The Flog.

Finally!
Sundance Channel just released Green Porno, the complete series of (very short) films conceived, written, co-directed by and featuring the fabulous Isabella Rossellini to the internet masses. I was reading about it earlier during the Sundance festival and was eager to finally lay my eyes upon these masterpieces.
And these eight pieces clearly solidified my knowledge of critters sexuality in a magical way.
(But really, did Monsieur Lynch make a cameo during the Bee fight?)

(All images from Sundance Channel. Screen captures of Green Porno. Left is Earthworm, right is Bee.)

On January 25th, while artLA was working on its rebirth, TELIC launched The Public School on this busy night in Chinatown.

From the press release:
__The Public School is a school with no curriculum, located underneath TELIC Arts Exchange. It operates as follows: first, classes are proposed by the public (I want to learn this or I want to teach that); then, people have the opportunity to sign up for the classes (I also want to learn that); finally, when enough people have expressed interest, the school will find a teacher and offer the class to those who signed up.

Although I was there for the launch, musing around the proposed classes forms - sex applications, learning a new language or how to knit - it was at first difficult for me not to smile at all of this, I haven’t engaged in any classes yet. But, I am pretty excited about this proposed series, Walter Benjamin: The Arcades Project it doesn’t have a set date yet and still needs a teacher. If you are interested to help direct this reading, contact TELIC.

The next class, Ranciere: The Politics of Aesthetics (and/as an Ethics) will take place on Sunday March 16th from 11am to 1pm, for $25, and you can still sign up to participate.

(Image is a screen shot of the Public School website)

24-Hour Roman Reconstruction Project (or, Building Rome in a Day) - A project by Liz Glynn @Machine Project (Saturday January 19, 2008 - 24 hours)

(I also want to submit this alternative title: 24-Hour Roman Reconstruction (or, Building Rome in a Day, sans Naked Ephebes to hold the Pillars, but with a pletoria of learn-latin-in-fortune-cookies). Yes, it seems more, let’s say adsumo (damn you rusty middle school Latin))

Then, Rome was Burning.

Two weeks ago, I was in Portland on an intensive vacation mission. As those sort of missions go, I mostly used my time reading, flâning and drinking delicious coffee at Stumpton Coffee Roasters which is next door to the Ace Hotel where I stayed.
While I was browsing the web for some crucial info about the city - being the first time I was to step foot in it - I came accross the Time-Based Art Festival which was unfortunately, not to happen while I was in Portland.
Indeed, as it starts today and continues through September 16th with a myriad of fantastic events, from visual art, film, dance, performance, theatre, and music.

From the press release:
__”TBA is five years old this year, and like any rambunctious five-year-old, TBA asks a lot of questions.
What is American Identity now? What is true beauty? What scares you? What is politically correct anyway? These are just a few of the many questions this year’s artists are asking. TBA is a platform for artists who dream of our future, who ask us the tough, interesting questions about today and tomorrow. There is no better time to consider their questions. You should be a part of it.”

A few Los Angeles artists have been invited to participate at this year festival.
Brendan Folwer, a.k.a. BARR, who, among other projects, co-edits ANP Quarterly. For TBA:07, he will perform his album Summary from start to finish, accompanied by bassist Corey Diekman on September 12th.
With An Evening at Ape Canyon, the collective Cloud Eye Control, joined by Anna Oxygen will “bring you into their multiple landscapes of moon chasing, machine humans, and lucid dreaming. is comprised of a series of mini-operas, science-fiction adventures, and dimensional shift“.
Check also acclaimed journalist Jerry Quickley who will tell the raw and passionate tales of his travels to Iraq.
Among the other events, I’d really like to see Sutapa Biswas’s installation and performance, as well as Sara Greenberger Rafferty and Charlotte Vanden Eynde & Kurt Vandendriessche’s own operations.
So grab a schedule and venture the city.

(All first row of images from PICA. Left is Brendan Fowler, photograph by Isabel Asha Penslien, cropped. Right is a view from Sutapa Biswas’s installation, Magnesium Bird.)
(Second row of images from me. Left is PICA’s front door. Right is Ace’s infamous 3 1/2 floor.)

Yesterday, I posted about Carte Blanche at Elizabeth Dee Gallery. Today, James Wagner, who went to the gallery for the transitional performance, posted two shots of a section of Weigman’s improvisational dance solo.
In his own words:

__Her movement totally energized the bare exhibition space while it was in the process of being returned to clean, white-box gallery mode (hands-on-paint-roller gallery director Jennie Moore can be seen in the wings).

*update: check also Barry Hoggard’s full Flickr set here.

(All images from James Wagner.)

Carte Blanche is a month long program (PDF) organized by Jenny Moore for Elizabeth Dee Gallery in New York, and featuring videos and lectures for each day of August.
Today August 14th, LA based artist Flora Wiegman has been invited for an all day dance performance at the space. Having only been able to see her dance through the video piece she and Drew Heitzler had on view last May at Sandroni.Rey’s outside container, I would love to be in NY this evening to see her perform.

I also saw that she and Drew were contributors on Black Noise, the heavy box set tribute to the late Steven Parrino. Each volume was realized by an artist, linked to Parrino by his projects, or through exchanges and mutual inspiration. The book was published in a limited edition of 250 by JRP-Ringier last June. You can see more inside spreads on the book’s MySpace.

(Left and middle image, spreads from Black Noise, from the publisher website. Right image is Flora Wiegman’s performance at the High Desert Test Sites 5 in Joshua Tree last year, from HDTS website, cropped by me.)

Yesterday night, I went to the House of Campari on Robertson Blvd. for the show Distinctive Messengers. Their shows are always a good opportunity to see and re-see some of the jewels who have shown here in Los Angeles recently. As I was writing this (!) I received yet another announcement for one of their "opening" nights, this time, you can see the show and enjoy a performance by My Barbarian. RSVP here for Thursday, May 31st.

On Tuesday, May 29th and Wednesday, 30th, I will be organizing another pair of film projection nights here at the space. Some of the films and video works featured in the program will be shown for the first time in LA. You need to RSVP (replace *at*) for the desired night as space is limited! I will see you there! (Images, left is Camille Henrot, still from Living Dying Woman. Middle is Tom Dale, still from Return To The Last Frontier. Right is Eelco Brand, still from V.Movi.)

On Sunday, Matthew and I entered yet another intriguing and fascinating realm, Théâtre.
I was invited to attend one representation of a new play making its first marks here in the city, The Tragical Comedy or Comical Tragedy of Mr. Punch, adapted from the Ô so delightful and magical graphic novel from Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean. Being a dedicated admirer of Monsieur McKean since a tender age, I was certainly very intrigued by this new oeuvre. The labor that was putting this play together took nearly two years for the troupe. By using various mode of representation, from live video, puppetry, projections to masks and intricate decors, the play really capture the dark, cynical and fantastic essence that is the graphic novel. Such twisted materials must have been overwhelming to digest, yet the result on stage conveys the finest from both the writing and the visual. The baroque of McKean, the wittiness of Gaiman.
Please, go attend this play, support the troupe, and absorb the magic that live performances unveil. It will only stay a month. Act fast!

The Tragical Comedy or Comical Tragedy of Mr. Punch - directed by Sean T. Cawelti, produced by Rogue Artists Ensemble @Theatre/Theater (April 27 - May 27, 2007)

Last weekend was filled with great shows and exciting discoveries.
While I put all of that in order, enjoy what for once isn’t usually shown around here, yes, the people. The exception comes with the event I was invited to shoot, the ArtScene: 25 - The Los Angeles Art Awards & Celebration.
The event took place last week in the windy hallway of the LACMA, and gathered the gray hair among the city.
I may suggest that you listen to NIN’s new album Year Zero while scrolling down since it’s what I have been listening to non stop while cropping and working on that white balance.
Well and because cynicism always make things brighter, all of the people will magically appear as performers.

ArtScene Awards @LACMA (April 18, 2007)

Plug: Donald Baechler, Carter Mull, William Pope L., Paper Rad, Jonathan Seliger, and Haim Steinbach @sister(March 3 - March 31, 2007)

William Pope L..

Performance by Marc Horowitz. Bottom right, Jonathan Seliger.