Where to Begin?

Image from Friedrich Kunath's exhibit "Lacan's Haircut" exibited at Blum & Poe (9/8-10/27, 2012)

Well, I've been writing and creatively involved, but, sadly, not doing much blogging. I have a kazillion photos to share with you all, from too many places, too many exhibits and shows, too many whimsical moments to count. So, I'll just randomly select images from over the past four months to give a sample of the fantastic things that I experienced in the world around me. Yeah, it's the "Image of the Day" concept that I keep on promising.

Hopefully, I'll also start regular posts again, but let's not get too ambitious. ;-)

Image of Friedrich Kunath's "Lacan's Haircut" in Blum & Poe's parking lot


Get ready for some fun stuff!!!

Late Afternoon with a Levitated Mass

Levitated Mass (2012) by Micheal Heizer, on display at LACMA

I finally got around to seeing Michael Heizer's Levitated Mass at LACMA. I'm still processing the experience, formulating my thoughts, but my feelings towards the work are generally favorable.

I really liked seeing it in the late afternoon. With the golden light and the long shadows, the walkway trench had a liminal quality. The giant stone marked a transitional point between shadow and light; there was something vaguely cairn-like about it.

Anyways, my opinion is still in flux. I think that I'll need to check it out again to see how the experience holds up. But I figured that I would share a photo with you tonight. ;-)

Enjoy!!!

Who Cares About a Big Rock?

Site of Michael Heizer's Levitated Mass project, still under construction at LACMA

When Domenico Fontana moved the Vatican Obelisk to St. Peter's Square in 1586, it was considered a technological marvel of the era, the replication of an engineering feat that had not been accomplished since Antiquity. Even centuries later, when Cleopatra's Needle was relocated to London in 1878, moving such monumental stones was still considered an impressive feat, worthy of attention, praise, and great expense.

Today, naysayers shout down any enthusiasm for such projects. The engineering and transportation difficulties are deemed unimpressive. The expense is considered frivolous, even when drawn from private funds. The artistry is mocked and the concept dismissed. When enthusiasm is expressed, the critics say it is but empty hype.

Well, I don't know if I'll end up liking Michael Heizer's Levitated Mass, but the concept is intriguing. The history of art is punctuated with megaliths, obelisks, and grand monuments. I see this work as being a part of that historic continuum, another contribution to this ancient genre of creativity.

Detail of the Moving of the Vatican Obelisk (1586) by Domenico Fontana

I reserve judgment of the work until I see the finished product, but I believe the concept is valid. But is it worth the expense and energy and enthusiasm? These are judgments that can only be made after seeing the end results. History has shown that these monumental projects become the focus of pride and articulate the contemporary zeitgeist down to future generations.

The pharaohs of ancient Egypt and the engineers of Renaissance Italy are long gone, but their monumental legacies endure. Is our civilization too small, too feeble, too self-loathing to even attempt such tasks? Perhaps, we find it crass to posture and proclaim, like Ozymandias, "Look on my works, Ye Mighty, and despair!"

Torn and Tattered

The Rag Factory (2011) installation by John Outterbridge at LA><ART


Rags, the word conjures up images of cheap, disposable, dirty cloth. Rags are the opposite of riches.

Rags are the thematic subject of an installation by John Outterbridge at LA><ART, entitled "The Rag Factory." Through the process of assemblage, Outterbridge constructs an environment that explores the manner in which context influences the perception of beauty and value. The humble rags are both the lowly discards of a banal consumerism and the elegant fabrications of an artistic sensibility.

The installation spans two gallery spaces of LA><ART. In Gallery One, Outterbridge has designed a hanging curtain of multicolored, knotted rags, bathed from various angles in brilliant light, a scintillating textile rainbow.

Close up of The Rag Factory installation in Gallery One

An entrancing assemblage of color and texture, Outterbridge transforms the lowly rags into an object of beauty. But a stroll into the next room dispels the glamour.

Oh Snap, It's DABS MYLA!!!

"Just Breath" installation at Thinkspace Galley by DABS MYLA (2011).

It's a rare threat when a gallery and the artists put on a full installation display of the artworks. Well, Thinkspace Gallery has such an exhibition showing for "DABS MYLA: The Best of Times." It really is an exciting presentation.

Personally, I was not a big fan of DABS MYLA's pieces. Their work was a bit too glib for my tastes, although I can endlessly admire their composition and technique. This show changed my feelings. Yes, in terms of depth of expression, I still feel that their cartoonish imagery doesn't pack a core emotionally resonant potency. However, it entices the viewer's imagination into a playfully subversive fantastic environment where gleeful images subtly morph into disturbing forms. The gloss of childlike joy hides underlying darkness.



Milk and Honey (2011) by DABS MYLA


When looking at their pieces on-line, it's easy to see only happy faces, hot dogs, and donuts. But the installation environment brings out the crazy. With these overly gleeful figures arranged in front of and around the paintings, you can't help but feel that the joy is an insane facade, covering a disturbing mystery.