CONTINUING AND RECOMMENDED EXHIBITIONS
Bill Viola, "Stations", detail, 5-channel video installation.
Bill Viola's installation Stations poetically captures
the rythmn of nature and the cycles of life. Using 5-channel video as few
others can, Viola created this work three years ago, showing it in France
and Germany before finally seeing it brought home (Viola is from Long Beach)
to the Lannan Foundation (see Shirle Gottlieb's complete
article).
Howard Kaneg, "Shoal", oil/acrylic on canvas, 48 x 48",
1995/96.
Howard Kaneg's luminous abstractions are fluid renderings of
ghostly apparitions. Applying oil, acrylic and enamel in thin, scumbled
washes, Kaneg creates a watery world of sinking boats, whirling waterspouts
and giant waves. Shimmering with rich hues of blue, black, coral and crimson,
these eerie boats and mysterious seas are rendered with much grace and delicacy.
Poised on the brink of abstraction, his imagery seems caught in a vortex
of line, color and rhythm. These lyrical paintings are silvery, glowing
odes to the power of the ocean, with an underlying poetry of motion in the
angled masts and the swirling waves, clouds and skies (Patricia
Correia Gallery, Santa Monica).
Weegee, "Self-Portrait with Andy Warhol", photograph, c. 1965.
Weegee, the alias of Arthur Fellig, was able to rise above his
line of work, photojournalism, not so much because of aesthetics but by
crafting a reputation for having an exceptional nose for "getting there
first," and for his penchant for self-promotion. With few exceptions,
this exhibition eschews his signature work in favor of portrait-heavy selections.
Whether examining anonymous children, Hollywood ce- lebrities, or himself,
Weegee displays an interest in drama and distortion that is less revealing
than theatrical. As such, they have marvelous and aggressive presence (Stephen Cohen Gallery, West Hollywood).
