PRESENCE ALMANAC
Seventh Chronicle Curated by Elliott Desai
FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF ARTS & CULTURE
The next morning, I drove towards San Diego, CA to spend a few days in a seaside village named La Jolla
The prompt for all my travels is simply to be alive somewhere else.
And leaving LA is the most effective way to fall back in love with this city.
So I gifted myself a four-day trip to a sleepy, little town to kickoff the beginning of an entrepreneurial Q2.
A few years ago, my family converted our “winter break” into extended stays at rental homes around Southern California.
We concluded 2020 and 2021 at houses in Long Beach, CA - affirming these trips as a great escape from midwest winters and a wonderful reason to visit me in California.
At the end of 2022, we traveled further down the coast and chose a home in La Jolla, San Diego.
So today’s Seventh Chronicle is a collection of features from this family trip in December ‘22 and my recent stay in April ‘23 - walking around and discovering local arts & culture in adjacent San Diego cities.
Orange County Museum of Art is located 40 miles from Downtown LA and hosts exhibitions that are “preserving the art of our time” while also highlighting an artist’s transformative impact on audiences.
When I explored the museum, Daniel Arsham’s Wherever You Go, There You Are was on view to show his take on fictional archaeology (and a kismet title for my particular excursion down south.)
The building’s architecture is also worth an afternoon visit in itself. Open year-round in Costa Mesta.
Travel a few more miles south, and you’ll be greeted by several beautiful beaches along La Jolla’s coastline.
Windansea and La Jolla Cove are within walking distance of the village (I stayed at The Shoal located at 6750 La Jolla Blvd) — perfect for reading a book, listening to music, laying out in the sun... and having a present moment with yourself.
During both visits, La Valencia Hotel became the spot for a nice view of the shore, appetizers and a cocktail.
From these beaches, you can continue walking south and arrive at Mission Beach for a sunset view.
More beaches are sprinkled along the coastline, but I found these three to be the calmest and near a variety of restaurant options.
You can then venture across Mission Bay and explore Ocean Beach. This part of San Diego feels more residential, but we visited the mexican restaurant La Doña twice during out family trip and enjoyed
drinking at a brewery along the Point Loma waterfront.
And now a memorable experience! Have been recommending to friends ever since we saw it :)
Before heading back to Los Angeles, visit the Gaslamp Quarter.
This area has plenty of restuarants and we particulalry loved The Shout! House - a piano bar where the performers duel with each other by taking suggestions from the audience. A lively way to kickoff an evening in downtown San Diego and conclude a weekend trip to La Jolla.
I’ve yet to travel via the Metrolink or Surfliner trains, but intend to try them on my next trip south.
To conclude this week’s chronicle, we return to the Fashion District and Hancock Park to see five artists:
Özgür Kar at Château Shatto
Chris Ulivo at Track 16 Gallery
Robert Pruitt at Vielmetter Los Angeles
Wangari Mathenge and Suchitra Mattai at Roberts Projects
Published on August 30 at 6:37 PM for the Blue Moon / Supermoon.
Sincerely,
Elliott DesaiCOSTA MESA
Orange County Museum of Art
Photo by Elliott Desai
© Daniel Arsham 2023
Wherever You Go, There You Are
© Daniel Arsham 2023
Wherever You Go, There You Are
© Daniel Arsham 2023
Wherever You Go, There You Are
Orange County Museum of Art
Photo by Elliott Desai
WINDANSEA
Photo by Elliott Desai
Photo by Elliott Desai
Photo by Elliott Desai
LA JOLLA COVE
Photo by Elliott Desai
La Valencia Hotel
Photo by Elliott Desai
Photo by Elliott Desai
MISSION BEACH
Photo by Elliott Desai
POINT LOMA
Photo by Elliott Desai
GASLAMP QUARTER
The Shout! House
Photo by Elliott Desai
FASHION DISTRICT
Image courtesy of Château Shatto
© Özgür Kar | Sleeping Lamb #1, 2023
• Sleeping Lamb #2, 2023
Pas de deux: Death’s Crook
© Özgür Kar | Death, the Shepherd, 2023 Pas de deux: Death’s Crook
Image
of Château Shatto
courtesy
Image courtesy of Track 16 Gallery © Chris Ulivo | Setting The Table For Argus As Would Zorba, 2023 Ancient Rome Today!
Image courtesy of Track 16 Gallery ©
Chris Ulivo | The First and Very, Very Last Great Desert Tortoise Race, 2022 Ancient Rome Today!
Image courtesy of Track 16 Gallery
| What Begins As An Ordinary
© Chris Ulivo
Ceremony Becomes Unruly, 2023 Ancient Rome Today!
Image courtesy of Track 16 Gallery
© Chris Ulivo | Moonlight Discussion Of Snails And Oysters, 2023 Ancient Rome Today!
Image courtesy of Vielmetter Los Angeles
© Robert Pruitt | Superposition, 2022
Goodnight Prometheus
Image courtesy of Vielmetter Los Angeles
© Robert Pruitt | Pastor’s Study, 2023
Goodnight Prometheus
© Robert Pruitt | Couple in a Vacant Lot, 2022
Goodnight Prometheus
Image courtesy of Vielmetter Los Angeles
HANCOCK PARK
© Wangari Mathenge | Nick at a Mirror (After Rubens’ “Venus at a Mirror”), 2023 Tidal Wave of Colour
Image courtesy of Roberts Projects
© Wangari Mathenge | Home Sweet Home (After Seurat, Manet and Pippin), 2023 Tidal Wave of Colour
Image courtesy of Roberts Projects
©
Suchitra Mattai | as we know it, as we dream it, 2023 In the absence of power. In the presence of love. Image courtesy of Roberts Projects
© Suchitra Mattai | Mother Earth, 2023 In the absence of power. In the presence of love.
Image courtesy of Roberts Projects
© Suchitra Mattai | a cosmic awakening, 2023 In the absence of power. In the presence of love.
Image courtesy of Roberts Projects
© Suchitra Mattai | phala (fruit), 2023 In the absence of power. In the presence of love.
Image courtesy of Roberts Projects
COSTA MESA LA JOLLA SAN DIEGO
Daniel Arsham
Wherever You Go, There You Are
February 14 – June 4, 2023
ocma.art/exhibitions/daniel-arshamwherever-you-go-there-you-are
WINDANSEA
LA JOLLA COVE
La Valencia Hotel
1132 Prospect St, La Jolla, CA 92037
lavalencia.com
MISSION BEACH
La Doña
Ocean Beach
1852 Bacon St, San Diego, CA 92107
ladonaob.com
POINT LOMA
Orange County Museum of Art
3333 Avenue of the Arts, Costa Mesa, CA 92626
ocma.art
GASLAMP QUARTER
The Shout! House
655 Fourth Ave, San Diego, CA 92101
theshouthouse.com
FASHION DISTRICT
Özgür Kar
Pas de deux: Death’s Crook
April 29
June 10, 2023
chateaushatto.com/exhibition/ pas-de-deux-deaths-crook/
Chris Ulivo
Ancient Rome Today!
April 29 – June 3, 2023 track16.com/chris-ulivo-ancientrome-today-2023
Robert Pruitt
Goodnight Prometheus
March 11 – April 29, 2023
vielmetter.com/artists/robert-pruitt
HANCOCK PARK
Wangari Mathenge
Tidal Wave of Colour
April 22 – June 3, 2023
robertsprojectsla.com/artists/ wangari-mathenge
Suchitra Mattai
In the absence of power. In the presence of love.
July 15 – August 26, 2023
robertsprojectsla.com/exhibitions/ suchitra-mattai
Château Shatto
1206 Maple Ave # 1030, Los Angeles, CA 90015 chateaushatto.com
Track 16 Gallery
1206 Maple Ave # 1005, Los Angeles, CA 90015 track16.com
Vielmetter Los Angeles
1700 S Santa Fe Ave #101, Los Angeles, CA 90021 vielmetter.com
Roberts Projects
442 S La Brea Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90036 robertsprojectsla.com
–
August 30 at 6:37 PM Los Angeles, CA
© Elliott Desai
presencealmanac.com
