The Los Angeles Art Association is packed with great exhibits through November 20th, a great reason to head up to the gallery’s West Hollywood location this fall. One of the shows currently presented is Lori Pond’s Menace.
The show is a riveting collection of photographs that depict darkened, wild animals that frighten and compel at the same time. These images are actually taxidermied creatures, photographed in sunny shops, manipulated by the artist to manifest images that could terrify – except they really can’t.
It’s the duality of these images, from cape bufalo to bear, opossum to wolf to bird, that is so riveting: why do they frighten us? Are they impotent or do they still contain the potential to terrify, if only in our minds. This is the first solo show that presents this particular body of Pond’s work. Another series of Menace images recently debuted in Philadelphia.
According to Pond, “There are different pieces in this show than there were back east. There are some new ones which I did after the Philadelphia show. I found a taxidermy shop there in April and took some new shots – two of them went into the show.”
There are other differences in the current exhibition here on the West Coast as well. “The Philadelphia show was held in a university gallery. That was a completely different audience. Here I was also able to display the images as they should be displayed, against black walls. I commission a friend to make an underscore that provides an almost subliminal musical message,” the artist reports.
Feeling menaced? Or seeking out a little Halloween-time primal fear? These instinctually harrowing photographs can be found at 825 La Cienega in West Hollywood.
- Genie Davis; Photos: Jack Burke