Snapshot

New Art from Los Angeles

June 3, 2001 - September 2, 2001

: Steve Roden The Surface of the Moon 2001 Partial Installation. Wire, pencil, tinfoil, beeswax, and gesso on wood. Courtesy of the artist.; Mark Bradford Dreadlocks Cain't Tell Me Shit 2001 Permanent wave wrapping endpapers and acrylic on canvas. 96 x 96 inches. Collection of Eileen Harris Norton, Santa Monica.; Edgar Bryan Untitled 2001; Edgar Bryan Untitled 2001; Tessa Chasteen Untitled 2001; Lecia Dole-Recio Untitled 2001; Mari Eastman Summer Wolf 2000 Acrylic, oil, and glitter on canvas. 72 x 72 inches. Collection of Mima and Cesar Reyes, San Juan, Puerto Rico.; Eric Wesley Untitled (Model for Proposal) 2001 Mixed media on paper. Courtesy of Patrick Painter, Inc.; Katie Grinnan Water Ballet 2001; Kori Newkirk Nowhere 1999; Linda Kim Hair Piece 2000 Photo by Tom Fowlks; Lisa Lapinski Clown (Type Face) 1999 Wallpaper, Xerox, adhesive, staples, paint, mold, and can. 78 3/4 x 78 3/4 inches. Collection of Michael and Eileen Cohen.; Monique van Genderen . . .caught in the tangle created by a full blown me. . . 2001 Enamel and vinyl on three wood panels. Three panels, 82 x 48 inches each; 82 x 144 inches overall. Collection of TrizecHahn Hollywood Hotel.; Jonathan Pylypchuk you're next/standing at the foot of a succession of graves/facing me is a waste of time 2001 Mixed media on panel. Courtesy of Patrick Painter, Inc.; Robert Stone Strap-on Subwoofer for MBZ SLK230 2000; Ronald Santos Still from Lovers 2001; Thomas Eggerer Dauphin 2000; Eric Wesley Untitled (Model for Proposal) 2001 Mixed media on paper. Courtesy of Patrick Painter, Inc.; Won Ju Lim Schliemann's Troy 2001; Yunhee Min I Put a Spell on You Too 1999 Installation at Plug In, Winnipeg, Canada. Housepaint on drywall. Three panels: 108 x 144 inches, 156 x 144 inches, 192 x 144 inches.; Aiko Hachisuka Rolling Sketch 2001; Alex Slade Ministry of Agriculture, Manaus, Brazil 1999; Amy Wheeler Untitled (Prada Series #3) 2001; Bea Schlingelhoff Artist: Black Eyed Peas, Song: Communication, Record: Behind the Front 2000 Drawing on adhesive paper. 17 x 22 inches.; Christie Frields reverie funneled through roots of micro soft-blue, lilac qwest 2000; Deb Lacusta Still from Being Slapped 1999

Snapshot: New Art from Los Angeles showcases 25 Los Angeles-based artists who are breaking ground across a wide spectrum of media including painting, photography, sculpture, and video projections. The exhibition represents a flash-view perspective on new art in Los Angeles, a momentary, detailed map of a dynamic art scene.

This exhibition is curated by Hammer Museum staff members James Elaine, Hammer Projects Curator; Russell Ferguson, Deputy Director of Exhibitions and Programs and Senior Curator; Claudine Isé, Assistant Curator at the Hammer; and Ann Philbin, Director.

About the Exhibition

Snapshot: New Art from Los Angeles presents the work of twenty-five artists who are shaping our perspective on art today. We are convinced that more exciting new work is being made here than in any other city in the world. Snapshot makes no claim to be comprehensive. It is instead a sampling from an abundant pool of talent. As its title suggests, the exhibition offers a picture of one moment from a continually evolving scene. A snapshot is unburdened by posterity; we have approached the exhibition in a similar spirit. We hope, however, that it conveys some of the range and depth of new work being made in Los Angeles now.

Los Angeles is a uniquely hospitable city for emerging artists. The area is home to a number of the country’s best art schools, including Art Center college of Design, California Institute of the Arts, Otis College of Art and Design, UC Irvine, and UCLA, all of which boast stellar faculty rosters. Art students learn to take themselves and their ideas seriously, even at the earliest stages of their careers. After graduation many artists remain connected with the schools, either as teachers or through more informal contracts.

Los Angeles has also become something of a mecca for younger artists. This power of attraction is evident in the presence in this exhibition of four artists who moved here relatively recently from Chicago, and of three German artists. Housing and workspace costs that are a fraction of those in New York have made it possible for younger artists to work on an ambitious scale here. The city also abounds with exhibition opportunities. Most recently we have seen the emergence of alternation galleries focusing on the work of younger artists in Chinatown, Echo Park, and Venice. Artist-run spaces continue to open across the city, offering artists of all generations an opportunity to experiment and expand their practice in a supportive and collegial atmosphere.