Art as Poetry “In the Stillness Between Two Waves of the Sea”

Posted on by Diversions LA

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There’s both poetry and passion in the exhibition now at Durden and Ray through June 29th.

Alison Woods and Dimitra Skandali have assembled a beautiful collection of exibiting artists: Natasa Biza, Kio Griffith, Nancy Ivanhoe, Dimitris Katsoudas, Despina Nissiriou, Aliki Pappa, Ty Pownalll, Nikos Sepetzoglou, Fran Siegel, Dimitra Skandali, Valerie Wilcox, and Alison Woods.

You’ll want to visit this show here – it flows as beautifully as waves against the shoreline – before it travels abroad.

​As curator Woods reports, “Thanks to the generosity of The Aegean Center for the Fine Arts, and John and Jane Pack, Works from In the Stillness Between Two Waves of the Sea will travel to the Aegean Center for the Arts in Paros, Greece, giving artists an opportunity to participate in the creation of site-specific works in both countries while offering a glimpse of the concerns that inspire them in locales thousands miles from each other.”

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The exhibition had its roots in a graduate school meeting between Woods and Skandali at the San Francisco Art Institute, and continued to grow each time the artists have met since.

“Last year Dimitra contacted me for a letter of recommendation and possible contract for a future show at my residency to renew her O1 visa. I immediately thought of Durden and Ray, where I am a member, and asked if she would be interested in doing an exchange show between Greece and Los Angeles.”

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From such prosaic needs has arisen a show that is both delicate and deep. “The title for the show comes from TS Eliot’s poem Little Gidding,” Woods relates.  “The project creates a dialogue between two different cultures, showing a common place, a willingness to connect and communicate above distances and differences.”

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Some of the works have a political slant such as Natasia Biza’s installation and video “For all Party Occasions: Object Lessons” which documents the items sent to Greece after WWII as a part of the Marshall plan; Kio Griffith’s “Coral Sea (heavy fog)” which he describes as “an impossible ship made from both US and Japanese parts;”  Dimitris Katsoudas “ex ils : The Meditteranean (series)” botanical drawings of fish found in the Mediterranean with the parts of humans lost at sea while seeking political asylum; and Despina Nissiriou’s video “Vocal”.

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“Nikos Sepetzoglou’s works inject a sense of humor into what could easily become a somber political dialog with ‘Message is the Bottle,’, ‘Gazing at the Black Bubble,’ and ‘If a Beaver had a Nail,'” Woods states. 

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Other pieces share a nautical theme or aesthetic. These include Fran Siegel’s Navigation, a vertical history of the port of Genoa inspired by Italo Calvino’s “Invisible Cities.” The work is an elaborate multidimensional collage drawing completed while on a residency fellowship in Italy.

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Dimitra Skandali’s installation of found and given fishing nets from around the world are pieced together with crocheted seagrass; while Nancy Ivanhoe’s “Currents” and “Tide Pool” are deconstructed screens referencing the sea. Aliki Pappa “E La Nave Va”  an installation of 38 drawings of shipwrecks, offers haunting images from films and memories.

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“The remaining works share an aesthetic of quiet contemplation,” Woods reveals. Woods says these include Ty Pownall’s sand sculpture “Into the Mystic”, Valerie Wilcox’s constructs “Redeemed” and “The Interlude” and Alison Woods’ painting “Palimpsest” derived from the Ancient Greekπαλίμψηστος (palímpsēstos, “again scraped”), a compound word that literally means “scraped clean and ready to be used again”.

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The exhibition has a beautiful flow of color that reminds one of tides and scattered shells on woven along sinuous shorelines. Woods says this sensation was the outgrowth of careful thought.

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“​In thinking about the peaceful moments of co-creation and the title “the stillness between ​two waves of the sea”, it made sense to us to keep the tones down, without intense contrasts and focus how the pieces complement each other. Los Angeles and Greece are both influenced by the sea.”

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As curators, the pair used this to guide the image selection and the aesthetic of the show, Woods notes. “The palette is subdued, but includes shades of blues punctuated by small bursts of its complimentary color of orange. We were interested in creating a strong dialogue between the individual artworks. Seeing the whole show as one piece was a big priority for both of us. We were also dealing with a very high ceiling and used that to our advantage by placing artworks above eye level.”

Working together with Skandali, Woods says both shared a commitment to excellent and a trust in each other’s choices.

“I think we both intuitively grasped what the overall objective of this show was. Once we began to install the show, things went very smoothly, with only a few bumps. I enjoy the Greek warmth, emotional energy and food. You could call it My Big Fat Greek Show experience. I am looking forward to the project in Paros where I will get to meet the rest of the Greek artists who were financially unable to travel to Los Angeles for this show and have promised lots of hugs and kisses.”

We only wish we could come along.

Visit Durden and Ray at 1923 S Santa Fe Avenue, Los Angeles, through the 29th to sail into this blissful sea of art.

  • Genie Davis; photos: Genie Davis 

 

Daniel Pinder Joins Cast of Garrison 7: The Fallen.

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Actor Daniel Pinder has joined the cast of the action/sci-fi flick Garrison 7: The Fallen for Gena8 Studios. Gena8 Studios has worked on productions such as Marvel’s Avengers, The Matrix, The Lord of The Rings, The Hobbit, Superman Returns, The Wolverine and a wide range of other films.

Veteran stuntman and actor Scott Brewer is credited with creating and directing the production. A true actors’ director, Brewer has himself has performed in films such as The Chronicles of Narnia, The Matrix, and Bad Karma, the latter alongside Ray Liotta.

Garrison 7: The Fallen is the first installment in the Garrison 7 universe. The film centers around an elite special forces commander who accidentally uncovers an insidious military conspiracy, one which leads to the brutal murder of his family.  Now the target of an intergalactic manhunt, nothing will stop the military’s attempt to silence him.

The cast of Garrison 7: The Fallen includes Brian Krause (Charmed), Mark Rolston (The Shawshank Redemption; Saw), Steve Bastoni (The Matrix; The Water Diviner), along with Hazuki Kato, Jim Meskimen, and Marjean Holden.  Pinder takes on the role of Kai in the dynamic production.

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Pinder’s credits include NBC’s Chicago PD, We Are Your Friends, and the upcoming films Paved New World, Crackle, Skate God, and Sarah, in which he performs alongside Oscar-nominated actress Virginia Madsen and Spencer List.

  • Genie Davis; photo provided by Daniel Pinder

 

 

 

Opening Nights: Dances with Films Starts It’s 21st Year with a Strong Slate

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Dances with Films has always billed itself as a truly independent film festival, and this year, it’s 21st, is no exception.

On opening night last Thursday, and with it’s first full day of programming on Friday, the words eclectic, innovative, and yes independent, all seem as perfect fit.

Festival co-founder Leslee Scallon related to us that she saw many entries this year which addressed subjects such as women’s issues, mental health, and — Uber driving.

From shorts programming to narrative features and docs, we’ve seen these addressed,  but regardless of subject, there is a strong sense of vitality, redemption, and triumph that serve as a through-line for the festival.

So, as the festival’s pre-film trailer announces “Welcome to Dances with Films.”

Let’s dive in – we will be serving up capsule reviews, interviews with filmmakers, and more throughout the festival, which runs through June 17th at the TCL Chinese in Hollywood. If you haven’t bought tickets yet, it’s not too late to see many of these films, and it is a real, and vital experience to see this much talent and unique storytelling in one place. So – go.

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Thursday night opened with No Alternative, written and directed by William Dickerson, based on his own novel, with a highly autobiographical slant. Dickerson’s 90s-era coming of age drama looks at two siblings in a strictly run household. Thomas Harrison is working with friends on a Kurt-Cobain-homage grunge band.

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He’s the achiever, programmed to get into Georgetown University, like his father, a state supreme court judge (played by veteran actor Harry Hamlin). Meanwhile his younger sister Bridget is taking on the persona of Bri Da B, gangsta rapper; and dealing with her personal demons through therapy and medication.  

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Fest co-founder Michael Trent termed the film “a turning-point film for year 21” of the festival, with its strong statement on the importance of mental health treatment. “The story has been in my head my entire life,” filmmaker Dickerson says. “My sister was diagnosed with drug addiction and borderline disorder. She coped through painting and music – she was very much like Bridget in the movie.” His sister passed away three years ago, which greatly saddened but did not surprise Dickerson. “A by-product of her disorder was to push people away. I wanted to encapsulate that, and also show that she was an interesting character that people wanted to watch.” He adds that “After she passed away, I went ahead with the film. I crowd-funded everyone I ever knew.”

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The AFI-trained filmmaker calls the project a pure labor of love,  and he cast top talent that felt the same way. Michaela Cavazos, who stars as Bridget, says “It touched my heart. It spoke to me. When they cast me,  I just came.”  The film shoot was 20 days, but the film spent a year in editing. The hilarious, scatological Bri Da B lyrics belonged to Dickerson’s sister.

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Also dealing with mental health issues were films in Friday slots.  Diminuendo was the talented Richard Hatch’s last film. “He was the finest person I ever met as an actor. He loved this part because he’d never gotten to do anything like this, playing a film director who was the most f’d up man on the planet.” The story follows what happens when a washed up filmmaker played by Hatch is asked to direct the biopic of his actress girlfriend who committed suicide, starring a lifelike robot created to mimic her.

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Lead actress Chloe Dykstra termed her role a “challenge. To play a lifeless robot playing someone bright, a muse, who was also suicidal. Intimidating but fun,” she says.

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Director Adrian Stewart creates a tense atmosphere in which the family-atmosphere of a film set is rendered dysfunctional indeed.  Stewart notes that the film was shot as it was written. “If it said intercut we did it that way. We didn’t do flashbacks. We wanted to weave the real and the unreal.” Screenwriters Sarah Goldberger and Bryn Pryor based the movie, Goldberger says on the idea that “What if actors were replaced by robots. That turned into what if those robots portrayed dead actors, which turned into how do directors direct that, and what if the director was in love with the dead girl. That’s how it evolved,” she laughs.

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Walter Koenig, with mic, above, well known as the original Chekov on Star Trek, was pleased to play a fun, meaty supporting role as a talent agent in the film. “If the audience could stay with it, and this wasn’t a space movie, it’s like nothing I’ve been known for, then I was happy.”

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Chasing Bullit, written and directed by DWF alum Joe Eddy, above speaking with festival co-founder Leslee Scallon, gave viewers a charismatic Steve McQueen in a sad tale of a famous actor fighting his own personal war – with himself.

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The race-car driving,  tough-guy actor had a troubled, abuse-ridden marriage, a scarred childhood, and the desire to own the car he drove in his successful film Bullit. In 1971, he tells his agent he will choose his next acting gig on one condition: his agent has to help him locate the iconic Ford Mustang GT 390. The car is possibly found, but McQueen’s crumbling marriage, reluctant approach to therapy, financial troubles,  and career struggles are less easily resolved. Portraying McQueen, Andre Brooks does an amazing take on the star, getting into his skin both physically and emotionally. Also engaging, the vibrant role of a hitchhiker (Alysha Young) with a pivotal connection to McQueen.

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Director/writer Eddy says “I was a Steve McQueen fan, i watched docs on him, started digging, and the snowball rolled down the hill until I made the film.” He took a personal approach to his material. “It had to be to a certain scale, and it also seemed like attacking his personality to get into his head and portray different aspects of what it was like to be him is the key.”

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Lead actor Brooks, who also starred in Eddy’s previous DWF-award winner Coyote, 4 years ago, says Eddy “talked to me about the approach and talked me into the role.”

Next up: the line up for Saturday and Sunday features and shorts – an emotional powerhouse of a weekend and our take on 3R1A3203over 20 hours of viewing. Stay tuned.

The TCL Chinese Theatre is located at 6925 Hollywood Blvd. in Hollywood. Films screen at the multi-plex located on the 3rd level of Hollywood and Highland.

  • Genie Davis; photos: Jack Burke

Arbor: An Abstract Take on Natural Beauty

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Above, artist Sijia Chen.

Conceptual art in a public space takes a great deal of work to achieve, and artist Sijia Chen has had that experience first-hand in creating a work for the city of Claremont, Calif. She set out to “present an abstract interpretation of a tree that incorporated my own personal narrative, along with historical and literal elements that I associated with Claremont, the City of Trees,” she says.

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And she’s done so successfully with her lustrous Arbor, selected by  the Public Art Committee and approved by the City Council for purchase as part of Claremont’s Public Art Program.

The artist’s work is an outdoor sculpture on permanent display in front of Claremont City Hall.  Curved, sleek, and visually engaging, the sculpture is an abstract interpretation of a tree trunk. Engraved on the exterior of its steel panels are the botanical names, in both Latin and English, of tree species found in the city.

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Chen notes that “In Claremont’s request for proposals, they specifically indicated that it should take into consideration the importance of site specificity, engagement with local narratives/history, and appropriate imagery and materials for public space.  I was familiar with Claremont’s charming and picturesque setting, and the significance of their rich and diverse community of trees was a singular and defining element of their community.”

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While the image of a tree came naturally to Chen, she worked through about 20 sketches before settling on Arbor‘s basic structure and visual lines. “I had one of my graphic designers create a color rendering and then place it on a photograph of the project site.  It was crucial to be able to visualize and evaluate Arbor in relation to its positioning in front of city hall,” she relates.

Once she was satisfied with the work’s size, orientation, and dialogue with its surroundings, she worked with a CAD specialist and structural engineer to ensure lines and overall structure were both consistent with her original design, and viable for fabrication.

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Chen’s piece is constructed entirely out of stainless steel. “I wanted Arbor to be a minimal and elegant structure, with organic shapes and curves, and without any excess visual weight.  I  wanted the surfaces of the piece to have a matte finish, but still convey texture and graining,” she asserts.  “The sculpture also needed to be durable and weather resistant since it would be on permanent display outdoors.” So, for its strength, durability, and visual qualities, she chose stainless steel to craft her work.

Once that decision was made, it was time to fabricate the piece, a process which included several challenges.

“I wasn’t entirely satisfied with the finish of the stainless steel surfaces after the engraving of the text was completed,” Chen says.  “I ultimately made the decision to sand down the entire surface and re-engrave the text and refinish everything,” she relates.

1The result was worth the effort: Arbor is a beautiful, lasting piece that invites viewer contemplation, a work that should grow with the city – much as its trees do. 

  • Genie Davis; photos provided by artist.