Phantastically Snooty

The press preview for LACMA latest exhibition Phantom Sightings: Art of the Chicano movement from April 2 was painfully typical.

Journalists, museum curators and other people who like to think that they're important met in the a.m., nibbled on catered croissants and sipped fancy French Roast mid-morning coffees. Artists featured in Phantom Sighting were also in attendance. Looking scruffy but stylish, they mingled with just a hint unkempt attitude to prove that they have bigger things to worry about than their appearance. Figureheads for LACMA graced the podium, emphasizing how the art speaks for itself while still managing to spew one run-on sentence after another, chalk full of obscure references and analogies. For example, one curator used the word "unruly" and compared the exhibition to Chernobyl, of all things.

Thank God the art was more intriguing than the press conference, and more importantly it didn't take itself as seriously. There are very few exhibitions that I've been to where I have actually laughed out loud in front of a piece (at least not without belittling whatever the work was trying to accomplish). But at Phantom Sightings I couldn't contain myself, while taking in Alejandro Diaz's series of cardboard signs that capitalize on whacky wordplay. It only takes little more then a passing grade in the comparative world literature class comic spirit here at Cal State Long Beach to realize just how meaningful and effective humor can be, if executed properly. Diaz's unique approach proves that sometimes putting more traditional aesthetic values on hold can be a powerful technique to allow the overall message of an artistic work to shine through.

After my run through the exhibition and the press hoopla, I decided to take a moment to ponder these artsy thoughts and walked around the side of the museum to smoke a Marlboro in the LA sunshine. Sitting on the stairs, just steps away from the overpaid high art Chicanos of the budding exhibition, I had a "Phantom Sighting" of my own.

With matching red hats and t-shirts under neon orange safety vests two gardeners, who I presumed to be LACMA employees dutifully cut a patch of grass on the side of the museum. Unlike Diaz's witty cardboard banter this Chicano work was purely aesthetic. Vivid blades of green were being cut symmetrically in a pattern of unnaturally straight lines, with no meaning or motives besides a job well done and a paycheck. Then for the second time that morning, I laughed — but this time to myself. This time the joke was on LACMA.

Juxtaposition Is Overrated

Performance art, slaughtering animals, grill, protest, PETA. These are some of the words I recieved on Sunday from a seemlingly reliable source about what was going to go down at the Annual Otis Student Art show in Los Angeles.

Being both a good carnivore and student journalist I couldn’t resist checking out the story. In one swoop I was out of the newsroom and on the Interstate 405. One hour and a dozen wrong turns later, I arrived at the show.

What I expected was hippie activists chanting over a sizzling grill of freshly slaughtered farm friends. All this accompanied by a nonchalant art crowd licking their fingers after every bite of the politically fueled BBQ.

Instead walking up to the show, I immediatly noticed a petting zoo with tiny little piglets, bo-peep sheep, birdies and the like. Next to the zoo was a grill where the artist had cooked store bought meats from the same animals listed.

How can you eat something so cute? Especially when it’s standing right over there. I think that was the message, but I’m not sure how deeply the artist would have pontificated on the meaning behind his work, because quite frankly I didn’t feel like talking to him. Too dissapointed to interview.

Artists usually mean well. Like a film synopsis that says: German WWII Holocaust period piece, it’s a comedy. Like Alanis Morrisettes 90’s super single “Ironic” which just lists a bunch of crappy situations. Sometimes it works but often, when the truth is lost in an effort to be clever, that’s when art for art’s sake and technique can be refreshingly romantic.

Of course, with this example of the animal slaughter and feast that wasn’t, there is a certain audience and niche the artist must have been playing to. Let’s call it the Los Angelenos, vegan, green and proud club. If beauty is in the eye of the beholder, than this was the group capable of beholding this art. But for the rest of us, it was easy to sigh “cliche” upon arrival.

Sorry MoLAA, LACMA Awaits...

The Tate Modern, New York's Modern Art, the Smithsonian--I could chat with you extensively about any of these fine artistic establishments. But I have a confession to make: I never been to Long Beach's own Museum of Latin American Art (MoLAA). Still that is not in fact the topic of this blog.

To be honest my knowlege of Chicano art is pretty much based on the 2002 film Frida and Barnes and Noble calendars of Diego Rivera's work. I don't think I'm alone in the ignorant assumption that MoLAA is probably filled with oil portraits of tan women with briaded hair holding straw baskets of crops.

In order to remedy this fallacy of Chicano arts next week I'm going to check out Phantom Sightings: Art after the Chicano Movement at LACMA which opens on April 6. If your like me and can't afford (or even really want to) Cancun it up over vacation then I suggest you make the trip to LA as well (by the way LACMA is free every Tuesday).

Phantom Sightings will feature 31 artists and 120 works some of which were newly commisioned for the show. In a press release from LACMA Micheal Govan, CEO and Wallis Annenberg Director at LACMA explained, "The artist in this show consciously position themselves within the broadest developments of contemporary art."

Now that doesn't sound like briaded basket ladies to me. Some of the pieces that I'm looking forward to include pieces by Alejandro Diaz, Shizu Saldamando and Margarita Cabrera. First, Diaz has a piece in which he stands in front of Tiffany & Co. on 5th Avenue in New York City with a cardboard sign that reads "Looking for Upper East Side Lady with nice clean apt. (must have cable)."

Cabrera's work on the other hand is more political according to the release what looks like simple Cacti sculptures are actually composed of recycled uniforms of boarder patrol agents.

Finally I most excited about Saldamando who uses pano arte which is essentially the stylized ballpoint pen creations that we associate as prison art. In his work Saldamando makes portraits of alternative music stars like Morrissey.

My overall goal though is to get a good grasp of what's been going on in Chicano art and Phantom Sightings boasts itself as "the first comprehensive consideration of the legacy of Chicano art in almost two decades."

So, even though I've never been to MoLAA and have no immediate plans to check it out, in a way I hope that this excursion up north does spark some interest and understanding and bring me one step closer to someday appreciating what MoLAA has to offer.

This Punk Rock is for the Dogs

In an effort to raise money for the upcoming chemotherapy for, Odin the Bear, a 7 year old three-legged pit bull, the Long Beach punk rock community came out to Syndicate Barber Shop last Sunday from 3 to 9 p.m. for live music, a full bar, BBQ, give-aways--and some impromptu tattooing.

In a way they proved that underneath a somewhat intimidating, hard exterior it's actually punk rock to help the innocent--especially if it comes in the form of an aggresive but loveable pit like Odin.

The event was pulled together by Jason "Woody" Wood, Odin's loyal master. Both have been each others best friends for the past five years.

However, Woody was not at all alone in coordinating the event which came off (start to finish) in as little as a week and a half.

Tim Trezise, who's co-owned Syndicate with Chris Cobb since it's inception more than five years ago, was the one who originally approached Woody with the idea. Not only that , he offered to close the shop on Sunday, one of Syndicates biggest business days of the week, so they could house the show.

Woody said that the event as a whole was the raddest thing that anyone had ever done for him since, well....ever.

Patrons arrived throughout the afternoon and night, in full force. Adorned with tattoes, donned in concert t-shirts, they had red cups in hand and worn converse on their feet.

One of Woody's friends said that the 300+ in attendance was a testiment to him, "since Jason is so giving and such a big-hearted guy."

Trezise added that since Woody was already struggling to pay-up Odin's steep medical bills (he had already hocked some of his stuff and his gas had been shut off for missing a bill) the idea of Woody losing Odin was just sad.

"I couldn't have that," said Trezise.

Ally Corwin, Woody's girlfriend aka his "Bird" collected money in a plastic jack-o-lantern and said that she was surpised about how the rough, partying crowd composed themselves: There was not a single fist fight. Corwin said that at these types of events, "There are always fights, always stuff getting broken, but [this time], for the most part, people were really courtous."

Some of the bands that played at the event included La Esperanza Music, the Indigants, Graveyard Riot, Long Beach All Day and a short set by ADHD.

Shred Savage was one of the few bands listed on the flier who didn't get to play.

"That was a bummer," said Trezise.

He also said that the cops came by three times to issue warnings throughout the benefit and that he and the other organizers decided to call it quits after the last warning around 7:30 p.m. This was so they wouldn't get hit with a $500 fine and have to take it out of Odin's pile of cash.

At Tim's house, which is behind the shop, Ryan Bloom of Electric Tattoo in Newport Beach and Gabe Harwell of F.T.W. a tattoo shop in Oakland were working the gun throughout the event.

"Gabe was a pirate," said Woody of his friend who was tattooing for five hours from 3 to 8 p.m.

"I came out for this guy," Harwell said nodding to Woody, "and I even drove the long way." Harwell also said that in his five hours he worked on 5 or 6 little tattoos. His favorite was on a young rocker known as "Little John" who got a skull with a top-hat that read "Sorry I Party."

The whole event was promoted heavily through myspace bulletins. A flier titled "FUCK CANCER" flooded the pages of everyone the guys knew.

The full bar and BBQ as well as the raffle for clothes, gift certificates, tattoos and skateboards were all funded by donations.

"Dog lovers that I had never even seen before would come up and give me $40," said Ally Corwin, "that's a lot of money when your drinking and partying."

One such donation came from a former CSULB Professor of Recreation and Leisure. It took one look at the freshly inked tattoo on his arm--a portiat of his beloved pup--to see that he could identify with the cause.



In the end Jason said that he got enough money to save Odin.

"It's truly amazing how it all came together....I was fucking amazed. I just want to thank all of my friends."

However his last words were that he wished Wade Pile would have shown up.


Syndicate is located at 2749 E. Broadway (near Temple)
For a new-do call (562)433-7733

Local museum finally appeals to the young folk

In an effort to reel in young Long Beach locals (in addition to all the regular attendees) the first-ever LBMA After Dark event at the Long Beach Museum of Art on Ocean Boulevard takes place tonight from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.

For a $10 cover, patrons will enjoy a lounge-style setting and a live painting performance by the aptly dubbed Fallopian Artopians. These three women, who celebrated an official year of working together in February, set up easels side by side and team up on all three canvases, one of which will be raffled off at the end of the night.

“We developed over time what sort of worked organically … I think our process is unique, and the raffle really helps people get into it,” said Margie Darrow, who brings her abstract flair to the group that also includes Justine Serbrin and Yvonne Sanders.
In addition to the Fallopian she-painters, DJ Nobody will be “spinning grooves.” If that’s not intriguing enough, there will be a cash bar and appetizer menu for $3 per dose of social lubrication and around $5 per snack-a-doodle-doo.

If that’s not still enough, you also get full access to LBMA’s latest exhibition, Three, featuring Fern Bowen, Carl Aldana and Lori LaMont, all of whom are Long Beach-based painters.

Lastly, the media sponsor of the event is the LBC’s own District Weekly, so giveaways in the form of T-shirts and vintage issues may ensue.

Already have plans tonight? Don’t fret — the Three exhibition will be on display through June 8 and more LBMA After Dark events are in the works. As for the Fallopian Artopians, check out www.fallopianartopians.com for upcoming events.
For tickets, direction, hours and more information about Three, visit www.lbma.org.

Long Beach Art Museum Portraitures: About Face

It’s happened to many of us. You go to a contemporary gallery and see all these random works, many of which are abstract, hard to understand and in general difficult to relate to. Looking at the construction you may even think, “Come on, my kid brother could do that,” if only he had that coveted piece of paper from a university or fancy art school.

About Face: Portraiture, now open now through March 23, is not that type of exhibition. In fact, it is a refreshing return to a topic that has always been at the center of many artistic endeavors, the issue of capturing an accurate portrayal of the human form. In other words, if you like staring at people, then this exhibition will definitely quench some of your voyeuristic thirsts.

Peter Zokosky, a Cal State Long Beach State Art Department professor, came up with the idea for an exhibition featuring accurate portraits created in the year 2000 and after. The exhibition was further limited to paintings by living artist, so if your soul interest is printmaking, photography or sculpture, this might not be the ideal exhibit for you.

For such a small museum like the Long Beach Museum of Art, this narrowly tailored idea works perfectly. One of the advantages of featuring living artists is the inclusion of insightful artist statements that accompany most of the works.


In a gallery discussion on Feb. 2, Zokosky said regarding portraiture, “A lot of artists seem to be reinvestigating a thing that perhaps 20 years ago was seen as a little passé or a little bit irrelevant.”

He further explained, “Whenever something becomes passé there’s always a group of people that see that and realize that there’s a lot going on there.”

He discussed the significance of the exhibition in that it captures a trend of how artists are reinvesting in traditional techniques while maintaining a “recognition of modernism” and capturing the essence of what contemporary people actually look like and what they project.
Jim Amirkhan, a CSULB psychology professor and art collector, further elevated Saturday’s discussion by intriguing museumgoers to consider the subconscious choices made by the artists.

“If we as viewers are astute enough, we should be able to look at a painting and figure out what the artists problems are,” Amirkhan said, drawing laughter from the 20 or so museumgoers at the afternoon discussion.

He also said the problem with that is, “When we look at an image … it brings us our own unconscious material so we don’t get a clear idea of what the artist meant or what the artist issue might be cause their clouded with there own concerns.”

He argued that every piece of art is a place to project your own desires, wants, conflicts and guilty feelings. Finally, he suggested that some of the reasons you might be drawn to certain painting is that the artist chose to portray something that was in congruence with your own subconscious world.

Even though the criteria of this exhibition are somewhat specific, the variety both in human subjects portrayed and artistic styles and techniques makes it impossible to be bored as you walk past one intriguing face to another.

Some of the pencil-drawn pieces are so photo-realistic that it’s astonishing that just a hand and some lead could capture such complex features of the human anatomy.

Overall, this exhibition is well worth the nominal $6 admission, but if you’re still not convinced, then the museum is free on Fridays, and more importantly, is conveniently located on Ocean Avenue near Cherry Avenue, so you can forget about the 405 to the 110 to the 10 like when you’re visiting the hot L.A. art shows.

Artist Spotlight: The Brains Behind Ask Father Holey

Pedophilia, Down Syndrome, Black Water, the Pope, abortion - on any given week, you can flip to the comics page of the Union Weekly and find Paul Hovland's comic, "Ask Father Holey," poking fun at any one of these sensitive or controversial topics.



The real shock comes when you meet Hovland. He's just like any other student except - even more ordinary. No distinguishing haircut, tattoos, piercings or even style for that matter. He just blends right in.

His paintings on the other hand do not. Vivid colors depict fetal pigs with police hats, crosses with death's cloaks, piles of fecal matter and numerous phallic symbols.

"I just like using identifiable symbols to get people's attention and then desecrating them to maintain peoples attention ... but maybe it has to do with taking things that mean a lot to people and poking fun at them," Hovland said.

He's an atheist with a cynical attitude towards politics. This may be due to the fact that both of his parents were socialists in
college and when he was born. His father, who Hovland especially looks up to, is still active in the Socialist Workers Party.

Hovland paints anywhere from 2-14 hours a day, but he never feels like he's doing enough. This is not how his life has always been. Less than six months ago he was an electricians apprentice waking up at 4:00 a.m. everyday putting in eight hours as a blue collar worker before he decided to go back to school.

He had spent two years at San Jose State University before moving back to Long Beach. Ultimately, the reason for his return was that his problems with drugs and alcohol that had started back in high school could no longer be ignored.

"I was completly miserable," Hovland said. "Drinking and doing whatever drugs I could get was the most important thing until a year and a half ago."

Luckily, Hovland started attending Alcoholic Anonymous meetings and has been able to stay sober and pursue his goals. Before he was an art student, Hovland started out doing street art or graffiti, also known as tagging.




"Tagging makes sense when you're young becuase when you're young, you're usually afriad to show any type of personality that is outside of the norm or outside of what is considered cool," said Hovland.

After seven years of tagging, Hovland was arrested in a train yard in Mira Loma and put on house arrest for three months. He has stopped tagging since. When asked if he misses it he said:

"I guess the rush of it. It's a lot of fun going out in the night hopping fences, running across freeways. It's kind of like when you're a little kid, climbing trees, like hide and seek, like illegal hide and seek. And then you get to see your stuff the next day if they haven't buffed it already."

Now that all the trouble seems to be behind him. He's started working on a digital arts certificate at Golden West College until he can transfer to Cal State Long Beach and major in illustration.

A balcony atttached to Hovlands room doubles as his studio. Paints and empty vente Starbucks cups and diet coke cans are everywhere, some holding dirty paint brushes.This balcony is his sanctuary where he spends the most time, painting, drawing and smoking Camel Filters.



Like most artists Hovland is a bit reclusive, with a small fistful of friends — most of who are also artists.

His idol ever since his first year at San Jose State is Robert Crumb, the infamous cartoonist. But don't tell Hovland that his work looks like Crumbs, because that makes him paranoid that he's copying his style too much.

Some of Hovlands biggest accomplishment include selling t-shirt designs to Tony Hawk Skateboard company, having one of his designs printed as the main logo for a new skateshop in Cerrito called the Skae Attic and recieving his first show at the Royal Cup coffee shop in Long Beach. His painting are still on display at the Royal Cup which is located on the corner of 10th and Redondo through January 31st.

But he doesn't consider any of these things to be his greatest accomplishments.

"I've improved a lot. That's what I get the most enjoyment out of, is improving," said Hovland. "I guess my biggest accomplishment is deciding to do it."