Spring Has Sprung – Art Blossoms at Loft at Liz’s, Durden and Ray and More

Posted on by Diversions LA

Finally, the cold weather that has plagued Los Angeles seems to be ending, and spring flowers are everywhere.  And so are terrific group art exhibitions.

As if celebrating the season, the Loft at Liz’s serves up a delicious, vibrantly colorful exhibition, Finding Beauty. Splashing big with texture, color, and light, the exhibition is all about natural beauty and ecology, and is the creation of a new multi-disciplinary art collective, UOOORS. Curated by Fatemeh Burnes and Mei Xian Qiu, the exhibition features the works of Aline Mare, Fatemeh Burnes, Naida Osline, Neal Taylor, Ray Beldner, Marjan Vayghan, Rob Grad, Sue Irion, John David O’Brien, Kubo Hkla, Poul Lange, Ellen Friedlander, Naida Osline, and Mei Xian Qiu.

Stellar works in a variety of mediums even included an opening night performance:  a ritual burial of a deceased lizard, joining the soil of a potted plant. It’s a jubilant and delightful exhibition, from the rich painted works of Vayghan and Burnes to the lush and liminal photography of Friedlander. The gallery is open every day 11- 6 with the exception of Sunday, and runs through June 12th.

Downtown there’s even more art in bloom. Head downtown to the Bendix Building for a wide range of shows on multiple floors. On the 8th, don’t miss the terrific new group exhibition at Durden and Ray.  Curated by Hagop Najarian and Stephanie Sherwood, Expansion Joint offers a visually stimulating, richly entertaining exhibition. Debby and Larry Kline‘s sculptural works appear throughout the show, both tying the varied images together and adding notes whimsical and mysterious – perhaps bunny astronauts or interstellar adventurers, they “visit” works by Gretchen Batchellar, Carsten Bund, Kim Garcia,  Hagop Najarian, Stephanie Sherwood, and HK Zamani.  

The exhibition as a whole investigates space – both on Earth and apart from it. Edgy and surreal, witty, and, well, expansive, the show includes an eight foot ink drawing (just one panel in a larger piece) by the Klines, “The Dark Side of the Moon (Phase 3);” as well as Sherwood’s fascinating abstract-painted discarded furniture, fusing 3D with 2D work. Similar fusion but a very different style,  Zamani’s mix of dimensions comes in vivid chromakey blue and black; it’s a slash of color that commands attention. Bund’s mesmerizing digital painting; and Najarian’s vivid, delightful mix of the figurative and abstract, are also among this show’s thoroughly immersive works. In short, this is an exhibition that stimulates, amuses, and, well, expands the viewer’s sense of artistic consciousness. Don’t miss – the show is only up until May 21st, and is open on Saturdays 12-6, and by appointment.

Elsewhere in the building, Christopher Ulivo’s fantastical, narrative, fun, and intricate egg tempura paintings,  Ancient Rome Today glows with light and calls out for a detailed viewing through June 3rd at Track 16; the gallery is open Wed-Sat 10-6.

Pas de deux: Death’s Crook is a spooky, cool digital exhibition pulsing with eerie black and white appeal by Jacqueline De Jong and Ozgur Kar at Chatteau Shatto next door, through June 4.

The absorbing, highly textural group exhibition at Tiger Strikes Astroid – Theories & Prayers on Concrete, runs through May 21st, featuring work that examines migration both physical and emotional, by Adrian MM Abela, Mariam Alcantara, and Lupita Limón Corrales, curated by Jackie Rines. 

Next door at Monte Vista Projects, a two-person exhibition blends sculpture and painted works in Push & Pull, an exhibition offering the painted work of  Wendy Duong and the wiry, inventive sculptures of Connor Walden.

And, 515 Gallery serves up a group show of tasty abstract works, many geometric in nature, through May 20th. A. M. Rousseau, Sijia Chen, Fatemeh Burnes, Mei Xian Qui, Ave Pilada, Ruth Trotter, Carolie Parker,  Danny Shain are among the fine artists exhibited in Rewire. Contact these galleries for hours.

Now, go spring into art action!

  • Genie Davis; photos by Genie Davis

It’s Mountain Movie Time — Memorial Weekend Brings the 9th Annual Mammoth Lakes Film Festival to Screen

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What a great way to spend Memorial Weekend! May 24th through 28th, the Mammoth Lakes Film Festival will be debuting it’s 9th annual event.  Known for its eclectic and often cutting-edge mix of films, the fest offers a wide range of documentary and narrative features both domestic and international this year.

Held at three venues in the town of Mammoth Lakes, Calif., the festival is always warm and welcoming, offering inclusive and illuminative Q & A discussions, panels, and prizes. As always helmed by founder and festival director Shira Dubrovner, with programming director Paul Sbrizzi, subject matter on feature length films – the extensive shorts line-up has yet to be released – is both fresh and prescient.

According to Dubrovner, “It’s the artist’s responsibility to create change by holding up a mirror to society, inspiring audiences to self-reflection and taking action to better the world around us…”

Narrative features include a range of suspense, comedy, and dramas:

U.S. films include Free Time, focusing on a young man’s efforts to embrace life and actually find a life along the way; Pure Gesticulation, a mother/son story involving a mysterious new business begun by the son instructing strangers over the phone;   I Said Daddy I Said, which tells the story of LaLa, whoses plan to leave her abusive boyfriend Daddy crumbles when she realizes someone is watching her every move; and Love Dump, a quirky rom/com about an antique shop owner’s search for her
missing father, who falls for a determined dog lawyer along the way.  Viewers will also enjoy a highly inventive animated film, Unicorn Boy, in which a heartbroken young artist is sucked into a unicorn-run alternate dimension, and a mission to conquer a dark force in order to bring peace to the kingdom.

International Narrative Features include The Horse Tail (Poland), which details an aging sex worker’s return to a small and secretive town; Mad Cats (Japan), the story of a shiftless young man, his quirky new friend and an edgy, mysterious young girl, searching for his brother,  kidnapped by a pack of vicious monster cats determined to execute unscrupulous pet shop owners.  Nut Jobs (Canada), unfolds a far-fetched-sounding story told by a man to his ex-girlfriend about joining a leftist terrorist cell to
avenge her from being fired by an awful right-wing talk radio station.  The Serbian film Where the Road Leads, tells the story of a stranger’s arrival in an isolated village, the girl who falls in love with him, and her commitment to saving him when he is endangered by townspeople who suspect his involvement in constructing a nearby highway.

Starring Jerry as Himself, above; Mississippi River Styx, below

North American Documentary Features include A Still Small Voice, the story of an aspiring hospital chaplain’s yearlong residency in spiritual care; Mississippi River Styx, which depicts an enigmatic drifter with terminal cancer living his dream of
floating down the Mississippi River on a ramshackle houseboat — until locals start to question his story; and Name of the Game, which reveals the untold story of black male exotic dancing in south Los Angeles. In Starring Jerry as Himself , a family re-enacts the unbelievable, twisting true story of how their immigrant father Jerry, a recently divorced and retired Florida man, was unexpectedly recruited by the Chinese police as an undercover agent in an international money laundering investigation.

International feature docs include Destiny (Iran), which offers a poignant profile of a smart and gifted teenage girl who desperately wants to go to college but has to face hard choices in the wake of her mother’s death and her
father’s need for daily assistance;  Naked Israel (Israel), which offers an insightful look at Israeli masculinity through a series of interviews; and No Place For You In Our Town (Bulgaria), which depicts a soccer team’s success in a decaying ex-mining city in a changing world. From India, To Kill A Tiger presents the story of Ranjit, who takes on the fight of his life seeking justice for his 13-year old daughter, the victim of a gang rape.

Queendom, above

There are also three Spotlight presentation films which are not eligible for festival competition awards. The opening night film is from Russia: in Queendom, a queer Russian artist, stages radical performances in public that become a new form of art and activism—and put her life in danger. The festival’s closing film is Kokomo City , a U.S film in which four outspoken Black transgender sex workers explore the dichotomy between the Black community and themselves. The third spotlight presentation is a decidedly unconventional approach to musical film. In Burning Stone (U.S.), an ensemble of hypnotic instruments and choir weave together, intersect, and thread sonic and visual information.

The festival will also feature a Short Films Program of 38 Narrative Shorts, 24 documentary shorts and 17 animation shorts, as well as a program of music videos and a screenplay competition.

Having attended MLFF many times since its inception, one thing is sure: viewers will experience unique, exciting film at its best, in a wonderful environment where audience members can interact with filmmakers and explore ideas that will enrich, confound, involve and celebrate the human condition.

Get your tickets and passes here!

And note, this year, there will be an as-yet-unscheduled Best of the Fest series of screenings here in LA. But why wait? MLFF offers what just may be your best Memorial Weekend yet, movie-style.

  • Genie Davis; images courtesy filmmakers and MLFF

 

 

Pioneertown Motel Ain’t Like It Used to Be — Your New Desert Destination

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Long ago and far away, I stayed in a quaint little motel with shabby antiques and a kind of creepy kitchenette. It had benefits: good star gazing and walking distance from Pappy and Harriet’s, where I’d gone to see one concert or another.

That used to be the Pioneertown Motel. But, times, and motel rooms, have changed. Now showing off a sleek but mellow modern desert chic vibe, the stars are still there for the watching – along with the perfect viewing spot, a bright stone outdoor fireplace to keep you warm, and you’re still walking distance to music and the desert version nightlife.

Today’s Pioneertown Motel is welcoming, warm, and western in style – the motel office is a dusty looking little miner’s shack, the rooms feature touches like cowhide on the floor and wagon wheel lamps on the ceiling. The rooms are spacious, artistically simple, and include touches of western art and artifacts along with location-themed art and plants. Furniture maker Dan Anderson has created comfortable, versatile, aesthetically fitting furnishings – think wood and leather.

A big game room, called the Canteen, has outdoor and indoor tables, and houses a fridge for cold beverages, as well as offering a nice stash of games and books and magazines.

The Red Dog Saloon, from the same affable and stylish owners as the motel, is a short stroll away, and offers tacos and brews and whiskeys in a comfortably clubby room just steps from that outdoor fireplace, should you be able to tear yourself away.  it’s open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner – try the mushroom taco and the Rajas Quesadilla with smoky pasilla peppers.  And, the aforementioned Pappy and Harriet’s still serves up BBQ and music just a few steps further on.

When we stayed at the motel we had a unique experience which made us love it even more: PG&E was doing line repair work, and power was out for a few hours. It was just us, the firelight, the stars, and the sound of the desert wind. While you probably won’t have that experience, the desert’s drama and magic is still right outside the door. The Pioneer Mountains Reserve is a great spot for hiking or horseback riding, and of course you’re also a short drive from Joshua Tree National Park.

So giddyup partner, and head on out to Pioneertown, where the motel is now blissfully luxe – but not pretentious, no siree; the view as pristine as ever; the stars just as bright.

  • Genie Davis; photos by Genie Davis

 

 

Desert X 2023 – Both Desert and Art Take Center Stage

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I’ve been attending Desert X since it’s inception, and while my favorite years in terms of pure innovation and aesthetics may have been the first two iterations, the every-other-year, art in the desert sculptural excursions are still a don’t-miss for me.

It is perhaps the desert setting itself that makes the art “work,” albeit in varying degrees; sculpture in situ, a new way of looking at nature itself, that miraculous moment when light and sky and cloud and sculptures merge into one big, dimensional landscape.

Favorites: Lauren Bon and Metabolic Studios’ evening performance work with a literal beating heart pumping away to clean water from the Salton Sea – a literally alchemic exhibition, “The Smallest Sea with the Largest Heart”; Matt Johnson’s massive containers shaping a human “Sleeping Figure,” seemingly crash-landed in the desert, a giant among giant mountains; Mario Garcia Torres’ humming, reflective “herd” of mechanically moving art, “Searching for the Sky,” which literally reveals the desert horizon from all angles; and the playfully interactive, if very different works of Torkwase Dyson and Rana Begum, the first, a stunning, solemn black form, water descended from an alien world, “Liquid A Place,” while the second is a maze like interaction “#1225 Chain Link.”

A side note: we had the pleasure of running into the Roofless Painters who were creating plein air takes on the Desert X art at Tschabalala Self’s greaceful Pioneer, an equestrian statue that honors too-often-ignored birthright. Look for their depictions of Desert X in art exhibits based in the desert and in LA.

Here’s a quick look:

Desert X is up until May 7th, and it is more than worth the drive. And while you’re in the greater Palm Springs area, you might want to check out an entirely different dimension of light and color, the Phillip K. Smith exhibition, Light + Change at the Palm Springs Museum of Art. This exhibition is also up until the 7th of May.

 

Hurry up and go – you might see some wildflowers while you’re exploring the blossoming art.

  • Genie Davis; photos by Genie Davis