Magical Moments: Two LAAA Artists in Conversation
stARTup’s mission is to champion under-recognized artists, and to empower them in their careers. This includes working with artist collectives and non-profits who sustain diverse communities of working artists.
Long-time supporter, Los Angeles Art Association (LAAA) returns to stARTup Los Angeles 2020 with the works of Artist Members Slate Quagmier and Lori Pond. LAAA's mission is to provide opportunities, resources, services and exhibition venues for emerging artists. Founded in 1925, LAAA has launched the art careers of many celebrated artists and has played a central role in the formation of Los Angeles' arts community.
With Gallery 825, LAAA continues to serve the community and emerging artists with a host of public exhibitions, lectures, programs as well as introducing the people of Los Angeles to new and diverse emerging art.
Here’s a preview of these photo-based artists you’ll find in Room 203!
Lori Pond is an artist using the photographic process to explore the human condition as seen through the conflict of good versus evil, contemporary anxiety, and the impermanence of all things.
Someone Knows You're Coming, Lori Pond
Lori looks deeply at all things for her inspiration: the gifts of the natural world, the richness of paintings and human expression, poetry, and the deep well of her life. As a visual artist, she is drawn to ephemeral, impermanent moments — moments that are fleeting and hold a bit of magic, but also hold a certain power and preciousness in their short existence. In her works, Lori finds the small gestures that speak to the senses that are often unseen and overlooked, understanding that impermanence and loss can be a profoundly beautiful reminder of what it means to exist.
Bosch Redux 18.0, Lori Pond
Lori’s art can be found in the permanent collections of: ArtShare, The Center for Fine Art Photography, Morgan Stanley headquarters, and The Center for the Arts, Los Angeles. She lives and works in Los Angeles.
Slate Quagmier’s Attitudes of Cows series is inspired by his time living on a farm in France during a summer internship for a chemical company. After months of rural isolation, he was struck by how the staring cows as though they were posing for a portrait.
No. 3815 as a Muse by Slate Quagmier
Working from photographs taken at the time, Slate’s paintings are constructed later in the studio by juxtaposing thick, impasto backgrounds surrounding figures composed of stains and thin glazes. The figures showcase the hauntingly anthropomorphic quality of the bovine faces, while the backgrounds are heavily influenced by his time exploring material properties as a chemist. The portraits convey a fictitious emotion and context that betrays any emotion that may be genuinely felt by the viewer. Titles for these odd cow portraits allude to deities from Ancient Greek Mythology, current celebrities, and everyday concerns.
Study for No. 3810 as Persephone by Slate Quagmier
Slate is from Zzyzx (formerly Soda Springs) California, and studied art and chemistry at UCLA.
You can find a complete list of our stARTup LA 2020 Non-Profit and Community Partners on our Sponsors page.
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Feature by Content Curator Mica England