Echoes of Gen X Resonate – Genie Davis
There’s a treat ahead for both music and art lovers at Gabba Gallery in DTLA. Opening February 21st, the gallery presents Echoes of Gen X: the Art of the Filmore.
Gallerist Jason Ostro says the exhibition was inspired by “A love of music and art and meeting the right person [along] with an incredible historic collection of the dead stock to the Fillmore. There will be over 700 concert prints along with a historic representation of how gig prints began with Bill Graham and his music scene, which grew and grew but always had art associated.”
Ostro notes that the “right person” he met is Dana Marver, the original collector of all this material who has decided to share and sell his astonishing collection. Marver was a rock and roll producer and musician who found “great happiness within himself in creating this collection.”
There are over 1,000 concerts in this vast collection, with dates ranging from the 80s to the 2000s. Bands include acts from Tom Petty to Santana, Blues Traveler, Green Day, Weezer, and Red Hot Chili Peppers among many others. As to the artists creating these works, they include among them Chuck Sperry, Chris Shaw, Christopher Peterson, Frank Kozik, Harry, Rossit, Lee Conklin, Randy Tuten, Rex Ray and Todd Slater.
Asked for some of his personal highlights, Ostro calls them too many to list, but adds that among his favorites are classic prints by The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jamiroquai, Medeski Martinand Wood, “so many Grateful Dead side projects,” Bob Weir, and STS9 among many bands in all genres, acts that the gallerist attests he’s either seen “or wish I could have seen.”
Gabba is also displaying and selling images of all Bill Graham’s venues online as well as in the brick and mortar gallery. Ostro curated along with Gabba’s Elena Jacobson.
And speaking of the gallery itself, Gabba has always had both a welcoming vibe and cutting edge exhibitions. Ostro explains that the act of creating these shows is fairly seamless. “We create ideas that we love together. We have a very special team at Gabba Gallery and we’re always open to each others ideas. This has kept us fresh and [allows us to be] ever changing to show all forms of art.”
The large and welcoming gallery moved from a smaller space in Fillipinotown to downtown a few years ago, and the new space has allowed Ostro to create “larger and more thought-out productions.” These include offering occasional Los Angeles community shows working with groups such as Cannibal Flower.
As to the upcoming Echoes of Gen X, he describes the exhibition as a “love letter to the music Gen X truly appreciated in our younger days. The Fillmore is one of those classic venues with so much history that being able to share it in an art show feels like a museum exhibition.”
The encylopediac collection is both impressive and galvanizing, and the enthusiasm with which the gallery is presenting it, and creating specialized exhibition walls to display it exciting. For Ostro, the experience is also deeply moving.
“Just going thru the art has brought up so many emotions,” he says. “One great facet of this show is seeing all the early work done by some of today’s biggest names in gig prints.”
Both poignant and passionately presented, this exhibition both rocks and rolls, making it a don’t-miss.
Echoes of Gen X: the Art of the Filmore opens February 21st at 6 p.m. Gabba Gallery is located at 235 S Broadway in Los Angeles.
- Genie Davis, photos provided by the gallery