F451 Alive and Well at Beyond Baroque…

F451 Alive and Well at Beyond Baroque…

I had the opportunity to participate in LA Marler‘s Big Read in LA 2016 “F451” event at Beyond Baroque in Venice, CA.

She created a “type-in”…with a concurrent exhibition of works relating to the themes explored by the great Ray Bradbury in his masterpiece “Fahrenheit 451”

LA Marler Type-In welcome.

         The show was held in the Mike Kelley Gallery , and featured a signed typewriter belonging to beloved actor Tom Hanks.

Tom Hanks typewriter and the works of  Scotto Mycklebust, LA Marler and Shepard Fairey.

The Tom Hanks typewriter.

The works of Debra Disman, Nancy Sadler, LA Marler and Kim Abeles.

LA Marler with one of her signature pieces.

LA Marler and photographer supporter!

The work of LA Marler.

“Faber’s Book” —Debra Disman.

“Been Burnt B4” —Debra Disman.

The work of Debra Disman, Robby Conal, LA Marler.

Robbie Conal…how topical.

Kim Abeles, one of our most endearing LA-based visual artists.

Kim Abeles and the wonderful actor Suzanne Voss.

Kim and Suzanne comparing notes.

Sandy Bleifer‘s piece.

Sandy with her piece.

Louise Ann (LA) Marler “womans” the silent auction table.

Appreciation and

Laughter…

The work of Debra Disman and Nancy Sadler.

Nancy Sadler‘s piece.

The work of New York-based Scotto Mycklebust

The inimitable Shepard Fairey shares the wealth.

Thanks Louise…for putting this all together!

The Big Read in LA 2016: LAMAG WORKSHOP

The Big Read in LA 2016: LAMAG WORKSHOP

Please join us at the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery for a free family art workshop as a part of the Big Read Program, celebrating the book Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury.

“ARTIST’S BOOKS: SYMBOLS OF PERSONAL EXPRESSION”

 
with Guest Artist Debra Disman

Saturday, April 30th

Drop-in between 12:00pm – 3:00pm 

Participants will create a mixed-media artist’s book inspired by their imaginations and personal

stories.

 
All ages welcomed.  No reservations necessary.  Supplies provided.

AT:

Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery

Barnsdall Park

4800 Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles 90027

323.644.6269   Facebook

The Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts  in partnership with Arts Midwest.
Sponsored by the Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA), City of Los Angeles.

Wave your Flag!: Teens Create Flag Books in Honor of The Big Read

Wave your Flag!: Teens Create Flag Books in Honor of The Big Read

As a program of The Big Read in LA, 2016, I taught a flag bookmaking workshop at Verduga Hills High School. The Big Read book is Ray Bradbury‘s “Fahrenheit 451“, in which firemen light fires to burn books, instead of rescuing them from the flames. Although published over 60 years ago, the book remains uncomfortably relatable to present day issues. Even prescient at times.

Conducting the workshop with the teens was great.  I loved it, the students loved it, the school librarian loved it, and the classroom teacher loved it.  Here are a few images of what the students made.

Students had a choice of “flag” pages: rectangles of uniform size, cut from tagboard in an array of bright colors, repurposed library return cards offered up by the school librarian (treasures!), pieces of  sketchbook covers, and  one off items such at the card above, painted in black chalkboard paint and adorned with red letters and numbers.

Students used a variety of materials to create layered meaning through text and image.

They mixed it up, playing with pattern, visual texture and color in their compositions.

A curated selection of quotes from the book were available, and a number of students used them in their books.

These young artists had the passion!

They spoke their hearts.

“Meaningful elements remind us to live”

“Pura Vida” = Pure Life.  Setting the intention?

The color combinations were striking, and students had the chance to see first had how the red accordion spine looked different pared with green….

and blue. This ambitious young artist reassembled the words that had been cut from this sketchbook cover, to striking effect on his book.

The Flag Book is a potent vehicle for personal expression, allowing for visual and verbal content on its numerous surfaces, places and spaces, in the form of writing, drawing, collaging, note taking, photographs, and combinations of any and all of these.

Once makers see and experience the possibilities, they are off to the races, their creativity limited only by time and space.

Let the flags of your own creativity, ideas, thoughts and feelings wave! Ray Bradbury did.