Made in L.A. artists Karla Diaz and Mario Ybarra Jr. take us on a tour of Slanguage Studio in Wilmington, CA.

Filed under: Video

A professional jury and the public selected the recipient of the award

Los Angeles—The Hammer Museum has announced that Meleko Mokgosi (Born 1981 in Gaborone, Botswana; lives and works in Culver City) is the recipient of the inaugural Mohn Award. A recent UCLA grad (MFA ’11), Mokgosi’s monumental painting on view at the Hammer is provocative, deeply political, and grapples with the complexities of post-colonial Africa and issues of representation. Funded through the generosity of Los Angeles philanthropists and art collectors Jarl and Pamela Mohn, the $100,000 award will be granted over two years to Mokgosi and will be accompanied by the publication of a monograph about his work. While a jury of professional curators selected five finalists from among the 60 artists in the exhibition Made in L.A. 2012, the Mohn Award recipient was chosen by visitors to the exhibition through online and on-site voting. Public voting began on June 28 and ended August 12. The public was asked to choose their favorite artist from the five jury-selected finalists.

FIVE FINALISTS FOR THE MOHN AWARD:

• Simone Forti (Born 1935 in Florence, Italy; lives and works in Westwood) Work on view at the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery in Barnsdall Park and performances scheduled at both the Hammer and Barnsdall in August.

• Liz Glynn (Born 1981 in Boston, MA; lives and works in Chinatown) Work on view at the Hammer Museum.

• Meleko Mokgosi (Born 1981 in Gaborone, Botswana; lives and works in Culver City) Work on view at the Hammer Museum.

• Slanguage (Karla Diaz born 1976 in Los Angeles & Mario Ybarra Jr. born 1973 in Los Angeles; both live and work in Wilmington) Programs throughout the summer and work on view at LA><ART.

•Erika Vogt (Born 1973 in East Newark, New Jersey; lives and works in Highland Park) Work on view at the Hammer Museum.

THE MOHN AWARD JURY:

• Cecilia Alemani, curator and director of High Line Art Program

• Doryun Chong, associate curator at the Museum of Modern Art

• Rita Gonzalez, curator of contemporary art at LACMA

• Anthony Huberman, independent curator and writer

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About the Artist

Meleko Mokgosi uses painting to interrogate the limits of representation, the politics of abstraction, and the dynamics created when viewing representational canvases on institutional gallery walls. The artist’s technical acuity delivers a kind of critical visuality, asking viewers to draw out affinities between experiencing and interpreting. The work on view at the Hammer is part of a larger series dealing with post-colonial Africa. Pax Kaffraria: Sikhuselo Sembumbulu (2012) addresses the question of nationalism in relation to globalization and resistance. The work meditates on sikhuselo sembumbulu, a Xhosa term meaning “bulletproof.” This is a reference to the Xhosa cattle killings of 1856–57, which were intended to drive away colonial powers and simultaneously resurrect ancestors. The series of paintings frames the historic event and considers a legacy of resistance that continues today—namely, the persistent drive to become bulletproof. At the same time this history is represented as only partially available to viewers, suggesting the difficulty of cultural translation.

Captions, top-bottom: Meleko Mokgosi. Pax Kaffraria: Sikhuselo Sembumbulu, 2012. Oil on canvas. 96 x 584 in. (243.8 x 1483.4 cm). Made in L.A. 2012 Installation view at the Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, June 2-September 2, 2012. Photo by Brian Forrest; Meleko Mokgosi portrait by Paul Mpagi Sepuya.

Filed under: Made in L.A. Artists

Jason Meadows. Venice Beach Beach Cruiser Challenge, 2012.

The title of VBB is apropos—a tongue-in-cheek reference to the Venice Biennale in Italy, the oldest international biennial in the world—and VBB was indeed a savvy satire of the global biennial phenomenon that gently questioned the economies of culture. Biennials and art fairs have long been utilized as civic strategies to drive cultural tourism, and as international biennial curator and critic Ivo Mesquita remarks, “There’s nothing new in this system, which seems to reproduce endlessly. On the contrary, it seems to validate economy more than arts and culture.” Rather, Mesquita posits, “it would be better for artists and exhibition curators to design and carry out projects…taking into account the challenges of a world of fluid identities and trespassed borders—one in which local and global are inexorably linked, where politics is cultural…and where such unresolved contradictions provide the dynamic space of creative inventiveness.” VBB embraced this dissolution of boundaries and network of political, economic, and cultural linkages through its amorphous structure—it layered over and blended with the local culture in a way that was not at all oppositional or interventionist, but rather embedded and respectful of the informal and formal relations of the boardwalk itself. In this way, it created a semi-autonomous space for creative production that could not be instrumentalized (in that moment) by a typical art world economy, but instead promoted a more democratic cross-current of exchanges that conformed to the culture of the boardwalk. Both high-level collector and weekend tourist could haggle over the same art performances, trinkets, and art objects following precisely the same social codes. All the artists arrived bleary-eyed at 5:30am each morning to claim their vendor stalls.

Of course, it would be naïve to believe that the nicely produced map/brochure, Hammer web and media presence, and inclusion in the VBB would translate into cultural capital that could be equally cashed in by every artist on the boardwalk. For many, their lives will continue as usual, with their participation in VBB perhaps yielding a positive uptick in sales for a few days, some good connections (and others that are fairly meaningless), maybe some flack from their neighbors and fellow regulars who remain unsure of the Hammer’s motives. It’s hard to say. For some of the “white cube” artists, participation in this event will increase their artistic capital and result in potentially lucrative connections, especially for recently graduated MFAs for whom this is their first museum-sponsored exhibition. Or maybe not so much—it’s hard to say.

It was also hard to put my finger on exactly what I took away from VBB, but as I reluctantly returned my bike, collected some trinkets that had piled up in my basket, and headed back to my car, I reveled in the memories of a great ride on the beach, some fascinating artwork, a two-headed turtle, Jimi Hendrix on roller skates, a dog in a bikini, and some good conversations. Which is quite a bit more than your typical art opening. As Ali described, “It’s exhilarating to have the conversation of art amongst all the noise.”

-Sue Bell Yank, Assistant Director, Academic Programs

Filed under: Venice Beach Biennial

Matt Chambers with his painted beach towels.

Sue Bell Yank is the Associate Director of Academic Programs at the Hammer Museum. She also writes about contemporary art for various arts outlets, including her own blog, Social Practice.

On Friday July 13, I rented a pink beach cruiser (with a basket!) on the edge of the Santa Monica-Venice border and rode south to check out the Venice Beach Biennial. A weekend-long affair organized by Hammer curator Ali Subotnick in conjunction with the Hammer’s first Made in LA biennial, the VBB took place Friday-Sunday in public spaces between 17th Ave and Ozone Ave on Ocean Front Walk, with a cluster of activity in the recreation and parks area. Although I am a Hammer staff member, I was uninvolved in the planning of the biennial and had few expectations other than a vague notion that “white cube” artists (contemporary artists who traditionally show in gallery and museum venues) would be exhibiting their wares alongside artists who were Venice Beach regulars.

Sarah and a visitor enjoying Liz Craft's Weed Couch.

When I hit the joyful chaos of Venice, the activities of the VBB blended so seamlessly with the wandering tourists, sidewalk artists, s¬¬and sculptors, skateboarders and loungers that I cruised around a little aimlessly for a while. Slowly, as I got my bearings, signifiers of the VBB began to pop into focus – legions of bobbing pink balloons emblazoned with Arthure Moore’s Funky Pussy logo on most vendor stalls, and screen-printed VBB posters and t-shirts peeked through the crowds. I circled the recreation and parks area for a little while, said hi to Ali and a couple of artists I know, and began to notice some interesting stuff. A little Ooga Booga Chinatown façade by Pentti Monkkonen, some Barbara Kruger stickers on the ground, Liz Craft’s strange yellow Weed Couch, a stark Jason Meadows sculpture, and my buddy Nery Gabriel Lemus stenciling finely ground colored sawdust into precise patterns on the ground. Matt Merkel Hess, wearing a straw fedora, was selling his beautiful, useless ceramic sunglasses in one of the vendor stalls, and Alexis Smith and Scott Grieger were selling a variety of funny objects included gold-plated dog poo (“We made about a hundred dollars,” Alexis shrugged). I tried to use the pink and yellow Hammer-produced map to figure out where everything else was, but the work was so embedded and hidden (in cafes, bookstores, or in the very social systems of the boardwalk itself – like Erika Vogt’s special IOU currency, which I never glimpsed) I quickly gave up, threw the map in my cruiser basket, and began to notice everything interesting¬, VBB or not.

Alexis Smith's Stand.

Which, of course, was precisely the point. The curatorial framework of the VBB was almost the negation of structure – it insisted on fluidity and non-definition. The organizing principles of VBB did not attempt to reign in, but punctuated and interwove a professionalized art world familiar to the Hammer (the university-educated, gallery-represented, MFA set, plus donors, viewers, collectors, and other afficionados) into the slipstream of culture that is the organized chaos of the Venice Boardwalk. Ali Subotnick was intentional in preserving these undefined edges – she told me she was specifically not trying to “go and take over” the boardwalk, but rather to intensify an awareness and serious consideration of all the multivalent artistic activity in Venice Beach, and to highlight its very unique cultural community. “Where is the art?” people would ask. I would answer this by borrowing a phrase from artist Mario Ybarra, Jr., “You’re breathing it in.”

Nery Gabriel Lemus mid project.

-Sue Bell Yank, Associate Director of Academic Programs

Filed under: Venice Beach Biennial

The five finalists for the Mohn Award are Simone Forti, Liz Glynn, Meleko Mokgosi, Slanguage, and Erika Vogt.  The $100,000 award will be granted over two years to one artist from the exhibition Made in L.A. 2012 and will be accompanied by the publication of a book on the finalist’s work.  Funded through the generosity of Los Angeles philanthropists and art collectors Jarl and Pamela Mohn, a jury of four professional curators selected the five finalists from among the 60 artists in the exhibition.

The Mohn Award Jury was comprised of Cecilia Alemani (curator and director of High Line Art Program), Doryun Chong (associate curator at the Museum of Modern Art), Rita Gonzalez (curator of contemporary art at LACMA), and Anthony Huberman (independent curator and writer).  They issued this statement:

“Each of the five artists selected presented ambitious projects that intrigue the viewer and offer a compelling example of the concerns and working methods that inform and drive their art-making. Their installations and performances showcased in Made in L.A. 2012 demonstrate the ways in which these artists are pushing the boundaries of their respective mediums, activating the gallery in thoughtful ways, and sometimes even going beyond it through performances, workshops, and other means of engagement. Beyond their strong contributions to the exhibition, we feel confident that these artists will continue to contribute to the field and participate meaningfully in the conversations and debates that characterize contemporary art practices well into the future. While the selection process was completely open, we are pleased that this selection of artists exemplifies the range of materials, ethnicities, gender, and age represented in the overall exhibition. Because we appreciate the efforts of all the artists in the exhibition, this was a tough decision to reach and one that required much discussion and debate. We offer our congratulations to the finalists.”

The Mohn Award recipient will be chosen by visitors to the exhibition. Public voting begins today, June 28 at 12pm. We ask the public to choose their favorite artist from the above-mentioned finalists.

Visitors to Made in L.A. 2012 may register to vote on-site at all three exhibition venues (Hammer Museum, LA><ART, and the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery) and may only vote once they are registered. A photo ID is required. Once registered, a voter may cast his or her vote on-site or online.

Voting begins Thursday, June 28, at 12pm PST and ends on Sunday, August 12 at 11:59PM PST. The finalist will be announced soon after.

Filed under: Made in L.A. Artists

Interview with Venice Beach Biennial artist Albert Culbertson.

Albert Culbertson working on a traditional solar engraving along the Venice boardwalk, at Wave Crest Avenue.

How long have you been selling your work on the boardwalk?
I moved here and started selling my work on the boardwalk in November 1993.

How have you seen it change in that time?
When I was first here nothing could legally be sold. We had to take the city of L.A. to court on our First Amendment rights. That was a big deal and made things legal for artists. Over time a bunch of “entrepreneurs,” as I like to call them, came here and decided to turn the place into a flea market, which is understandable. Why not set up shop on the world’s most valuable real estate for free? The recent ordinance is trying to give it back over to more first amendment type of activities. There’s always politics going on here.

Albert Culbertson and Indira Burgos (Postribalart), Too Late, 2012. 16 x 20 in. Solar engraving; and The Om Girl, 2012. 8 x 10 in. Laser engraving. Both courtesy of Postribalart, http://www.etsy.com/shop/postribalart

Tell us about your work.
I like burning images into wood. I’m mostly a draftsman, as opposed to a painter. About thirty years ago, my daughter and I would burn images with a magnifying glass and sunlight. That’s the way I’ve been doing it for the past couple decades. For the last twelve years I’ve worked with a partner, Indira Burgos. We share an interest in cultural symbology and sustainable resources. Since May we’ve also been using a CO2 laser to burn into the wood. Using solar energy is a very time-consuming process, and quite frankly, the Venice boardwalk is not a big money type of place. You come here, get a 99-cent slice of pizza, and you leave. You watch the freak show all day.

Can you tell tourists from locals?
Yes, pretty much. One way to judge a potential buyer—especially when I’m working with my head down—is to check out their shoes. And when people aren’t carrying bags, you know you’re not going to make any sales. That means the stores aren’t selling anything either. You have to figure out a way to cater to the general public, which is who we cater to out here.

Albert Culbertson working on a traditional solar engraving along the Venice boardwalk, at Wave Crest Avenue.

What brought you to Venice originally?
The weather. When I threw my hands up and said “I don’t want to do anything in life besides make art,” I had to figure out where to do that without freezing to death. What I like about being a boardwalk artist is that my art goes all over the world. I don’t have to go anywhere because the world walks in front of me. I have a piece of work in a helicopter in Cambodia… Picasso can’t say that.

May 24, 2012

Venice boardwalk, Venice, CA

Interview conducted by Claire de Dobay Rifelj

Filed under: Venice Beach Biennial

It all began a long long time ago, when the biennial exhibition was announced…no wait, that was only, like, six months ago! Anyway Elizabeth Cline, Curatorial Associate of Public Engagement and I began talking about how we could create an innovative way of delivering interpretive materials to museum goers for the biennial. There were three items in this recipe that led us to the Soundmap:

1. We needed to create something that could stand up to the heft of a large-scale exhibition featuring 60 artists.
2. How could we address the fact that there would be multiple venues for this exhibition across Los Angeles?
3. How could we create something so that museum goers would not use their devices in the galleries and instead would simply commune with the artworks?

“Ah-ha! What about the time spent in the car?!” we exclaimed. And hence, Soundmap was born. Well, it took a while before it became what it is today. There were many ideas initially.

Do you get it? Don’t worry, I’m not sure I do either.

Initially we thought about putting rippling rings around each of the venues and every time the user traveled through a new ring, new content would be delivered. The problem? The time a person traveled across a distance would certainly vary and thus the length of the audio segments placed in those rings would either be too long or too short. Are you lost? Don’t worry. Let’s just say that this idea didn’t work technically.

Alan Stuart of One Long House drawing the wireframes for Soundmap. Photo by R. Kevin Nelson.

Many conversations with many intelligent people led us to Alan Stuart, Creative Director at One Long House and Kevin Nelson, Coder Extraordinaire. Collectively we decided to sprinkle audio segments across the city so that what people are listening to would directly correspond to where they are.

The analog version of Soundmap. Each of the yellow post-its represent an audio segment.

So if a listener was traveling down 7^th street past all of the fabric stores, Made in L.A. artist Michele O’Marah would be talking about how the fashion district in downtown L.A. was a huge inspiration to her. They call this a locative media experience. The audio is triggered by GPS, which is tracking your location as you use the app.

Artists Jim Fetterley and Rich Bott, who collectively go by Animal Charm, tell us stories about living in Los Angeles.

An outtake from our audio interview with Animal Charm. The toughest part of the audio interview for the interviewees was always the introduction.

So while the app was being built, Elizabeth and I started interviewing artists and curators. And editing, and interviewing, and editing. Then there came the testing period, along with many testing fears. We kept asking ourselves, “Can we get this thing to work?” The closer we got to our deadline the worse I slept.

Taking programmer Kevin Nelson for an extensive test drive across the city.

Kevin’s laptop while coding in the backseat of the car on a test drive.

For some reason out of all of the participating iPhone testers, my phone did not cooperate the most. I would arrive at work tense in the morning, because I had not hit any of the hotspots on my drive. Elizabeth, on the other hand, would report an almost-perfect Soundmap experience. This kept happening day in and day out. Finally, as Elizabeth, Kevin, and I were doing one last extensive test drive across the city before we submitted the code to Apple, I asked Kevin, “What do you think is going on with my phone? Is there something that I don’t have turned on in the phone settings?” Kevin laughed, “Oh, you mean the ‘Make-GPS-not-so-sucky’ button?” For a few minutes we drove in silence as Kevin fiddled with my phone and then he put my phone in front of my face. My Wi-Fi was turned off. “That’s the problem,” he said resolutely. “Nooooooo…” I retorted. A few minutes later my phone chimed for a hotspot I had never hit during the course of our testing. And now I hit every hotspot every time.

COMING SOON!
Made in L.A. Soundmap is a site-specific mobile audio experience designed for use while traveling to, from, and in between the three biennial venues in Culver City, Los Feliz, and Westwood, providing visitors with insights into art making in Los Angeles today. Made in L.A. Soundmap explores Los Angeles as the context for the exhibition through interviews with Made in L.A. artists and curators. In a first-of-its kind usage of geolocative technologies, audio segments from these interviews are placed throughout a city map, with each location relating specifically to the segment content. Audio segments play automatically as an app user moves through the city, responding to the users’ specific location. In between segments, music curated by the local collective DUBLAB creates a soundtrack for one’s journey through the city. Made in L.A. Soundmap is a free iPhone app available in the iTunes store.

–Amanda Law, New Media Associate

Filed under: Behind the Scenes, Soundmap