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Arcadia Weekly Feb 28, 2017
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By Jeff Davis
Movie costumes from the 25th Annual Art of Motion Picture Costume Design show are now on exhibit at The Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising Museum & Galleries (“FIDM”) through April 22.
Both current and past season film fashions are on display including Oscar nominated La La Land, Hidden Figures and Fences in addition to highlights from previous blockbusters including: Mad Max, Star Trek Beyond, Star Wars Rogue One, Alice Through The Looking Glass and the Huntsman: Winter’s War to name but a few. While La La Land had been getting much of the attention of late, the costumes are rather plain compared to other showstoppers such as Charlize Theron’s shimmering gold gown from the Huntsman or Owen’ Wilson’s Zoolander 2 fur coat and leather jeans and The Red Queen’s stunning ensemble from Alice.
Charlize Theron as Ravenna from The Huntsman: Winter’s War. Costume Designer Colleen Atwood. Universal Pictures. – Courtesy photo
The Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery (“LAMAG”) is currently exhibiting “Ours is a City of Writers” through March 26, 2017. Under the direction of the curators Suzanne Hudson, Simon Leung and James Nisbet, invited artist and writers formed partnerships to create unique collaborations resulting in sculptures, paintings, sound, video, writings, mixed media and live events from nearly 60 artists. The exhibit reflects that in today’s technology rich environment, artists rarely possess just a singular specialty and frequent work with others to combine multiple media components. The end result is that the sum is greater than the individual parts or artists. Visit this website to discover a platform for an ongoing project exploring art and writing in Los Angeles featuring the Brooklyn Rail Critics Page, the “Ours is a City of Writers” exhibit writings and commentary. One of the more thought provoking works was “5 Seconds of Dreaming” by Katie Grinnan. The sculpture illustrates a brief interval of Katie’s brain waves while attached to a 64-channel EEG device during an eight-hour sleep lab study at the University of Houston in Texas. The first impression is one of data transmission over high-powered electric towers arranged in a closed circuit. What were the images associated with those 5 seconds?
Katie Ginnan, “5 Seconds of Dreaming (study for an instrument), 59” x 71” x 71” PLA and ABS Plastic, 2016. – Courtesy photo
LAMAG is located in the middle of Barnsdall Art Park between Hollywood and Sunset Boulevards close to Los Feliz and Thai Town. While you are there make sure to visit Frank Lloyd Wright’s Hollyhock House. The house was commissioned by Aline Barnsdall and built between 1919 and 1921; it was Wright’s first Los Angeles project. Every room in the house is flooded with sunlight as all the rooms look out onto courtyards, pools or stunning vistas. Brilliant examples of Wrights trademark furniture style (original and reproductions) can also be seen in the dining and living rooms. The living room is the highlight of the house featuring custom couches, a raised ceiling with a large skylight that illuminates the massive fireplace and surrounding moat. The Hollyhock name comes from Barnsdell’s Favorite flower which is incorporated into home numerous interior and exterior facades as a geometric abstraction per the owners request. Be sure to explore the exterior grounds as well; there are stunning views of the Griffith Observatory and the surrounding neighborhoods.
Other Opportunities:
Hawthorne Art Center Open House and Studios: Saturday, March 4th, 2 p.m. to 6p.m., free food, beverages, live music and art works on display from over 20 artists. Fine Art, Photography, Mixed Media, Fiber Arts and Live Music. Ample Free Parking.
13040 Cerise Boulevard, Hawthorne, CA 90250. Located right off the 105 Freeway near Space X and Tesla.
Over 20 additional studios are currently under construction – stop by and check it out the expansion!
South Bay Hands on Art (“SBHOA”) will be having it’s30th Anniversary Gala on Saturday March 4th at the Toyota Auto Museum in Torrance. There will be dinner, dancing, live and silent art auctions and raffle baskets. SBHOA is a non-profit dedicated to bringing art education to South Bay schools and the surrounding communities; nineteen schools participate in the program. Only a few tickets still available online.
