dayoutlast: Various Small Fires

dayoutlast is a record of my direct engagement with mostly contemporary art, mostly Los Angelean.

As this blog has evolved since its 2010 inception, so has my perspective. What I once perceived as central within the investigation was what was central, literally, within the photographic frame that I shared here. While still an important consideration, such thinking has also given way to more peripheral considerations, ones also accompanied occasionally by text (written manifestation of thought) and the oscillations between them. What's missing here are larger unknowns surrounding issues of presentation and representation; the amount of time and space it actually takes to accomplish such first-hand observations; and the quandaries between documentation and interpretation.

Despite my attempt to communicate here with image and text what is essential in some respect about the artwork, neither representation should ever be considered a substitution for the primary viewing experience. Of course, occasionally there are exceptions.

Most of the time, these posts are merely remnants---residual fragments---from my last day out.

--Justin Lowman

Showing posts with label Various Small Fires. Show all posts

Saturday, February 10, 2018

Judith Linhares "The Way She Goes to Town" @ Various Small Fires

Those expecting straight documentation will be disappointed by the coverage of this show. I was interested in the bold use of color and not the subject matter. So, I did my best to capture a few nice ones. They would make really nice paintings all on their own. As they stand here on this blog, I think that they make nice photos.

Tuesday, July 25, 2017

"Hurts to Laugh" Curated by Sarah Lehrer-Graiwer @ Various Small Fires

D'Ette Nogle

A Message from the Artist, 2014

Oil on canvas

96 x 72 inches

D'Ette Nogle

A Message from the Artist, 2017

Oil on canvas

96 x 72 inches

D'Ette Nogle

Open Doors for Gallery Courtyard, 2017

Dimensions Variable

(Recto)

D'Ette Nogle

Open Doors for Gallery Courtyard, 2017

Dimensions Variable

(Verso)

Claude Wampler

Hurts to Laugh, 2017

Digital Video Projection. media player, and speaker

Dimensions Variable

Edition 1/5 with 2 AP

Claude Wampler

University of Virginia Third Annual Festival of Squash Tournament

at the Thomas Jefferson Scholar Sports Club, 2017

Digital Video Projection. media player, and speaker

Dimensions Variable

Edition 1/5 with 2 AP

When dark humor hurts so good…

D”Ette Nogle: bracketing experience by marking time, opening doors, space and time in between to contemplate passage

Saturday, October 22, 2016

Jeff Zilm "Relics of the Epoch" @ Various Small Fires

Untitled, 2016

Acrylic on UV inkjet print on canvas

52 x 39 inches

Untitled, 2016

Antennae

2 sculptures

86 x 20 inches each

Untitled, 2016

Acrylic on UV inkjet print on canvas

52 x 39 inches

Untitled, 2016

Acrylic on UV inkjet print on canvas

52 x 39 inches

Friday, August 19, 2016

Asha Schecter @ Various Small Fires

Pamplemousse La Croix (crumpled), 2016

Inkjet print on adhesive vinyl

Blue Drinking Straw (Chewed), 2016

Inkjet print on adhesive vinyl

Born out of what I understand to be a photographic practice, these appliqués are striking in their photorealistic presence and photogenic qualities. Photogenics? Photogenesis? Suddenly a lot of P's here. Digressions aside, it was fun to look at these two works, ones that problematize the best parts of image-making, depth and authenticity. Painting, photograph, or graphic decal, they're all the same here. As an image pair, they also make a humorous comment regarding "crushing it" and "sucking," recycling/repurposing and use-value exhaustion, certainly used up yet reinvigorated. Kind of like painting, photos, etc...