Posts Tagged ‘Miracle Mile Art Walk’

What is it about cities in the night-time? Without fail, they seem to possess a kind of magical, haunting quality—the scattered matrices of illuminated office windows, the splash of light from a street-lamp upon a deserted intersection, the blurs of red and white night-traffic, the sharp shapes of buildings making shadows of moonlight on an empty sidewalk.

I suppose one could try to explain this beauty rationally; talk about how urban environments are designed for large masses of people, and how the nightly absence of such populations is bound to create a sense of surrealism. Or maybe how the necessity for artificial light in a city-setting reminds gazers of civilization’s simultaneous dominance and fragility. But I prefer to just look, and so do photographers Helen K. Garber, Ginny Mangrum, and Bill Sosin.

In their combined exhibition, entitled “Night Lights,” which is on view at the DNJ Gallery right by the intersection of Beverly and La Brea until May 1^st, they have collectively opened their F-stops wide enough to capture the mysteries of life during night-time. The images range from abstract studies of light and shadow, to more relatable scenes of eerie desertion, where most people wouldn’t dare walk without an added quickness to their step.

Helen K. Garber, who is a member of the San Fransisco-based Nocturnes—a group of photographers dedicated to taking pictures at night—will be giving a talk at the gallery this Friday, April 17^th at 5:00 PM as a part of the Miracle Mile Art Walk. Her photographs—mostly black-and-white urban landscapes—have been published in the Los Angeles Times, The Hollywood Reporter, and LA Weekly. She has exhibited all over the country, and been the recipient of numerous photography awards. So come out to hear what she has to say, browse the myriad images of night and light, then take a stroll around the rest of the art walk—if for no other reason than to enjoy the beauty of sunny Los Angeles when there is no sun.

“Night Lights” features photographs by Helen K. Garber, Ginny Mangrum, and Bill Sosin. The exhibition runs until May 1^st at the DNJ Galley located at 154 1/2 La Brea Ave. Helen K. Garber will be speaking on Friday April 17^th at 5:00 PM. For more information, call (323) 931-1311 or visit www.dnjgallery.net.

The Miracle Mile Art Walk, which happens every third Saturday of the month, has a little extra flavor with The Wall Project this Saturday — the Wende Museum continues its plans to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Berlin Wall’s fall.  They are preparing to build up the wall to tear it down all over again.  Please leave your sledgehammer(s) at home.  The LA-style fall won’t happen until next month.

The art walk starts officially at 4:00pm, which will give you plenty of time to survey the gallery scene on Wilshire, including some gems at 6150.  At ACME, Jennifer Steinkamp’s new show Orbit is guaranteed to impress and is definitely worth your while to stop by.  Last year, her gorgeous scrolling floral digital animations projected on the wall were a definite highlight, so her new show will surely be a treat.

At 4:30, Thierry Noir, who was the first painter of the original Berlin Wall in 1984, and Justinian Jampol, the Wende Museum’s director, will speak at the Wall Along Wilshire as part of the Wall Project.  Also, on Saturday, Noir and his LA counterparts, Kent Twitchell, Marie Astrid Gonzalez, and Farrah Karapetian, will be painting  the Wall Along Wilshire, which is set to be the longest stretch of the real Berlin Wall outside of Berlin.

The afterparty is over at Phantom Galleries from 8:30 – 10:00. The exhibition GraceBeautyFortitude, curated by Sophia Louisa as part of Sophia Louisa Project, opens on Saturday with work featuring Rebecca Niederlander, Leigh Salgado, and Coleen Sterritt.  The preview images look gorgeous.  The three qualities — grace, beauty, and fortitude — are presented through sculptures that seems so delicate and ephemeral, but at the same time very strong and resonate.

All will probably head over the Mandrake afterward  You know how we do it around here.

Mention the Miracle Mile Art Walk for free entrance into LACMA and CAFAM.

The Miracle Mile Art walk is Saturday, October 17 from 4 – 10.  For more information about The Wall Project (5900 Wilshire Blvd.) and Saturday’s events, please click here. Jennifer Steinkamp’s exhibition opens Saturday with an opening reception 6 – 8 at ACME (6150 Wilshire Blvd.).  Also, Sophia Louisa Project’s GraceBeautyFortitude (5412 Wilshire Blvd.), opens on Saturday and will host the art walk after party.

Image: Installation view of GraceBeautyFortitude