designLAb Reception: Thursday, March 24, 5:00 - 9:30 PM
Pacific Design Center
Blue Building, 2nd Floor
8687 Melrose Avenue
West Hollywood, CA 90069
www.pacificdesigncenter.com
designLAb, curated by Helen Varola, is pleased to announce new art and design exhibitions on view on Pacific Design Center’s Second and Fifth Floors, as well as the Blue and Green Lobbies. A public reception on the Second Floor will be held on Thursday, March 24 from 5:00 - 9:30 PM.
Highlights include 8 Loves, a collaboration between photographer and Treats! Magazine founder Steve Shaw and artist Gregory Siff, inspired by the eight loves of Picasso. Gregory Siff’s action of painting directly onto eight live nudes is documented as large format black & white photographs by Shaw, which are then re-painted by Siff using ink, diamond dust, gold leaf and lipstick. The exhibit is on view at 4AM Gallery and includes a video of Siff’s painting process.
Varola gallery is pleased to present Morphic Fields, a monumental installation of eight bronze sculptures by Los Angeles-based artist Anthony James. Working in bronze has led James to think of his work in terms of transcendence, death, rebirth - the never-ending cycle of life. Glenn O’Brien states, ‘There’s a kind of oracular vibe about the work, as if staring at it might be good.’
Thomas Paul Fine Art presents ink wash paintings by Cairo born Bassmi Ibrahim. Made with large calligraphy brushes that recall the fluidity of water and the haziness of mist, Ibrahim paints for his “inner self” in an automatic, subconscious style, painting his “soul and spirit” on canvas.
Please refer to the listings below for further information or visit designLAb at http://www.pacificdesigncenter.com/designlab-2/.
Lobby Exhibitions on view through July 29:
Trophy Modern’s Legacy Collection on display in the Green Lobby features furniture designed by Los Angeles-based artist Ry Rocklen and includes American Diner, Emerald Club, World Couch, Neo Picnic Table, World Bleacher and Ping Pong USA.
Featured prominently in the Blue Lobby are four sculptures by Matt Johnson from his series titled Lautner Beam / Super String. Johnson created these works using repurposed cast-offs from John Lautner’s demolished Shusett House that translate as rustic, metaphysical visualizations of string theory, the forms hypothesized to describe matter itself. Cast in steel from the arched beams of Lautner’s modernist structure, they are reworked into trompe-lʼoeil, elegant forms.
A retrospective by acclaimed designer and architect Antonio Pio Saracino examines the relationships among product design, architecture and his public art projects. Designs include the Hexa Lounge, the debut of two new designs, Sky Lounge and Mineral Table, and several other furniture pieces presented in a Saracino-designed staged setting that provides visitors with a powerful all-at-once aesthetic overview of his architecture, industrial design and fine art.
On the 5th Floor Blue Atrium is a new permanent installation by Los Angeles artist Gerardo Hacer, whose bright green origami inspired steel sculptures The Fold: Mountain and Valley organically address the Atrium’s soaring interior. Opening later this spring, Hacer’s large scale sculptures will be on view outdoors on Santa Monica Blvd at Doheny Drive as part of The City of West Hollywood’s Art on the Outside program (http://weho.org/residents/arts-and-culture/visual-arts/hacer).
Ongoing through May 8 at MOCA Pacific Desgin Center is Catherine Opie: 700 Nimes Road, a personal portrait of Elizabeth Taylor through Opie’s photographs of the actress’ personal space and mementos.
Please also join us for happy hour at Red Seven, located on the ground floor of the Green Building.
designLAb Galleries (Second Floor Blue Building):
Boîte Noire Gallery
Michael Flomen: Under the Cover of Darkness
March 24 – May 20
B222
boitenoiregallery.com
A pioneer in his field, Flomen exposes photographic paper and large format film to various light sources, including the moon, fireflies, and a handheld flash. Natural elements such as snow, rain, water, and wind also comprise his materials.
Cantor Fine Art
Michael Mapes
March 24 – May 20
B275
lawrencecantorfineart.com
Mapes’ richly layered, fragmented portrait assemblages reveal an eclectic mix of materials that depict pin ups and nudes.
Christopher W. Mount Gallery
Mapping the Information Age
Extended to May 20
B267
christopherwmount.com
On view are works by architectural visionary Bryan Cantley and early photographs by Bernd and Hilla Becher.
CMay Gallery
Yi Hwan Kwon
March 24 – May 13
B222
cmaygallery.com
CMay’s exhibition of Kwon’s sculptures that extend and distort space and time are on view concurrently with the artist’s outdoor “Bus Stop” installation at the entrance to West Hollywood Park, as part of The City of West Hollywood’s Art on the Outside program.
4 A.M.
Gregory Siff/Steve Shaw: 8 Loves
March 24 – May 20
B273
4artmanagement.com
4 A.M. gallery presents a performance/photography collaboration between Steve Shaw and Gregory Siff.
Industry Gallery
Lacey Stoffer
March 24 – May 20
B270
industrygallery.net
Industry Gallery (recently named among Art + Auction’s Power 100) presents an immersive installation by Los Angeles artist Lacey Stoffer.
Micucci Arte
Carlo Scarpa: Venini Venetian Glass Design 1931-1947
B209
micucciarte.com
Thomas Paul Fine Art
Bassmi Ibrahim
March 24 – May 20
B275
tpaulfineart.com
Thomas Paul Fine Art presents ink wash paintings by Cairo born Bassmi Ibrahim.
Varola
Anthony James: Morphic Fields
March 24 - July 29
B256
helenvarola.com
Varola presents 8 monumental bronze sculptures by Los Angeles-based artist Anthony James.
Young Projects
Sandra Gibson, Luis Recoder / Ezra Johnson
March 24 – May 6
B210
youngprojectsgallery.com
Young Projects presents celluloid film and 60 millimeter projections by Sandra Gibson and Luis Recoder. Young’s secondary project space presents painterly animation by Ezra Johnson.
___________________________________________________________
About designLAb
designLAb provides a platform to explore art that addresses the design center‘s unique context of interior design, spanning a variety of art disciplines and media. designLAb is conceived and directed by New York-based curator Helen Varola and made possible by Charles S. Cohen, collector and generous supporter of MOCA Pacific Design Center. For further information please visit designLAb at www.pacificdesigncenter.com or email Helen Varola at helen@helenvarola.com.
designLAb is located on the 2nd floor of the Blue Building and most galleries are open Monday - Friday from 11:00 - 6:00 PM or by appointment on Saturday. Enter Pacific Design Center’s Blue Building on Melrose and use the escalators or elevators to the 2nd floor.
For private appointments after hours or on weekends, please enter from the garage or San Vincente entrance and PDC’s concierge will direct you to the gallery. Valet, garage, and street parking is available and complimentary parking for press is available by calling one day in advance at 310-360-6417.
Please also visit MOCA Pacific Design Center, open 11:00 - 5:00 PM, Tuesday - Friday; 11:00 - 6:00 PM on Saturday and Sunday; and closed on Monday. Admission to MOCA Pacific Design Center is always free.
designLAb Exhibition Proposals:
Please send a brief bio and description of your project to designLAb Curator Helen Varola at helen@helenvarola.com. Also visit http://www.pacificdesigncenter.com/designlab-2/ for further information.
designLAb Inquires and Tours:
Contact Rebecca Kopp, designLAb Manager at rkopp@pacificdesigncenter.com or 323-205-6863.
Press Inquires:
Contact Beth Brett, Blink Creative Group at beth@blinkcreativegroup.com or 310-850-2701.
Parking:
Valet, garage, and street parking are available and complimentary parking for press is available by calling the PDC Parking Office one day in advance, Monday – Friday at 310-360-6417.
Happy Hour!
Please also join us for Happy Hour at Red Seven, located on the first floor of the Green Building.
