ArtRx LA

LOS ANGELES — This week, local chef Vinny Dotolo curates a show about the cross-section of food and art, a retrospective of work by Light and Space artist Peter Alexander opens at Parrasch Heijnen, Pieterspace and pehrspace hold a festival dedicated to influential musician Arthur Russell, and more.

 Please Have Enough Acid in the Dish!

When: Opens Thursday, July 7, 6–8pm
Where: M+B (612 N. Almont Dr., West Hollywood, California)

James Beard award-winning chef Vinny Dotolo has just about conquered the Los Angeles culinary world, with a handful of acclaimed restaurants including Animal and Son of a Gun. The culinary artist now turns his talents to the fine art world as the organizer of Please Have Enough Acid in the Dish!, a group show that explores the intersection of these two disciplines. Thirty-seven artists are included in the exhibition including Alex Becerra, Ed Ruscha, Samara Golden, Fay Ray, Kim Fisher, and many more. Dotolo will be serving his signature “Green Garlic Bone Broth” at the opening, and artist Ana Prvacki will be presenting a twist on the traditional martini, replacing the olive with a kumquat. A cookbook zine featuring artists’ illustrated recipes will also be available for sale.

 What is Contemporary? Black Lives Matter

When: Opens Thursday, July 7, 7–9pm
Where: The Geffen Contemporary at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) (152 North Central Avenue, Downtown, Los Angeles)

Although the trend of art as asset class may seem like a troubling development, art’s role as a revolutionary agent of social change is still deeply relevant. As part of their new What is Contemporary? series, the Museum of Contemporary Art is holding a discussion about art and activism with Black Lives Matter Co-founder Patrisse Cullors and Black Lives Matter Network Art + Culture Director Tanya Lucia Bernard. The Underground Museum will also be hosting an event with Cullors and Bernard for their Holding Court conversation series on Friday at 7pm (free RSVP is required).

 Plucking Frida: A Discussion About Why Other Latina Artists Matter

When: Friday, July 8, 7–8:30pm
Where: Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA) (628 Alamitos Ave, Long Beach, California)

Frida Kahlo is undeniably one of the most popular artists in the world, one of a select few who have crossed over from the art world into mainstream culture. Besides her, however, there are few Latina artists who are well known, even within artistic circles. “Plucking Frida” is a performative discussion that focuses on influential Latina artists whose legacies have been overlooked and eclipsed by the “cult of Frida.” Writer and artist Myriam Gurba, and performer, publisher, and writer Raquel Gutiérrez lead the talk. Tickets are $10 / free for MOLAA members.

 Peter Alexander: Sculpture 1966–2016

When: Opens Saturday, July 9, 3–6pm
Where: Parrasch Heijnen Gallery (1326 S. Boyle Avenue, Boyle Heights, Los Angeles)

Peter Alexander first began working with polyester resin in the late 1960s, after using it to repair his surfboard — a quintessentially SoCal artistic origin story. His early geometric sculptures using industrial materials cemented his role as a pioneering member of the Light and Space movement.

His upcoming career survey at Parrasch Heijnen Gallery covers 50 years of work, from these acrylic and plastic sculptures, to the two-dimensional works he began making in the early ’70s due to the toxicity of the chemicals, and more recent sculptural explorations with low-toxicity polyurethane.

 The Surrealist Diaspora in Los Angeles 1935–1969

When: Opens Saturday, July 9, 5–7pm
Where: Richard Telles (7380 Beverly Blvd, Fairfax District, Los Angeles)

Paris may be the city most closely with the Surrealist movement, but Los Angeles was home to an American branch of Surrealists who put a uniquely Angeleno spin on the foundations laid by Breton, Ernst, Dalí, and others. This is the premise behind an ambitious, genre-spanning group exhibition, Tinseltown in the Rain, curated by artist Max Maslansky, opening at Richard Telles on Saturday. Featured artists include John Altoon, Kenneth Anger, Cameron, Maya Deren, Wallace Berman, Charles Garabedian, George Herms, Ed Kienholz, and many others.

Your Motion Says: An Arthur Russell Festival

When: Saturday, July 9, 7pm & Sunday, July 10, 7pm
Where: Pieterspace (420 West Avenue 33, Unit 10, Lincoln Heights, Los Angeles) & pehrspace (325 Glendale Blvd, Echo Park, Los Angeles)

Enigmatic musician Arthur Russell was a classically trained cellist whose work ranged from avant-garde compositions to heartfelt, country-tinged songs, to exuberant, dance floor disco jams. Your Motion Says is an annual festival celebrating this unique talent whose prolific creative contributions were cut short by his death from AIDS-related cancer in 1992. On Saturday, Pieterspace presents selection of dance performances inspired by Russell, followed by musical interpretations at pehrspace on Sunday.