LA ART NEWS
ARTS AND CULTURE IN THE NORTHEAST OF LOS ANGELES SECTION A
VOLUME 4 NO. 6
LAARTNEWS.COM
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SEPTEMBER 2016
ARTS WALK THE RED CARPET
Assortment of Arts Documentaries Take Center Stage at Highland Park Independent Film Festival In the three short years of its existence, The Highland Park Independent Film Festival has become widely recognized for its presentation of a variety of independent films. It has attracted applicants from across the Untied States, as well as Europe, Africa and South America. At the same time, it has remained true to the unique community in which it was founded. This year’s seven long-form documentaries all reflect, in various ways, the neighborhood’s unbroken artistic heritage and its vibrant artistic present. The films will screen in October at the Highland Theatre, a 1925 historic landmark on North Figueroa Street. “#BeRobin The Movie” is a documentary about comedienne Margaret Cho’s homeless outreach campaign inspired by the philanthropy of Robin Williams. Cho and friends convinced hundreds to donate directly to the homeless population by busking. Directed by Kurt Weitzmann, it will screen Friday, October 7, 1:45-2:45 p.m. “Bridging Los Angeles” tells the story of how destructive floods and snarled traffic brought about the construction of 14 iconic bridges across the Los Angeles River. Directed by Andrea Galvin, it will open the festival Thursday, October 6, 8:30-9:15 p.m. “Charles Lummis: Reimagining the American West” is a truly local offering. It chronicles the life and legacy of continued on page 2
NOW BE HERE Los Angeles – Seven hundred thirty-three women gathered on Aug. 28, 2016, in the courtyard of Hauser Wirth & Schimmel for a historic portrait of Los Angeles artists today. Venice artist Kim Schoenstadt conceived of the idea of the photo project, “Now Be Here,” as an opportunity to take a snapshot of female and female-identifying artists in the L.A. contemporary art community to take a moment to be together. She said she hoped “to capture a moment in which we stand together, proud of our diversity and proud of what it means to be a working woman and an artist.” Among the artists present for the photo were Mary Kelly, Alison Saar, Betye Saar and Barbara T. Smith. Schoenstadt organized “Now Be Here” along with Aandrea Stang, head of education, Hauser Wirth & Schimmel. The group photograph was shot by Isabel Avila and Carrie Yury. The gathering also marked the closing week of Hauser Wirth & Schimmel’s internationally acclaimed inaugural exhibition, “Revolution in the Making: Abstract Sculpture by Women, 1947 – 2016.”
Now Be Here, Los Angeles, 2016 Photo: Isabel Avila and Carrie Yury Courtesy Kim Schoenstadt and Hauser Wirth & Schimmel
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Charles Fletcher L u m m i s - founder of the S outhwest Museum, first city librarian, City Editor of the Los Angeles Times, and larger-thanlife character who built his home of rock from the Arroyo Seco. It is directed by Stephen Pagano and will open the festival on Thursday, October 6, 9:15-10:05 p.m. “Dark Progressivism” depicts how a new urban mentality and art style emerged from an environment charged by gangs, law enforcement, riots and earthquakes. Directed by Rodrigo Ribera d’Ebre, it screens Friday, October 7, 8:30-10:30 p.m. “Hollywood Shorties” introduces “the world’s smallest professional basketball team,” composed of recognizable-but-typecast actors, who bring little people into the public eye as something other than objects of curiosity. Directed by Ryan Steven Green, it screens Saturday, October 8, 8:30-10 p.m. “Paint Life” documents The Army of Snipers as they travel to Thailand to mentor Burmese refugee youth in art. Directed by Daniel Zana, this world premiere showing will take place Saturday, October 8, 2:30-4:30 p.m. “Tyrus” tells the story of 105-year old Tyrus Wong, showing the breathtaking scope of his work, from genre-defining Disney animation to magnificent kites flown on Santa Monica Beach, set against the backdrop of immigration from China and racial bigotry in America. Directed by Pamela Tom, it will screen Friday, October 7, 3-4:45 p.m. An important aspect of the Highland Park Independent Film Festival is the opportunity to interact with the film makers, through formal Q +A sessions, as well as informally at after parties. The documentaries are one aspect of a festival that also includes narrative films and a long menu of short subjects grouped around the topics of Bravery and Spirit, Women in Cinema, American Latino, and L.A. Stories. A complete list of screenings and related events, as well as ticketing information, is available at www.hpifilmfest.com.
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STAFF Publisher/ Creative Director Cathi Milligan Managing Editor Margaret Arnold Intern Vince Caldera Contributors: Margaret Arnold, Cornelius Peter, Brian Mallman, Amy Inouye, Stuart Rapeport, Cathi Milligan, Jennifer Hitchcock, Florence the dog, Jeremy Kaplan, Harvey Slater, Kristine Schomaker, Baha Danesh, Vince Caldera, Tatiana Preciado, John McIntyre, Dani Dodge LA Art News is published monthly at the beginning of each month. LA Art News is available free of charge. No person may, without prior written permission from LA Art News, take more than one copy of each monthly issue. Additional copies of the current issue are available for $1, payable in advance, at LA Art News office. Only authorized LA Art News distributors may distribute the LA Art News.
SEASONS CHANGE... School has started. Fall is right around the corner. And the temperature should be rising. We all know that it’s time for Indian Summer...hot hot hot. It’s also the start of the art season. Galleries are getting back in the swing of things...shows, shows, shows. There are some great shows listed in Section B to check out. And there are some things to “Save the Date” for, such as the Highland Park Independant Film Festival, and the Contemporary Craft Market in Pasadena, which are in October and November respectively.And we won’t even talk about all that’s really around the corner. There are about 3 weeks until the official end of summer...get it while you can! Thanks, Cathi Milligan Publisher, LA Art News
Copyright No news stories, illustrations, editorial matter or advertisements herein can be reproduced without written consent of copyright owner. How to reach us LA Art News 5668 York Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90042 323-387-9705 Contributions cathi@laartnews.com Calendar information margaretnelaart@gmail.com Sales - cathi@laartnews.com sign up for our newsletter at laartnews.com Where’s Monica?
James Berson, Hide and Seek - at Los Angeles Municipal Gallery, the Play Show.
WITHOUT DESIGN OR SKETCH: THE STORY OF THE ROOM Exhibition organized by Rough Play September 10 – October 1, 2016
Opening Reception: Saturday, September 10, 6-9 p.m. 170 South La Brea Avenue, upstairs RSVP Required to: rsvp@launchla.org
In rebellion against the function of art to serve a moral and social purpose in the Victorian period, the Aesthetic movement of late 19th century Britain championed the importance of art divorced from any ulterior motive than its visual beauty. An expression coined by artist James Abbot McNeill Whistler, “art for art’s sake” encompassed the belief that the creation and interpretation of art was the responsibility of the artist, not society, and should be morally disengaged from the outside world. In his book Ten O’Clock Lecture, Whistler states, “Nature is very rarely right…”, explaining that it is the artist’s own vision that must improve upon nature. Championing luxury, exoticism, and sensual experience, Aestheticism formed the foundations of early Modern Art with such movements as Art Nouveau, and deeply impacted the fine and applied arts. Exemplary of the Aesthetic Movement’s philosophies, Whistler’s pivotal painting, La Princesse du pays de la porcelain (1865) was positioned as a centerpiece of shipping magnate Frederick Leyland’s London house dining room. A space originally designed by architect Thomas Jeckyll to showcase Leyland’s extensive collection of oriental porcelain, Leyland commissioned Whistler to select a color palette and paint in a specified area of the room that would complement both his existing painting and the blue and white porcelain collection. Both Leyland and the architect, trusting in Whistler’s artistic genius, left him unattended to his commissioned task. Excited by the project, the artist went well beyond what was asked of him, transforming the room into an allencompassing work of art of blue and gold in his patron’s absence. “Well, you know, I just painted on. I went on—without design or sketch—putting in every touch with such freedom….” Whistler believed he had created a masterpiece that would thrill and delight his patron, but when Leyland was presented with Whistler’s bill, he refused to pay, shocked at an exorbitant amount for work that was never requested. After a battle with the artist, the patron agreed to pay half. Infuriated and insulted, Whistler made one more addition to the room, a mural of two peacocks aggressively confronting each other with coins at their feet, to which he attributed two titles—Art and Money or The Story of the Room. The dining room achieved its status as a complete work of art and has since been referred to as Harmony in Blue and Gold: the Peacock Room. Without Design or Sketch: The Story of the Room approaches the context of the Peacock Room as a platform from which to address a series of issues related to contemporary art practices such as the boundary between art space and living space, the perceptions of decorative and fine art, the value of art and patronage, and art’s engagement with social and moral issues versus its purely visual components. The following featured artists engage these concepts within the Launch LA Gallery space and respond to in a dynamic environmental collaboration between artists, ideas, materials, and space. Featuring work by Alex Anderson, Beatriz Cortez, Krysten Cunningham, Ashley Hagen, Carla Jay Harris, Jane Hugentober, Malisa Humphrey, Janna Ireland, Cole James, Shoshi Kanokohata and Taidgh O’Neill, Annelie McKenzie, Thinh Nguyen, Joel Otterson, Christopher Ashley Hagen, I see myself in you Reynolds, Jackie Rines, Emily Sudd, Christian Tedeschi, Elizabeth Tinglof, Kim Truong, Axel Wilhite, Robert Wilhite, Emily Wiseman, and Kim Ye. Kristine Shomaker, Shoebox PR
LA ART NEWS SECTION A
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SEPTEMBER 2016
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LA ART NEWS SECTION A
WE CHOOSE ART
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Zachary Aronson
Written by Baha Danesh from WeChooseArt.com Zachary Aronson is a Los Angeles based artist who currently works as a freelance Pyrographer. Aronson’s artwork is often focused on feminine body forms and life size portraits that are tailored into wood panels and other found wooden objects. His artwork has garnered high acclaim – and has been sought after by dozens of galleries and art collectors. During a We Choose Art Studio visit Aronson stated: “While in college I ran out of paper to draw on. Instead, I found a scrap piece of wood behind a woodshop that was approximately 5’ x 8’’… I took the wood panel home and decided to do a charcoal drawing of eyes. Immediately after finishing the drawing I came to the realization that I can burn into the wood…. Within three months my art form changed and eventually it became my medium of choice.“ As soon as Aronson plunged into the world of pyrography he took the art form beyond its known limits. He started creating texturized portraits of friends, family members, and even artistic patrons who shared his love of pyro portraits. His experimentation had taken him far enough for him to realize that this new art form was growing and started creating life size installations across Southern California. His innovative technique requires burning the wood by precisely shading and texturing the wooden layers. The shading is deeply imbedded throughout the wood while the trees natural color plays the roll of skin within each portrait. Throughout Aronson’s artwork the viewer can see profusely that he demonstrates the knowledge of anatomy and understands the behavior of his subjects. It is clear that Aronson works with such precision and such control that photos and even videos can’t capture the essence of his artwork. To truly fathom how beautiful his creations are the viewer must be present to see and smell the varied grains, knots and natural flaws in each piece of wood / creation. You can learn more about Zachary Aronson and his art by visiting zaronson.com.
THE NISEI WEEK GRAND PARADE August 14, 2016 Little Tokyo
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NELAart SECOND SATURDAY GALLERY NIGHT HIGHLIGHTS FOR September 10, 2016
**Be sure to check NELA Art Gallery Night on Facebook for last minute listings. Avenue 50 Studio will present four shows. “Public Artist: The Works of Sonia Romero with photography by Rafael Cardenas” marks the 10th anniversary of Sonia’s sold-out debut show at Avenue 50 Studio. The exhibition will take audiences behind the scenes to narrate the process behind her works. Selections from Romero’s original designs will give an inside look at her process from concept and design to fabrication and installation for public displays around the region. “The Devil and Tomás Benditos” will feature new works by local artist Sergio Tehran. “This Used to Be Mexico” will be a large group show presented as a visual response to the turbulent and inflammatory discourse surrounding the 2016 Presidential elections. Visual artists include: Lalo Alcaraz, Art Carillo, Daniel Gonzalez, Ricardo Duffy, Jose Lozano, Linda Vallejo, Mark Vallen, Jose Antonio Aguirre, Margaret Alarcon, Manuel Alaniz Aguilar, Eric Almanza, Chris Velasco, Laura Aguilar, Ofelia Esparza & Rosanna Ahrens, Starr Montana. Poets include: Jessica Ceballos, Joseph Rios, Ramona Pilar, Rocío Carlos, Sophia Rivera, Xitlalic Guijosa-Osuna, Yvonne Estrada. A few blocks away, at the Avenue 50 Satellite Gallery, Miriam Jackson will be showing plain air landscapes, painted with discarded house paint on hand-built canvases made of repurposed wood. Cactus Gallery will present a huge group show, “Sticks & Stones,” centered around childhood lessons and experiences. In conjunction with the exhibit, artist Douglas Alvarez will display an interactive installation, “Pop Quiz,” recreating the experience of being educated in the LAUSD system. Leanna Lin’s Wonderland will open “Tiny Wonderland: Great Art in Small Packages.” The will be a large group show. And 10% of art sales will be donated to Citystage, a non-profit inspiring youth to reach their full potential through the performing arts. Bigger isn’t always better, but smaller is always cuter! There’s a new gallery in Highland Park! Showboat is a lovely space at 6152 York Boulevard. This month Showboat is presenting “Louise Ingalls Sturges: A Lot of Tears Make Rainbows.” There are several arts venues within easy walking distance of one another on York Boulevard, from Avenue 50 to Avenue 52. Align Gallery, Mi Vida, Vapegoat, and the window exhibit at Social Study are always worth checking out. Then continue east to co-LAb and Collective Arts Incubator.
LA ART NEWS SECTION A
NELAart
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On the Seco Elysian Valle art and eate the updated
Northeast Los Angeles Arts Organization, Inc.
September 10, 2016 - 7pm - 10pm
(Individual Gallery Hours May Vary. CHECK Gallery web sites for individual information. Just because a gallery is listed does not mean it’s open this month)
1. Avenue 50 Studio 131 No. Avenue 50 323. 258.1435 avenue50studio.org
21. The Market 1203 Avenue 50 www.themarkethp.com
2. Bike Oven/Flying Pigeon 3706 No Figueroa
22. Bob Taylor Properties 5526 N. Figueroa St. 323-257-1080
3. Namaste Highland Park 5118 York Blvd. www.namastehighlandpark.com 4. Offbeat 6316 York Blvd www.offbeatbar.com 5. Council District Office #1 Gil Cedillo 5577 N. Figueroa St. 6. Future Studio 5558 N Figueroa St. 323 254-4565 futurestudiogallery.com 7. Elephant 3325 Division St. 8. Meridian 5007 1/2 York Blvd. meridianstorela.com 9. Vapegoat 5054 York Blvd. 323.963.VAPE 10. ETA 5630 N. Figueroa St. 11. Shopclass 5215 York Blvd. 323.258.2500 shopclassla.com 12. Matters of Space 5005 York Blvd www.mattersifspace.com 323.743.3267
23. Cactus Gallery @ Treeline Woodworks 3001 N. Coolidge Ave 24. The York Check out their dog friendly patio. 5018 York Blvd. 25. Ball Clay Studio 4851 York Blvd. ballclaystudio.com 26. Collective Arts Incubator 1200 N. Ave 54 collectiveartsincubator.com 27. Antenna Studio 1617 Colorado Blvd. antennastudioart.com 28. The Greyhound Highland Park Independant Film Festival 570 N. Figueroa St. 29. Urchin 5006 1/2 York Blvd. 30. Two Tracks Pola Lopez, open studio. 131 North Avenue 50 31. O & M Leather 5048 Eagle Rock Blvd www.ommleather.com 32. Vapeology 3714 N. Figueroa St. 323.222.0744
13. Mi Vida 5159 York Blvd.
33. Pop-Hop 5002 York Blvd. www.thepophop.com
14. deb3321 3321 Pasadena Ave.
34. Social Studies 5028.5 York Blvd.
15. Antigua Coffee House 3400 N. Figueroa St. www.antiguacoffeehouse.com
35. Dotter 5027 York Blvd. www.dotterstore.com
16. Align Gallery 5045 York Blvd. www.aligngallery.com
36. Leanna Lin’s Wonderland 5204 Eagle Rock Blvd. www.leannalinswonderland.com
17. New Stone Age Mosaics 1754 Colorado Blvd.
37. Good Eye Gallery 4538 N. Eagle Rock Blvd. www.goodeyegallery.com
18. Panorama Press House 4700 York Blvd. www.thepanoramapress.com 19. Evil or Sacred Tattoos 4524 Eagle Rock Blvd. 20. Toros Pottery 4962 Eagle Rock Blvd 323.344.8330 torospottery.com SEPTEMBER 2016
38. Highland Cafe 5010 York Blvd. 323.259.1000 39. CucuArt Gallery 4704-06 Eagle Rocl Blvd. 323.202.0672 40. Vintage Tattoo Art Parlor 5115 York Blvd.
41. The U Space 2626 N. Figueroa St., suite C 42. The Situation Room 2313 Norwalk Ave. 43. Bookshow 5503 Figueroa St. www.bookshow.com 44. Vroom Vroom Bitsy Boo 5031 B York Blvd. 45. The Slow Down Gallery @ Random Gallery 200 N. Ave 64 46. Civil Coffee 5639 N. Figueroa St. 47. The Glass Studio 5668 York Blvd. www.theglassstudio.net 48. Rock Rose Gallery 4108 N. Figueroa St. 323.635.9125 49. All Star Lanes 4459 N Eagle Rock Blvd. 323.254.2579 50. Pop Secret 5119 Eagle Rock Blvd. 51. Apiary Gallery at The Hive Highland Park 5670 York Blvd. www.thehive.la 52. Leader of the Pack 5110 York Blvd. www.leaderofthepackvintage.com 53. Short Hand 5028 York Blvd. shopshorthand.com 54. Living Room 5807 York Blvd. livingroomhome.com 55. co-Lab Gallery 5319 York Blvd. www.co-Lab.com 56. The luxelust life Vintage Furniture 6095 York Blvd 57. The Erin Hanson Gallery 2732 Gilroy St. erinhanson.com 58. MAN Insurance Ave 50 Satellite 1270 N. Ave 50 323.256.3151 59. Possession Vintage 5119 York Blvd. www.possessionvintage.com 60. The Quiet Life 5627 N. Figueroa St. thequietlife.com 61. Showboat 6152 York Blvd. showboatgallery.com
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ond Saturday of every month galleries, businesses, and artists in Highland Park, Eagle Rock, Glassell Park, Cypress Park, ey, and Lincoln Heightsopen their doors a little later in the evening and welcome visitors. Use this map for locations of eries, grab someone you love, get some dinner, and enjoy some art. Friend NELA Art Gallery Night on Facebook for d last minute list.
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50 31 36 20
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42 39 49
37 19
25 18
35 44 12 8 16 21
4 29 34 9 58 3 24 53 3 38
59 55 48 40 31 13 11
54 47 51
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Visit us at NELAart.org
LA ART NEWS SECTION A
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NELAART SECOND SATURDAY AUGUST 2016
Ramon Silva at Align Gallery
A fresh window installation at Social Study
SEPTEMBER 2016
@BUTCH_LOCSIN_FROM_LA at Vapegoat
Mi Vida
Live painting at The Market
Roberto Munguia at Ave 50 Studio Satellite
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clockwise: Joe Alvarez, Joe Vollan, Brooke Kent, Henry Cram at Cactus Gallery
@REXKLESS.SHADOW at Vapegoat
BADARTINC at Cafe de Leche.
Shaney Watters at The York
Denise Bledsoe at Cactus Gallery
John Patrick Hill at Ave 50 Studio
Design With Glass Bullseye Glass Resource Center Los Angeles Classes For All Levels
143 Pasadena Ave, Suite B South Pasadena 323.679.4263 bullseyeglass.com/losangeles Art Glass Supplies • Classes Mention this ad for 25% off your first introductory class
Plates by Anu Penttinen. Designed in residence at the Bullseye Glass Co. factory studios in Portland, Oregon, 2015.
LA ART NEWS SECTION A
GOVERNMENT NOTES
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CULTURAL AFFAIRS APPOINTMENT Elissa Scrafano has been appointed to the City of Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Commission. The appointment was made by the Mayor and approved by the City Council. Scrafano is an architect. She worked at the offices of Frank 0. Gehry and Associates, Eric Owen Moss Architects, Narduli Grinstein Architects, and Landworth Debolske Architects, before opening her own practice in 1997. She has travelled extensively and is interested in bringing her experiences with world art and architecture to her work on the Cultural Affairs Commission. HISTORIC EL SERENO-BERKSHIRE The City of Los Angeles has taken a significant step forward in a years-long struggle to establish a Historic Preservation Overlay Zone (HPOZ) in an architecture-rich section of El Sereno. And that step has coincided with a Caltrans move to sell some of the properties, meaning that they are no longer in the path of a potential freeway. An HPOZ is an area designated by the City Council, with input from the Planning Commission and the Cultural Heritage Commission, as containing structures, landscaping, natural features or sites having historic, architectural, cultural or aesthetic significance. There are currently 29 designated HPOZs in the City. They are 5506 East Atlas Street, a “Craftsman, Airplane an effective tool in preserving neighborhood character, via preventing inappropriate demolitions or alterations. Bungalow “built in 1914, is a contributor to the HPOZ For property owners, they can mean tax breaks and increased property values. and is one of the properties to be offered for sale by The proposed “El Sereno-Berkshire Craftsman HPOZ,” which has cleared the Cultural Heritage Commission, Caltrans. is comparatively small, consisting of 114 properties. The area was originally known as the Shortline Villa Tract, stemming from its role as an original streetcar suburb. The designation has been in the works for a very long time. Steve Wexler of the City Planning Department told the Cultural Heritage Commissioners that the City identified the Short Line Villa Tract as a potential HPOZ as far back as 1989. In the 1990s, Caltrans focused on the area as a route for 710 Freeway expansion. The City again looked at the historic significance of the district. However, economic downturns and lack of planning staff led to a long stretch on the back burner. In 2014, the plan for an HPOZ was resurrected. Area Councilmember José Huizar’s office paid for a historic resources survey. Two main periods of architectural excellence have been identified in the area. The Arts and Crafts Movement flourished there, and there is some beautiful Craftsman architecture. This was followed by the period revival styles of the 20s and 30s--Spanish Colonial Revival plus a few American Colonial Revival, Mission Revival, and Dutch Colonial Revival. The period of significance for the HPOZ is, therefore, determined to be 1905-1941. The proposed HPOZ is roughly bounded by Kendall Avenue to the north, Sierra Vista Elementary School to the south, Huntington Drive to the south and east, and Maycrest Avenue to the west. The City effort to preserve the historic district via an HPOZ has run a parallel path to a State effort, spearheaded by State Senator Carol Liu, to require Caltrans, which owns several houses in the proposed zone as well as a number in nearby Pasadena and South Pasadena, to sell off properties which are no longer on a potential path of the 710 Freeway extension. (The freeway extension is still on the table via a 5512 East Atlas Street, built in 1920 and displaying elements tunnel and other controversial means, but the houses are no longer slated to be torn down.) of both Craftsman and American Colonial Revival architecture, The same month as the Cultural Heritage Commission approved the HPOZ, Caltrans announced that it is a contributor to the HPOZ and is one of the properties to be is about to begin selling the houses. First options for purchase will be given to tenants in good standing, offered for sale by Caltrans. but it remains to be seen how that will play out in terms of affordability. Also in August, Senate Bill 580, legislation that would generate funding for affordable housing while preserving historical homes near the proposed 710 route, cleared the legislature in a unanimous vote. The legislation is authored by Liu and Assemblymember Chris Holden. It awaits the Governor’s signature. Senate Bill 580 would allow a public affordable housing entity to purchase, rehabilitate, and resell the 460 homes that are not within the scope of the remaining 710 route alternatives in order to dedicate the profits to build affordable housing in the same area. Historical homes would be offered to a housing entity that can restore them for public use or resale, or to a non-profit organization dedicated to rehabilitating and maintaining the houses for public and community use. “California is experiencing an affordable housing crisis and we must look at all our options to solve it,” said Holden. “This bill is a creative, local solution that utilizes empty homes to generate affordable housing funding, while fostering preservation of historic homes.” “It has been a long time and a lot of work, but we finally are on track to put these excess properties back into responsible ownership and onto the tax rolls, stabilize neighborhoods, preserve historical homes, and move Caltrans out of the landlord and property management business,” said Liu. The HPOZ proposal goes before the Los Angeles City Planning Commission on September 8. If passed Assemblymember Jimmy Gomez leads a forum in Eagle Rock it will go from there to the City Council. on expanding Paid Family Leave PAID FAMILY LEAVE EXPANSION Northeast Los Angeles Assemblymember Jimmy Gomez has made realistic paid family leave for families with newborns or ill family members a centerpiece of his agenda for the
SEPTEMBER 2016
GOVERNMENT NOTES CONTINUED
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current legislative session. “For many workers, California’s current Paid Family Leave program is simply an illusion,” said Assemblymember Jimmy Gomez. “It is unrealistic to expect a worker who is already living paycheck to paycheck on 100 percent of their salary to use a program for 6 weeks at nearly half of their wages. That’s why I authored AB 908, to fix this inequity and ensure all who pay into this vital program can afford to use it, regardless of their income.” California’s Paid Family Leave (PFL) program is wholly funded through worker contributions. According to a statement from Gomez office, “Currently, California’s first-in-the-nation PFL program provides workers with a 55% wage replacement for up to 6 weeks to bond with a new child or care for an ill family member. Although the program has benefited millions of Californians, its current benefit structure is fundamentally inaccessible to those on the lowest rungs of our state’s economic ladder. According to a recent California Employment Development Department report, workers cited the wage replacement rate as a key limitation in regards to using PFL. This was especially pronounced in lower income potential users, who stated that it was difficult to make ends meet with partial wages.” Gomez’ legislation, which was passed by the State Legislature and signed by the Governor, increases wage replacement payments from 55% to 60-70% depending on income level. AIRBNBS The Montecito Heights Improvement Association (MHIA) heard an update at its August meeting on the subject of Airbnbs, privately-owned units marketed online as vacation rentals. MHIA President Roy Payan began the meeting by saying that he had been receiving numerous complaints about Airbnb units being used as weekend party rentals, about local kids being invited to join in the partying, and about unpermitted filming spilling out onto local streets. Ashley Atkinson, Planning & Housing Specialist in the Office of Mayor Eric Garcetti, said that the number of Airbnb units in the City has been growing exponentially, and shared an update on what the City is doing to cope with the situation. Atkinson shared that, under a measure introduced by Councilmember Mike Bonin, such rentals would be legal only if they are the primary residences of the parties offering the rentals. The number of days a space could be rented out for short-terms rentals of 30 days or less would be capped at 180 per year. The measure has passed the City Planning Commission, but has not gone before the City Council yet. The Planning Commission expressed the desire to see some of the tax money garnered spent on housing for the homeless. Enforcement of existing rental law has been extremely difficult. Airbnb, the overarching corporation, is extremely protective of data such as addresses. However, according to city officials at the Montecito Heights meeting, city-issued registration numbers would go a long way toward helping check for compliance. According to Atkinson, Airbnb is starting to collect taxes and will pass that money on to the City. NORTON SIMON TO KEEP WORKS ONCE LOOTED BY NAZIS The Norton Simon Museum will be keeping its oil on panel paintings, “Adam” and “Eve” by Lucas Cranach the Elder. A United States District Court ruling handed down in August says that the paintings are the property of the museum and do not have to be turned over to the heir of their pre-World War II owner. The paintings have had a complicated history. They were painted about 1530 in Franconia. For 400 years, they hung in a church in The Ukraine. After the Russian Revolution, the Soviets took the paintings and put them in an art museum. The Soviet government then sold them at an auction as part of “The Stroganoff Collection,” although it is a matter of dispute whether or not the works ever belonged to the aristocratic Stroganoff family. “Adam” and “Eve” were purchased by Jacques Goudstikker, an art dealer in the Netherlands. Marei Von Saher, Goudstikker’s daughter in law’s, claim to the paintings rests on the fact that Nazis forcibly purchased them from her late husband’s family in the Netherlands in 1940. The Goudstikker family was Jewish. When the Nazis invaded the Netherlands, the family fled, leaving behind more than 1,200 artworks, including the Cranach pieces. While the family was on its way to South America, Jacques Gouldstikker fell from the ship to his death. Among his belongings was a notebook itemizing his art collection. Jacques Goudstikker’s mother, Emilie Goudstikker, was still in the Netherlands. She was told that if she cooperated in the confiscation of the art collection, she would live. Therefore, she voted her minority block of shares in the collection to effectuate a “sale” of the art at a fraction of its value. Jacques Goudstikker’s widow, Desi Goudstikker, never agreed to the sale. Nazi Reichsmarschall Herman Goring took the Cranach works to his estate in Germany. As the war drew to a close, Allied forces discovered vast amounts of looted art hidden in Germany. In 1946, pieces from the Goudstikker Collection were turned over to the Dutch Government for return to their owners. Dutch law said that if any compensation had been given for the art, that money had to be paid back. Desi Goudstikker purchased back the gallery. Believing she would not be successful, she did not go after the Goringlooted art, which went into the Dutch National Collection. In 1961, George Stroganoff Scherbatoff claimed that the Soviets had wrongfully taken the Cranachs from his family and sold them to Jacques Goudstikker. The Dutch government sold the panels to Stroganoff. In 1971, New York art dealer Spencer Samuels acquired the Cranachs from Stroganoff and resold them to the Norton Simon. In 2002, the Dutch government began attempting to right the wrongs of its post-war failures to return art. In 2004, Von Saher filed a claim, as the sole living Goudstikker heir. But “Adam” and “Eve” were no longer in the Netherlands. The Norton Simon has not denied that the Goudstikker family was wronged. But it points to the Dutch decision to return them to the Stroganoff family, and its payment to that family. “Adam” and “Eve” are on view at the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena. STAINED GLASS WINDOWS MISSING Neighborhood residents and preservation advocates were shocked recently to discover that the stained glass windows of a 1925 Lutheran Church building at 4975 Sunset Boulevard had been removed. The building is in the process of being converted by HQ Creative Office into a “high end creative office building.” The original architecture was previously altered, and the building is not eligible for protected historic status. However, following a recent hearing before the Central Los Angeles Planning Commission, it seemed clear that the exterior of the building was to remain as-is.
The church building in 2015
The church building in 2016
LA ART NEWS SECTION A
MUSEUM HIGHLIGHTS
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BE ELECTRIFIED “DOUG AITKEN: ELECTRIC EARTH” OPENS AT THE MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART, LOS ANGELES SEPTEMBER 10. BY DANI DODGE Los Angeles artist Doug Aitken’s monumental moving images have been celebrated as site-specific works across the globe. This month, The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, will exhibit the first survey to examine the full breadth of his achievement with “Doug Aitken: Electric Earth.” Organized by MOCA Director Philippe Vergne, with Curatorial Fellow Anna Katz, the survey will bring indoors Aitken’s works that have been splashed across whole city blocks, involved dozens of artists in cross-country train travel and recorded sound from the bottom of a 700-foot-deep hole in Brazil. When asked why he decided it was time for a comprehensive survey of Aitken’s work, Vergne replied: “Because of what Baudelaire would have called: l’époque, la mode, la morale, la passion.” How Vergne will marshal the massiveness of work within a museum remains to be seen. The exhibit opens Sept. 10. At MOCA’s Geffen Contemporary, “Doug Aitken: Electric Earth” will include seven large-scale moving-image installations—from Aitken’s earliest multichannel video installation in 1997 to more recent performance-based works and a live sound installation created just last year. Additionally, there will be sculptures, photographs, collages, a program of single-channel films and documentation of site-specific architectural projects. The works often build upon the idea of nonlinear narratives created from fragmented and repetitive abstract images. It reflects media saturation and the ubiquity of information technology, what Aitken describes as the “landscape of fragmentation.” Vergne said that Aitken pushes the limits of what an exhibition can be. “The exhibition creates its own space and time through the fragmentation of images and sounds and becomes a work in itself,” he said. “It is a total environment that acts as a broadcasting tower for the issues of our time—the ethical and aesthetic questions that frame this moment, those of human, environmental and social entropy—and does so in a way that is immersive, making the viewer a fully participatory protagonist of the work.” Aitken, 48, was born in Redondo Beach. He earned his BFA from the ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena. Aitken lives and works in Los Angeles. He’s long been a wunderkind of the art world, winning the International Prize at the Venice Biennale when he was only 31. In 2007, he created the video art project “Sleepwalkers,” which transformed the exterior walls of the Museum of Modern Art and the American Folk Art Museum into an outdoor theater. At the time, New York Magazine called him “something of an art-world prodigy.” He didn’t stop the experimentation with time; he only sought to make it larger, more complex and more spectacular. In 2015 when Aitken’s “Station to Station” project took over the Barbican Centre in London for a month, The Guardian stated that Aitken “is one of the most compelling and soughtafter multimedia artists working today, with a list of collaborators stretching from Tilda Swinton to Martin Creed, via dance music legend Giorgio Moroder…” “Station to Station” began in 2013 at a train that travelled from New York to California, with some of the world’s most popular artists and musicians on board, and “happenings” at each of its nine stops. Once in London, the train remained stationary, but also featured an array of artists working outside their comfort zones. Aitken also made a film using 15-second Instagram videos, with no limit on how many could be added – opening up the possibility of a never-ending work. “An artwork that doesn’t need to be fixed or frozen has a tremendous amount of possibility,” Aitken told The Guardian. “We shouldn’t see art-making as the goal, but see the process as equal to it.” Vergne said the most challenging aspect of organizing Electric Earth was “to curb my enthusiasm.” Details: Doug Aitken: Electric Earth opens at The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA Sept. 10, 2016, and runs though Jan. 15, 2017. Location: 152 N. Central Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90012 Hours: Open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Thursday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed on Tuesday. Cost: $12 for adults; $7 for students with I.D. and seniors (65+); free for children under 12. More information: For 24-hour information on current MOCA exhibitions, education programs and special exhibits, call 213-626-6222 or go to moca.org.
Doug Aitken, NOW (Blue Mirror), 2014, wood, mirror, glass, 48 1⁄4 × 108 1⁄2 × 18 in. (122.6 × 275.6 × 45.7 cm), photo by Brian Forrest
SEPTEMBER 2016
PLAYASCAPE
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Playascape, a non-profit “dedicated to transforming urban communities into artistic playgrounds,” held a fundraiser and awareness-raiser at City National Plaza, Downtown, in August for its in-the-works 2017 “I3 Arts Fest.” “I3” represents Interaction, Immersion, and Innovation, and the festival organizers promise to transform Downtown Los Angeles into a cultural wonderland. The festival will be a celebration of the creative spirit of Los Angeles, and will feature large, unique and involving installations, such as Matt Elson’s “Infinity Boxes,” which were on display at the August event. Playascape is driven by an all-women team: Xandra Myers, Nicole Hagedorn, Sabrina Rivera, Dalia Alkassar, and Meghan Weinstein.
Matt Elson, Infinity Box
LA ART NEWS SECTION A