summer.2023 Juxtapoz

Citation preview

D A V ID SHRIOLEY

KEZIA HARRELL THE PEREZ BRoS M 7A N E L & MUHOLI

A R T & CULT

How I PAINTED TH E BLUE STRIPE

S U M M ER 2 0 2 3 ,n226 USA$ 9 .9 9 /CAN $10.99 DISPLAY UNTILSEPTEMBER 0 4 ,2 0 2 3

0

128 40047

FEATURED ARTIST LENA TOKENS

t a

Rinpf* t l rrwlemirt of New

ta in t CampinEMW NEWBEIK UMRESPONSIBLY©2C23Net

Btbwwj . Ftfl toim. CO80524

m m RAMER

S pring S h o w 2023: Creativity Unleashed Spring Show 2023 features the best work of our graduating students. It’s a mind-blowing array of unfettered creativity. And it's a glimpse into the Academy of Art University experience. All work displayed above was created by Academy o f Art University students.

See the Show. Visit springshow.academyart.edu

A ) ACADEMYo/ART UNIVERSITY® DEFY THE ORDINARY. CREATE THE EXTRAORDINARY

Main: 1.415.274.2200 International: 1.800.544.2787

»

STANCE ©

CONTENTS

Summer 2023 ISSUE 226 10 Editor's Letter

14

34

136

Design

Sieben on Life

Cissi Efraimsson's

A Six-Pack with

Stop-Motion Mermaids

Mel Kadel

42

138

Fashion The Beasts, Birds

84

118

Zanele Muholi

Joshua Petker

Pop Life Los Angeles,

and Blossoms of

NYC, London and

Sabina Savage

Philadelphia

48

142

18

Influences

Perspective

Jen White-Johnson's

Art Fights for

The Report

Act of Resistance

Cancer

Studio Time Robert Pokorny's Pot LuckStudio

A Decade of Mirus Gallery

24 Product Reviews The Shrig Shop, Fluevog and ONLY NY

26 Picture Book The Secrets of the Universe

54 Travel Insider

94

126

The Perez Brothers

Jess Valice

134

Los Angeles is Having a Now Moment

Events Keith Haring, Ansel

58

Adams, Magda Kirk,

In Session

Julian Pace and

Saj Issa at UCLA's

Zoe McGuire

MFA Department

62 On the Outside

102 Kezia Harrell

The Man They Call Wayne Horse

68 Book Reviews Ruth E Carter, Ed Templeton, and Tits &Clits

6 S U M M E R 2023

110 Danielle Roberts

Right: Untitled (The Moon Makes Us Crazy), Acrylic on Paper, 29.5" x 22", 2023

STAFF

FOUNDER

P R E S ID E N T + P U B L IS H E R

A D V E R T IS IN G + SALES D IR E C T O R

Robert Williams

Gwynned Vitello

Mike Stalter m i ke@j uxta poz.com

E D IT O R

C FO

Evan Pricco

Jeff Rafnson

A D V E R T IS IN G SALES

Eben Sterling ART D IR E C T O R

A C C O U N T IN G M A N A G E R

Rosemary Pinkham

Kelly Ma

AD O P E R A T IO N S M A N A G E R

Mike Breslin C H IE F T E C H N IC A L O F F IC E R

C IR C U L A T IO N C O N S U L T A N T

Nick Lattner

John Morthanos

M A R K E T IN G

Sally Vitello D E P U T Y E D IT O R

C O N T R IB U T IN G E D IT O R S

Kristin Farr

Doug Gillen Shaquille Heath Alex Nicholson

C O -F O U N D E R

M A IL O R D E R + C U S T O M E R S E R V IC E

Maddie Manson sub scrip tion s@ h spro du ction s.co m 415-671-2416

Greg Escalante C O -F O U N D E R

P H O T O G R A P H Y E D IT O R

P R O D U C T SALES M A N A G E R

Alex Nicholson

Rick Rotsaert

Suzanne Williams

415-852-4189

C O N T R IB U T IN G W R IT E R S

Kristin Far Doug Gillen Shaquille Heath Heidi Johnson Jonathan Caver Moore Alex Nicholson Evan Pricco Charlotte Pyatt Sage Vaughn Gwynned Vitello Iris Xie

PRODUCT PROCUREM ENT

John Dujmovic S H IP P IN G

Kenny Eldyba Maddie Manson Charlie Pravel Ian Seager Adam Yim T E C H N IC A L L IA IS O N

Santos Ely Agustin C O N T R IB U T IN G P H O T O G R A P H E R S

Bryan Derballa Celeste Harrell Heidi Johnson Max Knight Evan Pricco Andrew Quinn Mike Stalter Dan Streit

Juxtapoz ISSN #1077-8411 Summer 2023 Volume 30, Number 03 Published quarterly by High Speed Productions, Inc., 1303 Underwood Ave, San Francisco, CA 94124-3308. © 2016 High Speed Productions, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in USA. Juxtapoz is a registered trademark of High Speed Productions, Inc. Reproduction in whole or in part w ithout w ritten permission is prohibited. Opinions expressed in articles are those of the author. All rights reserved on entire contents. Advertising inquiries should be directed to: [email protected]. Subscriptions: US, $29.99 (one year, 4 issues); Canada, $75.00; Foreign, $ 8 0.0 0 per year. Single copy: US, $9.99; Canada, $10.99. Subscription rates given represent standard rate and should not be confused with special subscription offers advertised in the magazine. Periodicals Postage Paid at San Francisco, CA, and at additional mailing offices. Canada Post Publications Mail Agreement No. 09600 55. Change of address: Al low six weeks advance notice and send old address label along with your new address. Postmaster: Send change of address to: Juxtapoz, PO Box 302, Congers, NY 10920-9714. The publishers would like to thank everyone who has furnished information and materials for this issue. Unless otherwise noted, artists featured in Juxtapoz retain copyright to their work. Every effort has been made to reach copyright owners or their representatives. The publisher will be pleased to correct any mistakes or omissions in our next issue. Juxtapoz welcomes editorial submissions; however, return postage must accompany all unsolicited manuscripts, art, drawings, and photographic materials if they are to be returned. No responsibility can be assumed for unsolicited materials. All letters will be treated as unconditionally assigned for publication and copyright purposes and subject to Juxtapoz! right to edit and com m ent editorially.

Juxtapoz Is Published by High Speed Productions, Inc. 415-822-3083 email to: [email protected] juxtapoz.com

8 SUMMER 2023

Cover art: David Shrig ley, U ntitled (H o w l Painted The Blue Stripe), Acrylic on Paper, 29.5" x 22", 2023

EDITOR'S LETTER

Issue N ° 226 At the end of 2022, David Zwirner presented a selection of photos by William Eggleston called The Outlands. They were color photos, richer, alm ost too vivid to easily process due to his magical use of the camera, but not to be outdone by the subject m atter and how he frames the moment. From a distance, he captures a fam iliar America, as well as a fresh, impalpable view of the world. While his position and the location of the photos are evident, m yriad questions about the intricate vastness of a vantage point are evoked. I recently told a dear friend th at the reason I love Eggleston is th at his best photos ask everything but so sublimely answer nothing. That feels like the highest com plim ent to give someone in the arts, and in that suggestion of Eggleston's work, I im m ediately thought of British conceptual artist, David Shrigley. Halfway through our Summer 2023 cover story with the Brighton-based artist, he offers an aside among many conversational detours that took place over several interview sessions. "I do have

10 SUMMER 2023

some facility in trying to render images that are recognizable to other hum an beings," he said. "But I actually have come to the conclusion that it's quite useful to be so inept. If I had more skill, objective skill, the work would be very different. And I feel like it's actually an advantage to be a bit rubbish because, in some ways, that's good, too." In his work, Shrigley takes the most familiar of subjects, animals, household objects, or food, drawing them in a style one could call crude, interspersing them with satirical or jarringly blunt text. However, despite this unpolished style, he self-deprecatingly called inept, there is universal truth. Each drawing asks really big questions, and some really small ones, too, but they don't claim to answer anything; they just want you to stop and take a look. Don't let the m undane moments slip by. The world is both large and microscopic, and through humor and the occasional bit of biting cultural disparagement, keen-eyed Shrigley investigates the world, never over-explaining or lecturing. He presents his work in the context of the everyman, in engaging, simple drawings on paper.

Clever and concise, and ever so sly. Ubiquitous and yet somehow, perfectly comprehensive. It's not unintentional that in the Summer 2023 Quarterly, our feature on photography looks up to the stars, into the far reaches of the expanding universe, offering an even bigger expanse of questions, beyond our own existence. We feature the autobiographical, deeply-personal, and explorative works of Zanele Muholi and their own explorations of the fluidity of identity. The Perez Brothers, Danielle Roberts, less Valice, Kezia Harrell, or Joshua Petker, all at different moments in their careers, each ask questions about their own life experiences, inviting us to join their explorations. Art is a reflection of life, and that doesn't require a definition, but simply a closer look. Enjoy Summer 2023.

Above: Southern Ring Nebula (NIRCam Image), NASA, ESA, CSA, STScl.

DULK

CHARLIE IMMER

H E R IT A G E

G L O W UP A N D D O W N

M AIN GALLERY

GALLERY II

SENTROCK

TO YAM EG

T W O B IR D S , O N E S T O N E

THE P IN K IS H P A R A D IS E

GALLERY III

GALLERY IV

JUNE 3 -JUNE 24, 2023 t h i n k s p a c e 4207 W. Jefferson Blvd + 4217 W. Jefferson Blvd. Los Angeles. CA 90016

thinkspaceprojects.com

@thinkspace. art

L A X / AMS

THINKSPACE x STRAAT GROUP SHOW JUNE 17 - JULY 30, 2023 IN AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS AT THE STRAAT MUSEUM

Featured murals from Super A & Collin van der Sluijs Ador Kathy Ager Antonio Ainscough Julian Adon Alexander Langston Allston Jordi Alos Fajar Amali Blic Philip Bosmans Brek Ezra Brown Ikechukwu A. Christian Cryptik Rene Cuvos Preston Daniels Delisha Dredske Leo Eguiarte Sofia Enriquez Jordan Ferguson Priscilla S. Flores

Jacub Gagnon Genavee Gomez GoopMassta Daniela Garcia Hamilton Ha Haengeun Hendra "HeHe” Harsono Emiliana Henriquez Anjastama Hp Humbly Cody Jimenez Haylie Jimenez Sydnie Jimenez Oscar Joyo Ozzie Juarez Kapitan David Kaye Scott Listfield Huntz Liu Dan Lydersen Kayla Mahaffey Sean Mahan

Al Marcano Marie Claude Marquis Danny Martinez (aka van Dam One) Steve Martinez Jay McKay b. Robert Moore Vanessa Morata Kristy Moreno Jesse Morsberger Mr. B Baby Baby Mueller Janina Myronova Bell Nakai Guillaume Ollivier Chaz Outing Perez Bros Michael Polakowski Gustavo Rimada Roja Mia Scarpa Byun Sehee

Sheryo Jeremy Shockley Jack Shure Collin van der Sluijs Anthony Solano Stom500 Super A Floyd Strickland Rain Szeto Yuta Tamura TRAV MSK Melly Trochez Jocelyn Tsaih Daisy Velasco Wiley Wallace Casey Weldon Woes Brad Woodfin Yok Manuel Zamudio Zeye Oner

*

STflAAT

Mt

straatmuseum.com NDSM-Plein 1, 1033 WC Amsterdam, Netherlands *I

i

4

1

W -M A T y

thinkspoce thinkspaceprojects.com

STUDIOTIME

Robert Pokorny D

ot Luck Studio in Los Angeles

My studio spaces have had many incarnations over the years. I've worked in a closet under the stairs, our front-room, the kid's room when she moved out for college and finally my own studio space, which I named “Pot Luck” (the irony, I know). My thinking on this was, whatever I or anyone else brought to the studio could become fuel for creating, but also because the prior tenant was selling m arijuana out of the space before it was legalized. He ended up getting into trouble, becoming a squatter and was eventually

14

SUMMER2O23

evicted. Luckily, during this time, I met the owner of the studio and we became friends. When he put it up for sale my wife who announced, “We are going to acquire that space for your studio ” The timing wasn't great. March 2020 and the pandemic had just hit, not exactly the best time to make risky moves. However, it's turned out to be a sanctuary for me, providing a disconnect from home. Having my own space has been a blessing, allowing me to work in different ways, taking my work to another level. My dream

studio might be something like de Kooning's in the Hamptons, but for now, as long as good music is playing and my brushes are wet, I'm set. Wait... a bathroom would be nice, so I don't have to keep holding it... —Robert Pokorny Robert Pokorny's solo show, Inside Out, at Steve Turner in Los Angeles was on view through May 27,2023. RobertPokorny.com

Above: Photo by the artist

JUST IMAGINE... Making your mark on canvas made with 100% recycled plastic bottles. Introducing Liquitex Recycled Canvas. In partnership with Waste2Wear, this canvas cloth is produced with 100% recycled plastic bottles and fastened to FSC certified wood. Suitable for both acrylic and oil paints, this high-quality surface has been tested by professional artists and within our lab so you can create with confidence while reducing your impact on the environment. Available in a choice of 20 stretched canvas sizes or an unprimed canvas roll. In partnership with

Learn more at liquitex.com

now

Top: Installation view of Robert Rauschenberg’s Ace, 1962 (© Robert Rauschenberg Foundation / Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society CARS), New York); Robert Indiana’s Star, 1960-62 (© Morgan Art Foundation Ltd I Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York); Jasper Johns’s Numbers in Color, 1958-59 (© Jasper Johns / Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society CARS), New York); and Lee Krasner’s Milkweed, 1955 (© Pollock-Krasner Foundation / Artists Rights Society CARS), New York). Collection Buffalo AKG Art Museum. Middle: Detail of Common Sky, 2022. © Studio Other Spaces —Olafur Eliasson and Sebastian Behmann. Bottom: Installation view of Jackson Pollock’s Convergence, 1952 C©Pollock-Krasner Foundation / Artists Rights Society CARS), New York). Collection Buffalo AKG Art Museum. Photos: Jeff Mace

BUFFALO AKG ART MUSEUM

REPORT

Always Moving Forward 10 Years of Mirus Gallery There couldn't be a better place to interview Paul Hemming than in the vortex of a Future Factory, right? The man behind Mirus Gallery has, for the last decade, taken the energy of his landmark San Francisco nightclub Temple and created gallery aesthetics that, in his words, “ crystallize the unfathomable?" From SF to Denver, and now a new complex in downtown Los Angeles, Hemming is slamming all his chips on the table. We caught him on a rainy day in LA, in the midst of the build out, reflecting on his new endeavor and the years of channeling movement into everything he does. Evan Pricco: It's ten years of Mirus Gallery, and you’re embedded in this gargantuan project. Let’s just start here. What are you doing? Paul Hemming: This is the Future Factory. It’s five

18

SUMMER 2023

buildings on three sites in downtown LA where we’re building this immersive, experiential entertainment complex of which Mirus Gallery is a part. Well, then we should rewind and start from the beginning because this is clearly a massive build-up. So I moved to San Francisco when I was 19 to go to study filmmaking at SF State. I also studied philosophy and Chinese, as well as DJ’d on the side. During my senior year the building where I lived in the Tenderloin caught fire and destroyed the movie I’d been working on. I ended up dropping out of school, started DJ’ing full-time, eventually opened a record store from money I got from the settlement of the fire, a place in Oakland on Broadway and Telegraph. It was called Zen City

Records. We had a music studio in the basement, we hung artwork when the cool artists brought in some artwork and we threw parties. That was the seed that grew into everything I’m doing now, growing into the Temple Nightclub, which I eventually opened. SF State, fire, record store, Temple? Exactly. I started working on Temple in 2005. We opened in 2007, and during that time, I was collecting art. Once I opened the nightclub, I could afford to buy more art. And, little by little, I was, like,“ You know what? I’m going to open my own gallery.” So Mirus opened in 2012, and over the years now, I use the nightclub to experiment with different things, co-working, different incubators, just all kinds of experiments during this time. And then in 2017, we started our first phase of cell

Above: Paul Hemming in Mirus Gallery, Los Angeles

REPORT

division and opened in Denver. We took the DNA of San Francisco and opened Mirus and Temple in Denver. Things were popping, getting ready to expand again into Seattle, then COVID hit and down it all toppled. I watched twenty years of entrepreneurial effort all come crashing down, having to lay off a couple hundred employees. I mean, the whole world was shutting down. It was pretty scary. It started out destructive, but ultimately turned into a creative process. I got some government funding and was able to reboot everything. The stimulus money came through and I was able to cure the problems, get out of debt, and orchestrate the next phase into LA, which is what we’re building right now. You had the record shop, which had an art component. You do Temple, you start collecting

All images: From Mirus Gallery locations, editions, and exhibitions, 2013—2023

art. Let’s talk about who the artists were or what was the thing that got you thinking or just even got you interested? There is a connection between the cultures that you were involved in and what the art world does, but what gave you the confidence to start collecting art? Because collecting art’s a thing. I started collecting stamps. I was seven years old, and I joined the stamp club, and I was taking old envelopes and soaking them in water, and then I’d go and collect them. And then, from stamps, it went to baseball cards, and then it went to comic books. I’ve always been drawn to certain types of artwork, like the X-Men. I didn’t go to art school, per se. I never thought, “ Hey, I’m going to open a gallery,” or “I’m going to be an art historian” or anything like that, but it was meeting Damon Soule that changed everything. I met him when

I was 19 or 20, and he was selling some of the paintings that he had on architectural paper. They were these robots that had fire hydrants on their heads. So that was the stART. A nightclub, even if it contains art, functions so differently than a gallery. That must have been a leap? Nightclubs can be so wasteful. A nightclub might be open two days a week, that’s it, Fridays and Saturdays, for four hours. You make all your money and then it’s dormant. And so I was always looking for ways to have a space be flexible and have multiple uses, both daytime, nighttime. So at one point I just said, “You know what? I’m going to open a gallery on the third floor.” And in 2012, I made the leap and opened the gallery with all of those artists I was collecting, with Damon, with

JUXTAPOZ.COM

19

REPORT

MARS-1 and Furtherrr Collective—and we've all become really great friends. You're going to say the first show, but if you really had to think about the last decade, what show for Mirus made you think it might have over ten years of mileage, that you're doing the right thing? I think it was when we started with the Furtherrr Collective, where we presented all of the Furtherrr pieces that had been done. Damon had a section, Mars had a section, Oliver Vernon, too, so you could see what their work looked like individually. Then we did this other show called Escape Velocity, which was about the idea of the speed that you need to reach to be able to escape the gravitational force of the planet. That was really the idea for the vision of what Mirus was. And at that time, I was really inspired by Graffuturism. That website was blowing my mind. That was top. There were so many amazing artists I found there, like Felipe Pantone. Geometry of Chance was another one of abstract geometric art, where a lot of graffiti artists had transitioned. So those two shows set the tone of everything that Mirus became. It makes sense that those are the two shows you mentioned because when I think of Mirus Gallery and I think about what you represent, there's something about propulsion. Movement forward seems to be the defining aesthetic, and Felipe Pantone is the perfect example, the first time 1 saw his work, as a matter of fact. Would you agree that movement is the aesthetic that guides your gallery? Absolutely. I mean, Mirus means astonishing and strange, because I didn't want to call it the Paul Hemming Gallery. It wasn't about me, right? I'm behind that, behind the scenes, but I didn't need to be forward-facing with my name on the gallery. It wasn't about that. So I was searching for a name that I felt epitomized the style of work that I wanted to represent: amazing, astonishing, strange, absolutely futuristic, progressive, complex, just dynamic. It really represented the modern world that we lived in. Because I love artists who can crystallize the unfathomable. When you look at these Furtherrr Collective works, it's like a freeze-frame of one explosive dynamic moment of creation, where you see everything. There's this idea of complexism that I've been toying with, that really is this new overarching concept of art that I've been championing over the years, which is tons of movement, tons of energy. It's like the moment of creation. You see science, quantum physics, geography, and weather patterns, and just so much is embedded so that you can really choose your own adventure. You look wherever your eye starts, you build that world with your own mind

20 SUM M ER2023

as your eye travels around the canvas and tries to make sense of it. So, I mean, a hundred percent. LA seems, the way you're talking about it, like it's the perfect amalgamation of all the things that you've learned—and here we are! Exactly. The Future Factory. And I love Andy Warhol's Factory, always inspired by Andy Warhol, what he did there. I mean, throwing parties, making movies, creating culture, making art, hosting eccentric visionaries. The Future Factory just came to me, but it actually was the name of a party that we threw and the name really just fit.

And so we found a building, a complex. It's got five warehouses all joined together with three outdoor spaces. So there's going to be the music venue side, which is going to be immersive with four walls of video and a video ceiling, with translucent video tiles that can be converted into any environment. Then we will have the museum, gallery, marketplace, clothing, and records, including an outdoor space food court. It's basically a block party festival every Friday and Saturday. □ Follow @mirusgallery for programming at their San Francisco, Denver and Los Angeles galleries.

C O N T E M P O R A R Y - G R A F F IT I - STREET A R T

ARTEMIZIAFOUNDATION MUSEUM - CALLERY 818 - MURAL LABYRINTH - SCULPTURE CARDEN

PichiAvo 2018 Orphical Hymn to the Graces Spray, Acrylic and Oil on Canvas 67” x 165” (170cm x 420cm)

Experience works by over 100 artists from 40 countries including PichiAvo, Swoon, Banksy, Kara Walker, Warhol, Yayoi Kusama, Cey Adams, Lady Pink, Willem de Kooning, Barbara Kruger, WRDSMTH, Wangechi Mutu, Vhils, Kerry James Marshall, Tracey Emin, Keith Haring, Saber, MuckRock, Judy Chicago, CES, D*Face, Ai Weiwei, MissMe, The Connor Brothers, Li Hongbo, Martin Schoeller, LeDania, Corie Mattie, Shepard Fairey, Sofia Cianciulli, Rayvenn D’Clark, Mando Marie, Saype, Jenny Saville...

ARIZONA’S PREMIER GRAFFITI & STREET ART DESTINATION ArtemiziaFoundation.org @ artem iziafoundation

818 Tombstone Canyon, Bisbee AZ North American Reciprocal Museum Association

O nlyltf

ONLY NY FOR THE CITY OF NEW YORK DEPARTMENT OF SANITATION PRESENTING THE DSNY TRASH CAN PEN HOLDER. THE PERFECT ITEM TO COMPLIMENT ANY MESSY DESK OR CLEAN DESK WITH MESSY NEIGHBORS. A CLEANER DESK BEGINS WITH YOU.

REVIEWS

Things We Are After Sustainability, Reliability and Variability

W HEN

You A LEMON

Only NY Summer 2023 Collection A few times a year, we like to stock up. Although Summer may feel like the season where you wear less and require less, on the contrary, we advise that less requires more, as in a sturdy bag for the beach or park, a comfy tee for the day, and a button-up for cooler evenings. Only NY's Summer Collection is equal parts leisure and functionality serving your comfort and climate needs. Featuring stylish tactile bags and accessories with breathable jacquard tops and bottoms, Only has your summer covered.

YOU Must EAT THE LEM O N ALL

CF

I n c l u d in g

OnlyNY.com

IT t he

$k< N

The Shrig Shop David Shrigley has a little bit of something for everyone— and all in one place! If you can't make it to Copenhagen to the physical

Fluevog LoPro Blue Metallic Leeside Shoe

Shrig Shop opened by the UKartist with gallerist Nicolai Wallner,

If you want to stand out, you may as well, literally, take a stand

you can still be anywhere in the world to access limited edition prints,

in something that stands out. That's quite the stance, and for

postcards, posters, books, clothing, textiles, ceramics, and tote

Summer 2023, Fluevog has created a blue metallic patent

bags, as well as an inflatable floatie for your pool if you fancy lounging

leather Leeside sneaker from their LoPro family. It's the kind of

upon a Shrigley "Swan Thing" His When Life Gives You a Lemon

shoe that sports a new look from every angle. Made in Portugal

poster sums up life ever so succinctly in pure David Shrigley style.

and featuring an EcoRubber sole, feel confident about striding

Art is for everyone, and this is a good place to start. ShrigShop.com

forward without looking down at your feet every few steps. Here's to a shimmering summer! Fluevog.com

24 SUMMER2023

M a ke rs of Colour

Finest Quality Acrylic Paints

Proudly Canadian

tri-art.ca

PICTURE BOOK

26 SUMMER 2023

PICTURE BOOK

James Webb Space Telescope The Secrets of the Universe Are Buried in Darkness The terrifying immensity of the firmament's abyss is an illusion, an external reflection of our own abysses, perceived “in a mirror." We should invert our eyes and practice a sublime astronomy in the infinitude of our heart... If we see the Milky Way, it is because it actually exists in our souls. —Jorge Luis Borges Floating a million miles away, eighteen honeycomb mirrors on the James Webb Space Telescope (Webb) collect the light of the universe and transm it home an image of raw darkness. While it's not light we have evolved to perceive, we're becoming quite adept at seeing in the dark, at discovering extraordinary things hidden from these naked eyes. The universe is mostly empty. It's how all that light can travel unimpeded over billions of years to reach us. We've always looked up to orient ourselves; the stars have helped us find our way. Yet, it might be the disorientation we feel looking up that is most important. It's those kinds of feelings, and the primordial questions they so often provoke, that are fundamental motivators in everything created and everything discovered. The curiosity that drives an astrophysicist is not so different from what inspires the artist; both minds are inclined toward awe. Frank Summers, an astrophysicist at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScl), suggests that the greatest experience for a scientist is "to realize that you don’t know what you're talking about." Within those moments, “there's opportunity for knowledge, opportunity to explore something new." Summers' colleagues at STScl, Joseph DePasquale and Alyssa Pagan, are the first to take the massive amounts of raw data captured by the telescope and composite different filters to reveal the breathtaking photographs of deep

Above: Tarantula Nebula (NIRCam Image). NASA, ESA, CSA, STScl, W ebb ERO Production Team

space shared with the public. “You can't see all the information contained in the file," explains DePasquale. “It requires what we call 'stretching,' finding where the details actually exist. And they are usually buried in the darkness." The images, with their infinite seas of swirling galaxies, glistening clouds of celestial dust and haunting towers of interstellar gas, those printed on these pages, are not suitable for scientific analysis. Too much information is obscured to translate the infrared light captured by Webb into the rainbow of colors the human eye can perceive. Gaps exist between objective data and the subjective, visual experience of the universe—but not, perhaps, between beauty and understanding. Where information is obscured, other things are revealed. Pictures are universal. “Once you get past how beautiful it is," reflects Michael Lentz, Lead for NASA Creatives, “then you start to consider what you're actually looking at... the scale of it, the distance, both physically and temporally, and how amazing that is too, that you're literally looking back in time." Every photograph is a photograph of the past. Looking at the world, we capture the light of the present, viewing passing moments forever in the future. But looking up, looking out at the stars is our means of time travel. We can capture the light of the past and view it in the present. Both moments are finite, but the connections we can draw to ourselves from either are infinite. “When I look up at the night sky," says Summers, “it's actually the band of the Milky Way that I orient myself with. I feel at home. I feel like I'm part of our galaxy, and I can really understand our place in it." From our shockingly perfect home, drifting in the glow of a distant star, we are reflecting the light of the universe. —Alex Nicholson

J U X T A P O Z .C O M

27

PICTURE BOOK

We're so insignificant in the grand scheme o f things,

when we look at these images and we contemplate

we are this tiny speck in an indifferent universe. But

the universe, we are literally the universe trying to

I always go back to Carl Sagan and his quote, ‘We

understand itself" —Joseph DePasquale, Senior

are made o f star stuff/ Taking that to the next step,

Science V isuals Developer, STScI

28 SUMMER2O23

A b o ve: L 1 5 2 7 a n d P ro to s ta r (N I RCam Image). NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI. Im age Processing: Joseph DePasquale (STScI), Alyssa Pagan (STScI), A n to n M. K oekem oer (STScI)

PICTURE BOOK

Top: NG C 628 (MIRI Image). NASA, ESA, CSA. Image Processing: Judy Schmidt Bottom: Pillars o f Creation (NIRCam and MIRI Composite Image). NASA, ESA, CSA, STScl. Image Processing: J. DePasquale (STScl), A. Pagan (STScl), A. Koekemoer (STScl)

J U X T A P O Z .C O M

29

PICTURE BOOK

30 SUMMER 2023

Above: "Cosmic Cliffs"\n the Carina Nebula (NIRCam Image). NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI

PICTURE BOOK

“Even if you were out there in a spacecraft sitting right

But that's true with stuff here on Earth. There's stuff

in front o f it, some things you still wouldn't be able to

all around us that we ju st can't see.'' — M ichael Lentz,

see because they're in entirely different wavelengths.

Lead for NASA Creatives

Above: Wolf-Rayet 124 (NIRCam and MIRI Composite Image). NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Webb ERO Production Team

J U X T A P O Z .C O M

31

THE CHAM BERS PROJECT The Chambers Project is the world's premier psychedelic art gallery and event space based in Grass Valley, CA. We aim to honor the Godfathers of the scene while also showcasing the most cutting edge contemporary artists in the psychedelic art space. Our program is built around the concept of collaboration across many mediums including painting, bronze production, limited edition print and clothing runs, all produced at the highest level possible. We are not a traditional art gallery and our intention is to redefine what an art exhibition is and can be. Our aesthetic is psychedelic and our mission is to curate an experience that provides inspiration and intention for everyone to think bigger and to inspire

627 E. MAINST. GRASSVALLEY, CALIFORNIA I THECHAMBERSPROJECT.COM I OTHE CHAMBERS PROJECT

DESIGN

Mermaid Mayhem Cissi Efraimsson Explains it Al Call her a mermaid lord, puppet wizard, or punk princess—Cissi Efraimsson is many magical beings in one. Oscillating between art, film and music, she's the first anim ator to anthropom orphize salmon sushi. Drawn to sea dwellers, her new film imagines salty merm aids in captivity, each of them hand-crafted and scripted by the artist. Cissi is also a lead member of the loveable Swedish punk band, Vulkano, and her ceramic sculptures feel like film stills—the life she breathes into her work is fantastically relatable and truly supernatural.

where m erm aids suddenly start to appear along the coast, and the hum ans are, like, “Oh my god, they're real!" The m erm aids have been hiding all these years, but because of pollution, they can't stay in the ocean anymore. They come up to the shore, and it's total chaos. Some people love them, and some w ant to eat them; it becomes a thing with m erm aid m eat and m erm aid eggs. And there are nature activists and protestors who w ant to save the mermaids! So they finally get shelter and food in a pool in LA where they live from then on.

Kristin Farr: Tell me about Sea Angels. Cissi Effraimson: It's a short film in stop motion, a m ockum entary following three m erm aids from different generations. It takes place in the future,

My story takes place 20 years after that's all happened. They've been there a long time, and there are younger mermaids who have never seen the ocean, and who are totally humanized. The pool has

34 SUMMER2023

become like a Sea World where humans can pay to party with the mermaids or see them do tricks. Some of the older mermaids are, like, “Fuck you, man," and a lot of them are alcoholics. It's a whole world. What's a mermaid's drink of choice? One of the m ain m erm aids only drinks beer. It's just beer and cigarettes. Do you write all your films' scripts? And where do you find the voice actors? I write everything. I'm from Sweden where there's a very beautiful, old swim house with beautiful paintings on the wall, and I thought merm aids could live there. That's how I started fantasizing about this world, and then I came to LA, wrote it all down, and started sculpting and creating.

Above and opposite page: Film stills, Sea Angels, Mixed media, 2023 Opposite top left: Studio portrait by Kelsey Hart, 2023

DESIGN

Some actors are my friends and some I found online. It's fun because they're performing and singing, and I came up with a m erm aid language. I wanted them to have another m other time reference, so they're performing traditional m erm aid songs that I wrote. Tell me about your band, Vulkano. How do you describe your music, and do you make all the videos and visuals? We call it princess punk. Recorded, it has more of a poppy vibe, but if you see us play live, it's more raw and punky, playful w ith an "80s vibe. I m ake m ost of the videos, but for the album we released a few m onths ago, we w anted to m ake a video for every song. I have friends who are anim ators, so I asked six

Everyone has to find a VCR. I know. Including me! The more I make art and music, I become allergic to computers. I just take everything as analog as I can. There is so much hand-sculpting in your films. Do you keep the puppets? I will keep the latest ones because they're made with a good material that won't be disgusting. When I've worked in clay, the figures x look so cute and I want to keep them, but they're too gross. After animating, the । puppets usually look sort of shitty. In Sea Angels, I used silicone, so they'll be preserved a little better.

Tell me more about casting the mermaids with silicone. Silicone just looks so good for the mermaids. It looks like skin. It's so sweet to anim ate with because you can build a wire arm ature inside, and when you make the mold, you can't even tell there's something within. It also made sense because of how shim m ery it is, if you w ant the fishy look. Different materials make sense for each project, depending on the character and idea. What do you love about being a puppet wizard? I actually made more live-action short films a couple of years ago, and it was always such a hassle. I always have a specific idea of how I w ant things to look, and if you don't have a big budget, it's hard to do that in live action because everything is larger! But with stop motion, you can do everything on your own, and it's so much smaller, so it doesn't cost as much. The only thing it costs is time. It's fantastic to be able to create these worlds.

J U X T A P O Z .C O M

35

DESIGN

I see a lot of fountains and boats in your work. I wasn't aware of it at first, but I started to see a pattern and thought, wait a minute— everything I make is just water! I don't have any water signs in my horoscope, but almost everyone around me is a water sign. And I always need to swim a lot. I go to the Korean spa alone because I am so earthy and fiery and airy, so I just need that element of water. I think it's also soothing for me to work with water. Sounds like you might actually be a mermaid. Can we talk about your film, Rawmance, with the sushi? Was that real salmon? I love sushi, and I was thinking, what if the rice and the salmon were in a relationship? What would they talk about? What would that relationship look like? Is it really fair that the salmon is on the top all the time? One of my favorite things to do is to write dialogue, and it's almost like I become an actor when I'm writing. I really go into the character and borrow conversations from my own relationships and life, but I'm twisting them. I'm never making realistic stories, it's always supernatural in some way. Yes, it was real salmon. I bought a package of sushi and thought, ok, I have to animate this fast! It was all done in one take, but I actually did change out the salmon once, in the middle of filming, when it was hiding behind the rice because it became really disgusting. If you touch a raw piece of fish for long enough, it will start dissolving and become scaly. So weird. That's dedication. I loved your Dinner Party sculpture in the recent group show where we met at Chandran Gallery. Was that from a film? One figure has an oyster face. That was just a sculpture, but some of the characters come and go. I wanted to create this dinner scene I'd been drawing. It unfolded while I was making it, but I wanted this absurd, magical party. We have dinner every day usually, it's something mundane, but I wanted to put these interesting characters together and think about their discussion and how they play together. Do you have a dream project or has it already happened? It would be really fun to make a sculpture garden. What is a mermaid's favorite candy? It would be some seaweed-flavored, sweet hard candy. D Look for Sea A ngels at international film festivals later this year. CissiEfraimsson.com @cissiefraimsson

36 SUMMER 2023

Top: Fountain #1, Flashe on canvas, 2020 Bottom /eft: Beach Wiz, Flashe on canvas, 2021 Bottom right: The Wise, Flashe on canvas, 2020

OUT THERE: A LANDSCAPE SURVEY

LOUIS RIBAK

TOM JUDD

AL DENYER

M MODERN W WEST

MAY 1 9 -J U L Y 1

DIMITRI KOZYREV

KIKI GAFFNEY

JERRIN WAGSTAFF

PHIL EPP

91 412 S. 700 W. SLC, UT Q

801-355-3383

n

©modern we st fine art

(p ) ©moder nwestfineart

modernwestfineart.com A

. modern west

M a r k P osey Daydreaming at Night M a y 13 - June IO , 2 0 2 3

. n i 3 4 x 7 5 ,l e n a p r e v o s a v n a c n o e h s a lf d n a cil yr c A , 3 2 0 2 , e p o cs o r o H s’r e l e v a r T y e s o P kr a M

R IC H A R D

HELLER

2525 Michigan Avenue, B-5a, Santa Monica, CA 90404

310.453.9191

richardhellergallery.com

M ax Rum bol Give Me a. Fulcrum & I Shall Move the World.

June 17 - Ju ly 15, 2 0 2 3

. m c 3 9 x 5 1 1 , 3 2 0 2 ,) d a e h w o rr A ( e u l B g i B l o b m u R x a M

2525 Michigan Avenue, B-5a, Santa Monica, CA 90404

310.453.9191

,li c n e p , k ci t s li o ,li o , k in , e ti h p a r g ,t in r p l a ti g i d ,l a o cr a h c , s n o tt u b ,r e n e h s e rf ri a , ci l yr c A

richardhellergallery.com

.r e p a p d n a n e n il , s a v n a c , d o o w n o e y d d o o w d n a n o y a r c x a w ,r u o l o cr e t a w , a e t , e p o r

Helen B erm inaham 'Where Everything Is Held*

May 25 - June 24

G " ? gallery

2 5 5 B o w e ry N e w Y o rk 10002

T + 1 212 4 73-2 9 0 0 F + 2 1 2 473-2901 w w w .g r

ga

le r y .c o m

A iM a d o n n a "THE TAME DOC and THE HARE"

July 6-29, 2023

G " ? gallery

2 5 5 B o w e r y N e w Y o r k 10002

T+1 212473 2900 F+212 4/32 901 w w w .g r - g a lle r y .c o m

FASHION

Sabina Savage -airyTales in Silk Diving into a favorite painting is a pleasure, picturing the story w ithin is an adventure. Sabina Savage creates art that is truly immersive, fashioning pieces that place silky, colorful objects in your hands, an invitation to fold, loop, and, drape those fantasies, as well as revisit them! Gwynned Vitello: I imagine you wandering forests, talking to foxes, and waiting for owls to visit at bedtime when you were a kid. Sabina Savage: That's close to the truth. I grew up in the English countryside in an old farmhouse away from any towns. My parents are also animal lovers, so I had a very naturalistic upbringing—dogs, cats, horses, chickens, and the occasional sheep. I remember my parents rescuing a jackdaw with an injured wing. We it named Jack! We'd put on an old glove and he'd fly around the garden and land on our hands. Once back into the wild, he'd follow us along the lanes. There is a small copse of woodland behind my parents where my sister and I spent

42 SUMMER 2023

hours following trails to see where foxes and badgers made their homes. Did you enjoy fairy tales like the Brothers Grimm? There's both a feral and tender mood in your work. I've always loved macabre fairy tales like the Brothers Grimm. When I was older, I moved on to Angela Carter whose book of short stories, The Bloody Chamber, is based on folk and fairy tales, but she extracts often unsettling themes, adding a feminine, gothic edge. Recently I've become enthralled with Shirley Jackson and am working my way through her works, also gothic and unsettling. After high school, you were intent on studying fashion, but you're a supremely talented drawer. I sketched as a child, and I remember a drawing book that focused on how to draw animals correctly. Each creature was broken down into a series of shapes so you could get the proportions and framework correct before adding detail,

a technique I still reference. I also drew things from our garden and the countryside, beautiful seedheads, anim al heads, and skeletons, which make wonderful still-life studies. And I drew a lot of fashion illustrations, particularly in my teens. You chose to study fashion rather than attend an art academy, though a roadblock turned into an opportunity in France, right? After graduation, I completed a Foundation Course in art and design. It covered all bases in one year, ceramics, oil painting, photography, and art history. It was a wonderfully free year that allowed experim entation in each medium, offering cross-pollination that doesn't happen in a stricter environment. My heart was set on a particular fashion university in London, but I wasn't accepted and was crushed. Rather than accept defeat, I changed track and moved to Paris. I studied Couture at a French university and moved two months later. The course was

A bove: Sabina Savage in her design studio, 2023

FASHION

much more intensive than a traditional UK course and focused heavily on the technical side of construction and cutting. A new country, new language, and studying full-time was a baptism by fire, but I'm grateful for the experience. If s serendipitous that you interned with Alexander McQueen who tackled couture at the outset and mastered precise design. Like you, he conceived real storylines in his collections. Lee Alexander McQueen had my entire heart from the start! The creations are some of the most extraordinarily beautiful things ever, and his influence on me can never be underestimated. The collections had such theater and genuine magic, crossing art and sculpture as firmly as apparel. An artist with incredible technical skill, his chosen canvas was the human form. Almost all the techniques and knowledge I use were gained from working at fashion houses. Fd never worked with prints until McQueen, and hadn't really drawn since I was a child. Being part of a larger team also meant gleaning insight from many skill sets, from dealing with suppliers to production to shipping dress samples.

Above: Various Sabina Savage clothing, scarf and design processes, 2022—23

What made you decide to venture out on your own, and why scarves? I always wanted to start my own brand, but the finances required were beyond my means. After McQueen, and loving my newfound experience in print design, scarves seemed like a good entry. Production would be manageable with no sizing to consider. Honestly, I began my first collection as a hobby so I could continue learning and growing. My first collection was a series of pencil studies of birds with no real narrative and uncolored designs. Previously, I needed to adapt my handiwork to different collection themes and styles; this was about finding my personal drawing style as an illustrator and working out layouts and compositions that would work for scarves. I had no concept of a business plan, but this helped me learn about production and the challenges ahead. Narrative followed later. I worked from my childhood bedroom and printed just a few meters of fabric and hand-edged the scarves myself. What’s involved in the process? Does completion actually take longer now that you know what makes the perfect piece?

The process evolves, each collection taking ten times longer than the first. Once I have my narrative, each drawing takes four to six weeks. Fll have a basic composition idea, but actual design work happens in real time—no shortcuts! Details are key to telling my stories correctly, so I draw the scarf exactly as it will appear on fabric. I usually listen to audiobooks on the subject while I draw, thinking about how the piece will be worn, that corners have interesting details, as well as color and pattern, however the scarf is worn. Once the pencil stage is complete, drawings are scanned and I color them by hand digitally, using a large Wacom screen and pen so there are multiple colorways. How do you choose fabrics to present your art? My first collection was a wool/silk blend, still our most popular fabric. It offers a beautiful matte finish with a soft drape. I only work with natural fibers, printing on wool, silk, and cashmere, and printing the same designs across multiple fabrics. It's amazing how differently the colors and prints adapt to each base. Silk twill has a lustrous shine and adds real vibrancy. In contrast, the dusky surface and fine weave of

JUXTAPOZ.COM

43

FASHION

cashmere softens and mellows each print into something subtle and ethereal. How do you choose a particular composition and where to place it? Composition, colors, details, and characters are dictated by research into my subject. When customers purchase from our website, they receive a storybook showing the mood board followed by the original illustrations. In The Treasures of Pompei, for example, compositions, colors, and subject were inspired by mosaics uncovered during excavation of the city. Combined with my invented narrative, I add details and clues to tell my story, always aware of the finished details to ensure each beautiful element shows however the scarf is worn. Let's go more deeply into your preparations. I imagine you pouring over medieval manuscripts, in addition to wandering through forests. My initial challenge each season is to develop my new tale. I collect inspiration and make notes, hoping to spark a new idea at the right time. I visit a lot of museums and galleries when it's time to get started. I delve deeply, reading and making copious, hand-written notes. A physical mood board sits above my desk with my detailed research close at hand while I draw. I wasn't well-traveled

44 SUMMER 2023

until recently, and I wish I had the time now, so exploration is still through my work. With this knowledge and experience, it is increasingly important to ensure my work is respectful of the histories and cultures I reference. Describe the process of transferring the drawing to the fabric. Once illustrations are complete and colored they're sent to our UK printers to be digitally printed. My illustrations would not be suitable for screen printing due to the gradients and fine details within the pencil line; digital print is far more environmentally friendly. Often, there are several test runs (strikes) to be sure colors print perfectly. Once fabric panels are printed, the scarves are precisely handrolled or hand-fringed by a team of UK artisans. Although a scarf can be worn as a pareo, sarong, or bandeau, you also offer a range of wearable clothing. The clothing line has long been a dream. In previous roles, I loved working on placement prints, where each detail sits on a specified place on the garment. The print can be engineered around the body, as in a butterfly cuff or border snaking the hemline, a challenging method to

expand my illustrations and play with composition. I go to great lengths in creating technical packs for the workshop, showing where each piece must be cut and where the print on each seam should join. Each panel is hand-cut and assembled individually, so production is meticulous. What have you learned from studying animals, and is there a message about them in your work? Coming from my nature-oriented household, I've always felt a close relationship with animals. Anyone following me on Instagram knows how close I am to my little dog Gin (a street dog rescued from Cyprus) and my cat Panther (found at the end of my garden at two weeks old). An animal's soul is as complete and complex as ours; it's difficult to contemplate the suffering and destruction humans inflict on their world. I don't embrace cutesy images of animals, though, and fully embrace the wild side of nature, which I believe comes out in my work. A customer noted that a majority of my narratives involve protagonist animals escaping from human constraint, an unconscious message that's now a very conscious one. Do you have a secret for those of us who love scarves, but are all hot-dog fingers? I recommend a visit to our YouTube channel where I can demonstrate knots and fabrics at all levels of complexity. You'll even spot my dog, Little Gin demonstrating her finest styles too! Q SabinaSavage.com

Above left: Ode to Anubis silk twill scarf Above right: Jaguar's Paradise luxury scarf Bottom: Savage's dog, Little Gin, in scarf

ARTIST CARMEL ADA BEHANCE.NET/CARMELADA

VANCOUVER SEATTLE BOSTON TORONTO NEW YORK SAN FRANCISCO CHICAGO LOS ANGELES MONTREAL PORTLAND CALGARY DENVER OTTAWA NEW ORLEANS

© 2 0 2 3 J O H N F L U E V O G S H O E S L T D

EDMONTON VICTORIA BROOKLYN

THE SKYHIGH F FIZZY

AMSTERDAM MELBOURNE DALLAS FLUEVOG.COM

PNCA Illu stratio n Pacific Northwest College of Art at Willamette University pnca.edu/academics/bfa/illustration ©PNCAillustration

With majors in illustration and graphic design, and minors like game design, art + ecology, creative writing, photography, and fashion—in the heart of Portland, Oregon—PNCA will help you design the future you want to see.

INFLUENCES

Jen White-Johnson Mothering as Resistance In an ableist, supremely white world that works to eradicate and kill Black, disabled, and neurodivergent, there are persistent voices like Jen White-Johnson, who fights back with resistance, joy, and hope in her artwork, design, and activism. In these increasingly fascist and eugenic times, White-Johnson finds deep self-love and inspiration in her son and other disability justice activists. Her work gave me, the interviewer, the strength to continue being true and clear about the importance of disabled Black Indigenous Queer Trans People of Color experiences. Our interview is a record of how one performs this disability justice work through art and design. Iris Xie: You’ve done an enormous amount of work connecting, drawing inspiration, and building solidarity with other disabled activists, translating their work to visual communication design. What do you find fulfilling in that radical practice work, and how does care work factor into it? Jen White-Johnson: When I started to feel comfortable identifying as someone who has a

48 SUMMER2O23

disability and is neurodivergent, who parents someone who is also neurodivergent, I started to realize that design can begin to be used in a very celebratory, uplifting way. To me, that’s the whole point of design and art, to help you feel that you have a collective responsibility, and to help people feel valued, understood, and seen. So I feel that my work naturally became rooted in advocacy, as a result of not necessarily feeling that I was seen. What is a memorable experience you’ve had that has validated your approach and success in your art and design practice, as well as advocacy work? The day I became a mother to my son. Both he and I aren’t supposed to be here since my birthing experience was quite traumatic. Unfortunately, this is often the tale of many Black mothers, due to preeclampsia/eclampsia being the leading cause of maternal death among Black women. Black Women are five times more likely to die from pregnancy-related disorders than White women. I am grateful to have survived alongside my son

Knox, which makes our purpose and reason for existing powerful. I also have, framed in my house, the tweet of Mariah Carey retweeting Knox when the Queen of Christmas invited us to her Madison Square Garden concert! It’s beautiful to see him be unapologetically autistic and expressive in the way he feels with his whole body. He does it at home, and it was really beautiful to watch him at his elementary school choir concert, taking center stage and singing "All I Want For Christmas Is You.” It was a big win for both the entire autistic community and the Black autistic community to see him being praised and uplifted, including his joy going viral for all the right reasons, to spotlight autistic joy versus this constant demonization and infantilization of Black and autistic kids. Tell us more about Knox and what would you like us to know about him, including how he informs and collaborates with you in your practice.

A ll a rtw o rk : Created and provided courtesy of the artist A bove: Portrait of the artist by Chris Metzger and Jalen Thomas

NFLUENCES

Knox is art. He is the greatest gift. He is my tenyear-old son who was born at just two pounds. He is also an am azing Autistic hum an. Knox's unbridled glee is infectious. From the very beginning of his life, I have worked to make sure I give him the tools to be confident and comfortable in his identity, disability, and the beauty of the person he is and who he'll become. Could you take us through some of your creative processes? Well, in my photography I love being able to document sensory experiences like how Knox reacts with materials, how his body responds, his smiles, and the way he laughs. There's so much about my process that is about documenting the joy that I see and want to uplift. Like him playing and stepping into this huge sensory sock, stretching the fabric, which is this really beautiful bright blue. My digital collages are about finding images of figures like Nina Simone, or disability justice activists like Anita Cameron, Fannie Lou Hamer, Alice Wong, and Stacey Park Milbern. Holding space for these collages which give these amazing humans the flowers that they deserve. I feel we rely so much on these traumatic narratives, to get people to care;

Above: Various zines, stickers, printed objects and mural by Jen White-Johnson

and it's like, yeah, but what happens if we don't necessarily focus on that trauma? What if we honor folks, while they were still very much alive and well? What is personal, meaningful, and visible representation to you, in the context of naming Black disabled lives, access, and care work? I define visible and just representation as a place where disabled folks aren't just “included" and “allowed" to be in the room, but where we're encouraged to become the leaders we're m eant to be. Where we're not only given the tools to lead but given the ability to build and create our own tools to lead and teach others along the way. Art and Design is my weapon; it's the arm or I use as systems of oppression are constantly being set against me. Many don't understand that fighting ableism means war—especially when Black and Brown disabled kids are being dem onized and dehum anized in academic institutions and in their communities. Can you tell us about the #BlackAutisticJoy hashtag? Originally I used #AutisticJoy, as I was directly inspired by Knox's autistic joy, and I started using

the hashtag whenever I would post footage or artwork that I was creating especially in honor of my autistic comrades. I also noted other Black autistic advocates like Timotheus “TJ" Gordon Jr and Kayla Smith. I really feel validated to recognize this kinship and this beautiful alignment with other Black Autistics because they're role models for Knox. They were able to see direct reflections of themselves through his joy, and they were like, wow, we're so excited to see you! The Anti-Ableist Art Educators Manifesto in both English and Spanish is a powerful pedagogical tool. Could you tell us about the story behind it? Recently, I've transitioned from the grind of fulltime teaching, and my career has taken a shift as I've begun prioritizing advocacy and activism. As a disabled and neurodivergent mother, artist, and designer, I've noticed that internalized ableism occasionally creeps in, w anting to control and degrade my creativity. This Manifesto is m eant to serve as a direct act of creative resistance, protest, and radical pedagogy designed to help the disabled and non-disabled com m unity become more aware of how to uplift their disabled selves and their fellow disabled and neurodivergent

JUXTAPOZ.COM

49

INFLUENCES

create your work while living in an ableist, white supremacist world? I feel like I don't get caught up in creating the perfect work. I just want to create the most honest and authentic responses to let those folks know like, Oh, I see you, and you're helping to just make my point all the more relevant and correct and important. After I released my first photo zine, “KnoxRoxs" that really helped to specifically uplift neurodivergency within Black families. And when I was uplifting and promoting my visual resistance, I was also sharing videos of Knox, you know, dancing and stimming and being very unapologetic to say, hey, like, here's the world in which we live. Here are the safe spaces that we're building and creating with our son, and folks were saying, “This isn't stimming, stimming is harmful. Stimming is what we need to eliminate and eradicate, and to be controlled" and that our kids have to move their bodies and behave in “correct" ways. I was getting those responses very specifically from white folks w ithin the autism and special needs com m unity asking, “Why is your child dancing erratically? He just looks silly, this isn't enjoyable, why would you w ant your child to do that?" They are trying to challenge his definition of autistic joy and sensory joy and trying to dictate how a Black neurodivergent m other should hold space for her Black neurodivergent child. We Black people express ourselves through m ovem ent and the voices of our ancestors, and when I see my son singing, I see him joyful. That's us sum m oning our ancestors and reclaim ing everything they've done for us. It's a m uch deeper conversation, so when you have white suprem acy completely trying to eradicate and dehum anize our children, th at gives me so much fuel to resist. students inside and outside the classroom. I really see the Manifesto as my way to amplify access and abolish ableism, designing to embolden disability visual culture in the classroom and beyond. I wonder how you can situate your work in how it creates Black Disabled Futures and disabled Black creativity, as it resists the dehumanization of disabled Black children. What is accessible for me is to make sure that my art names and incorporates the actual word, whether it's saying “Black Disabled Lives Matter" or creating statements like “Create More Anti-Ableist Spaces," “Autistic Joy," “Radical Joy," and naming words like neurodiversity and holding space for disability amplification. This includes wheat pasting posters, zine workshops, and protest graphics I'm sharing on social media in materials like the Anti-Ableist Art Educators Manifesto. This includes fun toolkits with

50 SUMMER 2023

visuals that highlight Black disabled feminists, and disabled folks of color. Our lives are at stake, and our art is our m ethod of survival. We aren't going to have that visibility unless we are willing to nam e the fact that we are disabled. I create artm aking activities so everyone can understand how to uplift disability culture and learn to prioritize nam ing folks and identify anti-ableism into the artwork they're creating. Art and design is my ultim ate space for liberating folks, a way to honor those who have liberated me and paved the way so that I can continue creating the artwork and the design that I envision. One of the major challenges as a multiply marginalized artist, designer, and activist is that you and I inhabit all these experiences that are shared by the community. How do you

Mothering is an act of resistance. Folks will tell me not to waste my time responding, but how I also respond is with more art, more footage, and being unapologetic about how this is my world as I stick to what brings us joy and what makes us feel safe. My autistic friends, who stim as art and sensory experience and expression, were resisting together with me, saying, “No, stim m ing is joy, like stim m ing can be really beautiful." It's an expression of what exactly Knox is feeling, outside of that box of normative behavior. D Iris Xie is a disabled and neurodivergent queer trans nonbinary Chinese-American multi-discipline writer, artist, and designer from the Bay Area, currently based near Sacramento, California. You can see more of White-Johnson's work at JenWhiteJohnson.com

Top left and right: Sticker and mural by Jen White-Johnson Bottom: Portrait of the artist by Chris Metzger and Jalen Thomas

BIRDS RISING curated by HEIKO MULLER

Alexandra Lukaschewitz Ana Juan Bene Rohlmann Brad Woodfin Caitlin McCormack Dan Barry Darla Jackson Dewi Plass Diana Sudyka Eiko Borcherding El Gato Chimney Elmar Lause Gregory Hergert

Brassworks Gallery 3022 NE Glisan St Portland OR 9 72 32

Hazel Ang Heiko Muller John Casey Juliet Schreckinger Katrin Berge Kisung Koh Marc Burckhardt Mario Klingemann moki Richard Ahnert Ryan Heshka

©brassworksgallery brassworksgallery.com ©heikomullerart

San Francisco • Los Angeles mirusgallery.com (&) mirusgallery 0J

TRAVEL INSIDER

Los Angeles On View Through the Eyes of a Local IVs difficult to encapsulate th e esse n c e of Los Angeles, a city of vast contradictions, a place where the glamorous and m undane exist side by side. An expansive landscape, from sun-kissed beaches to the sprawling im m ensity of the San Fernando Valley, this is a city with endless possibilities. As someone who was born and raised here, I can offer a unique perspective and understanding of the city's pulse, though it's hard for me not to simply write a gushing love letter, considering Los Angeles is as much a part of my DNA as my own family. But as a lover of art and culture, I feel duty-bound to reveal the hidden gems of LA that can be lost in the m ainstream . My aim is to highlight not only the must-see artistic destinations but also the cultural landm arks that are the heartbeat of Los Angeles. Though I've promised insider knowledge, I can think of no better place to begin this journey than with a quintessential LA hike, winding our way up to the Hollywood Sign. This iconic landmark, celebrating its centenary this year, has undergone a muchneeded “freshening up," as is the practice of many of the inhabitants it overlooks. In 1923, Hollywood

54 SUMMER 2023

was not just a city, but a lifestyle and an aspiration, embodied by the original “Hollywoodland" sign erected in the Hollywood hills by the Los Angeles Times publisher, Harry Chandler. Intended as a promotional tool for real estate development, the sign swiftly became the ultimate marquee for a town built by the entertainment industry. A simple Google search before setting off on the hike to the Hollywood Sign can add a layer of enjoyment on this journey through a rich and storied past. Although some may choose to drive up via Beachwood Canyon or Lake Hollywood Drive, I suggest a deep dive into the experience by taking the path less traveled, such as the Brush Canyon Trail, which offers breathtaking views of the City of Angels, as well as a peaceful refuge from the hustle and bustle of the urban landscape. After our invigorating hike to the Hollywood Sign, let us venture down to La Brea, where we can indulge in guilt-free culinary delights at Mr. Charlie's, known for its delectable vegan burgers. At first glance, this unassum ing spot may appear to be just another fast-food chain, but I assure you,

there is much more to this establishm ent than meets the eye. As someone who is not a vegan but values the importance of maintaining a healthy digestive tract, I must say that Mr. Charlie's has won me over with their mouth-watering offerings. The flavors of my youth are resurrected in this menu without the accompanying gut bust. Their Happy Meals offer a perfect blend of nostalgia and innovation, leaving you so satisfied you won't even miss the meat. La Brea, with its pulsating energy, offers a versatile range of galleries showcasing contemporary art. In the midst of Los Angeles's percolating art scene, we'll start at Melrose Avenue and wind our way through an array of galleries such as The Hole, Matthew Brown Gallery, Shulamit Nazarian, KP Projects, Control Gallery, Roberts Projects, Pace Gallery, and Jeffrey Deitch, where we will experience extensive collections of contemporary work from emerging to mid-level to established artists. Venturing further down to Wilshire Boulevard, we will be greeted by the newly opened Academy

Above: Hollywood Sign. Courtesy of the Hollywood Sign Trust. All other photos: By Mike Sta Iter and HeidiJohnson

TRAVEL INSIDER

Museum of Motion Pictures. A visit to this museum promises full transport to the magical world of cinema, from its earliest beginnings to the present day. The museum's Stories of Cinema exhibition is a true highlight, tracing the rich history of filmmaking through artifacts such as cameras, scripts, and other memorabilia. The interactive displays and immersive experiences offered by the exhibition allow visitors to fully engage with the creative process behind some of the most iconic films in history.

could make even the most carnivorous of diners weak in the knees. West Adams, a neighborhood that has been bubbling up on the city's cultural radar, is also a destination for art enthusiasts. Just across the street from Highly Likely stands Thinkspace Projects, an epic four-gallery complex that champions emerging artists across a variety of mediums. And if the art inside doesn't captivate you, the sprawling courtyard with its vibrant murals and sculptures is sure to leave an impression while you fuel up.

The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures is not merely a showcase of Hollywood's finest moments but a profound exploration of storytelling. This is a must-visit for anyone seeking to understand the true essence of cinematic artistry.

When I find myself yearning to escape the chaos of Los Angeles, one museum that always beckons is the recently revamped Hammer Museum in Westwood. The museum boasts an extensive permanent collection, featuring over 2,000 works of art spanning diverse mediums, including paintings, sculptures, photographs, and works on paper by renowned artists like Mark Bradford, Barbara Kruger, John Baldasari, Lari Pittman, Judy Chicago, Catherine Opie, Richard Serra, and Ed Ruscha. Moreover, the Hammer Museum also hosts an ever-changing series of temporary

In Los Angeles, a city where caffeine seems to flow like the Pacific Ocean, one must be discerning when it comes to selecting a spot to indulge in a latte or matcha. Highly Likely in West Adams is a personal favorite of mine, offering not only damn good coffee but a breakfast sandwich that

Top left: Mr. Charlie's Middle left: BEYOND THE STREETS shop Middle: Bodega Top right: Spenser Little at Thinkspace Projects Bottom left: Academy Museum of Motion Pictures Bottom right: HAMMER Museum

exhibitions, showcasing the works of emerging and established artists too. If you're feeling parched after all that art walking, why not indulge in a cocktail at the stylish and modern W Hotel, located just a couple blocks away? While there, be sure to check out the latest work by the hotel's 2023 Artist in Residence, Mary Lai, who has taken over the hotel with captivating paintings, murals, sculptures, and digital installations that are sure to leave you feeling reinvigorated. The perfect moment to regroup, post to your Instagram stories and map out your next move before getting back on the freeway. A trip to Los Angeles would be incomplete without a visit to the beach. But here's the thing, dear reader, cannabis is legal in California, and so a sunset stroll through the Venice canals, a network of iconic and picturesque waterways lined with charming homes and gardens, is even more enchanting with a slight buzz. Then, as you make your way toward the shore, a hidden gem awaits you, the Venice Skate Park. This iconic spot, nearly located on the ocean and

J U X T A P O Z .C O M 55

TRAVEL INSIDER

surrounded by palm trees, is a place where one can witness some truly skilled skateboarders in action. While my photographer for this article wanted to find some cool new kicks, it presented an opportunity to visit one of my favorite spots for sneaker enthusiasts. Bodega at the Row, located inside a working produce market, is a stylish and eclectic world of sneakers, clothing, and accessories, "hidden in plain sight.” Next, we head northeast towards Chinatown, specifically Chung King Road, a pedestrian-only street famous for its historic architecture, energetic art scene, and colorful murals. In the 1930s, it was home to a variety of businesses, ranging from herbal medicine shops, restaurants, and opium parlors, to gambling dens. Today, Chung King Road shares that storied history with a dynamic group of galleries and artist studios, and is an exciting destination for art lovers and collectors. With galleries like Charlie Janies Gallery, known for showcasing emerging and mid-career artists who challenge the traditional boundaries of art, we move on to Tierra Del Sol Gallery, showcasing some of the most authentic art by artists with developmental disabilities, to NOON Projects, with an emphasis on queerness, the wonders of nature, and artisanal crafts. There is something for everyone on Chung King Road, and I have never left without feeling like I've acquired something truly unique. In the corner of East Hollywood where Echo Park, Silver Lake, and Los Feliz meet, there are two shops that embody the unique character of the neighborhood. The first is the Time Travel Mart, a whimsical retail establishment that specializes in selling souvenirs related to time travel, including canned unicorn meat, anti-robot fluid, brain lubricant, and even dinosaur eggs. The store also serves as a platform for the nonprofit organization 826LA, which sponsors writing workshops for students and publishes their work in books, magazines, and zines that are available for purchase in the store. The second shop, Soap Plant & Wacko, a legendary retail space located on Hollywood Boulevard, has been a fixture of the city's cultural scene since its establishment in the 1980s. Founded by artist and art collector Billy Shire, the store offers an extensive collection of art books, toys, graphic novels, and other eclectic gifts and novelties. Shire's passion for lowbrow art, pop surrealism, and outsider art played a crucial role in exhibiting early Juxtapoz artists such as Robert Williams, SHAG, Camille Rose Garcia, Mark Ryden, and Joe Coleman. The back of the shop features the La Luz De Jesus gallery, which showcases emerging and established artists whose work pushes the boundaries of traditional art forms and styles. Soap Plant & Wacko remains a must-visit destination

56

S U M M E R 2023

for Angelenos seeking the unexpected (La Luz de Jesus Gallery is there, as well). Amidst the fusion of Echo Park, Silver Lake, and Los Feliz, these two shops stand out as distinctive reflections of the neighborhood's commitment to chart a different path for as long as they can. And since we're near Echo Park, why not make our way to one of the best margarita bars to cap off our epic journey? Bar Flores is a cherished spot among locals, with an atmosphere that feels like home. With its bright and lively ambiance, do yourself

and your friend a favor by ordering a pitcher of the Flores Margaritas, made with your choice of tequila or mezcal, lemon, lime, orange, triple sec, aziicar and hibiscus salt. Retire to the cozy hideaway patio and bask in the beauty of magic hour, when the vibrant hues of pink and orange illuminate the sky as the sun retreats from another dynamic day in LA. Now that's ART. —Heidi Johnson Heidi Johnson is a writer and cultural amplifier, living in Los Angeles. Follow her on Twitter @HijinxArts or Instagram @heidijo_la

Top: Chung King Road Bottom left: Soap Plant &Wacko M iddle right: \N Hotel Artist in Residency Mary Lai Bottom right: Bar Flores

pt. 2:

a exhibition by Alicia McCarthy Muzae Sesay

Muzae Sesay "How to befriend a crow" Mixed media on canvas 59 x 59 (inches 2023

Opening June 24, 2023

PART TWO GALLERY - OAKLAND, CA

IN SESSION

The Crossroads Sajeda Issa at UCLA's Department of Art's M .FA Just below the foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains lies the campus of the University of California, Los Angeles. For over a century, film has bestowed its glow on UCLA, with the iconic Hollywood sign just down the road, this year celebrating its 100th anniversary. Creativity is suffused in the atmosphere. And though the school might nationally be known as the home of John Wooden, Lew Alcindor, and one of the greatest two decades of college basketball ever, it’s also the home of one of America's top-ranked Art's MFA programs. From an emeritus faculty that counts Barbara Kruger, Charles Ray, and Lari Pittman, and an alumnus that features Ed Moses, Ruby Neri, and Elliott Hundley among countless contemporary luminaires, UCLA is literally an arts powerhouse.

Palestinian-American artist Sajeda Issa now joins the prestigious roster of artists who can claim an MFA from UCLA, and what she is doing in the meantime is redefining the use of ceramics in a fine art context. Issa's parents emigrated to the USA in the 1980s, settling into St Louis, Missouri, literally the center and crossroads of America. This undeniably influenced her use of imagery, remixing and transform ing the most ubiquitous and omnipresent US corporate logos into ornate, Palestinian-influenced patterns and tile work. Those tile works have been used as mosaics in her presentations, as well as unique combinations of ceramic tiles into fine art paintings. The combination is both fresh and, at times, quite confrontational in addressing the influence of S&P 500 companies on the psyche and physical landscapes of areas thousands of miles away. "My choice of which brands make an appearance is based on which ones have made a critical impact in the East," Issa told us in a recent episode of Radio Juxtapoz. "Nike, Coca-Cola, LVMH brands, oil companies, and tobacco companies. Historically, tiles have been used in Islamic culture as a tool to represent divine principles of unity and order... And so I utilize the traditional tile work, combined with corporate logos, as a way to draw connections between the ways that colonization seeps to the indigenous ways of life, both jarringly and obvious, and woefully mundane ways."

58 SUMMER 2023

Issa can now claim a spot in the roster of UCLA greats as an artist who casts a critical eye on mass consumerism with her adept, original approach. In her recent MFA graduate show, beautifully rendered paintings of a Palestinian streetscape merge with ceramic tiles placed above the skyline, as if a divine force looks down upon the town. Issa clearly directs her work confidently, depicting

cleverly covert forces in our everyday lives. Like the influence of Kruger and fellow UCLA alum Uta Barth, Issa is finding her voice in the most bold and subtle of observations. —Evan Pricco Follow @radiojuxtapoz to hear our conversation with Saj Issa. Visit art.ucla.edu for more information on UCLA's art department.

Above: Photo by Ian Byers-Gamber

MAY 17 - JULY 31

OH DE LAVAL SALLY JEROME RAUL DE LARA DAVID HOCKNEY DYLAN HURWITZ MONA BROSCHAR MARIA ANDRIEVSKAYA PIERRE-AUGUSTE RENOIR

Spiritbox

The Void

Out Now

ONTHEOUTSIDE

Willehad Eilers The Man They Call Wayne Horse When entering the w ebsite of Willehad Eilers, aka Wayne Horse, you are greeted with a message that reads "80.000.000 Hooligans?" What does it mean? Does it matter? Because whatever you see in the works of Wayne Horse is an entry point to a bizarro world that is a bit ghoulish and definitely full of debauchery. But, oddly, as we soon find out, also a place of hugs. What started as a career in graffiti has evolved into highlydetailed, intense works that possess an element of longing, frosted with glorious depictions of hedonism. You know, the good stuff. —Evan Pricco Doug Gillen: Question number one, do 1 call you Wayne or Willehad? Willehad Eilers: It's really up to you. I go by both names. One is my birth name, and the other is the name I gave myself.

62 SUMMER 2023

How do casual acquaintances address you? I don't really have casual acquaintances, but I think English speakers tend to go for Wayne and then some people go the extra mile and say Willehad. You've been known as Wayne Horse for most of your artistic career, but are now in a different place from when you chose this moniker. Describe your relationship with this name because I know it's such a thing for graffiti artists; so many of them will just pick a name when they're 15 and when they get to 25, they're like, "Err." But you're still sticking with it and you operate on this dual sense. So, what's the deal with this handle? I was lucky, I kept changing the last name. I began as Wayne McSteel and went to Wayne Champagne, Wayne Lacrosse. At some point, it was Wayne Horse. I made a website at that point, too, and

I guess that's part of the reason why it stuck. But, actually, I do think a horse is quite a glorious animal and I'm happy to carry that animal in my name. Plus, I love to paint horses. I have the feeling that whenever you put a horse somewhere, there's this urgency that comes with it because obviously, you have the four riders... The apocalypse? Yeah, plus Wayne Horse, Willehad... it's really similar phonetics. So, I made my peace with it. At some point, I thought to maybe choose one or the other, but then I think time is going to do that for me. Is there a difference between the two? For your studio work for example, how do you sign, Wayne Horse or Willehad? I sign everything as Willehad. I think, maybe the

A bove: While the World is Burning, Oil on canvas, 75" x 55", 2022

ONTHEOUTSIDE

difference is Wayne Horse can also do some bogus jobs every once in a while that I would never do myself, obviously. What attracted you to graffiti in the early stages? Was it literally just because the other kid was better at drawing than you? Because also it was like I was listening to hip-hop and rap music and it was just cool. We go to all these abandoned factories and have an adventure. It's the same thing that I still appreciate about graffiti, the whole adventure sense. You go and sneak around and there's some romantic stuff to it I find. So, where was this originally, since you're now based in Amsterdam? You were born in Germany, right? I grew up in Bremen, which is in the north of Germany, an hour from Hamburg. It's quite a lot smaller than Hamburg, but growing up there were still enough kids to have trouble with or to look up to. It was an alive scene, that's for sure. Walk me through the process of one of your paintings. The way I have heard you describe it in the past is like some mental gymnastics that you go through in order to try and create these canvases. I start with the blind drawing underneath as the very first thing on a prepared canvas. Either I go through sketches I made in my sketchbook or just some thoughts I wrote down. Sometimes I even mix either nighttime photography or hooligan fight photography with a classical painting, replacing a few characters. But I don't formulate that on a computer or anything like that. I will take pages from a book and my sketchbook, walk to the canvas and collage them together in a blind drawing manner. So you'll have your image, you'll take in the image, and then just blindfold yourself? Well, the image is not really there. I have the topic, I have a vague idea where I want to go and then basically what I have to do the whole time is mess it up and save it. The earlier I mess up a painting, the better because I'm able to take the holiness out of it. The white canvas is pretty holy, so to speak, so you're careful about what the first line is going to be. The quicker you fuck up, the quicker you really destroy it and there's no way back anymore! The more I put myself in the corner, then comes the fists. You act quickly and do stuff you don't think about too much, so you can't be careful. That's the stage I try to provoke numerous times within creating and finishing a painting. This might sound weird, but to have a great idea often is really a problem. It's nicer to create the idea together with your work because then you

Top: Portrait of the artist Bottom: Don't Look Up, Oil on canvas, 55" x 63", 2022

J U X T A P O Z .C O M

63

ON THE OUTSIDE

from deep w ithin some scared animal, looking through the bars. You look into the eyes and see a shaking soul in there. I w ant to transport that w arm th somehow. I have the feeling we're all so lost, it's obvious and we need comfort. All we really w ant is to hold each other when we don't know how. And that's another thing. My therapist told me the other day, “Those paintings look like you put some aliens in two baggy hum an suits and they're trying to figure out how to touch each other." And that really speaks to me. I love that one because it's like they're trying to get close, but then you actually end up strangling someone or something. It's just joy and pain; really close together. Do you finish a painting, then show it to your therapist and go, “All right, this week let's unpack this. We need to get what's going on in my head." It came as a bonus or something like that. At some point, I sat there and she looked at me all weird and I was thinking, so what's happening? She said, “Yeah, I had a look at your paintings." I thought, “Oh man." get an honest testim ony of what you're building. Otherwise, you're trying to live up to this idea, which also can be stifling. You can be a bit more careful to keep this holiness there and I got to destroy all holiness. I have to just save. I run around hectically trying to keep it together and then comes the moment at a certain point at which I see, okay, this is the story that's in this painting, and from that moment on, all decisions are being dictated by the work and I just serve it and then eagerly finish it off. That is very relaxing—and fast. When does the relaxing part come in? It sounds so funny, but I get to talk directly to the painting. At some point, it starts talking back and that's w hat I need. Then I get som ething th at excites me, as well, and then come the ideas for new things. I suppose I'm also a bit addicted to th at feeling because that's a lot of long laborious effort u n til the m om ent where it starts to happen by itself. But, in a way, those m om ents have to be prepared through this laborious routine. There's the joy, there's the fear, and there's a permanent battle between multiple different senses. Is that how you feel when you're creating this? That's how I feel and it's also the feeling I try to transport. I'm very interested in balancing on the knife's tip or dancing on the volcano's edge. You have th at in a p arty often, the thing you desired the m ost a second ago is the last thing

64 SUMMER 2023

you w ant to see once you retu rn from the toilet! You're having the best tim e, you go to the toilet, you come back, enter a room of m onsters and you just H oudini out of there. I like this. It's too m uch of the goods. You stu ff yourself so m uch w ith the best the world has to offer and it just makes you sick. That's som ething th a t really intrigues me. In a lot of these scenes, the upper class is also reflected, not just seedy dive bars. Many of them portray high-class venues. These are people who have reason to blind themselves. These are people who have a reason to get their nerves num bed down. At the same time, they're people, which is also im portant. I'm not pointing my own stinky finger at anyone here. I actually have sym pathy for each individual and that's som ething I hope comes across. For a long time, I was concerned that it might come across th at I loath people or som ething, but it's not at all the case. Also, all people make wrong decisions, so I don't believe in a single actually bad person... I don't think that exists. I think it's just like we get caught up in constructs and a lot of bad decisions happen and there's regret. All this results in overboard behaviors and excessive luxury, and I don't know, you're eating the nervous system of a rare m onkey or some bullshit like that! It goes to extreme lengths and I find it very fascinating to see. I have a lot of sym pathy for each and every one looking out of their own skull

But I have this story, maybe it's a fairy tale. My studio is in a restaurant, or above it, but you can walk up into the studio. And sometimes when I have a show coming up, I will work late. So when the restaurant is open, I'm still here until the end of the day. This old m an walks up the stairs one day and asks, “Do you m ind if I have a look around?" And I say, “No, go ahead, knock yourself out." He stayed for a long time, I had a lot of paintings up and then he comes to me and says, “So young man, you would like to embrace the word." And I was, “Excuse me, what are you on about?" He says, “It's very obvious the one recurring theme of your work is the hug” And I thought, wow, I've never seen it like that. But then w hen I looked at all my work again, I saw a lot about this idea of touching. I've thought in the past how I've come across as this loathing hater, and then to hear this it's so simple, and actually, the em brace could easily fill years of work. It's a fantastic them e, but again, so simple, I would've never dared to form ulate it m yself like that. I was grateful to this guy and then I w anted his details because I thought he was some m use or som ething. He said, “I'm not going to give you that, but I come to eat here all the time." Then he disappeared and it sm elled like lemon mills or som ething for an hour afterw ard. I w asn't sure it even happened. That's a beautiful m om ent. D Eilers’s solo show with Harlan Levey Projects in Brussels was on view through June 3, 2023.

Above: There You Are, Oil on canvas, 86"x57", 2020

GIL BRUVEL

Wood sculpture compo^edof burnt wood stick for represented© rTfnquiries, please contact gilbruvel@yaRo^rtX)m-542-484-6520n@glTSruvel bruvel.com

REEN BARRERA

SARAH JO N CA S

E M O T IO N A L M E A T

U P O N A N O TH E R SHORE

M A IN GALLERY

GALLERY II

SPIME

BENZILLA

FISH O U T O F FILTERED W A T E R

ALTER E G O

GALLERY III

GALLERY IV

JULY 8 -JULY 29, 2023 th in k s p a c e

4207 W. Jefferson Blvd + 4217 W. Jefferson Blvd. Los Angeles. CA 90016

thinkspaceprojects.com

©thinkspace art

MARK JEFFREY SANTOS

CLEMENTINE BEL

UNCHARTED PATHS

M A G IC FRIENDS

MAIN GALLERY

GALLERY II

JAMIAH CALVIN

WILEY WALLACE

REGANOMICS, COCAINE '80s AND THE '90s RE-UP

W OVEN TRAILS

GALLERY III

GALLERY IV

AUGUST 5 - AUGUST 26, 2023 th in k s p a c e

4207 W. Jefferson Blvd + 4217 W. Jefferson Blvd. Los Angeles. CA 90016

thin kspaceproje cts.com

@th in kspa ce _a rt

BOOKS

WHAT WE'RE READING

T R E A R T RF

R U TH E C ARTER

*

Tits & Clits 1972-1987

Ed Templeton: Wires Crossed

There was Zap and then there was Tits & Clits.

When you think about the last 30-plus years of

It seems quite apt that the answer to the legendary Zap Com/x would be a bit of a feminist

prevailing subcultural trends and iconography, Ed Templeton's life could be the Mapquest

The A rt of Ruth E. Carter: Costuming Black History and the Afrofuture from Do the Right Things to Black Panther

rebuke but done so in the same salacious yet

guiding us to some sort of understanding. He is

Some fortuitous few are frequently described

patriarchal freeing boldness. It was a bit lewd but

a touchstone; skateboarding star, skate brand

as having "A Year," and in 2023 Ruth Carter is

with proper ownership and perspective, so to speak. In 1972, cartoonists Joyce Farmer and Lyn

owner, photographer, painter, writer, and a physical embodiment of the crossroads of all

absolutely having hers, though it's hardly just luck. This March she won the Academy Award

Chevli produced Tits & Clits as an anthology to

these artistic and creative endeavors. Plus,

for Fashion Design and became the first Black

showcase other women cartoonists, supporting

perhaps more importantly for how his career

woman to receive multiple Oscars. On April 1,

the careers of Mary Fleener, Roberta Gregory,

evolved, his aesthetic was about Southern

Krystine Kryttre, Lee Marrs, Carel Moiseiwitsch,

California as seen not from Hollywood films

the North Carolina Museum of Art presented Ruth E. Carter: Afrofuturism in Costume Design,

Trina Robbins, Dori Seda, to name a few. As a

or TV series, but that of a real homegrown

showcasing over 60 garments she's made for

pure publishing moment in history, Tits & Clits

icon. California is both a place of dreams but

television and cinema over30-odd years, and

was the first all-women published comic, but as a

with a certain kind of rawness that is rarely

reflection of the era and the times, was a tribute

understood until one spends time here, and

on May 23, Chronicle Books releases The A rt of Ruth E. Carter: Costuming Black History and the

to the 1960s being a shapeshifting decade

Templeton brought that courage to show the

Afrofuture from Do the Right Things to Black

for women's rights, freedoms, sexuality, and

state for what it was in exhibitions around the

political power. But it wasn't always embraced

world. Ed Templeton: Wires Crossed, published

Panther. Leaf through this gorgeous book and yes, marvel over the breadth of her work, which

as such a pivotal publication of progress. Ever

by Aperture Books, is over 264 pages of his

includes the looks she created for those films as

controversial for its depictions of masturbation,

photography and unique presentation of such,

well as the glorious garb in Coming to America,

menstruation, birth control, sex, and abortion,

with text scribbles and notes underneath black

the upbeat collegiate gear in School Daze, and

in 1973, a year after its first publication,

and white landscapes and skate scenes, poetic

the conservative neutrals imbuing the doc style

conservative legal authorities in Orange County

and versed in an almost Beat Generation

of Malcolm X. Filled with "backstage" stories,

deemed the anthology too pornographic,

lyricism. What grows from the book is the idea

threatening arrest of the two editors on

of friendship and camaraderie, what a life on the

vibrant images, sketches, and mood boards, the book portrays her depth of research, beautifully

obscenity charges. This is why Fantagraphics1

road meant to a young man finding his artistic

illustrating Carter's belief in the power of

new anthology, along with Farmer, Chevli,

voice outside of professional skating and into

Gregory, Marrs, Trina Robbins, and editor

the realm of contemporary art. You can feel the

see, the representative of you. And that's where

Samantha Meier, comes at such a vital time and

fashion stops and costume begins because we

underscores the volatile nature of American

vastness of his life in each photo. The word punk is often thrown around as if throwing an apple

politics, then and today. Consisting of the

core out your window on the highway, a casual

want to project to the world without us saying

seven-issue run of the Tits & Clitsseries, plus two

sort of blase that doesn't quite sit right. But

classic solo comics from 1972 written and drawn by Farmer and Chevli, Meier's introductory essay

Templeton is a punk in the truest sense because

a word." —GV Chronicle Books, ChronicleBooks.com

places the comic in its rightful place in both art

and documented his own rules in a way that led

and feminist history. —EP Fantagraphics, Fantagraphics.com

the groundwork for a whole generation of kids

he wrote his own rules, performed his own rules,

picking up their first camera or an IG hustler finding their way. He is the real, real deal. —EP Aperture Books, Aperture.org

68 SUMMER 2023

■■

clothing design, "a vision of someone who we

create a mood for ourselves, a voice that we

s 2023

t

a lb e r t p a g lia r o a le x y a n e s a lie n w illia m s a m a n d a v is e ll a n th o n y a u s g a n g b ill w r a y c h ris m a rs dave co o p er d a v e p e rs u e d e n ia l g a r y t a x a li g le n n b a r r Is a b e lla di s c la fin i ja s o n lim o n jr je r r y sb ‘ lirts jim hou!s e r r John dui m a r tin o n tiv e ro s ' m a r th a ric h m a tt g o rd o n ~ m ik e e g a n ric k m o rris th o m a s w e b b to n y fitz p a tr ic k tr a v is la m p e tr e v o r yo u n g syd b e e V in c e n t g ia rra n o curated by

brassworksgallery.com Portland, OR

GLENN BARR artwork - greg hergert

ARE YOU A FRIEND OF DOROTHY? A G R O U P E X H IB IT IO N

HASHIMOTO CONTEMPORARY JUSTIN YOON THE WAY I FEEL INSIDE (2023)

LOS A N G E L E S JU N E 2 0 2 3

FRANCISCO DIAZ SCOTTO /

■0

j

H A S H IM O TO

CONTEMPORAfrr JULY 2 0 2 3 *

MARBIE SA N F R A N C IS C O I JU LY 2 0 2 3

HASHIM O TO

CONTEMPORARY

NEW YO RK C IT Y

JUN

Seonna Hong

JUL

Lush GROUP EXHIBITION

AUG

Madeleine Tonzi & Keya Tama

LOS A N G E LE S

JUN

Are You A Friend o f Dorothy? GROUP EXHIBITION

JUL

Franciso Diaz Scotto

ALJG

For The Love o f Dog GROUP EXHIBITION

SAN F R A N C IS C O

JUN

Sean Newport

JUL

Marbie

AUG

Lorien Stern

A Serious Man Interview by Evan Pricco Portrait by Andrew Quinn

76 SUMMER 2023

Above: Untitled (The Plant Loves Me), Acrylic on Paper, 29.5" x 22", 2022

've had a lot of really weird thoughts that should never leave my head?" This is one of the last musings David Shrigley shares over the course of three conversations taking place over multiple hours, and it's the first thing you should know about the English-born, Glasgow-trained, and now Brighton-based conceptual artist. He is eminently recognized worldwide for his craft, a deadpan humorist with an irresistible little penchant for morbidity and absurdity. At any point over the last 30 years, we could have spoken to Shrigley about his artwork, but it feels more urgent to speak with him in 2023, as an artist who has managed the social media universe, the contemporary art world, and the occasional foray into interactive art without a compromise or sudden shift of aesthetics. He is who he is.

What I learned over the course of our conversations is that although Shrigley claims to contradict himself, he is quite honest and direct with the trajectory his career has taken. He's got his dog, someone cleans his paint brushes, he paints five days a week, and about two of those days are great. After a snafu with Zoom and a lost notebook, Shrigley observed that he just might be obsessive-compulsive. Which seemed like a good place to start. Evan Pricco: How many interviews do you think you have done over the last 30 years? David Shrigley: A lot? The fact that the video wasn't working when we first got on wasn't really bothering me that much. It was the fact that I couldn't find my little book that I doodle in while I'm on Zoom calls, and I still can't find it; I have no idea where it is. I've actually realized that I'm actually a bit of an obsessive-compulsive. I would assume you would be a tad obsessivecompulsive. Yeah, I am a bit. I mean, I realize it's not as helpful as it is unhelpful, you know what I mean? There are things where I get a bit agitated because I can't find my special notebook. But then again, the fact that I have a notebook is kind of interesting. So that's good. What comes first: the line or the image? The line, the text of the image. Well... actually the image comes first. There are four stages. The first stage is I look through the numerous books on my bookshelf, or mostly nowadays I look on the internet for images. And then I find images I think are interesting, and often I'm trying to find things that I've never drawn or painted a picture of before. There are not actually that many themes in the world. And I describe the image. I write down what the image is, like a crocodile holding a child's arm or something, and I write that down.

Above: Untitled (The Dam Will Not Build Itself), Acrylic on Paper, 29.5" x 22", 2023

Once it's time to draw, to paint, I look that up again, and normally I can't remember what it looked like. Then I make a drawing and then I go back to it afterward, usually adding some text to it. So that's usually the way it works: there's image, text, text, image. And usually, the image comes first. But there are layers of me trying to deceive myself or trying to forget what I was originally inspired by. I don't really have a sketchbook as such. I just have books with some very crude drawings that are sort of memory aids. Because I am, as it turns out, slightly obsessive-compulsive. I don't like drawing. The first line has to be the last line if you

know what I mean. I can't redo anything. I can't make a preparatory sketch unless it's sort of in a two-centimeter square in the corner of this book. Once this book is finished, there's loads more books like it. So you're replaying a memory in your head, but then making something slightly dark and funny about it. 1 like the fact that you're conversing with yourself a couple of times. The really useful thing is, I'm not graphically... I'm really not very talented. Like, I'll draw things, or I tend to draw things that are really quite difficult to draw because I know that I won't do it very well. If it's too easy I might make something

DAVID SHRIGLEY JUXTAPOZ.COM

77

that's too aesthetic, that might look like an illustration. And I don't like illustration very much. The more awkward and strange they are, the more I'm intrigued by them, I suppose. And then there's always a moment in the studio these days when I'm painting and I have the luxury of having somebody who washes my paint brushes for me. I'll ask her, "What's that? What's that?" And she knows the drill. She has to say, "It's a horse." And I say, "Yes, it's a horse. Good." And if she says, "Oh, it's a dog, or is it like a llama, something like that?" I say, "No," and I get really disappointed. "What do you think it is?" "I think it's a llama." "All right, we'll change it into a llama then." I mean, this is a dumbass kind of way of

making images. But this is it for me, and this is what I'm sort of passionate about and it has become my area of expertise. But okay, so the image that you used the other day about shitting on Putin. It looked like Putin. So what was the vetting process on that one? Did you look, go and say, who does this look like? Yeah. She said Putin. So that was fine. What happens if she said it looked like somebody else? Would it be that person? Yeah, it would. I mean, it would've been, I don't know, Truman Capote. It might not be the most ubiquitously understood reference.

Right. And if it was Truman Capote, you might not have somebody shit on their head. No, I have far more respect for Truman Capote than Vladimir Putin. You’ve reiterated a couple of times in our discussions that you are not good at painting. At what point in your life did you go, "You know what? 1 can still do this, but I’m not a great painter.” Like, when was that moment of self-discovery? Well, I suppose that painting and drawing graphic art is a means to an end. I do have some facility in trying to render images that are recognizable to other human beings. But I actually have come to the conclusion that it's quite useful to be so inept. If I had more skill, objective skill, the work would be very different. And I feel like it's actually an advantage to be a bit rubbish, because, in some ways, that's good, too. You can't really make punk rock if you're really good at playing the guitar. It's like orchestral musicians, they're technicians. And in order to make the work that I make, it's quite important that I'm not very talented at rendering three-dimensional space on a page. This is what we were talking about before. Does your work translate into German, or does it translate into Russian? Because there is this universal feeling in your work that seems to come through, no matter the language. These images and text lines you create, if you were painting like Delacroix, just wouldn’t be universal. I mean, sometimes I look at other artists and I think, "Wow. What would I do if I could paint like that?" Who was the last painter you had that conversation with yourself about? Neo Rauch, the very popular German painter. And I sort of like his work. It's somehow not very satisfying as painting, but image-wise, I think it's really beautifully rendered and the colors are really nice. But I was thinking, "Wow. I wonder what I would do if I could paint like that if I had been properly schooled." I don't know. It's a moot point. But I did actually go to Glasgow School of Art, which has a, well, at least when I went there, it had quite a reputation as a figurative painting school. In the early '90s or late '80s, there were quite a number of noteworthy painters, none of whom are probably particularly popular now. But when I was there, I looked at those artists and I thought, I'm never going to be one of them. I can't do that. The thing about interviewing me, Evan, you need to understand, and I should have told you this before we started—but I have a habit of contradicting myself. So you may find that I've

78

SUMMER2O23

Above: David in his studio, photographed by Andrew Quinn, 2023

given you answers to questions and told you anecdotes that really are very much counter to previous interviews Fve done, where I've said something completely different. But having been interviewed many times over the years, I realized that part of the joy of being interviewed is that you can change your mind. Well, in the end, the only thing that matters is the work, so... Yes. And it’s also illustrative of the fact that one shouldn’t hold too much store in things that artists say, because sometimes they just talk a lot of shit. I mean, obviously, I talk a lot of shit, but usually, it’s not offensive, like some artists I could mention. It’s responsible in the sense that I have a progressive political viewpoint and a compassionate worldview. However, I often can’t remember what Fve said before. Fm not one of those dudes who hangs a lot on that big book about art in theory type thing. Fve never read that book. I just make it up as I go along. Fm not an academic type of artist. I’m a natural artist. That’s what I am. I’m an artist who is not fazed by a blank sheet of paper. I see the blank piece of paper as an opportunity, not as something that

should be feared. It's an opportunity to occupy the space. So you would not say to anybody that you’re a suffering artist? Well, I probably have said that at one point. And sometimes, as you know, often when words are

Fve got a slight ear infection and sometimes art is difficult to make. I kind of fulfilled my obligations as far as forthcoming exhibitions are concerned. So now Fm basically making whatever I like, and no one knows Fm making it. It’s not for anything, just filling up the box of finished work so that when somebody places an

"I am an artist who is not fazed by a blank sheet of paper." transcribed, it’s difficult to indicate that they were meant ironically. Unless, where I’ve said I’m a genius, for example, and apparently Fve said that and it’s been written down and I’ve seen it written down several times. Obviously, Fm not a genius, and obviously, I was being ironic because only a dick would say something like that. Or a genius. What were you asking me, sorry? I don’t remember. Maybe something about suffering or Vladimir Putin? Or Capote?

Left: Untitled (I Was Once a Man), Acrylic on Paper, 29.5" x 22", 2023 Right: Untitled (Foolish Hearts), Acrylic on Paper, 29.5" x 22", 2023

obligation upon me, I will be able to meet it. It will be done. But in order to get to that stage, usually Fm on deadline and that sort of makes the work. Whereas now, when Fm not on a deadline, and this has happened as a result... it kind of started in the pandemic, where I made a lot of work and stopped traveling. So Fve got a lot done and now Fm in this situation where I don’t have to make the work. I could just roll a joint and get stoned and go up the

D AVID S H R IG LE Y J U X T A P O Z .C O M

79

hill and hang out with my dog, albeit, it is really cold. I wouldn't do that. Or I could go to the cinema during the day. I could read a book. By the way, are you doing any of this today, or is this just all in theory? I haven't done it today, obviously. But, yeah, I do all of those things. Reading books, occasionally smoking weed, walking my dog. I do that very regularly. The dog was in the studio today, and I got paint on her, so that's not very good. I got pink paint on the dog because she insisted on standing very close to the painting area. But anyway, the point being that you have a very different attitude during the kind of experimental zone, which is kind of where you want to be because you're just making art because it's a force of habit somehow. And that is a way of switching off, I've realized. So I'm in a good place now. But you still have to be disciplined. You still have to get up and go to the studio despite the fact that you've got a slight ear infection and you're tired, maybe because of just smoking weed that weekend. I'm going to ask a real direct question, like a real interviewer asking a question: What you're describing is years and years of getting to a

80 SUMMER2O23

point where you can have this situation where you have work in the coffers, it's ready to go if you need to. You're in a zone, you have a level of success that has allowed and afforded you the opportunity to have a certain sort of life situation. But it took many years to get there. You might be slightly trained in the suffering of being an artist and now you're grown up so it's maybe not as daunting. Okay, there might be a question there. I'm not actually sure. The only thing about success that you notice, I would imagine, is its arrival and its departure. Once you're in that state of being a successful artist, it's just normalized. But for me, I think it's taken me quite a while to realize I can do anything I want to do, really, within reason. I mean all of the projects that I make that aren't seemingly just graphic art, they really don't make any commercial sense and are slightly unpopular with the commercial galleries that I work with. I made a piece called the Mayfair Tennis Ball Exchange a couple of years ago, where people were invited to bring tennis balls to the gallery. I made an installation of 14,000 new tennis balls and people were invited to bring old tennis balls, perhaps that their dog had been chewing and stuff, and replace it with a brand

new tennis ball. And that was a project that was the kind of thing I wanted to make. The gallery in London, Stephen Friedman, was very accommodating. But they were only actually accommodating because they said, "Yeah, but could we have some drawings as well?" And I'd already done the drawings, obviously. So I said, "You can have drawings, I just don't want to exhibit them, I just want the tennis balls." The gallery responded, "Okay, okay, how many do you want?" And I was like, "Loads, loads." And the gallery sorted it out. So that's the way it worked. You've got to remind yourself that you're allowed to make tennis ball-based art if you want to. And it's good to make the tennis ball-based art or the other things that I make which don't have a place in the world. But I've always considered you a conceptual artist. That's great, because that's kind of what I am, in a way. Or at least, I come from that. The artists that I admire the most are conceptual artists, like Marcel Duchamp. That's where I'm from.

Left: Untitled (Sunbathing Is Work), Acrylic on Paper, 29.5" x 22", 2023 Right: Untitled (Total Farce), Acrylic on Paper, 29.5" x 22", 2023

I

REFUSE

Above: Untitled (I Refuse To Be Crushed By It), Acrylic on Paper, 29.5" x 22", 2023

TO

BE

CRUSHED BY IT

D AVID S H R IG LE Y J U X T A P O Z .C O M

81

EXH IB ITIO N

OF

D E P R E S S IN G

THE Ar t TA N P r ro 82 SUMMER 2023

Pa in t in g s

mu s e u m

DEC 3 F t Above: Untitled (Awful Music), Acrylic on Paper, 29.5" x 22", 2023

What made you stay in Glasgow for so long? What attracted you to that city? Well, there are two questions there, what made me stay, and what made me go in the first place? I went to Glasgow School of Art, which is quite a prestigious art school, and I grew up in Leicester, which as you probably know, is in the middle of England, a not particularly noteworthy, small provincial city in the Midlands. Glasgow seemed incredibly exotic when I had the opportunity to go and study there. I'd never actually been to Scotland before, even though it's only 350 miles from where I grew up. It was 1987, and it seemed incredibly exotic. It's a big Victorian city and the art school has a real reputation and it was in a

very significant building, albeit it's burned down a couple of times since then. It was exciting and it was a great time to be there. I really enjoyed the experience of being in Glasgow as a whole, and then when I left art school, there was a community of artists who wanted to stay in Glasgow and be artists there, where they could do artist-run projects and stuff. It never really occurred to me to go anywhere else. I really enjoyed it and it had everything that I needed to sustain me. There is a big music scene in Glasgow, which I found very nourishing. It was living in a foreign country, but it wasn't quite a foreign country. I stayed for a long time.

As you were painting in the studio today, do you still bring a massive amount of joy to it? When you're saying that you have to, at times, motivate yourself a little bit, do you still get that feeling of enjoyment this many years into your career? Yeah, I think. But one thing I say very often is, well there's a couple of things I say, but my own personal motivational statement is: just get on with it. I have this written on the little cards stuck to the wall in the studio. Just get on with it. If you just get on with it, the work makes itself. So it doesn't matter, meaning that, even when you're kind of depressed or you're feeling really fed up and you just don't want to do anything, just do it anyway. But also at the same time, I try to treat every day as if it's my first day. Maybe it's my first day at art school where everything is just exciting, different, and new, and I can do whatever I want and it's totally fine. But I guess the secret is to fully embrace it. So when it's going well in the studio, and I work five days a week and usually two days a week are really, really good. Two days are a bit of a grind, so, on the fourth day, I get home early. I go home early and take the dog for a walk and smoke weed. So in answer to that question, it is, yeah, it is really exciting. But you have to embrace the opportunity and I have to remind myself that I can do anything I want. And if you don't want to do it, you don't have to do it, it's fine. But you do have to do something. I am also kind of miserable if I don't make any art. I mean I'm happy if I can read all day, then I'm quite happy. And I like going to see music, going to see bands. I like going to see football matches, soccer. But still, I kind of have to make some art, otherwise, I'm just a bit miserable. I really love doing that. When I paint a picture, I have a memory of being five years old at school, the first year of school where they just give you some paints and a piece of paper and you just paint a picture. Just be there for an hour. Or if you're a child, it is probably five minutes. But it feels the same. And in my mind, the piece of paper that I was working on at that age is the same size as the piece of paper I'm working on now. It probably isn't, but I was tiny then. But it's the same thrill where you can do anything you like. You can paint anything you like and you can say anything you like. And that is an immense privilege. The privileged position that I find myself in. □ David Shrigley’s Instagram is one o f the best in the world, so follow him at @davidshrigley Visit the Shrig Shop at shrigshop.com for all Shirgley products, and David sends a thank you to Jealous Gallery, who makes his prints.

Above: Untitled (Exhibition of Depressing Paintings), Acrylic on Paper, 29.5" x 22", 2023

DAVID SHRIGLEY JUXTAPOZ.COM

83

Zanele IWuholi The Bronze Aae Interview by Jonathan Caver Moore Portrait by the artist

work, although m any times I've closed my eyes uring a visit to the Ottawa Art and reimagined the photographs and paintings to Gallery a few years ago, I finally authentically resemble the appearance of people felt able to truly see myself in a like me. The great thing about this moment on this museum. It was visual activist, day in the m useum was that Zanele Muholi's work Zanele Muholi’s (who uses they/ them pronouns) self-portrait, Faniswa, made that my imagination a reality, one to which so com m anded my attention. Seeing that photograph many of us can relate. of a Black queer person on the wall really Of course, I im m ediately posted a photo of resonated with me. So you'd better understand, Faniswa on Instagram tagging Zanele Muholi, I am Black. I am gay, and I am a man. Historically, and the next day got a direct message from them it hasn't been often that I walk into a space, thanking me for posting. To be honest, though, particularly in the art world, and see myself in the

D

th at post was a tribute to them and my way of saying thank you for showing me, allowing me to see someone like m e—someone like us on these walls. I thought it would be a short-lived conversation over Instagram . It was not and still is not. Since th at day Muholi and I have been in constant contact with each other. We have had num erous conversations over the phone as well as several FaceTimes to connect (I live in San Francisco and Muholi lives between Capetown, Durban, and Johannesburg.) We finally m et in person last sum m er during their visit to San Francisco, and just recently I traveled to Cape Town for ten days to spend tim e w ith them. On th at trip, I visited the foundry where the sculptures are made, spent tim e in the studio w ith them, and conducted this interview. Jonathan Carver Moore: How did you begin your career in photography? Zanele Muholi: I took up photography when I realized that black lesbian visual history did not exist in South Africa. I had searched for images of people who looked and identified as I did but could not find an archive at all. Attitudes of anti-blackness, exclusion, and the notion that hom osexuality was alien to African cultures caused this erasure of Black queers. I started docum enting couples in the Only Half the Picture series, highlighting the existence of Black lesbians in South Africa. I docum ented more participants in Faces and Phases, showcasing black queers living their everyday lives, and observing their trium phs as well as lows. Somnyama Ngonyama, was a realization that turning the camera on myself could be healing, besides docum enting my existence and im m ortalizing it in my own voice. Can you elaborate more on the importance of photographing and capturing queer Black bodies? Historically, photography was for those of means, and as a consequence, they got to set the tone, angle, aperture, and narrative behind the captured images. I wanted to change that and say how we as black queers exist in varying social strata, taking away from the narrative of perpetual tragedy. There were no archives that spoke to our existence as productive citizens of our country. It is im portant for us to show we are present, to be felt, to love ourselves, and acknowledge each other's presence. I started the series, Brave Beauties, more than a decade ago with the intention of docum enting our celebratory moments. Participants felt seen and empowered as they posed confidently and unapologetically in spaces that they lived, loved, and played in. What was the turning point for you to want to document Black people, specifically Black queer people, including yourself? It was the constant and nagging questions within myself like, “How many people like us are published, how many exhibitions about and by us do you see, how many of us do we see in influential spaces,

86 SUMMER 2023

All images: Courtesy of the Artist and Stevenson, CapeTown/Johannesburg and Yancey Richardson, NewYork© Zanele Muholi Previous spread: Thandazo I, Highline Hotel, New York, June 22, 2022 Above: Thuthuka I, San Francisco, Giclee print on Hahnemuhle Photo Rag Baryta paper, edition of 8 + 2AP, 2022

Above: Candice Nkosi, Durban, Silver gelatin print Image, 2020

Z A N E L E M U H O L I J U X T A P O Z .C O M

87

* * *-»• *

r -

■

88 SUMMER 2023

Above: Bale IV, Room 96, July 1,2022

how many of the books are written by us in our own voices, etc?” I wanted to make sure that we had access to those spaces that held power to influence and educate. I knew that I had to be the conduit to the change that I wanted to see. Documenting others as well as myself is not just a practice in archiving, but healing varied traumas as well. Seeing and being seen, turning the power of erasure on its head, is proving to be the therapy many Black queers did not know they needed. Presence and visibility are vital for a people to thrive at the very least. 1would imagine a lot has changed for some of the individuals you photographed in 2011 compared to today. As the person behind the lens in this series, what is different? As with life, everything is in a constant state of motion. So much is different. The participants, whom I shy away from calling subjects, are still going on about their everyday lives but sadly some have passed—most succumbing during the pandemic. I am grateful that they are recorded and counted in history. Later this year I plan to

Above: Bona III, ISGM, Boston, Silver gelatin print image, edition of 8 + 2AP, 2019

publish a book around the series, which will be similar to Faces and Phases. Over the years I have continued to visit with and shoot with the participants, documenting candid moments of happiness, sadness, and observing milestones. This book will also be part of the art education that Black South Africans and beyond will have access to. I pour my profits that benefit my community as a Black person. Can you tell me more about accessibility to arts education and what you want to do or have done to grant young adults access to it? In February of 2022,1started the Muholi Art Institute in Cape Town. It is an art education hub where artists come together to create works and brainstorm ideas that respond to race and gender inequities, and human and societal issues at large. I created the Muholi Art Institute because I wanted to give opportunities to young artists. I want to inspire them with new strategies for creating visibility. I wanted to give them a platform in which they could articulate their vision in an artistic way.

Please tell me more about the students and the program. The students at the Muholi Art Institute are from provinces all throughout South Africa and currently have students from Durban, the Eastern Cape, Johannesburg, and Khayelitsha. The artists are painters, photographers, ceramicists, musicians, and writers. The institute covers their housing costs, studio space, a stipend, and mentorship during their stay. We host panel discussions with international curators and gallerists, as well as provide portfolio reviews of their work at the conclusion of their apprenticeship. Exhibitions of the students' work have been successfully held with their pieces going up for sale. It's part of the literacy plan for them to observe and understand how the art world works—how people observe, make connections, and respond to their work. It is imperative for these young artists to understand the business aspect of the art community. How do you feel knowing that you are so positively impacting the lives of your students?

ZANELE M U H O LI JUXTAPOZ.COM

89

90 SUMMER 2023

Above: Room 2610, RIU Hotel, Times Square, July 1,2022

Above: Ngwane II, Oslo, 2018

Z A N E L E M U H O L I JU X T A P O Z .C O M

91

In Zulu, we have a proverb that says “izandla ziyagezana" (one hand washes the other) and we are taught this at a young age. It speaks to one not being an island to thyself as one cannot rise without the help of others. That teaching conies with the aspect of always observing humility. I am here because I stand on someone else’s shoulders. I do not come from money and my story could have been different if not for that mentorship. I don't see how I wouldn't help someone else as well. It's foreign to me. I am now in a position where I can help someone attain the necessary education or help them stage their first solo show, for example. These sentiments helped the Muholi

Art Institute, a fully self-funded venture, come to life. It has been enriching to me too because I learn new ideas from the students. I feel that as we uplift each other, we become better as a society and it makes life feel hopeful. Your commitment to reinvest in the community, particularly the Black queer arts community is truly commendable. Is there any one series of your work that you think most aligns with how you support artists at the institute? With Somnyama Ngonyama, I would like for people observing those images to love themselves. I want them to know that they can take care of

themselves. I created those images because I was frustrated, I was hurt and needed to see, heal and love myself. I needed other people to listen to me. I am grateful to my big collectors who have resonated with my work as they are the ones who allow me to reinvest in the community. I am now able to pay it forward, giving opportunities to others, just like the one that was given to me. Speaking of Somnyama Ngonyama, why are the images only in black and white? At my core, I am a visual activist conveying commentary through my images. This series is a political piece that speaks directly to issues of blackness as they pertain to me. It is so important to understand the shades of black and how they are presented. I also feel like my work is steeped in timeless and classic photography since my training was in black and white. I learned how to process my own black-and-white photos. I think of my work as conscious art when thinking of themes in art. I see it as a tool to reclaim spaces. Outside of your photography, I have seen other mediums you are exploring such as your paintings, beadwork, and your bronze pieces. Would you mind detailing those works a bit more? I have expanded the scope of my creativity because I wanted to challenge myself. It has allowed me to work with different elements like colors and textures, when painting or creating beadwork. I learn so much in the process. A group of women in Durban, including my sister, bring their wealth of experience and give me a different perspective from what I am used to doing. I have to say, working with my sister has been an incredible bonding time too because I am always on the go! Within your explorations of the above mediums, the work is mostly, if not all, connected to your self-portrait series Somnyama Ngonyama. Why is that and why did you choose bronze for the sculptures over another material? Indeed, the works are all an extension of that particular body of work. Bronze is special to me because of its longevity. The works will live on forever. Black queer presence won't and can't disappear, thus my choice. What is on the horizon for you or what does the future look like? There are a few projects I am working on that will be released this year. I am creating a children's book, releasing a second edition of Somnyama Ngonyama with the latest images, publishing the Brave Beauties as well as working on a show in San Francisco. Still, sometimes I get this sense that I haven't even started. There is still so much work to be done. Q Zanele Muholi’s exhibition at the European House of Photography (MEP) in Paris was on view through May 21,2023.

92 SUMMER 2023

Above: Ngizwe I, Apt #2, Paragon Crescent Windhoek, Namibia, 2019

Above: Bena mile I Brooklyn New York, 2019

Z A N E L E M U H O L I J U X T A P O Z .C O M

93

The Perez Brothers Low and Slow, Mean and Clean Interview by Gwynned Vitello Portrait by Max Knight

andy apple red in the most Gwynned Vitello: I can't help but start with the same question that most people who hear about lustrous gloss, maybe acrid acid you two probably have. Twins are a fascination, green suffused in pinpricks of metallic stars, each taken wing identical twins, even more so. But the fact you make art together is almost hard to believe. by slices of chrome, as luxurious Growing leather or velvet tempt from within. While theseup, was being twins something that seemed natural or crazy? Did you have siblings, are typical highlights prized by Lowriders and and where did you fall in the mix? their fans, community is more than key. As The Perez Brothers: About half the people we meet Steve Velasquez of the Smithsonian Institute ask about our art and half about being twins. has observed, “The car aspect was 10%, the Growing up, it was, for sure, a natural thing to us. social aspect was 90% While I knew the Perez We didn't think it was crazy or weird or anything Brothers were master narrators of the culture, like that. To us, we were just two brothers who I didn't expect to meet artists so modest and were the same age and looked the same. But unpretentious, who truly make art for the sheer the funny thing is that whenever we would see love of the culture and joy in the process. It's another pair of twins together, we would get no surprise that Andrew Hosner of Thinkspace Projects recognized their talent for painting blown away and think how wild it was—we still do! And yeah, we are the oldest of five, with a stories of commonality and family. Speaking of younger sister and two younger brothers. which, Alejandro and Vicente answered some questions individually, but mostly, yes, as identical twins. And never mean. Describe where you grew up, what the neighborhood was like, and how you spent your time. And since I can't let go of the twin thing, did you do those things together?

C

96 SUMMER 2023

We were born at St. Francis Hospital in Lynwood. We soon moved to South Gate after our parents got a divorce. That's where we were raised all the way through high school. Being twins, we were always very close and had the same interests and the same group of friends. In our early years, we used to hang out with friends from school who lived on the same block. We would always be outside doing whatever, like playing baseball, riding our bikes, and even roller skating. As we got older, we became a bit more introverted and spent most of our time indoors watching wrestling and movies. My husband always had a bunch of cars he was working on. What was your first experience with them? Through your dad or uncle, fixing or restoring them? I break them more than I work on them! Our first memory was our dad's dark green 1968 Chevy Impala that he had when we were around four or five years old. That was his first lowrider as far as we can remember. We like cars, in general—even the Hondas.

A bove: Viva La Raza, Acrylic on canvas, 96" x72", 2022

Do you remember your first time really experiencing a group celebration of cars— family holiday, wedding, quinceanera, or even a funeral? What stood out to you? Alejandro Perez: I can't really remember my first time experiencing that, but for sure it m ust have been at a lowrider car show event with my dad when I was around four or five years old. At the time, my dad was in the Super Naturals Car Club and my brother and I would go with him to car shows. W hat stood out to me were all the bright colors, shiny chrome, wire wheels, crazy custom interior, and crazy paint jobs with the airbrushed murals. And, of course, the cars with the hydraulics, I loved watching the hopping contests. Vicente Perez: Yeah, I can't rem em ber the first tim e exactly, but for sure it was a car show with our dad. Of course, the first things I noticed were the wire wheels and hydraulics. But the m ain thing th at I've always loved was the murals. Usually, a car would have a sick-ass m ural on the tru n k of the car. Most of them are monochrom e and the images would go along with the them e of the car, Lowriders always have a theme. The music is on, and there's the food too, so it just becomes a vibe.

Above: Hopping Contest, Acrylic on canvas, 84" x 62", 2018

What were most of the cars at that time? Was there a certain style or make? I'm thinking Chevy. How did they develop, like, were there always candy paint jobs and custom upholstery? How has that changed? Growing up, at the car shows we would mostly see '60s Impalas, Bombs, and '80s G-Bodys. The styles haven't really changed much, as far as we can tell. There have always been different levels as to how far or how crazy you want to customize your car. But there's been some new things, like engraving patterns into the chrome, or LED headlights, also LEDs in the undercarriage and engine bay. There's always new innovations that lowrider owners keep coming up with, especially for the crazy show cars. What was high school like? Was there a car scene? Were you at all into art by that time? AP: High School was alright. I didn't really do anything crazy, just hung out with friends during lunch, hung out with my bro after school, and watched television. There wasn't really a car scene at the high school. At the time, I wasn't really into art, mainly because I didn't know much about it. All I knew was that I liked to draw a lot. At the time, I only really knew about Pop Art, so I was really into Andy Warhol and Roy Liechtenstein. I started painting in

high school, but it wasn't until AP Art class in my senior year that I began to take it more seriously. VP: I don't remember there being a car scene, but maybe that's because we didn't have a car back then. All through and after school, I would always be drawing in my notebooks. I didn't really like school, really, only the art classes. I don't remember at what age, but we found an art magazine that I really liked, Lowrider Arte. It was filled with Chicano art, and you could submit your drawings. I never did, but I always wanted to. The Lowrider murals and the magazine definitely influenced me to make the work that I make today. Who were your idols at the time? Any entertainers or athletes—or artists? AP: My idol was and is Kid Cudi. I just love what he's about. His music really speaks to me and makes me feel understood. I also love that he makes music about him self and his personal feelings. Which is what inspired me to paint something that is real and personal to me. VP: Back then I'd say Eddie Guerrero was my idol. At the time there weren't many Latino wrestlers. He always drove a lowrider to the ring, and I always

THE PEREZ BROTHERS JUXTAPOZ.COM

97

thought that was sick. He definitely inspired me to bring the Lowrider culture into the art world, the same way that he brought it to the wrestling world. Coming from what I'm guessing was a traditional upbringing, what did your family think of you going to art school? When we told our family that we decided to go to art school, the only one that really supported us and didn't question it was our mom. Everybody else was concerned and questioning what we wanted to do. What made you choose Otis College of Art, and did you have a mutual goal of making art fulltime? You both studied Fine Art painting, right? Our AP art teacher, Ms. Tinajero was the one who introduced us to Otis. At the time, we weren't thinking about going to college. Actually, for a brief moment, we thought about going to Wyotech because we were really into cars. But ultimately we knew we wanted to do something with art. So our teacher convinced us to apply to Otis. She saw we had a skill and interest, so we thought, "All right, let's just go and see what happens. We didn't even go and check it out, we just applied. We didn't even think that we'd get in because we felt

98

S U M M E R 2023

our portfolio was weak, but we both got accepted. We were actually not going to attend because it was ridiculously expensive, but we found out that with financial aid, we were both going to get a full ride. So that was pretty much the deciding factor of us going there. We went in not knowing what our major would be, but we eventually both decided to major in Fine Art together. Your first pieces have collage, abstract, and sign art elements. How did you make the transition? In the beginning, we felt our work was mostly influenced by Otis. We were making work that we felt our professors wanted us to make. It was mainly abstract. At the same time, we were working on our own paintings outside of school. They were more personal about what we were doing at the time. We started transitioning into more realistic and figurative paintings. What other classes did you take that influenced your styles? We took a painting class in a different department, which was taught by Nathan Ota. At the time, we would just paint in black and grey, so we wanted to learn how to paint with color. We were

particularly interested in painting skin tones. That class really helped us and influenced us to do more figurative paintings, rather than abstract. Lots of time and practice, practice, for sure. What was your first show at school, what was the content? Did they let you exhibit together? Our first show was a group show in our junior year. Before that, we were already working as a team, so they let us exhibit together. We did a still life painting in which we both painted on our own wood panels, then put them together to make one single image. What was it like once you graduated? Did you work from home or from a studio? Did you have a mentor or look for representation? Some of the first paintings were sneakers, and it seemed like for a year, that was our thing. It seemed like it was easy because there were no skin tones or faces. It wasn't until after Otis when one of our uncle's friends commissioned us to do a painting of his Mustang, that we got the idea to do more car paintings. We began to take commissions from friends and family, and friends of friends. We worked from home for about a year, then we got

Above: Let's Groove, Acrylic on canvas, 96"x72", 2022

lucky and were able to get a little converted garage studio space that we shared with our best homie. We then began working on a body of work in order to have something to show galleries. We didn’t seek representation, we just wanted a gallery to show our work in an exhibition. At that point, you must have developed a style of working together. Can you describe how you go about doing it and has it changed? It has changed over the years. In the beginning, we would each pretty much focus on the left or right side of a painting. But over time, we realized we were each better at painting certain things. So now we both just paint those specific things. Right now we get up around 2:30 in the morning, go to our day job, then come home and paint from around one or two until 6:00 pm. When do you go to sleep?! Late, like 11:00 pm. We just need four hours, tops; we've been doing this since, like, 2016. It's just our love, I guess, it's a passion that gets us going. We talk about it all the time at work, at the house, on the phone, texting, all the time, always about the next piece. What are the certain things each of you likes to draw or paint, like, does one of you like drawing faces or car bodies or women? And what do you find hardest to draw? AP: I enjoy painting the clothes and all the chrome of the cars. But even though I enjoy that, I also find it hard. I always get anxious before starting a painting because I feel like I forget how to paint. So pretty much every time I paint, I use a different technique. VP: I feel the same way. I'm always scared when we start a new painting. I don't have a formula, I kinda just paint as I go. But I'd say that my favorite thing to paint is the reflections on the cars. Do you rely on photography or sketches or both? What exactly is the process and how long does it take you? Do you like to do a little bit and step back? Work on several at once? We go to car shows or cruise at night and photograph whatever catches our eye. We then go to the studio and look through our photos and pick out the ones that resonate with us. After that, we erase the background in Photoshop. Then we project the image onto the canvas and start painting it from there. We work on two paintings at a time, with each of us working on one individually; then we trade off once we're done with our part of the painting, and it always looks like one piece. This process takes us about two months for big pieces, smaller ones usually take a week or two. It all depends. Do you ever go to a car show or party with a certain theme in mind, or do different ideas come up as you're walking around and observing the whole scene? W hen we go to car shows, we don't really have an

Top: Boulevard Nights //(A crylic on canvas, 12"x12", 2019 B o tto m : Kermit, Acrylic on canvas, 12"x12", 2020

THE PEREZ BROTHERS JUXTAPOZ.COM

99

100 SUMMER 2023

Top: Gas Station Pic, Acrylic on canvas, 20"x16", 2020 Bottom: Caprice and Impalas (diptych), Acrylic on canvas, 24"x12", 2018

intention of doing a lot of paintings. We just try to get as many photos as we can, so we can have a lot to choose from. We take our own photos because it feels weird if we don't paint from our own, like it's cheating. It's best around 11 or 12 because of the shadows and it's not too bright. Or nighttime when we're cruising or they have shows. When we go through the photos, different themes and inspirations come to mind. It could be the composition or the colors or a certain car. Speaking of inspiration, are there any actors, movies, musicians, or songs that have resulted in a painting or series? Yes, most of our paintings are inspired by song lyrics. Actually, we had a whole solo show that was inspired by a song. The show that we had with Thinkspace at The Brand Library in 2020, More Bounce, was inspired by “More Bounce to the Ounce" by Zapp and Roger. Every painting in the show featured lowrider hoppers. I know Lowrider Culture is big in Japan and Brazil. Besides LA and the Southwest, where else is it popular, and do you notice any differences? Have you been to car shows outside of the US?

Yes, it's becoming very popular all over the world. It's pretty crazy. We notice that in Japan, the Lowriders take more inspiration from the '90s and the customizations are crazier. We actually haven't been to any car shows outside of the U.S. We haven't even been on a plane before or left the country. I guess, we're always busy... and also kind of scared to fly places in planes. But do you have a dream destination/vacation? AP: I would really like to go to Paris, France, so I can visit Jim Morrison's grave. VP: I'm not really into traveling, but Japan might be pretty cool. I'd like to check out the Lowrider scene over there. Also, New York, to check out the museums and galleries. Is there a message that you feel you're sending with your art, or is it as simple as celebrating identity and culture (though that's not exactly simple!) Yes, we are celebrating identity and culture through our paintings. Car clubs are always doing charity-based shows, and they attract all kinds of people. But also we hope our

Above: Mural painted at Dr. Maya Angelou Community High School in South Central LA, 2019

paintings inspire people. The cars are just there, but the main thing is the people there, their expressions, the interactions, the things they're doing, and the vibe. It's the people, they're having a good time, being relaxed, and doing happy things. What's interesting is that you say you're introverted, but you take such joy in the atmosphere of the shows and the people who attend. You have such a good outlook. Yeah and no, it's weird how we have that vibe because we're always anxious, always overthinking everything—a lot. I guess we like the pressure of a deadline. It's due in an hour. Well, it's done, and after that, it's like.'Whoa! I did this?!" So, we're anxious, but, yeah, we are happy people. We just want to push boundaries and continue the love of the culture. D The Perez Brothers will be showing in the Thinkspace Projects curated exhibit LAX / NDSM and at the STRAAT Museum in Amsterdam from June 17— July 30,2023. theperezbros.com

THE PEREZ BROTHERS JUXTAPOZ.COM

101

Kezia Harrell ” o Be Precious Interview by Shaquille Heath Portrait by Celeste Harrell

104 SUMMER2O23

Above: Butterflies Are Bows #2 (Home Is Where The Heart Is), Ink, gouache, chalk pastel on cotton paper, 22"x3O", 2020

ne painting that really defines extends beyond painting to comic book making and paper dolls—a variety of creative avenues that Kezia Harrell is a piece called bring her fancies to life. Sometimes these fantastical Americana Hot Momma. Harrell, compositions hide little fragments of darkness, like who regularly centers on her nude self, slumbers soundly Such Gatherings where the wretched faces of men from the earth like pesky garden weeds. upon a hill, her face deeply gruntled emerge in the midst of hibernation. Sleeping figures oftenHarrell's dream figure remains unbothered, using her god­ given gifts to push them back into the ground. of the magical world around them, but in this playful scene that landscape is the napper's reality. Harrell admits that even she still finds meaning Centered is her guide, who is no fairy godmother, from the meticulous work that is composed, nor a mysterious rabbit in a hat, but a spirit baby a constant evolution of uncovering and (lovingly named Munki Burrito). Wrapped in understanding, as so often derived by hindsight. purple fur, this guide wafts knowledge cast as It might be best for us all to take a step back and sparkles of pink and yellow light into the midst not question the nonsense. Better yet, let it blow a of Harrell's daydream. As the viewer, you might little light of knowledge into our faces too. wonder if it is you who has fallen down a rabbit hole and stumbled into this fantasyland. If so, you Shaquille Heath: From following you on social would be so lucky. media, 1 feel you're such a joyful person. How do you take care of yourself to ensure that joy? Harrell is an artist who has bequeathed herself to the canvas. She lets her mind run free and allows her Kezia Harrell: That's such a good question! Joy is the center of my creative function because art inquisitive nature and curiosity about the world to making has been my main focus since infancy. flow out from within. It is this light that beams from The other day when my mother and I were sun­ her imagination and creates the cartoonish worlds bathing on the porch, she told me this story about that are present in her paintings. Harrell's practice

O

Above: Wolves, Marker on cotton paper. 30"x22", 2018

when I was a baby and said, "I remember you were about four or five months old and I had you lying down on the floor and I was on the floor with you. We had three colors, we had red, white, and black and you were literally mesmerized. I could not unlock you from those colors. I just observed you and I thought that was the most amazing thing, so maybe that was your very first experience in life with connecting to something in life that would be your foundation to being an artist." My mother remembers one of the very first times I desired to paint. I have two studio spaces in my home which allow me the space to create; having space to create is pivotal to my joy. My studio space is my laboratory, an extension of my physical being. I also think my whole life I thought I was a cartoon character. All of my astrological placements prove that I literally am. We gotta get into that! What are your placements? I have my Leo sun. Leo rising. And my Taurus Moon.

K EZIA H A R R E LL J U X T A P O Z .C O M

105

That is a lot of high energy! Yeah, it's very cartoony! But also, I grew up around a whole bunch of goofy people. And Fve always been an artist. Before I became an oil painter, I would make comics and I would build my own worlds with paper dolls, and all kinds of stuff. I think being able to look externally and create an object or a world out of that, has always just sparked my fascination. And my life, honestly. Fve always seen life from an observative perspective. So I think, I just look at it that way. I also just really love making people laugh because I just come from that kind of family. A bunch of goofballs, for real. I really appreciate the joyous energy. I imagine some of the little mythical creatures and characters I see in your work are little goofsters? Exactly! I think that Fve just been looking at life more objectively in a spiritual way. I feel like the best way I can explore some of my psychological stuff is to just create and not question it. I went to school at the San Francisco Art Institute and I feel like that experience made me question everything. But now Fm just like... let it out. So Fm often still unraveling the meanings in my work

because they have so many different meanings. I really opened up a portal and I can't stop. I admire the openness of allowing yourself to kind of go to the canvas and just see what flows out. What are some of the meanings that you've been able to see after you finish a piece? In my piece Hot Momma Americana I really wanted to take on the ancient motif of Mother and Child. What always stands out to me is the removal of the father in these paintings. The cherub is the spirit baby. The life of the spirit baby is about convincing their correct parents to bring them into the physical world. There's nothing more that the spirit baby wants than to be alive in the physical world with their family but not always are the circumstances correct for that spirit to transition into the world. The spiritual baby is a protector first, but they also can be highly manipulative to protect. So, in my piece Hot Momma Americana, my spirit baby (whom I refer to as Munki Burrito) is tirelessly feeding me energy and knowledge (that maybe goes over my head sometimes). Until this very moment, the painting is unloading more conceptual epiphanies I hadn't initially

acknowledged. Munki Burrito was telling me "You better not get pregnant by that man. I absolutely will not accept him as a father. I would rather stay dead. You may not be equipped for motherhood at this time." And low and behold, two years after the painting, I found out exactly what Munki Burrito warned me. You have to trust your brain, there are so many memories stored in there. And mind you, I haven't read one book about Cupid, but doesn't that make sense though? Communicating with spirits isn't always direct, sometimes you'll catch on later. So my approach to painting is similar to that. I saw this picture of you on your Instagram, where you were playing with art. Did you know that you always wanted to be an artist? I come from a family of artists. My dad was a musician. We grew up in Cincinnati and that's the funk capital of the world. My mom was an esthetician and makeup artist. She used to create these crazy doilies. But Fve always been an artist and Fve always taken an interest in that. They would always support me and never questioned it. I was always that kid who was good at art. I remember when I was, like, five and we had to make a white rabbit mosaic project with construction paper. I remember it was super detailed. I went to Montessori schools so they're very matriarchal, and Fm still great friends with my teachers from when I was a child. It's really nice to still have that connection with someone who knew me from that point. It's almost like having two mothers. Or maybe three, the way you work with Mother Nature, too. One of the things featured prominently within your work is nature. There are these gorgeous landscapes decorated with magical forests and spectacular mountains. Are you a nature girl? Heck yes! I have 60,000 photos in my phone, 59,000 of them are of grass. I just love painting grass, I can really zone out doing that. You have this piece that I love, "Butterflies Are Bows," which is also this image on your Instagram, where you've made your hair a flower garden. I loved seeing that as a world you literally built out. Yes! The main photo reference is used as a mirror for me to reflect on the actual painting. I hold the photoshoot process very near and dear to my heart because it is my chance to perform and build the world I envision. The act of gathering materials is so important to my being able to build out these worlds. I have been gathering materials for years and I've built a nice artillery of things. I learned that from my mom, she has everything, you name it. And she always told me, “Kezia, get what you need." No matter how much money we had at the time, we got what we needed. That mindset is something instilled, and it is why I'm

106 SUMMER 2023

Above: Butterflies Are Bows, Alcohol marker, ink, gouache, acrylic, and chalk on archival paper, 16.5" x 14", 2019

Top: Bliss: Hot Momma Americana, Oil on panel with canvas stretched, 72" x 120", 2021 Bottom: I Finally Know How To Speak (final and reference photo), Marker and gouache on archival cotton, 22"x3O", 2021

K E ZIA H A R R E LL J U X T A P O Z .C O M

107

108 SUMMER2O23

Above: From the graphic novel, Bananahead Baby

able to build sets and have all of these materials, just years of investing in my visions. I want to go back to what you said about feeling like a cartoon. Is there any particular cartoon? Oh, my goodness. Well, I've been working on a graphic novel for the longest. It's just me working on it... and it's long. But it's literally about me, but I guess like in an alternate dimension. What drew you to work on a graphic novel? I guess Fve always imagined making a vault of my memories. I'm the baby of the family so I just look up at everyone with so much love and shine. I want them to see how beautiful they are in my eyes. For this reason, my whole life Fve wanted to be a cartoonist. What I love about cartoonists is that they bestow a kind of puppeteering. Movement is so important when it comes to illustrating real people, as the different gestures of our bodies speak to the audience. That is so important when it comes to telling a visual story and sparks my curiosity and desire to learn how to do that. As a child, I remember seeing an infomercial that would say, "It takes ten years to build your ability to draw cartoons ” And I always thought that was such a long time, but that's what literally happened.

Every single time I showed up to art making, I was becoming a cartoonist, and before I knew it, the energy of that became a chrysalis for my graphic novel "Bananahead-Baby.” I imagine that working on it has been sort of a lifeline, as far as just having this consistent project that you can always return to. Exactly. I like having projects that are spread throughout a long period of time and projects that I can complete within weeks or a few months. Because it's such a gamble with time. Just building the panel and preparing it could take two months because of the drying times. So in between those drying times, I work on my graphic novel. Over the last few years, Fve been putting together one largescale oil painting per year. Not only are your canvases really big, but your work is so. so meticulous. From the blades of grass to all of the different characters. While researching for this interview I've been studying your work, and every time I see something new that I didn't see before, like hiding behind a flower or tucked into a tree or something. Yes! I love those little itty bitty details! It excites me that you bring that up because I kind of live

Above: Such Gatherings, Alcohol marker and gouache on archival cotton paper, 17" x 20", 2020

in isolation. So I don't really get to talk to people often about my art. It's nice that you really notice that quality. Sometimes people tell me I should dim down. But those details matter a lot, like one of the details in this piece Fm working on now. A figure is running through the grass and it cuts her big toe and there's just a bead of blood coming out. And that's you as the main character in most of the work, correct? Yes. My perception of the world around me is my art, so I wanted to first place myself in this re­ imagined world. Self-portraiture is how I learned how to organically render realism. When I was in high school, I'd carry all of my art materials with me: my giant portfolio with various drawings in it, my clipboard, and my soft-tipped color pencils, which were then my preferred material. I had to have my art materials at all times because at any given moment I needed to fulfill the need to draw, and I'd draw myself. I carried a mirror with me and I'd set it right up in the middle of Biology class and draw myself. Of course, I paint others but it's just, if not more important, for me to depict myself. D @sugarygarbage

KEZIA HARRELL JUXTAPOZ.COM

109

ow do you paint tension? Danielle Roberts demonstrates such an elusive skill by directing scenes like a filmmaker and approaching narrative like a novelist. She amalgamates observation and experience through pictures that are grippingly curious. Growing up in two opposing landscapes, suburban California and a British Columbian island, she is adept with dichotomies: dark and bright, north and south, natural and artificial, mundane and magical. Roberts volleys between forces to paint stories that teem with tension, that are rich with mystery, and she generously reveals the deep secrets of her practice.

H

Kristin Farr: What's the most Capricorn thing about you? Danielle Roberts: The am ount I'm working. My friends make fun of me. Fm obsessively always working. It's my friend's birthday tonight and Fm hoping I see something that will help me finish this painting. I can't count on it, but you never know! At a bar? So you'll go to the party, but you'll be sourcing material. Exactly. I'll feel like it's OK to go out if I'm still working.

112 SUMMER 2023

Why do you feel so connected to the light at night? There are a few reasons. Like the movies, light can control the mood and feeling of a space so dramatically. At night, it's really accentuated because things get washed out by natural light in the daytime, so there is something about artificial light that I'm really interested in. I'm into night because that's when you see it become more exposed.

real-time. It's funny against the reality of the people—at a bar, some people might be breaking up or having the worst night of their life, and some people are having a birthday party and the best time. It's this huge mess of people coming together, but under the same light that's meant to control a certain mood or tone. Fm definitely looking for it all the time, especially when it's up against the feeling of reality.

In historical paintings, like Caravaggio, that natural light meant something to the time. It was a reflection of their values, this “holy light." With my paintings, that artificial light is speaking to a contemporary time and questioning our values. Artificial light is often based on consumption. What if the artificial light was representative of the values of the time, what would those values be?

Do you have extensive backstories and dialogues in mind when you paint? I was wondering about how you paint tension. There is often a tension, or wonder if something is about to happen that might change everything in a positive or negative way. Or it might feel like something just happened, especially in the recent show.

I noticed that light from phones, streetlights, fish tanks, and candles. Light is a lead character. In some of my older paintings, I was into vending machines because they're funny, almost a portal, and they can more directly represent that interest in where light is coming from. Waiting rooms at night give a freaky fluorescent glow, and I like barroom light because bars have different colored lights; there's a push to control it, and it's all about setting the mood in

There's one with a Pegasus statue in a parking lot, an outdoor bar kind of place. The figures are in this played-out situation where you're with your best friend, and you have to listen to them bitch about their partner, and then their partner shows up and you all have to hang out and act like you weren't listening to your friend complain forever. There's another bar painting with two figures, and I left the center more empty so it would emphasize the tension between these people. I like that limbo

All images: Photos by Cary Whittier, Courtesy Fredericks & Freiser, NY Above: Snow day, Acrylic on canvas, 54"x84", 2023

Above: Sleepless, Acrylic on canvas, 36"x25", 2022

DANIELLE ROBERTS JUXTAPOZ.COM

113

feeling, like being stuck in the waiting room. I think they all feel stuck, in a way. Maybe the tension also comes from the color palette. The muddy colors against really vibrant colors set up this psychological discomfort because it's simultaneously bright and dark at the same time, which creates an uneasy feeling. Also the placement of the people and how they're either looking at each other or not. There's a painting of a picnic on the roof, and there's a knife in the foreground between two people. Little things sometimes refer to people or friendships that have come and gone, or had conflict, which also creates tension. It's subtle, just a knife with oranges or lemons in the foreground, but that was a painting of people that I'm no longer friends with, so it was like a joke for myself. I figured they were just slicing lemons for drinks at the party. It's also that. I love when there's foreshadowing

114 SUMMER 2023

in books, where there's a little hint you might miss, or that doesn't seem important at the time, that might later point to what ends up happening. Sometimes I see the objects as having that sort of influence. Do all the paintings reference your real-life experience? Sometimes it's just the place, or a figure or two. They're like a collage from my experience and mind, maybe a painting of a place I used to live, combined with people I know now. Kind of like dreams. Is it therapeutic to paint through memories? I think so, especially when things are further in the past, like an apartment or people I don't have contact with anymore. When you put them in a painting, they live there now. They already do live there, in your mind, but I noticed I need a certain amount of time away from something before it starts to come up in paintings.

Describe the most common mood you're painting. It's like what you said about tension, but maybe it's more like apprehension. They're all foreboding, they all seem like there is about to be a transition or something. Tell me about the bus stop painting, Waiting, at the Armory show last year. It's another combination of ideas. I saw a bus stop in the snow when I was visiting home and I wanted to paint it, and the idea of waiting conceptually relates to how my friends and I, in this generation, seem to feel right now. There's not much security and we're awkwardly placed in a time where we're told to go to school in order to get something at the end, and that's not always possible. Most people I know are never going to have these old values, houses, or the kind of stability that generations had before. It puts everybody in this weird limbo where you're waiting for something to happen but you don't

Above: The sky weighs heavy through the night, Acrylic on canvas, 76"x96", 2023

really know what that would be or if it’s ever coming. So the waiting is also about the idea of suspended time. Maybe that’s the mood. That reminds me of your Santa Cruz beach boardwalk paintings. Whoa! How did you find those? I haven’t thought about them in a while, but I’m still interested in the same ideas about leisure as an answer to curing feelings of discontent. I loved the boardwalk. My Dad and a lot of my family live in Stockton, so we’d go there a lot. The painting of a shooting gallery was also from the boardwalk. It’s the same kind of liminal thing as the bar; the artificial light, it’s like a distraction with the bright lights, sounds, and excitement, but it’s also really gritty, dirty, sticky, and rough. The color palette I work with is often a grimy, dirty thing with bright lights over the top to hide the grit underneath. I like places that have the dynam ic of being two things at once. Tell me about growing up on Gabriola Island and how it appears in the work. It shows up with the waiting rooms and the ferry. I was always on the ferry. And the way that the paintings are so dark—it’s really dark in the Northern West and it’s always wet and rainy. That’s how the surfaces are in the paintings. Sometimes I imagine they’re worlds inside of puddles because of the colors. On the island, the trees are super dark green and the water is super dark blue, and all the colors are so deep and rich because everything’s wet. It’s also so dark at night; there are no streetlights or sidewalks. It was a magical place to grow up because we had free reign. We’d walk all over the place, and trails connect different parts of the island. I have memories of walking through the forest with no light, super late at night with friends, and not being afraid because we were together, but it’s kind of crazy. No artificial light. None at all. That’s why, when I visited my family in Stockton, it was such a dram atic shift. It made that artificial stuff stand out and made me question it because I had these two completely opposite worlds. One was totally flat and concrete, and I felt zero freedom to wander around because it was a bit dangerous. If anything, my influence comes from the difference between the island and everywhere else. It made everything else seem so fake and strange. I loved being in California as a kid, visiting the boardwalk or Great America. I’d visit in the summers and I was so hyped on fast food because they didn’t have it where I grew up - I’d get off the plane yelling about Taco Bell! On the island, everything closes at eight o’clock and there’s no junk food. Summers in California were chaos—going to the arcade, eating tons of fast food. My uncle worked at the Kraft factory so we ate Easy Mac, whereas, on the island, everything had to be made at home from scratch. There wasn’t really any packaged food. I like both

Top: N ight Swim (Algae Poo/), Acrylic on canvas, 58"x66", 2022 Bottom: Cast by the Contrast o f the N ight (Reflections), Acrylic on canvas, 60"x54", 2022

D A N IE L L E ROBERTS J U X T A P O Z .C O M

115

places, but maybe I liked the fake stuff a little more when I was younger. As I got older, of course, I became more critical, seeing the greater meaning of those things. Do you approach the paintings like a filmmaker? When I’m constructing the image, I do think of how a camera would operate, like what are the focal points, and what if the story was about the people in the background and not the foreground? I like to mess with where the narrative would be, versus the things that are disrupting your view. I read that Alfred Hitchcock used to do something like that, with background characters and secondary plots. I wanted to ask if the background figures are extras or supporting roles. They are their own main characters in my head, and as I’m painting them, they all have specific things going on. I also wonder about who’s looking at them. There’s a painting of a scene with cars and a glowing garage light. On Gabriola, no one has garages, but in Stockton, everyone’s leaving through the garage at night, and my relatives would have so many cars parked around. There’s a specific feeling that a garage light puts off at nighttime. You can hear crickets, and garages smell a certain way. I hope the colors and the light can express the way places smell, the same way I think about the boardwalk and amusement parks being sticky.

The way you capture light is almost abstract. I like painting abstractly and figuratively, and I never wanted to lose either of them. Painting light that way gives me room to do different things in the studio, depending on what I’m enjoying in the moment. Let’s talk about titles, like your recent solo show, Evening All Day, and your thesis, Always Wednesday. Both of those are about the suspended time idea. In the same way the objects in the paintings kind of appear like intuitive collaging, Always Wednesday is from a story at the end of my thesis about people at a bar. I was referencing real life when I was out with a friend, bitching, even though everything was fine and good, and he turned to me and said, “It’s always Wednesday for you, Danielle.” It’s funny because that’s kind of what the characters in my paintings look like. Always Wednesday is more of a limbo place than always Monday. Right, because it’s the middle of the week and

you can’t really complain like, oh fuck, it’s Monday, how terrible. It’s not like oh yay, it’s Friday. Wednesday just sucks even more because there’s nothing. Do the titles come up while you’re working? I stress over the titles so much. I never want them to fully direct how things are perceived, but I see the titles as adjacent to the paintings. I usually spend a day rolling around different titles, writing, and trying to figure out what to call each painting. It takes forever. It’s not very natural for me. Do you also always write about the narratives in the paintings? When I finished at Hunter College, we had to write the thesis and I was dreading it, so I thought of a way to make myself not hate it. I wrote narrative stories for each painting, so it was actually fun and reminded me of stuff I did when I was younger and kept sketchbooks, but I’d write in them, I would never draw in them. I lost that along the way, but I picked it up again with the thesis paper. That’s when these stories started to take more shape, and

Why do I see so many plastic bags in your work? I started doing them recently. I thought it was a funny motif to have the smiley face bag because the people look so sad in the paintings. It’s like a joke, they’re so miserable, but be happy because you got tacos or something. Like whatever’s in the bag will fix the sadness on your face. Tell me about your sketches and underpaintings. They’re really messy. Growing up, I was into artists like Raymond Pettibon, and messy ink drawing is how I became comfortable. I took a lot of drawing classes in undergrad and I worked in acrylic ink on paper with chalk on top, so I became familiar with that drippy process, and that’s how I usually start a painting. Even though the paintings look kind of tight in the end, the underpaintings are loose and messy. With the way I paint light, the underpainting is super important. I’ll start by imagining how I want the painting to feel, and whatever that feeling is in color. I’ll do a really expressive wash with that color, and try to have it radiate through the painting, all the way to the end. Sometimes it gets out of control, but I feel like the light turns out best when the underpainting radiates through.

116

SUMMER 2023

Above: Picnic on the Roof (Moon Bath), Acrylic on canvas, 67"x71", 2022

it shifted how I worked on my new paintings, and how I think about the characters. I've been writing more because it's fun to have the paintings as a jumping-off point, and then write about them — how does it smell and sound, where did the people come from, and why are they there? They can be totally fictional and that's w hat opened things up, and it becam e like how a w riter makes up stories. W hen I started, it was lim ited to my experience, but after w riting about the paintings, there may be certain elem ents I experienced, but they could also be different people.

Above: Across the Sea, Acrylic on canvas, 32" x 28", 2022

You almost named a painting “Custom Concern/ after the Modest Mouse song. We love alliteration. I love alliteration too. I listen to that album so much. Music like Siamese Dream helps if I'm stuck. I listen to that one a lot. I should fess up that I thought the title of my last show, Evening All Day, was from all these ideas I'd written down, but then the show went up, and my partner's friend mentioned a Silver Jews song. He wrote the full lyrics in the guest book at the show, this song called “Trains Across the Sea," which says, “It's been evening all day long," over and over! And I'd been listening to that in the studio months before. It gets in your head!

Art and music are best friends. Any new experiments in the studio lately? Some of my paintings before the recent show had a lot of spaces w ithin spaces, and I'm getting back into that. D Danielle Roberts is currently based in Brooklyn. She has upcoming solo shows with Micki Meng Gallery in San Francisco and Fredericks and Freiser in NYC in 2024. DanielleRobertsArt.com

D A N IE L L E ROBERTS J U X T A P O Z .C O M

117

Joshua Petker _et's Talk About Paint Interview by Sage Vaughn Portrait by Max Knight

s I navigate the way from Altadena through ever-present traffic to Anat Ebgi Gallery in East Hollywood, I notice how many new buildings have popped up in East Los Angeles. Much like Madonna’s face at the Emmys, the big changes don’t engender much of an opinion on my part, but it definitely doesn’t look familiar to me. The street the gallery is on is a perfect little microcosm of what I love about LA: On one side, signs advertise a shoe doctor, a mini market, and a smoke shop, and on the other, nestled within the shadow of the big blue Church of Scientology building, lies Anat Ebgi Gallery and a brand spanking new restaurant that is nearly impossible to get a reservation for. High and

A

low. Intermingling in a copasetic, pre-gentrified, harmony. Expensive coffees, cheap tacos... and no parking. I pitched the editor of this magazine the idea of covering the Joshua Petker opening, telling him “I want to talk about good paint.” He agreed rather quickly, and I rather quickly realized I have no idea what I’m doing. Good writing steals from reality its single greatest quality, its indescribability (that’s from Olga Tocarczuk), while good painting broadens the inexplicable experience of life by making it even more multi­ dimensional (that’s just me). I like Joshua Petker. He’s a genuinely affable guy, and he’s a good painter. That’s what I want to talk with him about, Paint. Let’s discuss the ineffable and find a way

to make it effing effable. One's ideas and opinions about art are a lot like one's assessment of their sexual prowess; we all think we have it right until we have to do it with someone new. Before we can get to discussing his latest show, entitled Tambourine, he awkwardly apologizes about a series of convivial text exchanges where he had me confused with Shawn Barber, the world-famous tattoo artist. "I had your number in my phone as Shawn," Petker says to me. I had asked him to do the interview over text, and when he agreed, he thought I was Shawn Barber, the world-famous tattoo artist. “I'm glad it's you, though," he says. “Me too," I say, as we look for a place to sit. I ask about his influences, and what he looked at as a kid. Almost every image-based artist has a turning point image that flicked a switch in their heads as a child. “I didn't grow up with art," Petker tells me. “For me, the thing that really turned me on to art was old psychedelic posters, the 1960s psychedelic posters. The amazing combination of Art Nouveau and clashing colors. I dig that stuff." Looking at the work from his latest show, I can see the psychedelic undercurrents, both in the way he's blown open his pallet and in his layered compositions. Beautifully rendered figures from 15th-century paintings are overlayed with illustrations from children's books. The subject matter of the imagery is almost beside the point. The strength of these works comes from the tension and vibrancy of how these images are reconstituted. Like a sample in hip-hop, the source is important, but not crucial to the final composition. It's a good song if it's a good song, not because the sample came from a deep David Axelrod cut or a James Brown breakbeat. When I mention sampling, Petker interjects, “Exactly! I feel like a DJ, mixing two elements that don't go together while bringing them together." Subject matter aside, the compositions are astounding. The pieces create a visceral kaleidoscopic innervation. You almost don't want to turn your back on some of them. They radiate. Some have a subtle exuberance that seeps toward the viewer from the deeply shadowed scenes of merriment, while others vibrate with a tropical fruit-flavored menace that demands a double take. There's also an anxiety throughout that I find enjoyable. The stacked imagery and the composition create an optical distrust. “Yeah... distrust," Petker says, “I like that word." While the new Avatar movie made me wish for a 3-hour case of colorblindness, hearing loss, and a general drop in IQ, Petker's' work makes me wish I could use CRISPR and graft mantis shrimp DNA into my ocular nerves. There are color combinations here that shouldn't be in

120 SUMMER 2023

Above: The Doors, Oil and acrylic on linen, 36"x48", 2023

Above: Red Coats, Oil and acrylic on linen, 48"x60", 2023

JOSHUA PETKER JUXTAPOZ.COM

121

harmony, but he makes them look great. Like when you see a tall person dating a short person, and you think, yeah, I never thought of them together but it looks like a real good time. This is a body of work that begs to be seen and felt, in person. "That's the fun for me," he says. "I want something otherworldly... to show you more than you can see. Something about clashes. Sometimes Maria, my wife, will ask me, "Is this too much?" and I never know what to say because I like it too much!"

122 SUMMER 2023

I pose synesthesia as a way to start discussing the choices he makes in regard to color, but he expresses doubt in having it, though "My daughter thinks she got it." Then immediately the talk veers into music again. "Music was a bigger influence than art," he says. These paintings are harmonies, complex fugues of layers and colors, each supporting the whole even when they clash and create tension within the picture plane. There are riffs on

motifs throughout these works. It's like jazz, but not, landing somewhere closer to a live jazz performance where each player gets a turn to riff on the theme, but in this show the colors are the musicians. His color work is central to these new pieces, managing, for example, to render light as a semi-gaseous citron cloud in the largest piece, Cellar Song. It's a large horizontal piece depicting various musicians, dancers, and revelers in a dark space crowded with all sorts of extraneous other characters. The palette ranges from a reddish blue

Above: Cellar Song, Oil and acrylic on linen, 138" x 61", 2023

duet with turquoise to a couple of fierce cadmium yellow streaks across a scarlet set of minstrel pants. Mustard yellows lie as anchoring bass notes syncopated across the diptych (even as I type this, I realize it doesn't make any sense). In the piece Red Coats, the sky is turquoise, pale corpse green, and a watermelon rose all at once with a burning orange sun setting in the distance. But especially in this piece, you can see he understands the secret that made Gauguin's so inexplicably strong—the grays. Half of the painting is subtly

muddied and dun. There are fifty shades of alley cat carefully played out across this work, all of which make the colors shine even more without veering into the gaudy or glaring. I wonder if there are any color combinations that are overly comfortable, mixes, or companions that he finds himself leaning toward in his studio. “I'm still in the blue and red, to be honest," he says. “I just love that color combination. You have that blue on that red, and they move. Even when

they're not moving. There was a time I couldn't use green, but now I can." When I ask what changed, he shrugs, “Probably just learning to paint." We start talking about his studio practice. Every artist has a way they get themselves to create something novel, some combination of rituals, and even gambles, that provide a fertile atmosphere in which to succeed or fail. Amy Sillman describes a painting studio as a kind of “haphazard chemistry lab where non-

JO SH U APETKE R J U X T A P O Z .C O M

123

scientists work like medieval alchemists.” Petker prefers to work alone. "I enjoy nearly every part of the job and feel Fm too flighty to manage having others help in the studio.... I'm in the studio four to five days a week working normal business hours. I most often listen to audiobooks or podcasts. I love music but find it too distracting when Fm working. At least, no music with lyrics.” Which makes sense, since he's composing rhythms and melodies, not writing poetry. "In the studio things are fairly under control. It's a calm and meditative process to work on a painting and Fm pretty tuned in to what Fm doing. However, the inspiration behind work certainly comes from chaos. I read a lot and am interested in ideas. I always have a multitude of thoughts going on at one time and painting is a moment of silent pause amongst that chaos.”

"The inspiration behind work certainly comes from chaos." When I ask him about what he's been looking at lately, he says, "Just being honest, I don't look at much besides my friends. It's a weird balance because if you close yourself off you run that risk of being too insulated... I also don't like seeing too many things and getting affected... I feel like I have a very clear idea of what I want to do.” When I push a little, and ask what his biggest influence is, he admits, "How do you put this into words... psychedelics.” I try to backpedal this and offer that psychedelics could be a conceptual placeholder to help us to describe the ineffable source of inspiration, or the intuitive feelings that guide choices in the studio, but he clarifies, "I'm literally saying that taking psychedelics was what I think led to a lot of this stuff. It's one of the most important things I've ever done in my life... I think it opened up my eyes, though I haven't done it in twenty years.” I feel compelled to chime in and give a truncated psychedelic resume of my own. But leave out the acid-drenched story of falling through a door at the Warfield in San Francisco during a Jerry Garcia show, landing in the venue's stockpile of Christmas decorations, and losing my shit when I thought all the Deadheads had turned into reindeer. Although psychedelics is the only branch of drugs that have their own font, he doesn't lean too heavily on the predictable aesthetic of hallucinogens.

124 SUMMER 2023

Top: Pink Suspenders, Oil and acrylic on linen, 48"x48", 2023 Bottom: Look Back, Oil and acrylic on linen, 69"x61", 2023

In Dave Hickey's collection of essays, Air Guitar, he goes through the set list of psychoactive chemicals and their cultural byproducts. "Heroin culture has produced some great jazz and some even greater writing. Amphetamine culture has cranked out zillions of good country songs, lots of Hot rods, tons of high fashion, and some very shiny art... and thanks and no thanks to cocaine, we have Rambo flicks, disco, and Freudian analysis." But when it comes to psychedelics, he explains that they change the way we see what we see. Therefore, they can be signifiers of an experience that is more than what merely appears. "Within the deeper history of image­ making, psychedelia is a manifestation of anti­ academic strategies." I ask what other artists he surmises have had their aesthetic affected by psychedelics, and Petker ponders, "I’m not sure I know the answer to this. For me, seeing psychedelic rock posters was the first time I felt totally affected by created images. I think of the famous poster artists of that time: Stanley Mouse, Alton Kelly, and Wes Wilson, for example. The clashing colors and Art Nouveau aesthetic really hit me. But as music has always been a larger influence on my life than art, I'm sure the connection weighs heavy on me. In regard to serious painting, I think of works by James Ensor, Frantisek Kupka, Paul Klee, Marc Chagall, Francis Picabia ... it's a large subjective list of people." To paint these days is to make a conceptual choice. I should say, to paint well these days is to make a conceptual choice. Petker's works affirm the vitality of choice of pushing around pigment on a surface. The sense of play and color within these pieces is that of a well-rehearsed group of incredible musicians ... jamming. It has that feeling of a session. There is freedom throughout the pieces that allow "mistakes" to look at home without forcing the eye to correct them. The artist's hand is evident at the party, but not the voice taking over the party in a podcast-like monologue nor a giant BURP. So much work on canvas recently has been weighing down the ends of the spectrum of technique, overly fetishized technicians versus the regurgitated rebirths of zombie formalism. Petker goes on to observe that he wants "to make paintings people like... attractiveness is a big part of it. This, I believe, is the core reason why the 'paint is dead' or 'painting as sign making' revolution lost the war. Paintings are great to look at. Collectors are going to look at it one way, academics are going to look at it another way... and for me, the goal has always been to make something that pleases both camps. That's what I'm hoping for. Because they're attractive, but I think you can dive into them on a more intellectual level."

Above: Tambourines, Oil and acrylic on linen, 61"x 138", 2023

The millions of choices a painter makes are evident and compelling to the eye. We have evolved to navigate this world mostly by sight. Paintings can foster a softly vigilant frame of mind that is akin to watching a flame. In an optically saturated world, where so much is aggressively vying for saliency and attention, good paint can be a nourishing cerebral oasis.

my definition recently, but what I've always thought of as sublime is something so beautiful it could kill you. Like looking at the ocean. You feel relaxed, but it's so scary. Sharks and drowning, and vastness... but you could stare at it for hours. If my work hints at that unsettling, that's good." D Petker s solo show. Tam bourine, was on view atA nat Ebgi Gallery in Los Angeles this past winter.

"I struggle to come up with a definition of sublime," Petker muses, "and someone challenged

JoshuaPetker.com

JOSHUA PETKER JUXTAPOZ.COM 125

When is a Good Time to -reakOut? Interview by Charlotte Pyatt Portrait by Dan Streit

128 SUMMER 2023

Above and opposite page: Drum m er Studies (triptych), Oil on canvas, 65"x8O", 2022

he psychological impact of mass media has fascinated artists and cultural commentators since Marshall McLuhan and the 1960s. While evolving technologies enhance our activities exponentially, they also threaten our ability to consume and process information in a meaningful way as the volume and speed risk desensitizing our normal emotional responses and connection to the world. This 'cognitive overload" reverberates through the figurative portraits of Jess Valice. At first glance, there is a timeless quality to the impressive oversized figures, but a closer look reveals something eerily immediate, a familiarity we recognize in her primal landscapes. The focus is almost entirely on the central figure with minimal distractions. Doe-eyed, heavy hooded lids look out beyond the viewer with a melancholic stare that passes right through. While expressions are neutral and their positions still, an emotional presence radiates through a rich palette of mauve skin undertones, emerald green fabric, and burnt amber backgrounds.

With inspiration from various sources, including studies with neuroscience, her journey navigates the weight of expectation, reflecting honesty and vulnerability. As we reach a saturation point, Valice suspends the audience in relatable moments of emotional resonance. In a world of perpetual coping, when is a good time to freak out? Charlotte Pyatt: A breakthrough exhibition, Human with Carl Kostyal In London last year and the recent launch of Arrhythmia in Paris with Stems—you're coming in hot! Jess Valice: It's been wild. I took the following year really maturing in my work, slowing down and stepping back to look at each mark more carefully, which is more time-consuming than ever. I find now that I am more present with nature in terms of how things work, how bodies work, with a better understanding of the brevity of life and what that means to me. I visited the show in Paris and was surprised when you had so noticeably stripped back your

compositions, focusing on the presence of your figures. Can you talk a little about your process? It's so funny because people take different things from them, some love the icons, and others, the environments. For me, I want to be hybrid in my own way, everyone existing in this liminal space, a nothingness that maybe mirrors the vacancy of expression while flirting with the potentiality of everything and nothing. For this show, I think I was more in touch with myself and my own personality and I'm really excited to continue in this direction. Go deeper without fear toward something more gestural, more primal. I find your DIY energy, especially as a self-taught artist, really inspiring, and I'm sure other artists do too. Tell us more about how you came to art. I was studying biopsychology (which is the science of the brain and nervous system and how they influence behavior) and left my studies in pursuit of a career in the arts. Long story short, I started working in an artist studio where I expected to be learning with a brush in my hand. It was actually more of an instructive process on the ecosystem of the art world and the scene.

JESS VALICE JUXTAPOZ.COM 129

Not only did I learn that being a full-time artist was possible, but the experience also taught me how to be tough enough to endure it. So I never attended art school, I just read a lot of books. There was an eclectic range of paintings I was drawn to, from the innocent pink-cheeked baroque images of Fragonard to the expressive psychological markings of Bacon. It was fun and easy learning this way. Now that I'm reading about the abstract expressionist movement, I also draw a lot of inspiration from the Renaissance, particularly the expressive nature of the eyes and the pain they radiate. They are never the focus for the narrative but always have such a presence.

I wonder what influence you feel one has on the other for your practice. I think that studying the body just made me more curious about people's minds. It's all so intricately linked. I think about placing characters in a certain environment and I enjoy observing the assumption that follows, that we know what they are thinking. No one knows where they've been, but people use their own experiences to tell or complete the story. I have a lot of fun with that ambiguity. As a neuroscientist, you must be creative, as with all sciences. How we discover anything has to come from someone who is utterly insane. Without insanity, we have no creatives.

There is something poetic about studying the mind and then transitioning to the visual arts.

The eyes are an unmistakable characteristic of your work. How, if at all, do you consider

130 SUMMER 2023

traditional notions of the gaze? The gaze now, as it was then, wasn't about sex. Their gaze is more ambiguous, pulling you in, maybe a cry for help, maybe critiquing you. The traditional gaze has more intent and is loaded with the enormity of their experience. My characters are a little more disarming. I want you to stay with them, and them with you... just in the eyes. When I see my figures, usually I cannot place them in any category. I identify them as all me, and all everyone, like some primal unity and coexistence, I'm not sure what that translates to, as we all see what we want to see. For this interplay between the subconscious and conscious intent, how much of yourself do you think comes through your work? Probably more than I think. The characters are

Left: Broken Collar Bone, Oil on canvas, 30" x 40", 2022 Top right: The Problem Solving Man, Oil on canvas, 48" x 52", 2022 Bottom right: Scream Pillow, Oil on canvas, 65" x 80", 2022

Above: I Guess W ere Both Crate Trained, Oil on canvas, 65" x 80", 2022

J E S S V A L IC E

J U X T A P O Z .C O M

131

132 SUMMER 2023

Above: Teal Boy, Oil on canvas, 12"x16", 2022

no one in particular, but parts of me permeate their identity and I find them there on reflection. These puffy swollen faces and heads, it's how I feel sometimes. I used to wake up with swollen hands and cheeks, that was my experience. These things we see or feel in our bodies and can recognize

"There is so much to worry about, that we forget to worry about ourselves and then it's too late,"

100 years ago hearing about a little button that someone could push that would wipe you out, there would be people screaming in the streets! I'm not sure we know when to freak out now, as we just perpetually cope in heightened states which again is where psychology comes into play. Why isn't anyone freaking out? As we filter such enormous amounts of terrifying information via our screens, when is a good time to freak out? The figures are more gentle reflections of this intensity, so I want them to stop you and then bother you later. Take a photo and you revisit it to torture yourself, haha, searching for where that familiarity is. The role of the artist as an agent of change, or a mirror to society, is acknowledged, so how conscious are these notions in your practice? The other day I was speaking with a musician friend and the conversation was, "What am I supposed to write about?" Our brains are scrambled eggs, so it's so hard to be in one direction when we are led down a billion paths. Al is the same offering, a new wave of newness. Change is accelerating at such a rate, keeping everyone calm because they feel they are in

motion. Feelings of uncertainty and the desire to be stimulated to the point of exhaustion—they are the focus, overwhelmingly so. To not know the right answers is hard as if we cannot access truth. So what does any of it mean? There is so much to worry about, that we forget to worry about ourselves and then it's too late. I have never considered my work political but I recognize that the work and the anxiety that resonates is impacted by these discussions. For the pressures themselves, I don't identify specific topics or dates, nor do I isolate them. The primal landscape of my work is relatable but not recognizable by design. What's coming up next? Next month I have a group show at Almine Rech in Brussels in advance of my solo exhibition with them in 2024, then Art21 with Carl Kostyal in Asia. I'm just really excited about having this time to focus, get back to inventing, and staring at the canvas until I'm ready to make a move. □ @jessvalice jessvalice.com

in others are more important than making everything anatomically correct. I see it in the details too. My dad's side of the family moved to Detroit from Italy in search of better opportunities and I'm certain that Italian iconography subconsciously filters into my work. For me to feel like I'm portraying them correctly, they need an attitude like they have just witnessed something, been affected by, or committed a crime associated with the mafia or war in general. Ultimately, I don't think you can remove yourself from your past and you can't chase it; you would be tripping over your own shadow. Unfortunately, it doesn't stop me from trying! I'm tripping almost every minute. Not doing so is a great m antra that I wish I could live by. Realistically, I have no free will. On that point, while the work explores a deep focus on the self, how do you feel these themes reflect or engage with our present moment? There is this overwhelming sense of fatigue that I think is typifying our generation, the weight of a spectrum of emotional responses that digital space provokes in us every day. We have never been more exposed to devastating news stories, politics, war, fighting, and hunger. It's all so complex—this is where the science and melancholia come in—the recognition of this blankness as a widespread response. It's too much to feel. I would have a hard time painting someone crying. I don't want to show you the release... I want to show something else. This idea of'crisis' I think is so different now, and our methods of consuming information and coping with it are arguably far greater. Imagine

Above: Fortress, Oil on canvas, 65"x70", 2022

J E S S V A L IC E

J U X T A P O Z .C O M

133

EVENTS

WHERE WE'RE HEADED

Keith Haring: Art is For Everybody @ The Broad, Los Angeles

Through October 8, 2023 As soon as a young Keith Haring put pen to paper, he laid claim to a unique aesthetic, original and seminal. What looked deceptively simple were bold paintings and drawings that first appeared on the street, then to a studio practice, outlines that were dramatically relevant on a canvas or a coffee mug. Haring is a line-in-the-sand sort of figure in the art world. Possibly more than Warhol, he demonstrated that pop culture, pop consumption, and fine art could be applied to a mass scale. This summer, in what promises to be a blockbuster, The Broad will present Keith Haring: A rt is For Everybody, the first and long overdue museum survey of the late painter's work in Los Angeles. Over the course of 120 artworks and archival material, the icon will be presented by his icons, his signature character works that traversed from the subways of NYC to the prominence of gallery works, from murals around the world to the incarnation of the Pop Shop. And yet, it wasn't just his ascendancy across different mediums and avenues, but that Haring's characters evolved with him, grew more political, more tenacious, more subdued, even up to his untimely death at the age of 31 from complications of AIDS. He famously wrote in his journals that "Nothing is important... so everything is important." This so perfectly captures the essence of why such a show is needed, and titled, as such. Haring made art accessible without losing its nuance and power to articulate deeper human emotions. He made himself available, but rarely at the expense of his craft. Featured prominently in this exhibition will be Haring's work in nuclear disarmament and the anti-Apartheid movements, deeply enriching our understanding of where his career would have ventured had his life not ended so soon. He thought of everybody, he made work for everybody, and now all of us can experience that magic. TheBroad.org

Ansel Adams in Our Time @ deYoung Museum, San Francisco

Through July 23, 2023 Driving into Yosemite Valley, it's likely you'll encounter dozens of photographers gathered in the same locations, pointing their cameras in the same directions that Ansel Adams once did. He is a man whose name is synonymous, for many generations, with the art of photography, whose pictures spring to mind when contemplating the splendor of the American landscape. His images have become shorthand for a ubiquitous kind of photography that emphasizes the beauty and grandeur of the natural world. The exhibition Ansel Adams In Our Time, currently on view at the de Young Museum in San Francisco, rises to the challenge of revisiting the legacy of such a widely studied and exhibited artist, placing his work in direct conversation with his predecessors, contemporaries, and present-day image makers pushing the boundaries of landscape photography. The newer photographs, whether challenging, subverting, or building on Adams' vision of photography and environmentalism, re-engage the viewer with the content, context, and artistry behind his most celebrated prints. Adams was a technical master and evangelist of his craft, but also a prolific teacher, writer, and conservationist who very early on in his career understood the power of the photographic image to communicate ideas with a wider audience. It's why your parents may have had that Sierra Club calendarorframed poster of Half Dome hanging on their wall. Through Ansel Adams in Our Time, we are presented with a rare opportunity to contemplate his influence, the evolution of photography, and the fate of the landscapes he immortalized. FAMSF.org

134 SUMMER 2023

WHERE WE'RE HEADED

EVENTS

Zoe McGuire: Earthshine @ Library Street Collective, Detroit Through June 24, 2023

Magda Kirk: CLOSER @ GR Gallery, NYC August 3—26, 2023

Julian Pace @ De Brock Gallery, Knokke, Belgium June 3—July 16, 2023

There is a palpable thickness in the flesh that

Since he came into the contemporary art

Magda Kirk paints. Her nude characters emerge, tattooed, through a smoky haze, like dreams

consciousness in the midst of the pandemic in 2020, Julian Pace has been playing with

in the night, as they faintly fade off the canvas.

form. Not just how a body looks, but also what

But with rippling muscles and a power that

the memory does to form. When he paints

that sunlight reflected from the Earth reflected back to the Moon and back again, a natural

defies the haze, Kirk beckons you to touch and

his large-scale canvases, he bases them on

phenomenon that illuminates a lunar night.

feel each work. The Polish painter uses colors

the smallest of Moleskine drawings. And the

That da Vinci glow (the old moon in the new

that make you want to take a bite out of that

large-scale works are just that; larger than life,

moon's arms) is commonly called Earthshine

flesh, like some toothsome cotton candy. But

and is also the name of Zoe McGuire's new

these are just surface-level observations. Kirk

proportioned to be larger than the viewer, and thus, thrusting the icon, whether it be pop-

show at the Library Street Collective, her first in

is digging deeper, experimenting with layers

cultural or historic, into an almost intimidating

Detroit. An artist vividly praised for her vibrant,

of visual obstruction that show characters in the process of self-discovery, awakening, and

and audacious relationship with the viewer. To

ethereal paintings, McGuire builds upon past

be familiar with the subjects is quite important,

work in big, synesthetic, conceptual colorscapes

understanding how the body as a vessel moves

though, but not essential. This summer, De

that are both humbling and awesome, as

through the world. In a show in 2022 at GR

Brock Gallery in Belgium will host the Seattle-

she explores relationships with chroma and

Gallery in NYC, it was noted that her blurry and

born, Los Angeles-based Pace's first European

shape, with family, humankind, nature and the

partially formed characters quite aptly could

solo show, just on the heels of his standout Front

cosmos. "I'm mesmerized by the transference of

convey a sense of absence and the incomplete.

and Back exhibition at Simchowitz in LA this

consciousness on a cellular level from parent to

That dichotomy is still at play in Magda Kirk's new solo show, CLOSER, this summer at GR's

Spring. Where the viewer often sees someone famous staring back at them at a Pace show, he

child ... united through love and experience that

Lower East Side space. Magda has kneaded the

isn't necessarily thinking of the subject in the

of our entire species." Much like the spirituality

flesh more deeply with these bodies, as each

same way. "I think I'm more interested in the

of Agnes Pelton and ecological harmony Judy

appears to be looking at the mirror and seeing a

human form and the people rather than who

Chicago, McGuire maximizes the power of

form that is wrought with cultural expectations.

they are necessarily," Pace told us recently. It's

color and perfection of geometrical forms that

But also there is a vulnerability, the reality

very random sometimes... I use these forms to

undulate with life in visual studies. She examines

of seeing the self as a work in progress. The

explore color and abstraction and all that, and of

our perceptions and connections to each other,

tattoos on the flesh are reminders of an internal

course, using different materials." Having spent

monologue, and the flexing of the muscles is the

significant time in Italy in his youth, heading

as well as the natural world, in her case, inspired by the sun, which fuels her own energy. Kazuo

body gaining endurance. "I often get surprised

back to Europe is a bit of a homecoming for the

Ishiguro's book Klara and the Sun presents a title

by bodies. I think it's a weird experience to have

painter. His work harkens back to a majestic

character who feels guided by "the loveliness

a body," Kirk once said about her work. And

sense of fantasy from his characters, like

of the sun's nourishment falling over us." This

in that simple honesty, an obvious yet rarely

religious paintings of centuries ago where even if

new series of paintings presents a universe that

understood meaning of living in a body, the work

you couldn't namecheck the saint, you could feel

radiates, reflects, and yes, nourishes the spirit.

answers the most complex of questions for us. GR-Ga Ilery.com

the immense weight they carried as symbols.

ISCGallery.com

In his spare time, 16th-century polymath Leonardo da Vinci became the first to observe

ultimately represents the webbed connection

Pace should feel right at home. DeBrockGallery.com

J U X T A P O Z .C O M

135

SIEBEN ON LIFE

Drawing Centered ASix-Packwith Mel Kadel You might know Mel Kadel from the February 2014 issue of Juxtapoz, in which she had the cover and a feature interview. I know her from sharing coffee in her kitchen. Mel’s a dear friend of mine; we used to kick it every time I’d visit LA, but I haven’t seen her in a while. In the summer of 2020, she loaded up her car and migrated to a beach town in Florida. I thought I’d catch up and kick back a quick six-pack of Q&As. Michael Sieben: Has relocating to Florida changed anything about your work practice? Mel Kadel: The biggest change is the adjustment to living in such a different place—on so many levels. I always knew drawing centered me, and that’s being proven to me again. I’m not sure my practice has changed, but my relationship with it seems more obviously necessary during a time when everything else is a bit unrecognizable.

136 SUMMER 2023

What do you miss the most about Los Angeles? I was there for 25 years. I miss the constant evolving community we all contributed to there, together. It was super inspiring, inventive, and full of supportive people. LA is such a huge part of me, so there’s a lot to miss. And, of course, the tacos. Who are three artists who currently inspire you? Adi Goodrich Pecknold, Jeremy Shockley and Lori Damiano. What’s the weirdest dream you’ve ever had? This might not be my weirdest, but I remember it so vividly from many years ago. In short, I was living in the mouth of a whale, decorating it with old ornate rugs and things. I hung a giant chandelier from the roof of her mouth. It felt like a dark but beautiful cave. When I was

cold, I’d pull the whale’s tongue over me to keep warm. What’s one piece of advice you wish you’d learned in your 20s? I feel lucky to have been so hyper focused on drawing and on a specific path from a young age. But, stress can masquerade as excitement sometimes. So, I would advise 20s me to balance some of that with more nature, space, and time. Is there anything on the horizon that you’re really excited about? New drawings, new prints and now more balance with daily ocean swims. □ @melkadel

Above: Stepping Out, Pen and ink on hand-stained paper, 2023

BILLY SCHENCK works available through Modern West

A ll th e p o stu rin g was eip o sed . Schenck’s mother confronted him, asking hii why he had wasted h is l i f e pretending to be an a r tist. All the Posturing, 2017

M MODERN WEST W

|

pigment print

|

37x4610.

V ) 412 S. 700 W. SLC, UT

@modernwestfineart

K39 modarnwestfineart.com

Q

&modernwestfineart

A

801*355-3383

modern west

POP LIFE

LOS ANGELES AND LONDON

Superchief Gallery, Los Angeles 1 The long-awaited solo show by BAER, Garbage Futurism Post­

Waste, was what we all thought it would be: an Experience. The Baerettes brought Superchief to

anotherdimension. 2 Sophia L, aka +5050+, in the full BAER universe 3 The men behind the Waste:

Superchiefs Bill Dunleavy and Ed Zipco. 4 Always out on the town and

looking the part, Ozzie Juarez broke off from his busy schedule to get BAER'd.

Saatchi Gallery, London 5 The over-the-pond exchange at

BEYOND THE STREETS London, in a unique street culture that has been shared between the UKand US. Don Letts, the famed BBC DJ and art

historian, showed his collection. 6 Two legends, two generations: Shepard Fairey and VHILS shared

an intimate moment. 7 Punk is not dead. Curator Roger Gastman tooka thrilling look

through the comprehensive archive of artwork Jamie Reid created for the Sex Pistol's in the late 1970s. 8 Everyone descended upon the

Nuart Festival, including founder and curator Martyn Reed, who made it down from Norway to catch a preview... 9 ... as well as famed MTV personality

and French photographer, Sophie Bramly, who came from Paris. 10 Having one of the OG London

graffiti artists in the house, painting away, was a sight to be seen! M O D E 2 prepping a canvas in the gallery... 11 "Clapton is God" was a graffiti

scrawl seen on the streets of London in the 1960s, and lookwho is still a graft head. F U T U R A 2 0 0 0 and Eric Clapton catch up, as CRASH

looks on.

138 SUMMER 2023

Above: Photos by The Cobrasnake (1—4) and Evan Pricco (5—11)

Joel Hernandez Here Because of You September 9 - October 1, 2023

LA LUZ DE LESLIS GALLERY 4633 Hollywood Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90027 www.laluzdejesus.com I [email protected]

POP LIFE

LOS ANGELES, NYC, PHILADELPHIA

Simchowitz Gallery, Los Angeles 1 Looking like a fabled man

himself, Julian Pace painted some mythological sports figures at his solo show, Front and Back, at Simchowitz in Los Angeles.

Outsider Art Fair, NYC 2 What's behind that Henry Darger?

OAF founder and gallerist Andrew Edlin gave Juxtapoza sneak peek...

Paradigm Gallery, Philadelphia 3 Been a long time coming, but Paradigm Gallery opened their new

space in Old City, Philadelphia with solo shows by Jason Andrew Turner and NazeerSabree. 4 You have to be all smiles when your

dream space comes true: Paradigm founders Sara McCorriston and Jason Chen with orange-capped Sean 9 Lugo and Savage Habbit

co-founder, Inez Gradzki. 5 Jason Andrew Turner made it

special: new space, and a show titled Welcome Home. He was joined by fellow artist, Miriam Singer. 6 N azeerSabree fronting works for

his own solo show, Pursuit o f Healing.

CONTROL Gallery, Los Angeles 7 It's been a few years since we

have seen 3x cover artist Conor Harrington over in the USA for a solo show, and he brought When the Ship Goes Down with him. 8 Artist and current UCLA MFA

artist, Nehemiah Cisneros, brought friend along to the Harrington show. 9 Hip-hop industry exec and

longtime cultural savant, Dante Ross, was in the house. 10 After Conor's show, Juxtapoz

hosted an afterparty high above Hollywood at Bar Lis... 11 ...the night was long, the drinks

were good, and the crowd kept coming.

140 SUMMER 2023

Above: Photos by Evan Pricco (1,2,10,11), Albert Lee courtesy of Paradigm (3—6) and Wille T (7—9)

BRASSW ORKS GALLERY

Brassworks Gallery 3022 NE Glisan St Portland OR 97232

JOSH KEYES

ANIMAL CRACKERS 8 .1 2 .2 3

©brassworksgallery brassworksgallery.com @undergroundrobin

■PAUL HYDZIK 7.8.23

PERSPECTIVE

Giving How the Art World Responds to Cancer David Shrigely has donated works to the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity in the UK as well as the Teenage Cancer Trust. Marcel Dzama and Ed Ruscha are among those who have contributed work to the Cancer Research Institute over the years. Organizations such as Arts4TheCure with the National Foundation for Cancer Research and a recent "Healing Through Art” fundraiser for the Moving Beyond Cancer Collaborative in Austin, Texas (along with the organization's ongoing art projects supporting cancer patients and research) are just a few of the countless incredible initiatives in which the art world raises money in the fight against the disease. Just this past winter, Thinkspace Projects in Los Angeles

142 SUMMER 2023

held their own deeply personal fundraiser for the American Cancer Society after news that the gallery's co-founder, Shawn Hosner, was diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer. Their F Cancer exhibition featured works from the likes of The Perez Brothers, Audrey Kawasaki, Josh Keyes, and dozens more. "The mission of the show was to bring awareness, not only to Shawn's diagnosis but the incredible amount of lives impacted by cancer in our community and the world at large,'' Thinkspace's Andrew Hosner told us, "Art can help. It's part of healing. So many patrons reached out, sharing so many stories of cancer entering their lives, offering

to just buy anything from the show to support Shawn and the mission of the show. It really is to this day, just beyond overwhelming. The more we can educate with the help of art, the better.'' Cancer research continues to be one of the leading philanthropic missions of the art world. Frighteningly pervasive, it inspires fundraising efforts from the blue-chip art world, as well as emerging arts communities around the world. Art provides joy, conversation, and education, wrapping us all in hope and empathy. D You can donate to the American Cancer Society at cancer.org

Above: Casey Weldon, Truncata, Acrylic on cradled wood panel, 12" x 12", 2023. Created forthe Thinkspace Projects-curated fundraiser, FCancer.

Illi III M IN N A

e n tu n Jessica Hess David Choong Lee B rett Am ory Amanda Lynn - e t Skinner N 8 Van Dyke Alec'Huxley Adam 1 H unter Caldwell I Micah LeBrun

John Vochatzer Christopher Jernberg Lady Henze Nicole Andrijauskas Eddie CoIla Rachel Riot

B rent McHugh w S h r e y jP u r o h it Nick M altaglaiti Mykola Bereza Ralph C. Brown A rtis t Mr. Black Nico C a th c art Edward E m ery N athan Richard Phelps John Osgood S k o tt Cow gill Jason Vivona Nick F la tt I A r t T it ? . .1

Seibot Messy Beck Nicole Hay*d ena l___ Max Eh rm an I(Eon 75) Josh Thurm an Chris Stokes James Swinson Joshua Rampage Jun Yang V Chad Abbley David Ball Nolan Yeloneck Nicolas E d w a rd s-. R o b e rt B o w e n M ark Nobriga Rogelio M artin ez Justin

...And M ore!!!!!!!

111111111| M i Hnaj G a11ery LUUJUD.lMJMINNRGfiLLERY.COM

Ojpening R e c e p tio n ^ Friday, July 14th 5 -10pm Mural by Chris and Misia Farris | Music by Joshua Rampage

GALLERY

l o s ang el es

“THE ART WORLD’S FAVORITE ART GALLERY.” Garbage Futurism Post-Waste: A Review of the World of BAER.

JUXTAPOZ MAGAZINE, 2023

•

nyc

ELEVATE YOUR STATE"

W

YERBA^KI