Notions of Place
Lauren Kasmer
Hilary Baker, Joyce Dallal, Natalie M. Godinez, Kio Griffith, Flora Kao, Lauren Kasmer, LaRissa Rogers, Jenny Yurshansky, and HK Zamani.
Notions of Place examines what it means to inhabit a complexity of different spaces that may be physical realities or imagined environments. They proffer metaphors of exchange between nature and human action, drawing on dreams, memories, and the spaces in between, disintegrating commonly held social views that have acted as fences around our homes. The artists will be responsive to the diverse community that makes up San Pedro, while also keeping in mind the importance that it is home to the largest port of international traffic in the US. Filtered through social, cultural, and geo-political frames, the artists explore relationships and systems of the urban, suburban, exurban, and rural landscape. Their responses will ultimately transcend the singular city to reflect what one might call the Covid pandemic migration as well. As a whole society shifts its notion of home, so its idea of place transforms too.
Each of the artists in the exhibition articulate different facets of what we call place. In it one can feel safe: a home, or a country can be a refuge holding our values and dreams in safe harbor. Or it can be defined by a border or a wall holding us back from a new life. In ways that are both spiritual and physical, Notions of Place explores the contours of the artist’s experience of the world. Each of the artists in the exhibition articulate different facets of what we call place. In it one can feel safe: a home, or a country can be a refuge holding our values and dreams in safe harbor. Or it can be defined by a border or a wall holding us back from a new life. In ways that are both spiritual and physical, Notions of Place explores the contours of the artist’s experience of the world. – Lauren Kasmer, Curator
The galleries will also feature Homesĭtē, an ongoing participatory work by Joyce Dallal and Lauren Kasmer. Consisting of a series of structures emblematic of Los Angeles landscape and architecture, the installation reflects on the city as both home and origin. The community can participate in Homesĭtē Recipe Exchange on the first floor of the gallery by sharing a recipe, memory, or story about a dish that means home.
This exhibition is supported by the Department of Cultural Affairs, City of Los Angeles and the Pasadena Art Alliance. Additional support for the AGCC exhibitions program provided by City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks, Perenchio Foundation, The Ahmanson Foundation, Norris Foundation, and the Ralph M. Parsons Foundation.
Exhibition Image Gallery
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