Lauren Bergman, Future Perfect, acrylic on gessoed paper mounted on sintra, 40" x 60", 2008

Tonight, New York-based artist Lauren Bergman opens her exhibition CalHalla: Dreams of Future Passed, at Corey Helford Gallery in Culver City, California. After a lively political group show in New York City in November, Bergman turns her attention away from the White House in Washington D.C. to the cultural Mt. Olympus of California and its modernist architecture paradise. The exhibition, featured in the loft of the gallery space, will commence on Saturday, January 3, 2009 and run through January 21.  An opening reception will be held on Saturday, January 3 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. with the artist in attendance.

The idealized female ideology and feminine utopia of America has long been a focal theme for Bergman and continues to feed her fascination and curiosity.  For this exhibition, however, Bergman employs “a new menu of cultural touchstones in the architectural backdrop” as she strives to decipher the “California dreaming” mythology that enamors and resonates with our modern society, hence the splicing of “Valhalla” and “California” to become “CalHalla.” Even as a young girl, Bergman was drawn to the modern creations of architects like Richard Neutra, Pierre Koenig, John Lautner, and especially Frank Lloyd Wright.  “Their forms and lines were compelling and I would find myself drawing them over and over,” she says. “They [the houses] would appear to me like a vision of the future.”

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If you missed the opening of Idealist Propaganda, Glen E. Friedman’s major retrospective, and the chance to have Glen sign your copy of his books, Subliminal Projects is giving you another opportunity by extending the Idealist Propaganda show for one more day. Glen will be in the gallery Saturday, January 10th signing copies of his amazing books from 2-5pm.  They will have all five of Glen’s books available, including Recognize, which is no longer in print and only available at Subliminal Projects.  Below are some photos of the installation, courtesy of Subliminal Projects. Read Jeff Weiss’ opening night review and exlcusive interview with Glen in the LA Weekly, plus check out their featured slidehow.

THE INSTALLATION

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I flew out to Los Angeles for legendary photographer Glen E. Friedman’s major retrospective, Idealist Propaganda, hosted by Shepard and Amanda Fairey at Subliminal Projects in Echo Park. The installation was completed yesterday and we are getting ready for the press preview and opening reception. The gallery is filled with over 130 photographs spanning Glen’s career, which began when he was 14 years old and his photos were published in SkateBoarder Magazine in 1976.

For Idealist Propaganda, Friedman exhibits his prolific collection in salon style, sampling seminal, never before seen photos from his Fuck You All collection, in addition to previously shown works in his The Idealist solo exhibition of 2004 and Fuck You Allinternational touring exhibition, which include his Fuck You Heroes and Fuck You Too series. On display for the first time ever are images from his Recognize monograph, a dramatic and overt manifesto of aesthetic idealism, compressed and recontextualized through the singular, yet challenging and amorphous nature of clouds.

This exhibition is not to miss, so be sure to make your way over to Echo Park tonight between 8pm and 11pm. Glen E. Friedman will be signing copies of all his books, including Recognize, unavailable in stores and only through the artists’ website and Subliminal Projects. Glen has created a special playlist of songs inspired by the musicians he’s photographed over the years that will be played during the opening reception. For more information on the exhibition, please visit www.subliminalprojects.com.

Glen E. Friedman with his son

This past Thursday, December 4th, Gen Art, the national arts and entertainment organization, opened its doors to their first annual Vanguard New Contemporary Art Fair. Held during Art Basel Miami Beach, the inaugural fair presented by FAGE Total, which took place in Charcoal Studios in the heart of the Wynwood Arts District, provided a fine art exhibition platform and global spotlight for emerging artists and eight leading North American galleries representing the New Contemporary art movement. The fair concluded on Sunday, December 7, after a successful four-day debut.

James Marshall (Dalek)

Murphy Fine Art Editions

“The Vanguard Fair is a big step for the rising New Contemporary art movement,” stated Fair Director and Curator, Francesco LoCastro. Based on the overwhelming public response to the fair, boasting nearly 3,000 guests at the Official Vanguard Party and a VIP Press preview which attracted more than 500 attendees, Gen Art and LoCastro are convinced there is an audience eager to experience more from this promising class of up-and-comers and are already planning a larger format fair for Miami 2009. “We want the Vanguard Fair to grow organically,” stated LoCastro. “So we are considering all opportunities as we take the next critical steps to build the future of Vanguard.”

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I’m on-site at the inaugural Gen Art Vanguard New Contemporary Art Fair! Our VIP and Press preview this afternoon launched the fair programming and events. In the morning, FAGE Total hosted the first Lunch and Learn program with artist AJ Fosik to benefit Art for Learning. Artists James Marshal (Dalek), Gary Baseman, and AJ Fosik were on-site for photos and interviews with the media. Graffiti Research Lab’s James Powderly and Evan Roth (who Gen Art and Francesco LoCastro flew in from Hong Kong) were on-site putting finishing touches on their wall installation, using conductive ink on canvas. Graffiti Research Lab will be performing at the Official Party tomorrow night, 8pm to midnight, which will also feature live painting from artist LEBO, Bombay Sapphire cocktails and sounds from DJ Ray Milan. Afternoon panel discussions were rescheduled for Saturday, December 6 from 2 - 6pm and are open to the public. Panels include ‘Outsider to Insider’, ‘The Art of Branding’ and ‘Graffiti Research Lab’ (see details are below and be sure to pencil these panels in your itinerary! Enjoy complementary cocktails, smartwater, and all the FAGE Total yogurt you could desire). Later in the afternoon Bombay Sapphire got the attention of fair guests with a special presentation of Synchronized Swimmers. James Marshal (Dalek), Gary Baseman, and AJ Fosik were on-site for photos and interviews with the media. More soon to report tomorrow, plus additional photos once I get a chance to sync my iPhone! Check out www.genart.org/x/vanguard for additional information about the fair and to purchase tickets to the Official Party on Friday, December 5.

FAIR DATES: December 4 – 7, 2008

LOCATION: Charcoal Studios 2135 NW 1st Avenue, Miami, FL 331 (across from PULSE art fair )

Keep reading…

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Joseph Smolinski, Tree Turbine, 2007, high definition digital animation, dimensions variable, 3 minutes 40 seconds (5 scenes total), edition of 5.

Lee Stoezel, Big Burn Out (Chuck Close), 2008, burned veneer cover, plywood, poplar, 30 x 24 x 1.5 inches (detail)

Lee Stoetzel uses wood to create items of nostalgia and iconic significance like the first Apple Computer, the VW Bus, and the Chopper motorcycle.  “Big Fall” is a site-specific mahogany gutter system conceived for PULSE Miami.  Inspired by the wooden gutters in Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard, as well as personal experience with his own leaf-clogged gutters in Pennsylvania, Stoetzel has created this sculpture on a 2:1 scale.  For his upcoming solo exhibition at Mixed Greens in 2009, Stoetzel will debut pyrographic work from his Burn Outs series.

Lee Stoetzel lives and works in Chester Springs, PA.  His solo exhibitions include Mixed Greens (2004, 2005, 2007), Philadelphia International Airport (2008) and Tricia Collins Contemporary Art, New York City (1996-1999).  Past group exhibitions include the Katonah Museum show I Love The ‘Burbs (2006) and the Islip Museum’s Design for Living (2005).  Other group exhibition venues include Jessica Murray Projects, Brooklyn (2002), Meadows Museum, Dallas, TX (2000), Michigan Contemporary Art Center (2000), Stalke Galleri, Copenhagen, Denmark (1999) and the Abington Art Center, Jenkintown, PA (2007, 2008).  His photographic work is currently in the exhibition World’s Away: New Suburban Landscapes jointly organized by the Walker Art Center and Carnegie Museum of Art.  In 2009, the show will travel to the Yale School of Architecture.

SUBLIMINAL PROJECTS is pleased to announce its inaugural exhibition with legendary photographer Glen E. Friedman. The most highly anticipated event of Subliminal Projects’ season, Friedman’s Idealist Propaganda encompasses the artist’s first major retrospective to date, featuring a rare selection of Friedman’s oeuvre, including twenty-five never-before exhibited photographs from his celebrated iconic photos of the pioneering skate, punk and hip-hop subcultures to his equally political and polarized subject matter of the natural world. Idealist Propaganda is a transcendent exhibition and ultimately Friedman’s most definitive creative andphilosophical statement. It is Subliminal Projects’ first solo exhibition of photography by a represented artist.

Glen E. Friedman. the Idealist. 1991. Color Photograph. Collection: The Idealist-In My Eyes- 25 Years (1976 – 2001). 2nd Ed. Burning Flags Press, 2003.

For Idealist Propaganda, Friedman exhibits his prolific collection in salon style, sampling seminal, never before seen photos from hisFuck You All collection, in addition to previously shown works in his The Idealist solo exhibition of 2004 and Fuck You Allinternational touring exhibition, which include his Fuck You Heroes and Fuck You Too series. On display for the first time ever are images from his Recognize monograph, a dramatic and overt manifesto of aesthetic idealism, compressed and recontextualized through the singular, yet challenging and amorphous nature of clouds. Through these uninhibited photographs, brilliantly captured mostly from within the clouds themselves, Friedman seeks to reintroduce a raw, beautiful, and vital way of seeing the world.

Stemming from his The Idealist fine art series, Friedman’s show is a cornucopia of measured decisions, “every piece is purely there for aesthetic, and to excite.” Radical, charismatic and unapologetic, Friedman’s photographs are an extension of his beliefs, social and political; “The work speaks for itself for those tuned in or not.” Through his own personal propaganda, Friedman’s goal has always been to inspire people. “I feel a personal responsibility to inspire rebellion – to be inspired,” he says. As a 13 year old just beginning to explore the world through his simple Pentax camera lens, he believed being a participant was “really important and wanted to change what people did and thought.” Drawing inspiration from the Renaissance artists he admired, Friedman challenged himself to become a master craftsman in his own right. His radicalized photography is saturated with deep color, rich texture, and intricate composition, producing a pulsing political energy that is undeniable, “Like a punch in the face!” Whether it’s from the skateboarders of Dogtown, Run DMC and Public Enemy, or Minor Threat and Black Flag, Glen E. Friedman’s work captures his subjects as the recognized and respected artistic zeitgeists inherent to their being.

On display and never before exhibited will also be a selection of some of the twenty-five images added to the second, updated edition of The Idealist book, ten photographic images of Friedman’s Recognize cloud series in traditional frames, and two oversized images from the same collection mounted on aluminum. On loan from Shepard Fairey’s personal collection will be one of the original window display signs and photograph from the “Liberty Street Protest,” a large-scale provocative anti-war installation created by Friedman in 2004, with the assistance of artists Chris Habib and Shepard Fairey. On the property of Friedman’s long-time friend Russell Simmons, located across the street from 9-11 Ground Zero in New York City at the World Trade Center before the Republican National Convention, the site-specific public art project ignited international awareness which continues to resonate.

Glen E. Friedman will be attending the opening reception and signing edition copies of his books: Fuck You Heroes, Fuck You Too,The Idealist, Dogtown – The Legend of the Z-Boys, Recognize, and Keep Your Eyes Open. Signed copies of Recognize, unavailable instores and only available from the artists’ publishing company Burning Flags Press, will be available through Subliminal Projects as part of the exhibition. Visit www.subliminalprojects.com for more information about the gallery and Glen E. Friedman’s exhibition. For further information on Glen E. Friedman, visit his official site at www.BurningFlags.com.

About Glen E. Friedman

Glen E. Friedman is the most significant photographer of his generation. His images of the early Dogtown skateboarders in the late 1970s along with the burgeoning hip-hop and punk rock scenes of the 80s and 90s have made him one of the most important photographers today. With the uncanny ability to capture images of people whose subculture was about to change the world, his subjects range from Jay Adams and Tony Alva to Run DMC, Public Enemy and the Beastie Boys to Minor Threat and Black Flag, among many others. Over the years, Friedman has been able to define the moments of the movements that defined an era. This has cemented his place in history as an uncompromising, extremely gifted artist.

Friedman’s touring exhibition Fuck You All premiered in 1997 at the Institute of Contemporary Art in London, England. Since then it has been exhibited overseas in Sydney, Australia, Harajuku and Shibuya, in Tokyo Japan, Florence, Milan, Sicily, and Rome in Italy, Berlin, Germany, Stockholm, Sweden, Antwerp, Belgium, and most recently as one of the headliners at Photomonth in Krakow, Poland. Stateside, shows have been in Chicago, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, and Los Angeles. Friedman has had books of his work published including Fuck You Heroes, Fuck You Too,The Idealist, Dogtown - The Legend of Z-Boys (with mentor C.R. Stecyk III - it was inspiration to the award winning documentary film Dogtown and Z-Boys that Friedman co-produced); all of which are in multiple editions and pressings. And most recently the books Recognize and Keep Your Eyes Open. Friedman!s The Idealistexhibition premiered at sixspace in 2004, marking the introduction to his fine art images and acting as the release of The Idealist - In My Eyes - 25 Years (1976 - 2001), his second, and updated, version of the original 1998 The Idealist book, an artistic summation of his photography. His Idealist Propaganda retrospective at Subliminal Projects marks the first time this all-encompassing photographic collection is exhibited. Glen E.Friedman lives in New York, NY.

About Subliminal Projects

SUBLIMINAL PROJECTS is a multifunctional gallery space promoting diverse forms of art while providing a forum for contemporary dialogue. SUBLIMINAL was originally created by Shepard Fairey and Blaze Blouin as an artist collective in 1995. The group played an integral part in introducing skateboarding culture and design to the art world, showcasing artists such as Phil Frost, Thomas Campbell, Mike Mills, Dave Aaron, and Mark Gonzales. Shepard and Amanda Fairey continued to host and curate exhibitions that have featured artists such as Ryan McGinness, HunterGatherer, David Ellis, Doze Green, Aesthetic Apparatus, Space Invader, Jim Houser and Andrew Jeffery Wright. In 2003, the SUBLIMINAL PROJECTS gallery was officially opened in the Los Angeles offices of Studio Number One. The scope of the gallery remained true to its roots while embracing new forms of graphic art, illustration, photography and time based media. Now located in the historic Los Angeles neighborhood of Echo Park, Subliminal Projects continues to offer a platform for artistic exploration and innovation. The 2008 schedule includes art exhibitions by established and emerging artists, as well as a lecture series, workshops and artist publications.

A couple of weeks ago I attended the opening reception for LA native Kehinde Wiley’s spectacular exhibition of large-scale paintings at Deitch Projects.  Wiley has described his approach as “interrogating the notion of the master painter, at once critical and complicit.” His figurative paintings “quote historical sources and position young black men within that field of ‘power.’” These new works were inspired by images of fallen warriors, saints, and classical mythology.

Perhaps more impressive than the scale was the delicate rendition of these figures amidst vibrant floral patterns. Be sure to check this show out before its closing on Dec. 20!

PS- While at the show, I ran into artist Steve Powers who mentioned his upcoming exhibition at Colette Gallery in Paris.