Wallace Berman, “Untitled (A1-Building)” (1974), 4-part verifax collage, 14 x 13 inches (via kohngallery.com)
LOS ANGELES — This week, explore a meticulous re-creation of thousands-year-old Buddhist caves, listen to two experimental piano performances, join a discussion on the current state of art and feminism, and more.
Lawrence Weschler & Ramiro Gomez in Conversation
When: Thursday, May 5, 7:30pm
Where: Hammer Museum (10899 Wilshire Boulevard, Westwood, Los Angeles)
The young Los Angeles-based painter Ramiro Gomez depicts lifestyles of the rich and famous, with the sly addition of domestic workers who make this rarified world possible. His work is both an homage and a response to the Hollywood paintings of David Hockney, a fact not lost on writer Lawrence Weschler, who has known Hockney for over 30 years. This Thursday’s conversation at the Hammer brings Weschler and Gomez together to discuss their new book Domestic Scenes: The Art of Ramiro Gomez.
Ramiro Gomez , “No Splash (after David Hockney’s A Bigger Splash, 1967)” (2013), acrylic on canvas, 96 x 96 inches (via hammer.ucla.edu)
Two Pianos
Dave Muller, “A Tale of 2 Pianos” (2016), acrylic on paper, 69 1/2 x 52 inches (via blumandpoe.com)
When: Thursday, May 5, 7pm
Where: Blum & Poe (2727 South La Cienega Boulevard, Culver City, California)
In conjunction with Three-Day Weekend, artist Dave Muller’s nomadic project space, Blum & Poe presents two performances that redefine piano-based music. First presented 50 years ago at the Destruction in Art Symposium in London, Raphael Montañez Ortiz’s “Piano Destruction Concert” involves the use of an axe to generate sound from the piano, leaving the instrument in ruins. The piece will be performed by Jim Brown — the first time Ortiz has allowed another artist to execute the work. In his piece “Drishti Point,” Tom Recchion plays the piano from the inside, bypassing the keys altogether and making music by touching the strings themselves. Space is limited, RSVP to events@blumandpoe.com.
Wallace Berman: American Aleph
When: Opens Friday, May 6, 6–8pm
Where: Kohn Gallery (1227 North Highland Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles)
Wallace Berman was a seminal figure in the post-war Los Angeles art scene, having made his solo LA debut at the legendary Ferus Gallery in 1957. Despite his crucial role at the intersection of assemblage, collage, mysticism, and poetry, he has not had a proper retrospective almost since his death 40 years ago. Kohn Gallery aims to correct this oversight with American Aleph, a full-career retrospective that casts Berman as not only a major Southern California artist, but also an important American one.
Deborah Delmar Corp., “Currency Therapy” (2016), digital image on neoprene (via institutefornewfeeling.com)
Felt Book Exhibition
When: Opens Friday, May 6, 7–10pm
Where: Werkärtz (927 S. Santa Fe Ave., Downtown, Los Angeles)
The Institute for New Feeling is an artist collective “committed to the development of new ways of feeling, and ways of feeling new.” Their Felt Book is a collaborative publication with over 100 artists who have contributed home remedies in the form of objects, websites, videos, and interactive works. This Friday, the book comes to life with the opening of an exhibition featuring work by many of the artists, alongside a pop-up shop where you can find creams, pillows, earplugs, and other items from the Institute’s line of wellness products.
Audrey Wollen, Instagram (via welcometolace.org)
Feminism 4.0
When: Saturday, May 7, 4–7pm
Where: LACE (Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions) (6522 Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood, Los Angeles)
Feminism has been continuously evolving over the past 50 years, and feminist art has developed alongside, from Judy Chicago’s Dinner Party to the Guerrilla Girls to contemporary artists who confront and embrace online platforms like Molly Soda and Ann Hirsch. Feminism 4.0 is a panel discussion that aims to explore what feminist art looks like today, featuring artists Audrey Wollen, Amalia Ulman, Lili Bernard, and Siobhan Hebron. The event will also be a launch party celebrating the new issue of Artillery magazine, which features Wollen on the cover.
Cave 85, view of the interior, Late Tang dynasty (848–907 CE), Mogao Grottoes, Dunhuang, China (via getty.edu)
Cave Temples of Dunhuang
When: Opens Saturday, May 7
Where: The Getty Center (1200 Getty Center Drive, Brentwood, Los Angeles)
Lending is a major part of any museum’s exhibition program, as it allows viewers to see works without having to travel halfway around the world. But what if works are so large or fragile that they are unable to travel? The Getty faced just such a conundrum with its upcoming exhibition Cave Temples of Dunhuang, which features exquisite Buddhist paintings and sculptures from caves on the Western edge of the Gobi desert. Their solution was to painstakingly replicate three of the caves at full scale, which visitors can walk into. There will also be an immersive virtual experience with 3D glasses and panoramic projections, as well as actual paintings on silk and paper, providing a multi-faceted glimpse at these historic wonders.
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