Shana Nys Dambrot
From artist talks about process, psyche, and risk-taking to storytelling about nostalgia, dance about resilience, paintings about community, photographs about photography, billboard art about progressive values, and a lecture about why to beware the Ides of March — here are the best artsy things to do in your home or by appointment this week.
Forrest Kirk
Thursday, March 11
Artist Talk: Forrest Kirk at USC Roski. The bold chromatics of Kirk’s paintings are achieved using a variety of media ranging from oils and acrylic to bubble wrap, fabric and gorilla glue. His images often embody psychological uncertainty and anxiety arising from conflict with oppressive power structures, specifically those experienced in urban settings. In his recent work he references Ralph Ellison’s 1952 classic novel Invisible Man wherein the main character has become invisible as a result of the refusal of others to acknowledge him. Thursday, March 11, noon; free; roski.usc.edu.
Sara Kathryn Arledge
Book Launch: Sara Kathryn Arledge: Serene for the Moment at the Armory. For the launch of the first extended monograph on this prolific and inspirational artist, this event features comments and readings of texts from the catalog by Irene Georgia Tsatsos, Sasha Archibald, and Sarah McColl; a presentation of the artist’s rarely seen hand-painted glass transparencies, along with exhibition images; plus an interactive, art activity by artist Julia O. Bianco. Thursday, March 11, 6pm; free; armoryarts.org.
Invertigo Dance Theare
Dance: Invertigo Dance Theatre: After It Happened at the Ford. Set in the aftermath of a natural disaster, After It Happened is a story of human resilience, desperation, and regrowth, as a community rebuilds itself and searches for hope among the ruins. Created in 2014, After it Happened was performed at The Ford in 2016. Thursday, March 11, 6:30pm; free; theford.com.
Nick Cave
Lecture: Nick Cave at Tang Museum. Throughout his practice, sculptor and performance artist — and creator of the exuberant sound suit series — Nick Cave has created spaces of memorial through combining found historical objects with contemporary dialogues on trauma and joy. Cave reminds us that while there may be despair, there remains space for hope and renewal. Thursday, March 11, 4pm Pacific; free; tang.skidmore.edu.
Yoshitomo Nara, Peace of Mind, 2019 (Courtesy of LACMA)
Friday, March 12
Spoken Word: The Moth Virtual StorySLAM at LACMA. StorySLAM is a community-focused, open-mic storytelling competition. This edition’s theme “Nostalgia” is a nod to the exhibition, Yoshitomo Nara. Nara’s work reflects the raw encounters with his inner self, taking inspiration from childhood memories and passion for music, an interest he cultivated since age nine. Story prompt: Prepare a five-minute story that turns back the hands of time. Friday, March 12, 7:30pm, $10; lacma.org.
Ayana Omilade Flewellen
Conversation: Black Motion Pictures at REDCAT. Curated by Gabrielle Civil, Black Motion Pictures is a series of interviews with radical Black creatives about race, performance, and representation. Spanning a broad range of topics — Black punk music, heritage sites, re-enactments, queer ancestors — the series continues tonight with guest Ayana Omilade Flewellen, and poses such questions as: How does Black performance relate to time (to historicity or ephemerality)? How does Black performance matter? What is a Black motion picture? Friday, March 12, 8pm; free; redcat.org.
Yahsua Klos, You See Through It All, 2021 (Courtesy of UTA Artist Space)
Yashua Klos: How We Hold It All Together at UTA Artist Space. Klos, a Brooklyn-based Chicago native, created this body of work while living in Los Angeles during the pandemic. His works are full of illusionistic depth and space, appearing to be images of sculptural forms built from wood scraps, crystals and brick. Klos’ figures challenge singular notions of identity, as he often merges his own features with those of his models. “Many of these images are of the family I’ve built throughout my life,” said Klos. “Being raised with very little family, I’ve learned that ‘family’ members are the people who we survive with and for.” UTA Artist Space, 403 Foothill Rd., Beverly Hills; by appointment March 12 – April 10; free; utaartistspace.com.
Anyhaus Theatre
Saturday, March 13
Reading: Anyhaus Theatre at CAAM. Anyhaus Theatre takes an archaeological and artivistic approach to theater, seeking out lesser-known, unconventional gems from literary history and making them accessible through dramatic readings, often in unusual spaces. Today the Anyhaus Theatre ensemble performs readings from two extraordinary women authors of the Harlem Renaissance: essayist, award-winning playwright, and short story author Marita Bonner and journalist, teacher, playwright, and poet Angelina Weld Grimké, who was one of the first Black women to have a play publicly performed. Saturday, March 13, 2pm; free; caamuseum.org.
John Boyer at Tierra del Sol Gallery
John Boyer at Tierra del Sol Gallery. The late John Boyer was a prolific maker in an “Outsider” style, creating colorful, structured drawings of houses, buildings and man-made landscapes populated with cars, boats and airplanes, all made with graphite and colored pencil. He worked in a frenzied manner, but with purpose and forethought evidenced in his attention to the line and scale. His father was an architect, and this may have influenced his choice of subject matter. Tierra del Sol Gallery, 945 Chung King Road, Chinatown; by appointment March 13 – May 8; free; tierradelsolgallery.org.
Joseph Minek at Von Lintel Gallery
Chuck Kelton and Joseph Minek: Chemistry and Light at Von Lintel Gallery. Chemistry and Light brings together the work of two artists who practice versions of camera-free photography. They each elect instead to work directly with the raw materials of darkroom practice — paper, chemicals, lightbulbs — generating unique monoprints. Their energetic works carry resonance with abstract painting and natural phenomena. Von Lintel Gallery, Bendix Building, 1206 Maple, 2nd floor, downtown; by appointment March 13 – May 8; vonlintel.com.
Chuck Kelton at Von Lintel Gallery
Lynsey Addario in Kakuma, Kenya, site of a UN refugee camp. Photo by Nichole Sobecki
Sunday, March 14
Artist Talk: Lynsey Addario and Sheryl WuDunn at the Skirball. Lynsey Addario, the artist and humanitarian behind the striking photographs in Tightrope: Americans Reaching for Hope, in conversation with journalist and Tightrope co-creator Sheryl WuDunn. Addario discusses her recent work documenting the COVID-19 crisis. With intimate and arresting images of doctors, patients, and other affected individuals, Addario offers a harrowing look at life and loss amid the pandemic. Stay after the talk for a Q&A with the artist. Sunday, March 14, 11am; free; skirball.org.
The Death of Julius Caesar (detail), 1806, Vincenzo Camuccini. Oil on canvas (National Museum of Capodimonte, Naples, Italy)
Monday, March 15
Lecture: The Ides of March: The Context and Consequences of Caesar’s Death at the Getty Center. March 15, the Ides of March, is forever associated with the assassination of Julius Caesar by senators hoping to preserve the Roman Republic. The aftermath was not what they had hoped. On the anniversary of the Ides in 2021, explore with Roman historians Edward Watts and Stefan Chrissanthos the political rise, gruesome death, and lasting legacy of the famous dictator. Learn about Caesar, the polarizing politics of Rome, and the lessons the past still offers for republics today. Monday, March 15, 4pm; free; getty.edu.
Erin Yoshi, Living On Through Our Stories
Ongoing
Erin Yoshi: Through the Land of WE Citywide Billboard Exhibition. Land of We is a public art project by muralist and activist Erin Yoshi, to reimagine a future where ecology and culture thrive. Where living in balance with nature is a mainstream practice, where diverse cultures are celebrated, histories honored, and people can live without fear of exploitation and violence. Strategically set up across Los Angeles, the billboards are spaced from Playa Del Rey to Atwater Village, with a map and artwork guide available online, providing viewers with a more comprehensive education about the billboard subject matters. March 10 – 28; more information and map guide available at erinyoshi.com/the-land-of-we.
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