MY NEW FAVORITE THING IN LA: ARTIST MUSE / EYE CANDY
A few weeks ago I finally made it to one of the Artist Muse Eye Candy parties, and now I’m their biggest fan. Artist Muse is a crew of three who share a vision for contemporary culture that is all about cultivating new audiences for art and new communities for artists -- but not at all in the way that sort of thing typically means. These are one-night-only exhibition installations, but they are not hasty pop-ups. With only a handful of events a year, the producers track down unique private architectural locations and stage solo and group exhibitions curated by crew chiefs Wil Phearson and Alexandra Canosa. And when I say curated, I mean the crowd as well as the art. These events are designed specifically to create a fresh way for the aesthetically curious to experience art and architecture, through a convivial atmosphere of like-minded folks from across the social, geographical, and professional spectrums, that blows apart any remnant of a stodgy or exclusionary gallery experience.
As they describe themselves, Artist Muse is on something of a mission, believing that art can enrich the lives of people regardless of their knowledge of the art world, “striving to be the bridge between people who feel that the art world is out of their grasp to high consumers of art and back to the artists themselves. Our goal is to connect individuals to a thriving art community in which they are permitted to enjoy relationships and ideas while experiencing art in upscale living environments outside the box of the traditional gallery space.”
It's an idea close to my heart. Many people have heard me describe my own ideal audience as “smart people without art degrees” -- meaning that although I went through the education, if my analysis of art does its job, I bring people into the conversation instead of flexing my artspeak muscles and cutting them out. You could be a rocket scientist who never took art class -- does that mean contemporary art is over your head? I think not, and Artist Muse gets that all day long.
So for this iteration of Eye Candy, they installed the amazingly expressive, raw, and sophisticated painting of Miles Regis, a Los Angeles-based, Trinidadian multimedia artist who debuted a new series called "Spin Cycle" at the event. The exhibition was installed throughout the downtown shabby chic loft-heaven of Cat Jimenez, Executive Director of the Lucie Awards and co-founder of MOPLA, as well as a photographer herself. As you can see from the photos, her place is gorgeous and romantic and really lent itself to the installation of Regis’ striking, gestural works -- including a really affecting video projection in the back bedroom. Proceeds from the event benefited artworxLA, whose mission is to combat the epidemic high school dropout crisis among underprivileged kids by offering long-term art education and support programs.
The loft and courtyard offered an architectural adventure at the edge of the arts district, capturing in its own spirit the exact kind of stylish and bohemian flavor the area is known for. But for all that, it was a very civilized and sparkling night, with a full and boisterous crowd, a lot of interaction with the art, and the cascading of laughter all over the place. It's funny because I remember thinking, and even saying to my companions at one point something like, who are all these people? Normally I know every single person at an art opening, and I’ve never seen any of them! But see, that's a good thing. It means their plan is working.
Eye Candy events are by invitation only (just because they mainly happen in private homes), so get on that list.
