both share the same name. Add in one beloved and deceased father, life choices and the search for happiness. Mix these elements together and director/writer Alison Rich makes some delightful and laugh-out-loud funny.

Sophie and the Baron is a lovely documentary short about art and collaboration. Director Alexandria Jackson depicts the friendship and sharing between photographer Baron Wolman and contemporary artist Sophie Kipner, whose freehand drawing style is as unique as Wolman’s iconic Woodstock-era images. Gentle and touching, the story is as much about the renewing spirit of friendship as art.

From Australia, director/screenwriter Jon Bell crafts a terrifying tale of Aboriginal horror in The Moogai, which is a perfect little bundle of terror for the parents of a newborn child. Can’t wait for Bell’s first feature. A deserved winner in the jury’s short horror narrative category.

Special Screening

Filmmakers answer questions at the SXSW Film Festival Premiere of “Tom Petty Somewhere You Feel Free” during SXSW Online on March 17, 2021.

Director Mary Wharton crafts an engaging archive of Tom Petty at work on his 1994 release, Wildflowers, in the archival documentary Somewhere You Feel Free. The newly found footage and interviews from the making of this album is moving and deeply personal; I wanted to hear more of the music, but that’s me. If you’re a Petty fan it’s a loving must-see.

Guess what? More reviews coming up including other stellar docs and spine-chilling horror plus a devastating narrative feature, too.

  • Genie Davis; photos courtesy SXSW Online 2021

The Film Party is Over: Final Day of Virtual 2021 Sundance Film Festival

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We packed in every film we could in the final hours of Sundance 2021 with a variety of award winners in the mix. Here are the hits and misses.

Hits:

Sabaya is a pure wow of a documentary with unbelievable imbedded footage from the harrowing rescues of kidnapped Yazidi girls from the hands of the Daesh terrorists, who abused and sold them as sex slaves. Brave, poignant, riveting, Hogir Hirori’s film is a powerhouse, more than deserving of the World Cinema Documentary Award for directing.

Luzzu: Winner of a Special Jury Award for acting. Filmed and set in Malta, which has not had an entry at Sundance previously, director Alex Camilleri’s debut project tells the story of Jesmark, a fisherman and new father, as he tries to earn a living in a market controlled by EU regulations. Giving up the open sea, his passion, is a sacrifice – and the film aches with longing for a no longer viable way of life.

The World to Come: From the festival’s Spotlight selections, this well-acted drama of thwarted lesbian love is moving, aesthetically deliberate, and absorbing. Set in the frontier era, the rugged setting and sense of loss is punctuated by bursts of too-short pleasure. Mona Fastvold’s short-story-based film is quietly tragic and extremely well acted, but does not break any new ground.

Cusp: Some things never change? Women are still prey to a patriarchal society, this one in modern day Texas. Winner of the special jury award for emerging filmmaker, this intimate documentary follows a summer in the lives of teens Autumn, Brittney, and Aaloni and their families.  The directors, Parker Hill and Isabel Bethencourt, offer an absorbing and deeply intimate view of the girls as they navigate fraught family lives and the older boys they date and party with, as well as a history of abuse. Their fast food eating and beer drinking social life is quite a contrast with the young women in Sabaya, and yet there are some parallels.

Documentary top prize winner Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson’s Summer Of Soul (…Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised) is a joyous compilation packed with terrific music, presenting primarily archival material about the Harlem Cultural Festival of 1969, forgotten amid the Woodstock hype from the same year, and very likely due to systemic racism. The festival was not just a musical event, it was truly a celebration of black culture, and a galvanizing social event. Current-time interviews and political commentary contribute to a balanced, smart film.

Misses:

On the Count of Three, award recipient for screenwriting, just didn’t work for me. The story of two suicidal friends veered through a roller coaster of a day; the beginning of which was far more compelling than its conclusion. Darkly comic, director Jerrod Carmichael’s film has its moments, but ultimately went nowhere.

Already sold to Magnolia, the uniquely animated Cryptozoo gives us a fanatical animal world and some awesome creatures, but not much else. Random violence from the beginning was off-putting. Dash Shaw’s film was four years in the making, and certainly lovely to look at, but similar to the old saying about black olives, probably just not to everyone’s taste – at least not to mine.

And that’s a wrap for Sundance 2021, virtual edition, where pandemic life, racial inequality, and a color palette of pink (The Pink Cloud, Strawberry Mansions, Blazing World, and Eight for Silver all exhibited memorable moments awash in this shade) stood out thematically. 

  • Genie Davis; photos provided by Sundance Institute