April 14th, 2011

Los Angeles Times Photo: Pop-Up Gallery at Downtown Art Walk

Where: Los Angeles Times, 145 S. Spring Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012
When: 6pm-10pm
Cost: Free

In association with MOPLA, Los Angeles Times Photo and Video is presenting a special, one-night-only pop-up gallery during Downtown Art Walk from 6pm-10pm. The exhibit will celebrate the power and explore the craft of visual storytelling through a curated collection of recent work from Times photojournalists. The multimedia-savvy crew will also give a nod to its history with a chronological array of images, spanning from the present back through the decades. Join Los Angeles Times’ award-winning staff for this ephemeral event and block party, outside The Times iconic building on the corner of 2nd & Spring. Sounds by Big Sonic Heaven’s Darren Revell. Refreshments by 213 Nightlife.

More Info:
http://latimesframeworkparty.eventbrite.com/
http://www.latimes.com/frameworkevent

Pints and Pixels: The Cell Phone Edition

Where: Julia Dean, 755 Seward St, Los Angeles, CA 90038
When: 7pm-10pm
Cost: General $10, Students $5

ASMP Los Angeles and MOPLA present the second annual projection event Pints and Pixels: The Cell Phone Edition. The event showcases projections of cell phone images from competition finalists. A book printed by A&I with the featured photographs will be sold as well and the proceeds will be donated to SnapShop — a photography workshop series for at-risk high school students.

More Info:
http://www.asmpla.org

April 15th, 2011

Opening Reception: LMGA’s “Downtown: Incomplete LA”

Where: Terrell Moore Gallery, 1221 S. Hope, Los Angeles, CA 90015
When: 6pm
Cost: Free

Focusing on the “incomplete,” amorphous and ever-evolving identity of downtown Los Angeles, Downtown: Incomplete LA is the result of an exclusive, juried fine art photography competition open only to members of The Location Managers Guild of America. In keeping with the show’s Downtown theme, all photographs were taken within the geographical boundaries inclusive of Chinatown to the North, L.A. River to the East, 10 Fwy to the South and the 110 Fwy to the West.

Exhibit: April 16 -April 30

More Info:
http://www.locationmanagers.org

Opening Reception: 10 Prophecies of the Analogue Future

Where: Lomography Gallery Store LA, 7998 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90046
When: April 15, 2011, 6pm-10pm
Cost: Free with RSVP to: shopla@lomography.com

Wake up. Turn on your computer. Check your inbox, the news, your calendar, Facebook. Sync your phone. ‘Bleep’, your morning coffee is ready. Start your car with the touch of a button. Swipe in at the office. Turn on your computer. Check your inbox, the news, your calendar, Facebook. Open an e-card from your best friend wishing you a ‘Happy Birthday’. Rub your aching eyes and wonder why you communicate all day without really talking to anybody. Join us as we unveil the 10 best incarnations of the 10 Prophecies of the Analogue Future as seen by our very own community in Los Angeles. Real photos, made by real people, with real names, hanging on real walls.

Exhibition: April 16 – May 31

More Info:
RSVP shopla@lomography.com
http://www.lomography.com/losangeles

Opening Reception: L.A.te – Los Angeles After Dark

Where: Edgar Varela Fine Arts, 727 S. Spring Street, Los Angeles, CA, 90014
When: 6pm-10pm
Cost: Free

Presented by MOPLA and Edgar Varela Fine Arts, L.A.te – Los Angeles Afer Dark will feature photographs from J. Wesley Brown, Amanda Friedman, Zack Herrera, Ryan Schude, RJ Shaughnessy, and Tim Simmons.

Exhibition: April 16 – April 24

More Info:
http://monthofphotography.com

Photographer J Bennett Fitts has a pretty fantastic series of images called “No Lifeguard On Duty” depicting abandoned pools around the country, many of which are in SoCal (above is from the Inland Empire). I find these image both haunting and captivating – forgotten dreams in many ways. Especially since so many of these appear to be at closed hotels, you can imagine families going on vacation and being excited to stay at a hotel with a pool – and what’s become of those now. I love these.

This is a unique opportunity to see 3-D images like you may have never seen them before, along with commentary from one of L.A.’s most entertaining local treasures. The photographic journey will travel as far back as the Victorian era, a time when viewing 3-D photos on cards through a stereoscope was a popular form of entertainment, to the 1940s and 50s, when View-Master disks were introduced as an alternative to the scenic postcard. This is going to be an extravaganza not to be missed!

Charles Phoenix will be presenting his first ever retro 3-D slide show tomorrow, Sunday, May 9th and on Sunday, May 16th at 3pm at the Downtown Independent, which is located at 251 S. Main St., L.A. 90012.

You can click here to purchase tickets.

Consider recent posts such as one contrasting a plein-air painting with a real-life vista from the Heights, or a bit down the page (sorry, no links on the post titles) the post titled “Suit and Tie”, showing a “desk” composed of cinderblocks & a plank of wood overlooking the vista of Downtown from a grassy, overgrown hillside–they leave one with the sense that Montecito Heights regards the wilderness in a companionable manner, and that the feeling is mutual; and the other images on the blog paint the picture of a scrappy, resourceful and close-knit community.

The author’s contrasts of the seasonal changes in the landscape (titled “Two Tone” and a bit down the page) are amazing and show some serious dedication.

Cheers to you, anonymous Montecito Heights chronicler. You’re putting a face to a name I’ve heard for years but have only driven confusedly through maybe twice. Now I actively want to go back and explore.

The details are uncertain as of yet, but it is confirmed that Mortensen has passed on. Sources close to him say that a memorial service will be held soon.

Mortensen was an instigator and a scribe of the 90′s art, culture, and music movements. He photographed Snoop Dogg, when the gangsta rapper was only 19. He cataloged the Zapatista uprising, and introduced Rage Against the Machine to their struggle. He watched AIDS decimate the artist populations of NYC and LA.

In 2007, I met Mortensen. We chatted about his life and place at the epicenter of 90′s art and music. He was supposed to write an article for LA’s Flaunt magazine, where I worked at the time, about his life, but instead of an article, he gave me a 22 page stream of consciousness, impressionist brushstoke of his experiences. ..We crafted it into a piece, but his unstructured, exploded grenade of 90′s snapshots tells more about Shawn as a person, and about the 1990′s.

Today I published, for the first time, Shawn’s unedited draft as an epitaph for a man responsible for creating the identity and the artistic arc of the 1990′s.

The Final Draft of Shawn Mortensen

from his email to me:

when Man Ray left LA after 10 years he had a yard sale of paintings and other pieces he had made. I am doing the same to raise much needed cash. there are prints by me and by others including Bill Ward and John Willie. I live in the Silver Lake area of Los Angeles east of Sunset Junction off Sunset off Micheltornea. These items will be sold at recession prices. It goes on through the 20th of January but the best selection is NOW.

UPDATE:

Email me kroll [at] well [dot] com for info if you’re interested.

I’ve seen his stuff and it’s pretty mindblowing. Not just fetish stuff, not just his own photos.

Oh and do I need to say it? NO KIDS!

Riding With Mary invite

My pal Chris Haston is showing some of his amazing photos at Smooth n’ Purdy at the Complex. Not that Chris needs me to plug the event – as the official NBC photographer for I don’t know how many years, this thing should be packed to the gills with celebs and bigwigs, plus a lot of photographers and the like. Which means it should be A Great Time.

Is this a link to the evite? Who can know – evites are the freaking devil.

But the show is going to be great – Chris is an amazing photographer and this is a really great project.

Show up, and get classy already!

Saturday, Sept. 27th, 2008
7 to 11PM
3015 Glendale Blvd. Suite 300
(just before Glendale and Hyperion split)
Los Angeles, CA 90039

Here’s a groovy book signing you should attend:

TASCHEN Store
354 N. Beverly Drive
Beverly Hills

Thursday, March 27, 6pm – 8pm

Ed Fox will be on hand, signing his new book from 6 to 8pm, or later if people are still hanging out.

Do I need to mention this one’s for the grownups only? ‘Cause it is.

Can you stand an evite? (I can’t, but if you want to RSVP you can try using this link.)