Bloody Red Carpet. Works by ten Los Angeles-area artists. “The Oscars are upon us, and we thought it would be fitting to poke some gentle (and not so gentle) fun at Hollywood," said Black Maria owner Zara Zeitountsian. “Like the rest of the Hollywood pageants, the Oscars are religiously watched by millions upon millions throughout the world..."
Bloody Red Carpet. Works by ten Los Angeles-area artists
Black Maria Gallery announced the opening of a new exhibition, titled “Hollywood Dream: Bloody Red Carpet." Featuring new and recent works by ten Los Angeles-area artists, the exhibition will open on March 4, 2006.
“The Oscars are upon us, and we thought it would be fitting to poke some gentle (and not so gentle) fun at Hollywood," said Black Maria owner Zara Zeitountsian. “Like the rest of the Hollywood pageants, the Oscars are religiously watched by millions upon millions throughout the world. Yet, as the props and production values get glitzier each year, few people pause to reflect on the human cost of the Red Carpet parade.
“I think, in and of itself, there is absolutely nothing wrong with the fact that Hollywood is in the business of selling dreams and fostering suspension of disbelief. But I also think the flip side of the coin, that is to say, the price of fame, is as interesting, and worthy of analysis. Our new show casts a critical yet satirical glance at the biz, trying to bring to the fore the often-untold story of making it to the top - and also that of not making it at all."
Samuel Saga, curator of Black Maria Gallery, offered his take on the idea of the Red Carpet. “Blood and sweat, but mostly blood, is what I see in the Red Carpet image," he said. “You’ve got the dazzling, outrageous extravagance of haute couture, and the sculpted, pampered faces and physiques of the Hollywood royalty on display, all of which serve to both provoke mass envy and inspire aspirations of greatness and fabulous riches. But then the road to fame, rarely culminating in the greedily televised walk on the Red Carpet, entails much more than hard work by would-be and established actors alike. It means disappointments and compromises galore, desperation, self-hatred, or else huge personal sacrifices such as the letting go of one’s sense of integrity."
Saga added that the resplendent glamour and plasticity of the Hollywood enterprise are necessary tools to mask the psychological toll of reaching fame, in tune with the entertainment industry’s battle cry of ceaseless fictionalization.
“Hollywood Dream: Bloody Red Carpet" will kick off on Saturday, March 4, at 7 PM, and will remain open until March 29.
Black Maria Gallery
3137 Glendale Blvd. (Atwater Village) - Los Angeles
Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 12-6pm and by appointment