Friday, November 10, 2006

California Dreaming (Still)

I was reminded twice this week of two highlights from my trip to LA in August.


Sebastian Lemm, filtrate # 1, lambda c-print on Fuji Crystal Archive

Last Sunday I stopped at Pierogi in Williamsburg. I always make a point to look back and see what they have hanging around the office. (Art fetishist rule #1: Never miss the back room.) Hanging up high on the wall was a piece that grabbed my attention and held it. I asked who it was and the answer was Sebastian Lemm. His work was the strongest in a very strong group show at BANK in downtown LA and here it was again, taking me down. I'm pretty sure that Lemm doesn't have a NY gallery . . . proving once again that crack is way too inexpensive here.


Kalup Linzy, still from All My Churen

Mid week I was reading a very entertaining Rants & Raves by Kate Gilmore on the NYFA site. In it she talks about discovering the truly spectacular Kalup Linzy via one of his videos at the Armory Show. I saw his piece, All My Churen, in a group show at LAXART when I visited Culver City. Linzy's work bends the viewer in about a thousand ways. Race and culture, family, gender, popular music and television: all are sent up and explored in his videos. More importantly though (at least for me) is that it's just a fucking blast to watch. Gilmore is right that it's really difficult to tear yourself away once you start viewing. More please. More. More. More.

Ooooooh. This just in. Barry just posted the artcal link to the Kalup Linzy show that is up RIGHT NOW at Taxter & Spengemann in Chelsea. It closes TOMORROW. Thank you, Barry!

3 comments:

Heart As Arena said...

Ooooooh. Thank you Barry!!! Damn. I know where I'm going before I hit Phillips de Pury.

Mark Creegan said...

I am just curious, how has Youtube affected the video art world?

Heart As Arena said...

It's an interesting question One Sock. In this case YouTube is a good delivery system for a tasting. The set up at LAXART was optimal. "All My Churen" was in its own room on a big screen with decent sound. YouTube is seemingly the opposite of that, but it delivers the idea and you can investigate further from there. But what about when YouTube IS the optimal delivery system? That'll make for a world of interesting possibilities.