xray dreams

Marc Fichou – OUROBOROS @ Pacific Design Center

“Chris Burden: Extreme Measures”

Made a quick visit to the New Museum in NYC to see Chris Burden’s new show. We were inspired by his monumental pieces, but I especially liked the “Suspended Submarines”.

Inspiration found at Leica Opening

‘Fake Leica’ sculpture by Chinese artist Liao Yibai priced at 1 million dollars!

Yibai Liao “Fake Leica”

Studio Visit: Hope Kroll

Welcome to the wonderful studio of artist Hope Kroll. Mark and I met Hope during an exhibit in Paso Robles and accepted her invitation for a studio visit. Simply put, we were awestruck. Hope creates surreal paper collages, hand cutting each image out of medical texts, antique photographs, encyclopedias and a multitude of other reference books.

Here’s a piece she was working on during our visit called “Handguns”.

On entering her home, Hope showed us her Doll House (undergoing its 10th year of remodeling!) All the interiors were handcrafted, from the wallpaper, bricks, and wood flooring to curtains. Picking up one of her tiny books, she showed us how to use a magnifying glass to read the text and look at images she placed inside. The work was unbelievably intricate. Pictured here is an upstairs room in the dollhouse showing a reproduction of one of her collages that she scaled to fit. That was just the beginning, then she took us to her art studio behind the house.

Walking into Hope’s studio is like opening a curiosity box. Each room was packed with books, images, and art in progress. We were overwhelmed at the amount of work she’s developed, or in the process of creating. Reminiscent of a cross between Edward Gorey and Joseph Cornell, we rejoiced in having the opportunity to meet such a prolific artist. Thank you Hope for giving us a peek into your wonderful, strange and amazing world.

“Behind Bars” Los De Abajo Printmaking Collective, SPARC

Taking a walk Saturday night, we were happily surprised to find this exhibit opening. Refreshing work by the Los De Abajo Printmaking Collective.

SPARC (Social and Public Art Resource Center) is a non-profit community arts center based in Venice, California that is a cultural center that creates public art as a vehicle to promote civic dialogue. They also lobby for the preservation of Los Angeles-area murals and other works of public art.

GR2 “Year Of the Snake”

Visited one of our favorite galleries this weekend, Giant Robot 2.

SLC Art / Dave Borba and Carlos Montanaro

Whenever we travel, we look for like minded artists (either through their sense of whimsy or use of materials). Dave Borba has both. A Salt Lake City native, Dave creates interactive folk art.  His wood carved sculptures incorporate movement through a mechanical device. I bought one of his limited edition prints, “The Wounded Bird Flies Again”.

Carlos Montanaro from Indio, CA was showing amazing kinetic jewelry at the Utah Arts Festival. Created from vintage time pieces, each work is meticulously crafted with the inner workings exposed to show the running mechanics. Truly beautiful. I bought one of his pieces for my mom’s birthday.

Robert Reynold’s new work

Robert Reynolds continues to inspire us with his new works and captivate us with his great stories. His gallery/studio is easy to find in downtown LA and definitely worth a visit.

LACMA – Metropolis II

Amazing kinetic sculpture by Chris Burden. We happened to visit on a day the miniature cars were turned off, but we were still impressed by the scale of this elaborate roadway system. Well worth the trip! California Design “Living In A Modern Way” was the next stop featuring lots of objects from mid century modern design. We sat at the video station and watched interviews for a few of the designers. Crazy Deborah Sussman was one of our favorites. Last stop was the Maria Nordman installation FILMROOM:SMOKE, a double projection that smelled strangely like cigarettes. Or maybe it was the big white chair?

FILMROOM:SMOKE

The Albright-Knox (my favorite gallery)

Had a nice surprise when we visited my favorite Gallery in the WORLD, The Albright-Knox.  It now has a New Media Gallery that features film, video and time-based media. I was so excited to see the new space I tripped over my own feet. A Disappearance of the Source by Virocode was the featured installation. We watched in wonder at slow motion video projections of explosions and liquids. Captured with high speed cameras, the footage was slowed down to reveal the unseen moment. Truly beautiful work.

Wandered up the staircase to search out a few more favorites. Robert Therrien’s sculpture (Snowman), a steel beauty by Lee Bontecou, and Dynamism of a Dog on a Leash (an old favorite from college days.)

Many thanks to Louis for coffee, great conversation and most importantly, inspiration. His enthusiasm for art and vision for the gallery never fails to amaze.