Art Talk
Must See Before Christmas
Edward Goldman talks about two exhibitions full of surprises and bursting with energy.
By Edward Goldman • • 4m ListenI want to talk, today, about two gallery exhibitions by artists who were, until recently, unfamiliar to me. But, the moment I stepped into these galleries, I was won over by their theatric presentation and dramatic personal stories shared through their work.
Installation shot: Aaron Fowler: Exceedingly and Abundantly Blessed. M+B Gallery. Photo by Edward Goldman.
M+B Gallery in West Hollywood. After a little research, I realized that I had seen Fowler’s work in the recent Made in L.A. biennial at Hammer Museum, where he had a big mixed-media wall sculpture of an El Camino car. It was one of my favorite pieces in the whole show.
Installation shot: Aaron Fowler: Exceedingly and Abundantly Blessed. M+B Gallery. Photo courtesy the gallery.
Installation shot: Aaron Fowler: Exceedingly and Abundantly Blessed. M+B Gallery. Photo courtesy the gallery.
Installation shot: Tavares Strachan: Invisibles. Regen Projects. Photo by Edward Goldman.
solo exhibition of New York-based artist Tavares Strachan (b. 1979) at Regen Projects feels like a major museum exhibition. The gallery walls are painted black, which makes his assemblages, sculptures, lightboxes, and neon works hold your attention in a particularly dramatic way.
Installation shot: Tavares Strachan: Invisibles. Regen Projects. Photo by Edward Goldman.
Encyclopedia of Invisibility. Stepping further into the dark space, one finds neon wall text, telling the story of Robert Lawrence, the first African-American to be trained as an astronaut. Unfortunately, Lawrence died in a plane crash and never realized his dream of traveling into outer space.
Installation shot: Tavares Strachan: Invisibles. Regen Projects. Photo courtesy Regen Projects.
into space on the most recent SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch. Yes, we are talking about cosmic space. On school buildings around the world, Strachan has placed a beacon to light up whenever the satellite with the artwork passes overhead, with the goal of sharing Lawrence’s story with schoolchildren. This space project is all thanks to LACMA’s Art + Technology Lab Artist Grant, awarded to the artist in 2014.
