PST ART Arrives With a Spectacular Bang in WE ARE

Posted on by Diversions LA

A real wow official opening for PST Art splashed across the sky early Sunday evening with a major event at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum by globally renowned artist Cai Guo-Qiang and his custom AI model cAI™ commissioned and presented by Getty in collaboration with the University of Southern California.

WE ARE was experienced by only 5,000 guests positioned directly on the stadium’s astroturf to witness what Cai calls “daytime fireworks.”  As a note, the stadium typical holds over 77,000 guests.

The unique artwork uses organic, sustainable pigments and dyes rather than traditional pyrotechnics. The roughly half-hour long program, conducted live by Cai, debuted the first expansive daytime firework event featuring a drone formation equipped with pyrotechnic products ever in the U.S.

WE ARE presented nearly ten thousand twinkling mini firework shells installed throughout the Coliseum seating, custom-developed daytime fireworks, and choreographed drones carrying pyrotechnic products. When the drones arrived, multiple nearby viewers began to hum some sections of the Star Wars score.

The paints and pyros created a sky that temporarily at least evoked abstract watercolor paintings, igniting the sky with images of myth and humanity and drawing parallels to Prometheus’s theft of fire from the gods.

In two separate displays, the official Los Angeles flower, the bird of paradise, played a key part. There was an explosive dragon circling the stands, sparkling and booming loudly for the finale. Drones spelled out “We Are” with sparkles, and poetic electronic billboards offered the titles of five separate art sections along with resonant stories about them.

Cai Guo-Qiang asks “Is humanity’s creation of AI akin to the theft of fire and an attempt to steal the ‘heavenly secret’ with AI? …I hope WE ARE will stand as a grand gesture of the art world integrating the virtual with the real in the era of AI, and also as a powerful voice and decisive action in these turbulent times.”

It certainly integrates a vast created beauty with the natural wonder of the sky, drawing awed responses and cheers as each vibrant, dreamy, surreal, and lush element of the performance unfolded.

It was a brilliant, one-of-a-kind experience.

  • Genie Davis; images by Genie Davis and Jack Burke

 

January Arts is About to Launch Exciting New Platform

Posted on by Diversions LA

You may know Kristine Schomaker as the creator of Shoebox Arts, an inclusive arts community that includes Shoebox Projects exhibitions,  mentoring artists throughout Southern California and beyond, and Art and Cake,  digital publication you’ve likely read along with DiversionsLA.

Now Schomaker has begun a joyous new project for her, January Arts, a nonprofit she originally conceived of in 2018,  and is bringing to fruition now, with a launch party that includes a small works fundraiser this Sunday, August 18th at the Moonhuts in Los Angeles from 3-6 p.m.

The nonprofit will serve as a hub, a facilitator, a connector, an introduction to the art world—the place where any artist can find mentorship, professional development, exhibition opportunities, critique groups, professional speakers, workshops, tools, and more.

As Schomaker says “The world is in a wonky place right now, but I knew I could help artists keep going: I’m a good cheerleader, advocate, and facilitator. While I’ve been doing this work for a decade through Shoebox, I’ve been itching to reach a wider audience. Now, through the tax-deductible nonprofit, we can apply for grants and fundraise to bring more support to creatives; with January Arts, I’m better positioned to offer my experience, knowledge, and passion to those who wouldn’t otherwise have access to support.”

She visualizes Shoebox “evolving into the more holistic platform that is January Arts. I am excited about January Arts being a hub of artist resources, where artists from all over can find whatever help they need.” Her board members were culled form diverse backgrounds in business, journalism, artist support, technology, and finance, among others.

Schomaker, left with board president Ellen Friedlander

She stresses that she wants “January Arts to be a platform where artists can find community, learn to network, and achieve their goals, whatever they may be. I also want it to be a place where any artist–regardless of career level–can realize that there are opportunities available to them. We know how hard it is to be a creative: trying to be vulnerable and put yourself out there can be an emotional rollercoaster. We want artists to know that they aren’t alone. Their story is our story. I also want January Arts to bridge the gap between artists and their needs, both material and otherwise: We have resources for graphic design, printing, framing, shipping, taxes, workshops, classes, art supplies, self-care, organization platforms, mentorship and more.”

According to Schomaker, “Once we have a bit of history under our belts, we will be applying for grants. The Launch party will feature a small works exhibition where all work is $100. We are also accepting donations on our website www.januaryarts.org. All donations are tax deductible. Fundraising will be key to providing unencumbered support to all artists.”

January Arts will officially launch on September 1st. “When you sign up through our artist membership, you have access to an abundance of benefits, including group zoom meetings three times a week: on Mondays we hold open forum Q&As; on Wednesdays we hold a book club; on Thursdays we hold co-working sessions where we all log in and work separately, using the energy of the group to finish the work we’ve been procrastinating on. We also hold a monthly meeting where we bring in an art world speaker. In the past we have had art writers, gallerists, curators, well-known artists, consultants and other guests,” Schomaker says. “Coming up we have someone talking about different technology that is available to artists to make their lives easier, as well as someone talking about licensing. Once a month, we also hold a zoom critique group. Each artist gets 10-15 minutes to share their work/projects and get feedback.” Additionally, she says “We have in person meet-ups at museums and galleries, too. Ongoing benefits include a call for artist list, an artist registry on the website, a private Facebook group, social media PR and more. Artists can check out our services as well as testimonials and FAQ on our website, www.januaryarts.org Artists can pay monthly, every 6 months or every year. We have been able to keep the fees lower due to donations and fundraising.”

The indefatigable Schomaker describes January Arts as “a passion project. It is a culmination of so many ideas coming together to continue supporting artists. In the future, we look forward to more collaborations with organizations and institutions. We look forward to expanding Art and Cake and bringing in art writer fellowships. We want to do more workshops with emerging artists and students. ”

And, she still dreams of starting an artist residency outside of the city, hoping to travel and share available opportunities with artists everywhere. “The internet and social media have opened up so many opportunities to artists, but it is still overwhelming. We want to be able to help artists navigate their individual path. We believe there is no linear or predetermined path for artists,” she attests.

January Arts Fundraiser August 18th 3-6pm
MoonHuts
5320 Valley Blvd LA CA 90032
https://www.moonhuts.com/
Catered by @district5kitchen
Small works exhibition, fundraiser, silent auction and more…

For more information,  visit:

January Arts Small Works Exhibition
https://www.januaryarts.org/post/off-the-wall-small-works-fundraiser

January Arts Website
https://www.januaryarts.org/

  • Genie Davis; images provided by fundraiser artists and Kristine Schomaker 

The Gaslight Anthem Helms Strong Rock Lineup on a Summer Night at the Greek 

Posted on by Diversions LA

On a balmy night at the Greek Theatre, a rockin’ triple lineup headlined by The Gaslight Anthem brought three and a half hours of exciting rock n’ roll.

The concert began with The Dirty NIL,  a tight four person punk rock band all the way from Ontario, Canada. The band offered a lively set that veered toward the punk as the first opener at the Greek tonight. Lead singer and guitarist Luis Bentham was in strong voice and Ross Miller brought cheers for his robust bass work and wild stage leaps. Highlights included the terrific song “The Light, the Void and Everything.”

Joyce Manor, local natives out of Torrance, Calif., got the growing audience to their feet with a super danceable “My Tattoo.” Channeling a taste of Blink 182, they powered through a 45-minute set that also included the must-dance power rocker “Gotta Let It Go” from their new album, “as well as End of the Summer,” “Eighteen,” “House Warning Party,” “Stairs,” 2014’s sing-along “The Jerk,” and “Dance with Me,” along with many cuts from their 2022 album “40 oz. to Fresno,” finishing up with a raucous “Catalina Fight Song.”

Lead singer and guitar Barry Johnson totally brought it – including during a moment in which a “big f@&% spider” crawled across the stage – he’s not an arachnoid fan, but even the spider was probably dancing throughout the 45 minute set.

The Gaslight Anthem came on stage to a recording of Cindy Lauper singing “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” and I think every girl and boy at the Greek had a lot of fun on the LA installment of the band’s History Books tour.

Offering strongly anthemic melodies with lead singer and guitarist Brian Fallon in fine voice, fans sure weren’t disappointed with a galvanizing, tight set that began with “45” and moved through 20 songs in a generous 85 minutes set, including the beautiful, lush, and romantic “The Weatherman,” from the band’s latest 2023 LP, History Books. The song’s titular narrator is just “trying to read you …” and the audience hushed in anticipation.

Every member of the New Jersey native band came ready to raise the roof – if there was one at the Greek, that is –  Fallon who handles rhythm guitar as well as vocals; Alex Rosamilia, guitar; Alex Levine, bass; Benny Horowitz, drums; and Bryan Haring on keyboards.

There were many highlights , including the high energy “Bring It On;” a poignant “Film Noir;” and the lightly nostalgic “Here’s Looking at You Kid,” the latter of which was followed by a tender cover of Red Hot Chili Peppers’  “Soul to Squeeze.”  

Then it was time to rock out again to a set that included the pounding drums of “American Slang,” as well as the location-appropriate blusey rocker “Mulholland Drive,” which concluded with delicately rendered blues-based guitar riffs. 

Favorites like “Autumn” brought a vibrant Springsteen-like vibe (note: Springsteen himself played on their new album’s title track which wasn’t on the set list tonight)  while a beautiful “Michigan 1975,” from the new album, led into a closing trio of songs that included “Mae,” crowd fave “Great Expectations,” and a rousing version of “The 59 Song,” as the finale that got the crowd clapping along and anyone still seated up on their feet.

Celebrating the October release of their new album after almost ten years on hiatus, the concert nonetheless focused on classic tunes which merge elements of indie rock, grunge, Americana, and blues rock that is at turns propulsive, sharp, and elegaic. It was a fine show under the starry sky tonight.

  • Genie Davis; photos by Jack Burke

 

 

When Art Is Magic – The Arcade of Hypermodernity

Posted on by Diversions LA

“Oh Sandy, the aurora is risin’ behind us/ This pier lights our carnival life on the water…” – Bruce Springsteen

Now at Studio Channel Islands Art Center in Camarillo through, July 27th, curators Jason Jenn and Vojislav Radovanovic create a new kind of carnival life, one that offers its own bright aurora, an interactive world that morphs technology into magic and the rush of modern life and angst into a spiritual and sensual experience.

Exhibiting artists CARLOS LUNA JAMES,  CHENHUNG CHEN, CHRIS TOWLE, EDWIN VASQUEZ, EUGENE AHN, GIRLACN, GREGORY FRYE, IBUKI KURAMOCHI, ISMAEL DE ANDA III, JASON HEATH, JASON JENN, JEFF FROST, JENNIE E PARK, JODY ZELLEN, JOSEPH CARRILLO, KAREN HOCHMAN BROWN, LESLIE FOSTER, LIBERTY WORTH, MATTHEW PAGOAGA, R SKY PALKOWITZ, and VOJISLAV RADOVANOVIĆ each shape a miraculous exhibition that invites viewers to partake of a literal art arcade, touching, playing, dancing, and yes, even inhaling the scent of the art.

It’s a pure wow of an exhibition, one that vibrates with energy, a passion for perfromance, romance, the ridiculous, and the sublime. Just as I struggled to decide where to start when wandering through this treasure trove of an exhibition, I also struggle now with how best to describe an experience that is meant to be – experienced.

The curators aptly describe the show as a “vibrant playground of ideas, focusing on the intersection of art, technology, and imagination….it explores the limits of human capability and what is now possible and in a state of major change within this new era of life globally connected online, and the evolution of artificial intelligence.”

And does it ever explore. Equal parts fantasy and futuristic window, the show is visually dazzling but also robustly meaningful. What does it mean to be human? To feel, enjoy, experience? What does it mean to think without being told what to think or how to behave? What does it mean to feel one’s humanity without conforming to political or social structures that limit or lie? How will technology change us, how has it already? Where are we going, and where have we been?

It’s a carnival of art, and a circus of ideas.  Some works are sculptural, as are Chenhung Chen’s flowering burst of wire and cable and found objects, “Currents.”

Some are sculptural forms that move, changing in multi-colored lights, mixing a traditional toy that evokes a carnival kiddie ride with fantastical portraiture, as does Vojislav Radovanovic’s take on car culture, “Phantom Traffic I (The Collectors), Phantom Traffic II (Library Girl), and Phantom Traffic III (West Coast Vibes).”

There are steampunk extravaganzas that twist and turn from Chris Towle, whose five elaborate and engaging works here include a silicone film prop, “Kraken,” and a crazy cool clockwork-type piece, “Teatime Movement.”

Edwin Vasquez offers an interactive, mixed media “Shooting Range” that also serves as a trenchant commentary on American gun fetishism.

Gregory Frye’s dazzling fiber optics and mixed media work, a freestanding fortune-telling creature called “Frank Fortune” seems ready to walk out of the gallery, even as it dazzles the eye and the spirit.

Girlacne’s “Body Électrique” wall art is a sinuous mix of LED, wire, and zip ties that undulates with light and shadow.

Ibuki Kuramochi’s ” Eggscapes” gives viewers a mystical VR metaverse to plunge inside – and then rehatch from within.

At the June 1st opening, we were also able to view a stunning performance art and dance from Kuramochi, performed outdoors to a rapt audience.

Her sense of visual poetry embodied themes of birth, rebirth, loss, and revival, all relevant to the exhibition itself.

 

Presenting a terrific, riveting series of altnerating images, Ismael de Anda III & Eugene Ahn use video projection, AR, and a vinyl dance floor to spin their “Dancing Wu-Li Masters.”

Jason Jenn’s lush, fecund “Ye Ol’ Factory Station (Homage to Sir Joseph Paxton),” includes elements scented with essential oils that conjur up forests and fantasies.

Karen Hochman Brown’s “Circuitry” offers a geometric display of digital frames and cords that resemble luminous eyes.

SKY Palkowitz’ “ALIEN ARCADE UFP Unidentified Flying Pyramid – Classified: Pleiades Starship 444 – Codename: Elohim,” invites viewers to stand beneath this mysterious shape, and view its black-lit and transportive interior.

There are mysterious and magical video works from Leslie Foster, and the vivid palette of Jeff Frost…

…a motion-activated low-tech piece from Jennie E. Park…

a thought-provoking digital “film strip” from Jodi Zellen.

Viewers also get to explore Joseph Carrillo’s musically driven “The Arcade Fantasy,” as well as Mathew Pagoaga’s exciting video game-centered, multiple installation “Trust.”

Carlos Luna James superb and transformative “OPTIMUS” AR activation,  one of two dynamite pieces the artist has here, is an innovative mind-blower. Take a look below:

And these are by no means every piece on display. Each work and each artist offers something quite wonderful, strange, special, and unique – you will not see these works elsewhere. If you saw the DTLA-recreation of Luna Luna Amusement Park, originally created in Germany by seminal artists of that time,  you could easily imagine The Arcade of Hypermodernity as such a revered classic of the future. It’s spectacular, and just a whole lot of fun.

While this exhibition pays tribute to the idea and reality of arcades and midways, it also serves as an homage to this quintessential moment in time, one in which our creativity, our humanity, our playfulness, are all on the verge of great change. There is the expansive possibility of technology, and conversely the dulling of our capacity for connectivity and intimacy through its remoteness.  Can we embrace great change without it forever changing us? How much have we changed already, and become hybrids of the human and the inhuman as the price of simply staying alive? How can our creativity, the root from which our humanity springs, still define us?

Walk through this arcade and you’ll find hope, happiness, and as many questions as answers. You’ll find the magic that makes art live and the art that makes the magic. Now go wave a wand, or get on the freeway – whatever works for you – and go see this show. “Frank Fortune” is waiting to tell your future.

Studio Channel Islands Art Center is located at 2222 Ventura Blvd, in Camarillo. For hours, schedule of artist’s talks and other activations, as well as directions, click here.  

  • Written by Genie Davis; photos by Genie Davis