Through solo exhibitions and group showings, this spring art season considers everyday life, home, and more.
Courtesy of the artist and Charlie James Gallery. Photograph by ofstudio.
Courtesy of the artist and Charlie James Gallery. Photograph by ofstudio.
“Still Life Goes On”
Charlie James Gallery
Through April 2
https://www.cjamesgallery.com/
In this solo show, Boyle Heights artist Manuel Lopez presents a body of work created during the pandemic lockdown. Lopez affectionately depicts often ignored everyday objects like Nike shoe boxes, cleaning supplies, action figures and succulents in old cans — always with keen detail and fine linework. These still life studies exist in the confines of the artist’s personal space yet speak to a broader shared cultural world.
Courtesy of LaPau Gallery.
“Hasta Que Te Conocí”
LaPau Gallery
Through April 16
For over a decade, photographer Dorian Ulises López Macías has challenged Eurocentric standards of beauty and expanded the visual imagination of Mexicanidad. His first solo exhibition in the United States provides a glimpse into his ongoing project “Mexicano”, a popular portrait series that visibilizes Mexicans and raw cityscapes. “Hasta Que Te Conocí” is accompanied by a new techno mix soundtrack in collaboration with DJ Regal86 that compliments the hundreds of photos and videos with rhythmic energy.
Installation view of Aqux at The Mistake Room. Photograph by Ian Byers-Gamber.
“Aqux”
The Mistake Room
Through April 23
Aqux brings together 23 Latinx artists to reimagine home — not as a bound place, but as a combination of all the spaces and experiences we inhabit that contour our identities. What emerges are colliding representations of home that mirror our varied relationships to Latin America. The exhibition includes Jay Lynn Gomez’s prolific work with magazine cutouts, a photo series by Star Montana and sculptures by multidisciplinary artist Esteban Ramón Pérez.
Detail shot of DREAM TEAM (2020-21) by Crack Rodriguez as part of The Fire Theory contribution to lnterglactix: against isolation/contra el aislamiento. Photo by ofstudio. Courtesy of the artist and LACE.
“DREAM TEAM”
MolAA
Through April 30
https://molaa.org/2022crackrodriguez
In his first solo museum exhibition in the United States, Salvadoran artist Crack Rodriguez investigates migration through performance work and opens a space to imagine and create futures. “DREAM TEAM” is a multidisciplinary installation based on a participatory performance at a soccer field in MacArthur Park that explored the game as a space to honor the struggles, efforts and dreams of those who migrate to this country.
Courtesy of Luis de Jesus Los Angeles.
“JACKIE MILAD: Birth (ميلاد)”
Luis de Jesus Los Angeles
Through April 9
https://www.luisdejesus.com/exhibitions
Artist Jackie Milad is motivated to memorialize her Honduran and Egyptian heritage as she considers the importance of authorship and dissemination of history. “JACKIE MILAD: Birth” consists of four large scale works that combine painting, drawing and collage on hand-dyed canvas, making visual references to creation myths of Ancient Egypt and Mayan civilization. Via “disparate” imagery, Milad contemplates her own mixed-cultural upbringing as well as the complexity of history-making.
Hammer Projects: noé olivas, installation view, Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, January 15–May 8, 2022. Photo by Elon Schoenholz.
“Let’s Pray”
Hammer Museum
Through May, 8, 2022
https://hammer.ucla.edu/exhibitions/2022/hammer-projects-noe-olivas
This site-specific installation by noé olivas mines the distinct vernacular of working-class environments in Southern California to explore the “poetics of labor.” “Let’s Pray” is inspired by the instruments of the toolshed — a spiritual space of creation and community building for olivas. Through sculpture, print and soundscapes, olivas reshapes objects inspired by the vibrant landscapes of those from working-class BIPOC neighborhoods.
