•This Week•
Grassroots Acoustica show to pay tribute to producer Ed Tree Los Angeles-based modern folk artist Dudley Saunders will participate in a tribute concert for veteran American music producer Ed Tree, “One Degree to Ed Tree,” from 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 12 at the Talking Stick Coffee Lounge, 1411 C Lincoln Blvd., Venice. The concert is in its sixth year of production courtesy of Grassroots Acoustica and celebrates the work of Tree, known for his work as a musician and producer for award-winning acts like Rita Coolidge, the Spencer Davis Group, and local independents like David Serby. Saunders recently released his fourth independent record, “Monsters,” which he recorded with Tree at his South Pasadena studio. Frequently compared to Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits and Joni Mitchell, Saunders combines harshly poetic lyrics with unusually complex folk melodies, said event spokesperson Margo Drgos.
“Ed is primarily known for his work in the Americana and the roots world, so when he took on an experimental-alternative folkie like me, he actually ended up handling my notoriously ‘weird’ music better than all of my previous uber-hip producers combined,” said Saunders. The event will feature over a dozen acts, including notables such as Lisa O’Kane, David Serby, Mark Islam, Severin Browne (Jackson Browne’s brother), and percussionist Debra Dobkin (The Eagles, Bonnie Raitt). The five-year-old songwriter showcase Grassroots Acoustica meets on the second Saturday of every month at the Talking Stick. There is never a cover charge and it operates as a non-profit. The organization has raised over $56,000 in voluntary contributions supporting education, arts, social services, medical research and animal rescue organizations to date, event organizers say.
MODERN FOLK ARTIST Dudley Saunders will join over a dozen musical acts in a tribute concert for veteran American music producer Ed Tree at the Talking Stick Coffee Lounge in Venice Jan. 12.
Arena 1 Gallery to exhibit works ‘Plexi-drawings’ by Joanne exploring concept of infinity Lefrak to be on view at outcomes, Duval said. sions this as the first of a series The Arena 1 Gallery in Santa that will explore various aspects Monica will present Infinity+1, Los Angeles artist Reas has Leslie Sacks Contemporary part 1, an exhibit of works by art- of infinity. been writing generative software The Leslie Sacks Contemporary gallery in Santa Monica will present Treasure Sites, an exhibition of works by Joanne Lefrak, beginning Saturday, Jan. 12 through Feb. 23. An opening reception is scheduled from 5 to 7 p.m. Jan. 12 at the Bergamot Station gallery, 2525 Michigan Ave. B6, Santa Monica. Lefrak, who is based in Santa Fe, NM, creates intricate drawings on Plexiglas that when illuminated, cast shadows onto the wall behind them. Lefrak’s “plexi-drawings” are rich in detail and borrow much from the school of Photorealism, a gallery spokesperson said. Like photorealists, she starts her process first by capturing images on her camera and then using the photographs as templates for her drawings. Her subject matter also merges past with present, and her drawings depict locations that have rich histories, the spokesperson said. These locales tell stories about the past, revealing memories, mysteries and myths about a place — an island that harbors the legend of Blackbeard the pirate; a Santa Fe plot of dirt that is revered as holy; and a plot of land in New Mexico that marks the site of the first atomic bomb test.
BLACK HOLE (INSIDE) is among the Plexiglas drawings by Joanne Lefrak that will be exhibited at the Leslie Sacks Contemporary gallery. The work is part of the Trinity series, named for the New Mexico site where the first atomic bomb test took place in 1945.
Black Hole (Inside) is part of Lefrak’s Trinity series, named for the Santa Fe site where the first atomic bomb test took place on July 16, 1945. The work depicts the eerie image of a surplus store in Los Alamos, where objects used in the making of the atomic bomb are sold, said the gallery spokesperson. Information, (310) 264-0640, or www.lesliesackscontemporary. com.
PAGE 14 THE ARGONAUT January 3, 2013
ists Mitra Fabian, Debra Greene, Robert Strati and Casey Reas, beginning Saturday, Jan. 12 and continuing through Feb. 9. An opening reception is scheduled from 6 to 8 p.m. Jan. 12 at the gallery, 3026 Airport Ave., Santa Monica. The works featured in the show flirt with the idea that infinity can be made tangible. Using tools of science like computer software or invented rules that are based on science but are actually fake, the artists employ similar processes of repeated patterns to investigate infinite outcomes, a gallery spokesperson notes. Curator Christine Duval envi-
Fabian works with atypical materials like glass vials, plastic films, tape, various office and scientific products. As she builds with these materials she deconstructs and alters them in such a way that they are not immediately recognizable. Their “reconstruction” is determined by what the material is capable of doing, not meant to do, Duval said. Greene said she has always been interested in subverting materials and their relevance. She approaches each piece with the same rule, but proceeds by slightly altering a component in exploring how a repetitive process is subverted to allow for different
for artistic purposes since he graduated from MIT in 2001. His prints, often presented as a diptych, represent a moment frozen in time which the software will never be able to reproduce as it survives into infinity, Duval said. Strati said he is motivated by the interactions of art, architectural theory, music and science. He draws upon musical notations, engineering schematics, architectural plans, alphabets, nodal networks and maps for inspiration. Information, (310) 397-7449, or www.santamonicaartstudios. com.
Edgemar Center gallery to display paintings by Marianne R.K. The main gallery at Edgemar Center for the Arts in Santa Monica will display paintings by Santa Monica artist Marianne R.K., also known as Marika, beginning Saturday, Jan. 12 through March 24. An opening reception is scheduled from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Jan. 12 at Edgemar, 2437 Main St., Santa Monica. Works displayed will be acrylic on canvas, with subjects including abstracts, landscapes, flowers and
figurative pieces. Each of the paintings display a strong sense of color, a gallery spokesperson notes. A longtime Santa Monica resident, Marika was born in Budapest, Hungary and later lived in Paris. Marika, who attended Montreal School of Fine Arts, has had her works shown in Montreal and Los Angeles. She is the author of a memoir, “All the Pretty Shoes.” “For the past many years, I ex-
perimented with different mediums such as oil, water and acrylic,” she said. “Today, I use mainly acrylic, although at times I experimented with mirrors and impasto. I find there are a few things in life I could not live without: music, colors and shapes. I am grateful that I can create images that come straight from within my soul.” Information, (310) 392-7327, or www.edgemarcenter.org.