Bruce Conner
dal 19/10/2007 al 23/11/2007
Segnalato da
19/10/2007
Bruce Conner
Michael Kohn Gallery (old location), Los Angeles
Punks and dead ashes and dead ray for ever. The artist pays homage to dead punk stars in a rendition of collages made of plywood, glue, ragboard, tacks, posters and photocopies of punk photographs taken in the late 1970s.
Punks and dead ashes and dead ray for ever
Michael Kohn Gallery is pleased to present photographs, collages and a film
installation by esteemed San Francisco based artist Bruce Conner. Conner emerged in
the late 1950s among the Bay Area's beat generation and quickly came to prominence
for his quasi-erotic sculptures, assemblages, and found footage film installations.
He later garnered critical acclaim for his punk photographs, wood engraving collages
and inkblot drawings.
For PUNKS and DEAD ASHES, Conner pays homage to dead punk stars in a rendition of
collages made of plywood, glue, ragboard, tacks, posters and photocopies of punk
photographs taken in the late 1970s. The rare, sculptural collages, which are
eulogies and odes to punk stars such as Ricky Williams, Frankie Fix, Johnny Strike
and De Detroit, bare a striking resemblance to Conner's assemblage pieces from the
early 1960s. Also on view are photographs taken from Mabuhay Gardens, a performance
venue that hosted many San Francisco punk bands such as the Avengers, Roz of
Negative Trend, The Situations, UXA, Toni Basil and Devo among others.
In the second gallery is the digitally restored version of THREE-SCREEN-RAY, now
titled EVE-RAY-FOREVER. This was originally shown at the Rose Art Museum at
Brandeis University in 1965 in 8mm silent film. Conner has digitally transferred the
film to DVD, and is being presented as a continuous loop. The film mixes found
footage from early 20th century sources containing a striptease, educational film
clips, animated cartoons, and silent movies.
Conner is included in the permanent collections at the Museum of Modern Art, New
York; Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles; Musee Nationale de l'art
Moderne, Centre Pompidou, Paris; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; and Los Angeles
County Museum of Art. Conner's films have been preserved in the Library of Congress
along with numerous other film archives. Bruce Conner lives and works in San
Francisco.
Opening reception Saturday, October 20, 6 - 8p.m.
Michael Kohn Gallery
8071 Beverly Blvd. - Los Angeles
Free admission