We Are Here / Here We Are
Dear friends, it’s my honor to be participating in this epic So-Cal neighborhood-wide art extravaganza with so many uncanny artists, organized by the extraordinary folks at Durden and Ray!
We Are Here / Here We Are
I invite you to come check out my photo installation, The Sun Came out Last Night and Sang to Me, which is now on display in the front windows of my neighborhood gym Snap Fitness in San Marino, 2451 Mission St, San Marino, CA 91108. Thank you to my good friends and gym owners Yulia and Allen Cutler! This exhibition opens on May 16!
Growing up on the U.S./ Mexico frontier The Sun Came Out Last Night & Sang to Me represents simultaneously being close to and at a distance from a beloved community. These photos are a tableaux of fantastical free-flying hybrid contraptions pieced together from family photos of machinery from my Grandparent’s West Texas farm where I grew up as reflected and re-imagined from my new life and home here in Los Angeles.
Special thanks to Durden and Ray, keep up the fantastic work!
Click on this link and find the location for the other incredible participants:
http://www.durdenandray.com/the-exhibition-project
http://www.durdenandray.com/participating-artists
https://www.facebook.com/snapfitnesssanmarino/
May 16
We Are Here /Here We Are.
#WeAreHereHereWeAre
@durdenandray
Snap Fitness San Marino
@snapfitness_sanmarino
@ismaeldeandaiii
Participating artists include: Luciana Abait, Kim Abeles, Abel Alejandre, Sophia Allison, Ismael de Anda III, Susan Arena, Dawn Arrowsmith, Carl Baratta, Maura Bendett, Andrea Bersaglieri, Arezoo Bharthania, Dave Bondi, Gavin Bunner, David Buckingham, Jennifer Celio, Chenhung Chen, Helen Chung, Dave R. Clark, Andrew Philip Cortes, Sydney Croskery, Joe Davidson, Dani Dodge, Jeanne Dunn, Marielle Farnan, Roni Feldman, Susan Feldman, Cia Foreman, Sarajo Frieden, Josh Friedman, Steven Fujimoto, Kiyomi Fukui, Yvette Gellis, Makenzie Goodman, Mark Steven Greenfield, Kio Griffith, Jennifer Gunlock, Jenny Hager, Stephanie Han, Michelle Carla Handel, Pete Hickok, Carmine Iannaccone, Bryan Ida, Brenna Ivanhoe, Nancy Ivanhoe, Kiel Johnson, Flora Kao, Cody Lusby, Constance Mallinson, Joel H. Mark, Anne Martens, Ryan McCann, Amanda Mears, Cynthia Minet, Brian C. Moss, Megan Mueller, Thomas Müller, Hagop Najarian, Michael Nannery, Khang Nguyen, Rebecca Niederlander, Dakota Noot, Sean Noyce, Labkhand Olfatmanesh, Duane Paul, Snezana Saraswati Petrovic, Elizabeth Preger, Mei Xian Qiu, Jenny Rask, Jaklin Romine, Colin Roberts, Michael Rollins, Liza Ryan, Stephanie Sabo, Samuel Scharf, Sonja Schenk, Greg Schenk, Kristine Schomaker, Adam Scott, Stephanie Sherwood, Dimitra Skandali, Marla Smith, Adam Stacey, Curtis Stage, Katie Stubblefield, Ami Tallman, Camilla Taylor, Chris Trueman, Katya Usvitsky, John Waguespack, Ryan Russell Ward, Curtis Weaver, Ann Weber, Tracey Weiss, Julie Whaley, Valerie Wilcox, Steven Wolkoff, Alison Woods, Paul Woods, Jody Zellen, plus many more.
We Are Here / Here We Are
Durden and Ray presents We Are Here / Here We Are, an intra-city exhibition that explores our innate desire for connectivity through sensation.
As the world turns inward more than any other point in our lifetimes, we are paradoxically more connected with each other than ever through the use of social media, digital technology, and telecommunication. But as the streets remain empty, the restaurants and coffee shops remain closed, and the houses of social engagement remain shuttered, we are rediscovering “real life” through our homes, our neighborhoods and ourselves. While the digital world feeds our need to bond through sight and sound, we are experiencing a severe disconnect from the other sensory functions of touch, taste, and smell, and yearn for experiences that happen through tactility, sensation, randomness, and place, which are only possible in real life.
We are here.
The artists in the exhibition display a wide variety of media, choosing unorthodox locations as their gallery walls, from Santa Monica and The East Side, creating interventions in alleyways, front yards, trees, bushes, rocks, telephone poles, and other public outdoor areas, without compromising social distancing mandates.
The works in We Are Here / Here We Are are ephemeral in nature—vulnerable to the elements and to those who might destroy / confiscate them. Their resilience shows an innate desire to be present in the real world and to be seen as an individual amongst a larger collective peer group, despite all odds. They can be discovered via a Google Map that displays the coordinates of each work, as well as a photograph and brief description that provides some context. A small QR code is present at each site, linking to the map and information about the show to assist in further exploration throughout the neighborhood.
Here we are.
In an effort to ensure the safety of you, the artists, and their work, we’d like to offer some guidelines to help make the most of your experience:
DON’T take anything from the site or touch the artwork.
DON’T visit the sites at night. Hours are from dawn to dusk, every day, unless noted otherwise.
AVOID socializing in front of the artwork — move the conversations to email or phone if possible.
AVOID tours of any kind. It’s fine if you want to travel to sites in other neighborhoods, but please don’t bring a large crowd of people with you.
DO follow LA city/county guidelines for social distancing
DO communicate with the artists via email or social media — not in person
DO use the hashtag #weareherehereweare on social media and give credit to the artists! Their Instagram hashtags are on the placard next to the work.
DO let Durden and Ray know if there is an error in the map or if the artwork is damaged or missing.
DO reach out to the artists for sales inquiries. All proceeds go directly to the artists, so support when you can!
