Check out how Latin American artists interpret the meaning of home; explore the blurry area between influence and plagiarism; see landscape architects take on a Schindler-designed house; catch two talks on environmental justice and textile art; and explore the Music Center after hours.
1) “HOME – So Different, So Appealing” at LACMA
What does home mean to you? LACMA is tackling that question with the help of contemporary U.S. Latino and Latin American artists in HOME – So Different, So Appealing. The show includes nearly one hundred works made from the late 1950s to the present, and covers styles ranging from Pop Art and Conceptualism to “anarchitecture” and “autoconstrucción” (self-construction). Artists tackle different definitions of home, from the emblematic single-family home to crowded apartment buildings, communities, cities, nation states and places of origin. Several artists examine the American Dream of home ownership and its impact as a cultural export to the Southern hemisphere.
Artists include well-known figures such as Daniel Joseph Martinez, Gordon Matta-Clark, Raphael Montañez Ortiz, Guillermo Kuitca, and Doris Salcedo, and younger emerging artists such as Carmen Argote and Camilo Ontiveros. This is the first exhibition to open in conjunction with Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA, an exploration of Latin American and Latino art in dialogue with Los Angeles.
Listen for an interview with co-curator Pilar Tompkins Rivas and artist Daniel Joseph Martinez on this week’s episode of DnA.
When: Open now through Oct. 15, 2017
Where: LACMA, 5905 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90036
Tickets: Free with admission to LACMA, which costs $15 adults, $10 seniors (65+) & students with valid ID, free for children (17 and under) and members
Right: Talking Heads ”Crosseyed And Painless” 12 inch promo cover(The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)
2) Influence or Plagiarism? An evening to examine what divides the two
Pablo Picasso is widely quoted as having said that “good artists borrow, great artists steal.” Where does one begin and the other end? Each term at ArtCenter College of Design, the graphic design department invites three professionals to address a certain topic of interest. The issue of plagiarism vs influence will be tackled by Sean Adams, head of the graphic design graduate program at ArtCenter; Chris Do, an Emmy award-winning director, designer, strategist and educator; and Norman R. Van Treeck, a registered patent attorney who represents clients in all aspects of intellectual property. Petrula Vrontikis will moderate the discussion.
When: Wednesday, June 14th at 7:30 pm
Where: ArtCenter College of Design, Hillside Campus, LA Times Media Center, 1700 Lida Street, Pasadena, CA 91103
Tickets: Free and open to the public. More information here.
3) LUSH: A group exhibition of landscape architecture at the Schindler House
The drought has inspired many Southern California residents to rip out their water-guzzling grass and replace it with drought-friendly lawns. With this in mind, the MAK Center partnered with Mia Lehrer & Associates to launch an invitational charrette project for landscape architects, designers, and collectives across Los Angeles. They were tasked with proposing landscape solutions for the MAK Center’s Fitzpatrick-Leland House, though the results range “from almanacs of imagined horticultural histories to virtual recreations of dystopian pleasure gardens.”
The Fitzpatrick-Leland House was built by Rudolf Schindler in 1936 in Laurel Canyon on spec for real estate developer Clifton Fitzpatrick, and embodies many of the characteristics of mid-century modern California residential architecture. The house itself was initially landscaped with dozens of yards of sod; like many homes in Southern California, a swimming pool was added twenty years later. LUSH features the submissions of five exhibiting teams, offering glimpses into the future of a water-friendlier Los Angeles.
When: Members reception on Saturday, June 17, 5–6 pm; public reception on Saturday, June 17, 6–8 pm. The show will remain up until Sunday, August 6, 2017
Where: Schindler House, 835 N Kings Road, West Hollywood, CA 90069
Tickets: Free and open to the public. More information here.
4) Two talks in Leimert Park: Cindy Montanez of Tree People and artist Shinique Smith
We’ve singled out two events happening this week in Leimert Park.
Cindy Montanez, Chief Executive Officer of Tree People
First, the launch of a four-evening series of conversations called “Expanding Community Sustainability.” It’s sponsored by California Greenworks in partnership with Leimert Park Village Book Fair, Inc. The first speaker is Cindy Montanez, Chief Executive Officer of Tree People. The former California State Assemblymember joined the nonprofit environmental advocacy group in 2016. She made history as the youngest woman ever elected to the California State Legislature, as well as becoming the first Latina, and the first Democratic woman to chair the Assembly Rules Committee.
When: Wednesday, June 14, 6:30 – 8:30 pm
Where: Community Room of the Crenshaw Baldwin Hills Plaza, 3650 West Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90008
Tickets: Free and open to the public. RSVP here.
Shinique Smith: Shirt Off My Back: Clothing, Fabric and Belonging
Textiles are more than just fabric and clothing. They meet the basic need of warmth and protection, but they also tie together communities, tell shared stories and offer connections to the past. The New York-based artist Shinique Smith uses textiles to discover connections of memory and cultural identity, and will discuss the role that fabric, clothing and objects plays within her collaged paintings and monumental sculptural works.
When: Thursday, June 15, 7 – 9 pm
Where: Art + Practice’s Public Programs Space, 4334 Degnan Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90008
Tickets: Free and open to the public. More information here.
5) Sleepless: The Music Center After Hours
This Sleepless: The Music Center After Hours explores the living maze of Walt Disney Concert Hall with all its curious angles and hidden spaces. Special features include a birch tree maze designed by scenic artist Martin Vallejo accompanied by evocative music by Ed Barguiarena and ethereal lighting by Sohail Najafi. You can also enjoy the beats of KCRW’s Anthony Valadez and DJ Phatrick hosted by KG Superstar and including artist Jesse Gilbert’s real-time video capture of the crowd, distorted and projected in large scale. There will also be dance parties, interactive games with rare access to the hall’s backstage areas and private rooms, and the other-worldly sounds of Grace Oh’s crystal singing bowls. Stay up, get lost and find yourself.
When: Friday, June 16 at 11:30 pm – Saturday, June 17 at 3 am
Where: Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Tickets: $20 in advance ; $30 at the door. Buy tickets here.