Amir H. Fallah , Terra-Lodge (C.R., G.M., S.C.) , 2007
paint, salvaged wood, plexiglas, soil, live cacti and succulents, ceramic pots
12 W x 12 L x 10 H feet
Alejandro Diaz, Unknown Artists at Unheard of Prices , 2006
neon, approximately 36 x 21 inches, Edition of 5 + AP
Andrew Lewicki, Walnut Skate Ramp and Gold-Plated Skate Rail , 2007
wood, metal, gold-plate, 36 x 70 x 24 inch ramp and 20 x 96 x 4 inch rail
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
What Do You Care?
ALEJANDRO DIAZ, AMIR H. FALLAH, ANDREW LEWICKI
January 25, 2008 — March 8, 2008
Mary Goldman Gallery is pleased to announce an exhibition of work by Alejandro Diaz, Amir H. Fallah, and Andrew Lewicki, on view from January 25 through March 8, 2008. An opening reception for the artists will be held the evening of Friday, January 25th.
What do you care? asks an open-ended question, eliciting various interpretations from the three artists in the exhibition. For Andrew Lewicki the question points defiantly at the status quo. A recent graduate of Otis College of Art and Design, Lewicki has crafted a skate ramp and rail out of walnut and gold-plated steel. His elegant construction identifies illicit activities like street skating and vandalism, and points out the affinities between fine art and urban subcultures. In recent years, the city of Los Angeles has explored civic "solutions" to such practices by installing legal skate parks and authorized graffiti walls, a tactic Lewicki exposes as both antithetical and irksome to the rebellious spirit inherent in these exploits.
Based in New York City, Alejandro Diaz is originally from San Antonio where he developed a pertinent body of work exemplifying the complex and visually rich cultural milieu particular to South Texas and Mexico. Diaz's conceptual and campy signs and sculptures are emblematic of his humor infused politics and his ongoing involvement with art as a form of entertainment, activism, and public intervention. The question of "caring" in this exhibition applies to the viewer's reaction when confronted with issues of ethnic stereotyping. Diaz is a recent recipient of the Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation grant and has exhibited with the Public Art Fund, NY and Artpace, San Antonio. Future activities include a group exhibition at The Los Angeles County Museum of Art and a solo project at the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, CT.
Amir H. Fallah's fort-like terrarium is the result of a continually evolving interactive process. The artist interviews friends about memories of early romantic experiences and invites them to participate by drawing self-portraits as cacti. By invoking the failures, triumphs, and discomfort of the teenage love affair, Fallah exploits his anthropomorphic analogies to come to terms with the past. The enclosed landscape of potted succulents serves as a voyeuristic portrait gallery that protects the vulnerability of his subjects, despite their being exposed. A graduate of UCLA's MFA program, Fallah is the founder of the independent publication Beautiful/Decay. Selected exhibitions include Nathan Larramendy, Ojai, The Third Line, Dubai, and Rhys Gallery, Boston. He is currently exhibiting at Lokaal 01 in the Netherlands and the third L.A. Weekly Annual Biennial , Santa Monica.
Mary Goldman Gallery is located at 932 Chung King Road in the Chinatown district of Los Angeles. Gallery hours are Wednesday through Saturday, 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. or by appointment. For further information, please contact the gallery at 213 617 8217 or email info@marygoldman.com. Visit www.marygoldman.com for more information.
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