Tape Artist Chiho Harazaki in 3-Day Pop-Up

Posted on by Diversions LA

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Coming to Venice August 17-19,  SOVO// Magazine offers viewers a chance to witness – and participate in – the creation of a ceiling-to-floor wall mural from LA-based contemporary tape-artist Chiho Harazaki.

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What is a tape artist? Like a maker of mosaics, Harazaki, who was born and raised in Japan, shapes delicate work from fragments of electrical tape. Wielding scissors and precision knives, she creates fascinating, dynamic works that combine elements of cultural, historical, architectural, and lifestyle elements into elaborate depictions of scenes set in both Japan and LA.

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The artist has worked in this medium since 2014, and its uniqueness enhances her cool, clean, and visceral style. She says that her life in Japan and now in the U.S. both inform her subjects and her art. Indeed, the meticulous nature of the work, and the lyrical aspects of her composition seem to have arisen from her heritage; while the boldness of meaning and many of her physical settings are pure Los Angeles.

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Harazaki’s work offers a fresh take on iconic LA locations such as Union Station and Sunset Junction, as well as a poignant depiction of children at play in her “String Game,”  salary men dining in Japan, and in a piece commissioned by SOVO, “Bookends,” she depicts busts of former President Obama and Trump at either end of a row of books, with titles between them depicting each man’s philosophy of life.

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“The refuse of tape: tiny, useless, leftover scraps; can become perfect components of an artwork. I found the beauty of imperfection in tape art,” Harazaki says.

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Her hand-cut shapes and lines resemble traditional Japanese arts such as woodcut and paper cutting, but are themselves  fascinating and entirely unique mixed-media works.

The 3-day pop-up art installation and music event commemorates the magazines second half-issue, ​[ Issue 2.5 ] and is planned to help attendees interact, break routine, and manifest understanding through art.

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Harazaki, who will be present throughout the exhibition dates, says “Let’s focus on growing love. Play together. Know each other.”

She will be working live on a large-scale artwork, offering a rare chance to see her unique, process in action. And, in addition to viewing Harazaki’s original works, a limited edition T-shirt, designed by the artist and produced by SOVO//, will be available for sale. When worn in front of each of the murals Harazaki makes, the shirt creates the illusion that participants are standing within the artwork itself – Instagram ready. Art prints of three of the scenes from the exhibition will also be available to view and purchase by special order.

The immersive event unfolds at 214 Lincoln Blvd., in Venice, August 17-19. Hours are 5-11 p.m. Friday, 12 noon to 11 p.m. Saturday, and 12 noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday.  A variety of live performances including music, DJs, hula hoop, and more will take place over the 3-day period.

SOVO// is a new quarterly, high-concept print magazine produced in a limited edition; art-and-music-oriented events launch each issue and half-issue.

  • Genie Davis; photos: provided by the artist 

 

 

 

 

Diverted Destruction: Found Objects Rediscovered as Art

Posted on by Diversions LA

36189242_10214894788670428_9152791623803863040_nAt Loft at Liz’s, gallerist Liz Gordon, above, presents an annual exhibition that is dear to her heart, one that is pivotal both in terms of the art itself, and as an aesthetic for the LA art community.

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The 11th annual Diverted Destruction exhibition, now at the La Brea gallery through August 20th,  is a continuation of this popular, provocative, and ultimately profound concept. Gordon offers her reasons for the exhibition – and more reasons for you to visit.

She originally conceived of the show from her “other” life as an antique dealer.

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“Throughout my 40 year career, I have had to decide on the value of millions of pieces that have come across my path.  It has always been a struggle when I know it is impossible for me to sell an item because it is broken or perhaps too new, or not my specialty, as to what to do with it,” she explains. “I have always had a section in the store labeled the ‘Artist Boxes,’ these items were always sold at a fraction of their price in order to encourage artists to use them,” she notes.

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Once Gordon became a curator and gallerist,  she began to accumulate these items and store them, ultimately conceiving the idea of her Diverted Destruction show.

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“This happened within the first year of starting the gallery,” she reports. “I have always had an affinity for found object, assemblage art.  I think now more than ever, we need to rethink how we deal with our garbage, and artists are the perfect people to inspire us.  We need to keep as much as we can on the land, In lieu of in it.”

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This show is a little different than previous incarnations. Gordon curated the show with only female artists this time around.

Her reason? “We continue to live in a ‘man’s world’….and look what they are doing and have done,” she exclaims. “It’s time we give women the platform and maybe, just maybe, the approach would be humanity first,” she states. “In addition the women are from a variety of cultural backgrounds: Mexican, Iranian, African American, Philippines, Chinese and American.” That inclusiveness reflects a larger theme for the exhibition.

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“This year, the theme within the medium is a sociological one dealing with the current human condition. The show has evolved throughout the years to encompass specific mediums,” she explains, as in past iterations, titled Diverted Destruction: The Paper Edition or The Fabric Edition

The work is always done with materials that are destined for, or found in the trash.

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“This show is relevant for all of us if you look at the materials, and realize that each of us walks to the garbage with things that can be reused,” Gordon enthuses. “Take the mesh bags that fruits and vegetables come in. Instead of ripping it open, cut it cleanly and it can be reused for so many purposes.  This is one small example.”

Gordon says her close personal connection to this exhibition makes it easy to curate. “It is an extension of what I do everyday in the store.  My appreciation for objects extends to the garbage.”

However, she is strongly aware of finding an underlying theme to add meaning and depth to these exhibitions. “This year, that took seeing Hai Wei Wei’s documentary Human Flow to inspire the theme The Human Condition.”

For Gordon, the film resonated on a number of different levels. “Those people who have found the courage to leave their homeland with virtually nothing but the shirt on their backs have no choice but to live on what is thrown away,” she asserts. “They have to have enormous resilience and resourcefulness in order to survive.”

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The feedback for this year’s show as well as for past exhibitions has always been positive; her generous offering of art materials from discarded items she’s collected over the course of a year is a highlight for many art-makers and those simply interested in finding treasure in another’s trash.

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“I used to just throw all the items on a table in a huge melange, but as of last year, I created an installation that is virtually a mini Liz’s Antique Hardware, equally as organized. Because of this order, the items resonate as something other than garbage.  I believe people are inspired and see their potential and their beauty.  We hang a sign in the store window saying ‘Free Art Materials.’  It literally stops traffic, so many young people are coming up to the gallery and taking things.” Gordon continues  to add items and change the installation throughout the run of the show.  “It continues to inspire me and those that partake in the offerings,” she adds.

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Gordon finds a link between the use of found objects, recycling, and creating new forms from old, with the mission of the artists she chose for this year’s show.

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Above and below, the work of Ching Ching Cheng.

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Above and below: haunting images from Camilla Taylor.

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“Each artist deals with the theme from their perspective, using recycled items to express their idea of the Human Condition. Ching Ching Chen deals with motherhood. Linda Vallejo did her work 10 years ago with images that continue to confront the same issues today: ecology, genocide, war.  Marjan Vayghan’s installation of a found-dollhouse represents the death sentence Iranian women are given upon marriage.

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“Alexandra Dillon’s portraits of refugee women (above) subjected to cruelty beyond our imagination, and Kathi Flood’s collage all deal with the current immigration issues,” Gordon attests.

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Diane Williams, above, also offers a strong invocation of the immigrant experience.

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Gordon suggests that to learn more about the artists and their use of materials, the upcoming Artist Talk this Wednesday the 8th, and a free Adult Workshop on the 11th, will both offer deeper insight into the meaning of the exhibition.

Upcoming Events:

Artist Talk, August 8th, 7-9pm

Free Adult Workshop, August 11th 1-4pm

Free Youth Workshop, August 18th 1-4pm

Closing Day August 20th

Loft at Liz’s is located at 453 S. La Brea in mid-city.

  • Genie Davis; photos: Genie Davis

Glenn Waggner – The Stories He Builds

Posted on by Diversions LA

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Glenn Waggner’s artistic mythology is that of a storyteller with a perfectly rendered aesthetic. A SoCal native, Waggner riffs on familiar images painted in meticulous, diminutive style. His background in architecture shows in his perfect composition, but his oil works are rich microcosms, worlds that viewers can step inside.

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“Desert House without Fencing,” above.

Waggner says that his works reflect his intimate visual relationship with his home. “Growing up, I spent every summer day at the beach, and think the light and color from that show in my painting.” He adds “I have worked in architecture for many years and am fascinated by buildings, cities and how things work. I like to take the light, details, and ideas to create a world that is slightly different from the one we live in.”

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Above, “With a Twist,” a drink one could swim in, like the backyard pool in an LA-home.

His works are designed, he says, to “spark someone’s thoughts and imagination” and cause them to “think of, or imagine, an experience. I encourage the viewer to create their own narrative of what the painting means, and I love it when they see something I did not consider. It creates a dialog and connection.”

There is a strong riff of humor and lighthearted mayhem in his approach, which may come from the fact that he has “always” sketched scenes or cartoons. “I started painting almost twenty years ago. My day job is in architecture, and for years I tried to separate the two, sort of a church and state relationship. When I finally combined them, everything took on a whole new aesthetic and opened new possibilities.”

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Above, “Lift.”

Wherever Waggner exhibits, his work draws viewers in, seemingly through a wide, expansive horizon-line, pulling eye and heart to small, succinct figurative images often on the lower half or in a portion of the canvas.

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Above, “It Was Considered Good Form.”

“ I do a lot of small scale work because I like the aesthetic of seeing brush strokes. I plan to do more large-scale paintings, and an 8 foot x 8 foot painting soon, which is much larger than anything I have done,” Waggner relates. “There is also a practical aspect in that collectors may not have a lot of wall space. It seems people with lots of wall space have less money, and people with lots of money have glass walls,” he laughs.

The artist’s work has evolved over the years. “My work started as having an illustrative look to it, then became more painterly and expressionistic. I like the idea of the painting having a story or narrative.”

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Exemplifying wit: “The Kitchen Can Only Have One Boss,” above.

His precise structures may be in part due to the fact that he thinks each evocative story through carefully. “My cartoons and sketches translate to stories on my paintings in many cases. I also like to have fun with titles, which always seem to come to me after the painting is finished.”

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In his recent “Plotting,” above, two men and a woman stand on the edge of a precipice, appearing to be engrossed in a secret meeting; behind them, inside an illuminated home, three executive-type office chairs are positioned. The piece exudes film-noir and a streak of wit – are they plotting a murder or a board room take-over? “Town House with Lawn View” gives us a long, narrow, expansive view of grass leading to a horizon line, above which swirling grey clouds prevail. In “Gliding,” a galvanizing yet tiny figure skater sails across a frozen expanse, dwarfed by a tree-lined shore and a rich orange sunset sky behind. We ask questions, shape answers from Waggner’s works; they are short stories as paintings.

In “The Tide Goes Out,” below, a vivid red sky is a-flame behind seaside cliffs; the perfect lifeguard tower poised on the edge of a flat blue sea. We have been here in our dreams.

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Waggner notes that above all else, he wants “to keep pushing new ideas. Hopefully more opportunities will come about by constantly working and creating.”

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“Joshua Tree,”  above.

Asked about his paintings’ perspective and scale, Waggner proves that indeed, here, size matters. “Playing with scale can have powerful effects. It is fun to do a large, minimalistic painting and add small, very detailed elements like buildings or people,” he explains. “With small paintings, vivid colors and intimate details can be explored with a deceptively effortless look. There is an immediacy about the smaller scale, even though some take longer than the large paintings.”

These are intimate works, carefully woven, each note of color or line adding a bit of deeper nuance.

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“ I started out doing really colorful work, maybe a bit much early on,” Waggner muses. “Then I fell in love with using grays, and now I am somewhere in between.” He says “I do love color because there are so many possibilities and effects. It is sort of a language of its own.”

In Waggner’s works, there are multiple layers of language, of color, size, and story. His often vast backdrops pull the viewer in as we study, smile, and absorb the beautiful, sometimes ironic, always charged quality of his work. This artist tells a story, and he makes it live; these are breathing, moving moments caught in time and canvas, exuding energy and meaning, posing questions we want to answer or at least contemplate.

Here is where Waggner’s architectural background really shows: he is designing, building art that takes on more and more resilient shape and meaning the longer a viewer inhabits it.

  • Genie Davis; photos provided by the artist

Debbie Korbel: The Alignment of Inspiration and Laughter

Posted on by Diversions LA

Lovers in progress w DebDebbie Korbel says what most inspires her sculptures is laughter.

“I love to laugh and to make other people laugh. As a kid it was fun to go up to people and tickle them.  I’ve found, as an adult, that is not so appreciated, but I can try ‘tickle’ them with something I make.”

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And indeed she does. Her beautiful, sometimes poignant, sometimes wonderfully amusing assemblage sculptures are a pure pleasure to see, layered and sensorial indulgence that truly reaches into the viewer’s mind and heart. Her works tell stories we want to hear again and again.

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“In a specific way, I am inspired when an idea just wafts in the window in my mind. There it rests, and blossoms – or festers – until I decide what to do about it. The origins of these ideas are varied –perhaps something is provoked from an overheard conversation, or I might come across an old car part that has a beautiful organic shape,” she relates. “Trying to dissect inspiration feels a little like trying to understand a butterfly by pulling off the wings—it doesn’t look that great when you tear it apart, but there is magic when everything is in alignment.”

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Korbel explains that she hopes to connect with viewers on an emotional level, and wants viewers to recognize something they can relate to, or find familiar in her work. “Maybe, even see a bit of themselves at a vulnerable moment and by seeing me, a stranger, express these feelings, be reminded that as humans we all share them, even though we put on our socially appropriate adult exteriors.”

One way in which she tries to connect with her viewers is through the laughter that inspires her as an artist. “So, when I do pieces that I think are funny I am always so delighted if other people find them so, because in laughter, there is understanding,” she attests. “There is a bond in both laughter and tears. I am always on the verge of either laughing or crying.  Some of the work I do is a combination of the melancholy and humorous, while other projects are more solidly in the vin triste category.”

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Korbel has always gravitated toward art. She’s made jewelry, learned Chinese brush painting, written for television, and believes she’s truly hit her stride with sculpture.

“It combines the process of conceptual thinking with the tactile nature and satisfaction of physically making something,” she notes.

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Her sculptural assemblages are incredibly unique, and according to the artist, she begins with an idea or image in mind at times, and at others, with a material that attracts her.

“Sometimes I find a piece of scrap metal or wood that is interesting to me. It will ‘look like a part of something’ to me—perhaps the shape will remind me of a of a human leg, a samurai’s skirt, or a rabbit’s ear, and then I think about what the rest of a sculpture might look like. I base the scale of the sculpture on the size of the initial piece. Other times, I have an idea percolating in my head and I consciously look for materials that might work well in the execution of my idea.”

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The richness and texture of her work seems entwined with her use of found materials, but she has not always worked with such mixed mediums.

“When I started sculpting, I began working in clay. I soon came to realize that there were problems and limitations in working solely in this material.  I didn’t want to be confined to these limitations. When I use pieces of steel and other metals, they have the inherent strength to support a large sculpture.  Also, it was so much fun to find unusual materials and repurpose them in my art piece. I often don’t know the original use for some of the pieces I find, and people enjoy identifying them and will come up and tell me, ‘Oh, look, it’s an old air compressor valve’ or ‘Look, it’s a horse femur,'” she laughs.

To say her work is textured, or uses an incredible mix of materials to shape what are really classically perfect sculptures is almost to miss the point – of course her works are composed in this way, but it is the spirit that infuses them through these techniques that makes them so fascinating. They are dream-like yet real, mysterious yet richly comprehensible. Her works feel inhabited – they have gravitas, wit, and soul.

One of the reasons Korbel says that she is so drawn to using assemblage is a philosophical ones. “I actually like the idea of assemblage being a metaphor for us, human beings. We are certainly the sum total of many things sewn together.”

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Artistically, Korbel says one of the things she loves best is “the license to indulge my imagination, to be open to new ideas, projects and materials. It’s much more motivating to stumble across unexpected inspiration.” She adds “I tend to work on a couple of sculptures at a time and am very focused until I complete them.  However, I don’t like to plan too many projects in advance, as that starts to feel like a to-do-list and kind of kills my creative mojo.”

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For Korbel, the freedom to make impulsive choices in her work adds the serendipity. “I feel that I am able to maintain a level of excitement this way.”

Viewers can certainly feel that palpable excitement in her  inventive work when they see it, and will be able to do so, soon.

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Korbel will be participating in an open studio event at the Hawthorn Arts Complex in Hawthorne, Calif. August 5th from 2-6 p.m., and exhibiting in the show About a Box at Shoebox Projects in DTLA, August 12 through 26. She has shows upcoming with Red Tie Promotions in October and November as well, with dates TBA.

 

  • Genie Davis; photos: courtesy of Debbie Korbel