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LITTLEBIRD GALLERY

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cheers,

LBG

triple canopy

triple canopy is a cool thing. in their words:

"Triple Canopy works collectively with writers, artists, researchers and other collaborators on projects that deal critically with culture and politics, and the ways people engage them, both online and in the world at large. These investigations are realized in an online magazine as well as in public programs and print publications encompassing various fields and locales. We aim to present work and advance ideas informed by a multitude of disciplines and perspectives, and to disseminate them among a broad and diverse audience. Triple Canopy, a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization, was founded in late 2007; our first issue was published on March 17, 2008."

they are taking proposals for their next issue. get more info here

!nd!v!duals

ok these guys totally rock.
I love the roughness of the close-up pieces.


they have a show up at Coleman Burke Gallery in nyc until January 9th.
these creatures must rock in person.

15 Questions about Art :: Lisa Solomon

Lisa Solomon is an artist and educator best known for her body of work which questions and deconstructs the meaning of identity through the exploration of mediums traditionally associated with domestic crafts.

Born in Tuscon, AZ to a Japanese mother and a Caucasian father, she now lives and works in Northern California with her husband, daughter, 2 dogs, 2 cats and many, many spools of thread.

***

What is your earliest art-related memory?

I was 2, in Japan with my mother for her mother’s funeral. We sat around the edges of a room while a Buddhist monk chanted in the middle. My mom wore a black kimono with her family crest on the lapel.

It wasn't so much art related as it was my first really strong "seared into my brain" visual. That black fabric with the white crest and the whole experience is something that in some ways I think informs what I look at and how I look at things today.

bed drawing :: beds in poppyland, 2007

Who has had the greatest influence on your work?

It’s impossible to name one person.

What are the main tools of your craft?

Research, thread, needles, colored pencils, acrylic, ink, small brushes [very very small], felt, pins, crochet hooks, wood, found paper, duralar, fabric, embroidery hoops.

his + hers :: lung cancer, 2009

Is a formal education important?

Only if it helps you.

What is the biggest misconception about art?

That it’s all easy and fun. I always get irked when I hear people say “Oh you get to PLAY all day in the studio. Isn’t that fun?”

As much as I love being in the studio, it isn’t always fun. Some days it’s hard and some days it's uncontrollably heart wrenching. What art-making IS is rewarding and something that I feel like I “need” to do - not just a “hobby” or something I do in my spare time.

Which is more important in art - concept or execution?

Both, equally.

What theme or aesthetic are you most drawn too?

I like so many things for so many reasons: Minimalism, pop art, dada, graffiti. I tend to like things with impeccable use of negative space, or interesting use of materials. I’m into hybridization.

It’s just got to hit you in the gut, or heart, or mind.... Then it’s working.

Detail of installation at the Koumimachi Museum, Japan :: synchronized tanks/argyle, 2007

What is your favorite piece of art in your home?

Changes daily. I love my katherine sherwoods, my aurora robsons, my kimberly austins, my amy karol, alyson fox, jay kelly, lynn beldner, jason escabedos, grace munakata, richard shaw, ron nagle, lisa congdon, gracia habby/louise jensen, camilla engman, wendy crabb, alison garnett, elizabeth soule, miya ando stanoff, aida gamez, jennifer garrido, mati mcdonough, heather smith jones, andy phares,... and I feel like I’m leaving someone out...

I’m fortunate to have lots of cool art in my house [mostly traded or gifted].

If you could collaborate with anyone, living or dead, who would it be?

Eve Hesse or Ruth Asawa

Which emerging artist do you think more people should know about?

Too many to list. See above for starters!

What has been your greatest achievement to date?

That I’m still making art. And that I had a baby.

But you are probably wondering about art achievement and I don't feel like it's up to me to discern that. I feel like someone else can decide.

What has been your biggest roadblock?

Balance. Trying to balance everything. Family, art, day job....

How do you define success?

Being able to do what you love, and sometimes loving what you do.

Detail from bed drawing :: nocturna [we'll soon be three] 2009

What will be the name of your autobiography?

I could never write one - I think people would think my life is boring.

Ok, that would be it: My Boring Life.

What is the best piece of (art-related) advice you’ve ever been given?

If you are going to make a mistake, make a BIG one.

***

15 Questions about Art is an ongoing series in which we ask our collective favorite artists, writers, musicians, sleepy dreamers and object makers from across the creative spectrum to give us a glimpse into how they perceive art through a standard set of questions.

Please click here for the archives and check back next week for a fresh perspective.

You Are What You Eat, A Diary

Schlue's

Holy Crap Crepes

with KGB Mushroom Sauce

This recipe is an attempt to emulate the Crepes you find at the Silver Lake Farmer's Market on Saturdays. I affectionately refer to the Mushroom Sauce as KGB sauce in regard to the gentleman that runs the crepe stand. He is without doubt the toughest/coolest looking Master Crepe Chef on the planet. His crepes are simply amazing!

*Measurements are sometimes approximated, please use your best judgement.

Crepe Batter

(taken from the Betty Crocker cookbook)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 Tbs sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups milk

2 Tbs butter or margarine, melted

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

2 large eggs

Butter, margarine or shortening

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in medium bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients. Beat with hand beater until smooth.

Crepe Filling

Veggies of your choice ( I prefer the following)

Zucchini, sliced or chopped fairly small

Onions (white, yellow or vidallia) chopped

tomato, de-seeded and chopped

avocado, sliced

mozzarella cheese, shredded

Eggs, 1 for each crepe

*Before adding veggies (minus the tomatoes) as filling, you will want to give them a quick toss in a saute pan with a little cooking spray.

KGB Mushroom Sauce

1 or 2 shallots, chopped finely

1 Tbs butter

1 Tbs olive oil

1 cup of chopped mushrooms, whatever variety you prefer (and by all means up the measurement)

2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

---------------------------------------------

1/4 cup flour

2 Tbs butter

1 or 2 cups 1%(or higher) milk

1 or 2 cups broth (either veggie or beef)

1/4 cup red wine

salt

pepper

garlic powder

onion powder

Part 1

Over light to medium heat saute shallots and garlic with butter and olive oil (be mindful of your heat, you don't want to burn the garlic). Once shallots have started to become slightly translucent add mushrooms. Add a dash of salt. Continue cooking until mushrooms are cooked and looking good.

Remove from pan and set aside.

Part 2

In same pan over low heat melt 2 Tbs butter. Gradually add flour, garlic powder (a little goes a long way), salt, and pepper. Whisk to create a roux, adding more flour as needed to create semi-dry paste substance. Slightly brown roux. While whisking vigorously start to add milk. Continue adding milk slowly, by adding it slow you keep the thickening process going. Once you've added about 1-1 1/2 cups milk switch to adding the broth, following the same method, adding gradually.

Once you've created an amount you feel good about add the shallots and mushrooms from earlier.

Add approx. 1/4 to 1/2 cup red wine and mix in.

Taste--- this is where you can start to tweak the flavors as you please (more salt, pepper, garlic powder etc......)

Be sure that your sauce is loose enough, it should still pour easily from a spoon.

Turn Heat Off and cover with lid.

Cooking the Crepes

*for each crepe you will be adding an additional egg. You will also want to have a small pan on a medium low heat where you can flash saute your veggies (minus tomatoes and avocado).

In large flat pan, preferably a crepe pan if you own one, heat approx. 1 Tbs butter over medium heat. Once butter has melted ladle in enough batter to cover the bottom of the pan, be careful as to not add too much, crepes are supposed to be thin. Once you have ladled in your batter and given a good twirl around the pan, crack and add one egg. With your spatula begin to break-up egg and move it around, trying to spread/mix it evenly on the batter surface. Add a good amount of mozzarella,salt, and pepper--work the cheese into the eggs.

Once the underside of the crepe has good color and looks cooked flip crepe over. It may take a couple tries to get the mother of all flips right----

Add your veggies, cheese, and a little sauce. Let crepe cook for a little bit and then fold over in half. Flip from one side to the other a few times, until you feel the cheese inside has started to melt and it looks as you want it.

Remove crepe from pan and slide onto plate. Add a healthy portion of KGB sauce and a few wedges of avocado---perhaps some Sriracha for some zing!

Eat that S.O.B.!!

Hopefully you will say "Holy Crap".

15 Questions about Art :: Pi Ware

Pi Ware is an award-winning filmmaker who began his career as a camera assistant in Madrid, Spain. An alumnus of The Sundance Institute and the prestigious Fox Searchlight Directors Lab, his films have appeared at over 75 film festivals around the world, including Sundance, Cannes, Gen Art and AFI Fest. Pi often works in collaboration with his beautiful wife and writing/directing partner, Susan Kraker. Their films together include the dark indie drama, SOLITUDE, the popular short film, THE ACT, and the webseries, FLOORED & LIFTED.

As a non-fiction filmmaker, Pi has created over 20 documentary films for such clients as Universal Pictures, Warner Bros., the Independent Film Channel, USA, and Disney/ABC and has been twice-nominated for an Emmy award for his lead editing position on the American Film Institute Life Achievement Award shows.

He currently resides in Hollywood, CA in a house that originally belonged to Orson Wells.

***

What is your earliest art-related memory?

My earliest memory is a dream I had when I was 2. Grimace, the purple, bell-shaped walking tastebud from McDonald's, carries me through a neighbor's kitchen, slowly kidnapping me. I see myself in a mirror in Grimace's arms and feel peace mixed with equal parts dull fear. I awaken.

Who has had the greatest influence on your work?

The Coen Brothers.

What are the main tools of your craft?

Image, sound, music mixed together as a poet mixes imagination and language.


Is a formal education important?

No. But a critical and supportive community is.

What is the biggest misconception about art?

It lacks tedium.

Which is more important in art - concept or execution?

Execution. That's why the porn rip-off is never as good as the Hollywood film.

What theme or aesthetic are you most drawn too?

Love despite brutality.

What is your favorite piece of art in your home?

This lamp.

If you could collaborate with anyone, living or dead, who would it be?

Paddy Chayefsky

Which emerging artist do you think more people should know about?

The whole of Downtown Los Angeles

What has been your greatest achievement to date?

Creating a feature film that became unforgettable in the minds and lives of many people.

What has been your biggest roadblock?

Lack of deadlines.

Production Stills from "The Act" (Photo credit: Elizabeth Daniels)

How do you define success?

The ability to enjoy life while leaving the world better than when you found it.

What will be the name of your autobiography?

Too presumptuous a question to even consider answering...

What is the best piece of (art-related) advice you’ve ever been given?

"Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never--in nothing, great or small, large or petty--never give in, except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy." - Winston Churchill
Also: "Keep your overall tone consistent throughout the piece."

***

15 Questions about Art is an ongoing series in which we ask our collective favorite artists, writers, musicians, sleepy dreamers and object makers from across the creative spectrum to give us a glimpse into how they perceive art through a standard set of questions.

Please check back next week for a fresh perspective.

all sorts of holiday cheer

there is a lot going on in LA in the coming weeks... here are just a few art related events
unique LA
arts and crafts
this weekend dec 5 & 6

12 days of christmas at ghettogloss
art and performance

Robbie Conal Book signing

dec 8 at the santa monica museum of art

before there was shepard fairey there was robbie conal!!

Echo Park Shop Hop
holiday parade and shopping
dec 12

and just for fun, this thursday is bike night at the holiday light festival in griffith park. bundle up and ride your bike under the lights.

15 Questions about Art :: Sophia Allison

Sophia Allison works in a variety of media including drawing, painting, sculpture and installation. Her work has been in multiple exhibitions within the U.S and abroad as well as in publications such as Make and the cover image for New American Paintings, Western Edition #42.

Currently, Sophia has a solo exhibition titled Home Home, Sweet Again at Underground Gallery through December 12. She lives and works in Los Angeles but still calls western North Carolina home.

***

What is your earliest art-related memory?

Around age 4, trying to sell my scribble drawings to retirees staying in summer cottages my family was renting. I think I made 15 cents!

Who has had the greatest influence on your work?

Too many folks to name but mostly my Dad when he told me to just do something I love.

What are the main tools of your craft?

My hands and brain; my sewing machine and scissors.

Is a formal education important?

Depends on what the person needs to grow as an artist. My grad school experience turned me inside out; I hated it and loved it, sometimes separately, sometimes simultaneously. Ultimately it was good for me, but a formal education is not for everyone.

What is the biggest misconception about art?

That in order to make art, a person has to have natural born talent; that artists don't have to work at it; that utilizing intelligence and constant decision-making don't factor into it.

That couldn't be further from the truth.

Which is more important in art - concept or execution?

There's always a bit of both that factor into art. One doesn't necessarily outweigh the other.

What theme or aesthetic are you most drawn too?

The handmade, the folky, the funky and the OCD-inspired with a twist of elegance.

What is your favorite piece of art in your home?

A Sarajo Frieden piece - it has great embroidery in it.

If you could collaborate with anyone, living or dead, who would it be?

Tim Hawkinson, Andy Kaufman or Mick Foley

Which emerging artist do you think more people should know about?

Meeson Pae Yang. Her systems-inspired installations and sculptures are beautiful.

What has been your greatest achievement to date?

Finding a wonderful studio space in L.A.

What has been your biggest roadblock?

Psyching myself out of things I haven't even tried yet. Dealing with my fear of talking to people about my work.

How do you define success?

When I leave the studio feeling that something was actually accomplished after a long work session.

What will be the name of your autobiography?

Boo

What is the best piece of (art-related) advice you’ve ever been given?

A painting professor once told me to get to that particular place in the creation of a work where I could enjoy what I was making, while I was making it.

And "Keep working" is another good piece of advice I've received over the years.

***

15 Questions about Art is an ongoing series in which we ask our collective favorite artists, writers, musicians, sleepy dreamers and object makers from across the creative spectrum to give us a glimpse into how they perceive art through a standard set of questions.

Please check back next week for a fresh perspective.

(All images property of Sophia Allison)