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Local News for a Global Village | www.VoiceSB.com
July 9, 2021
Art Matters
Fireworks and Art for the Fourth of July
Photo by Edward Goldman Photo by Edward Goldman
Installation view of Lia Halloran exhibition at Luis De Jesus Gallery
Photo by Edward Goldman
Visiting studio of Lia Halloran
Visiting studio of Laurie Raskin
Photo by Edward Goldman
Another exhibition that has explosive energy, matching the sparks of the 4th of July, is the current exhibition by Naotaka Hiro (b. 1972) at The Box Gallery in downtown LA. It was my first interaction with the work by this Japanese artist born in Osaka, who now lives in Los Angeles. His monumental in scale paintings on plywood panels are displayed in an unusual way, not on the walls, but on free-standing wood structures circling the gallery. Even before I read the artist’s statement about his work, I felt a sense of drama and tension permeating from his paintings. Hiro says, “During the quarantine, I was affected not only by physical illness, but also by the external chaos surrounding the election, the storming of the Capitol, and the increase in the number of hate crimes against Asians...The impact was so strong, I couldn’t reject the horrendous feeling, it naturally slid into my work.” What I particularly appreciate about Hiro’s exhibition is the fact that he is not complaining but transforming his personal pain and frustration into a powerful artistic message. The exhibition runs through July 24, 2021.
Now my friends, brace yourselves for a “sublime cosmic phenomenon” of the exhibition by maverick, Los Angeles artist, Lia Halloran (b. 1977) at Luis De Jesus Gallery. The exhibition title, The Sun Burns My Eyes Like Moons, refers to photographs Halloran took during the total solar eclipse in 2017. This body of work is her homage to the sun. Halloran’s large-scale cyanotypes are produced through exposure to the sun. Each cyanotype panel is a unique positive imprint that occurs by placing translucent paper under the sun that acts like negative film absorbing light. Saturated with blues, black and pops of color, Halloran’s painting “evokes the overwhelming grandeur and luminosity of the sun.” The exhibition runs through August 14, 2021. A few months ago, in the midst of the pandemic, I had the pleasure of visiting Lia Halloran’s studio where I experienced these works in progress. Of course, no hugs, no kisses were allowed, just masks and safe distance. But, let me tell you, looking closely at her paintings, I felt that I was diving deep into the cosmos communicating with stars, gods, and muses.
Installation views of Ai Weiwei: Trace at Skirball Cultural Center
Photo by Edward Goldman
’VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT WHAT MIGHT BE THE BEST ART ADVENTURE for all of us to explore to extend this past holiday weekend. Here are my choices... Let’s start with a very unconventional exhibition by Chinese dissident artist, Ai Weiwei at the Skirball Cultural Center. On the floor of the main gallery, there are 83 portraits of activists and prisoners of conscience, all of them hand-assembled from thousands of LEGO® bricks. These portraits, created in 2014 when Ai Weiwei was under house arrest, were originally exhibited as a site-specific installation at the former Alcatraz prison in San Francisco. I still feel guilty not seeing this San Francisco exhibition, but two years ago we Angelenos were lucky to have had three simultaneous exhibitions by Ai Weiwei—at Maricano Art Foundation, at Jeffrey Deitch Gallery, and the UTA Artist Space. Now, you definitely don’t want to miss his powerful, political, and artistic message sprawling through the Skirball Cultural Center’s main gallery where Ai Weiwei is literally staring at you. The exhibition runs through August 1, 2021.
Installation view of Naotaka Hiro exhibition at The Box Gallery
Photo by Edward Goldman
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By Edward Goldman, ART Matters
Installation view of Naotaka Hiro exhibition at The Box Gallery No matter how familiar you might be with an artist’s work, visiting their studio is the ultimate experience of Edward Goldman was understanding and appreciation of their work. Last art critic and host of “Art weekend, with a couple of friends, I went to see Los Talk,” a weekly program Angeles artist, Laurie Raskin, who showed us her latest which aired prime-time paintings in her studio. Brimming with color and Tuesday evenings during energy, Raskin’s paintings echo geometric compositions All Things Considered on by Matisse. The pleasure of seeing her art made me LA’s largest NPR affiliate, think about resuming my Fine Art of Art Collecting KCRW 89.9 FM, for more than 30 years. Along the way, he classes where I share with class participants the joy of also contributed weekly art reports to the Huffington Post experiencing art in real time and real place. and developed a strong digital following. Here you can learn about these Art Classes (www.edwardgoldman.com/fine-art-of-art-collectingclass). So, let me know if you are interested in being Discover more Art Matters Columns at part of this journey... www.edwardgoldman.com