Saturday, November 23, 2013

Wanda Coleman, acclaimed L.A. poet, has died at 67


It is a sad day for our poet community with Wanda's powerful, witty and charismatic voice now silent. 

R.I.P. Wanda Coleman!

Wanda Coleman's husband Austin Straus has announced that there will be a memorial for his late wife. Details forthcoming.

Read the LA Times article here:
http://www.latimes.com/books/jacketcopy/la-et-jc-poet-wanda-coleman-67-has-died-20131123,0,2667185.story#axzz2lVBr2fLi

Read the LA Times obituary here:
http://www.latimes.com/obituaries/la-me-wanda-coleman-20131124-1,0,3349194.story#axzz2lWpxx7Lr


Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Event has been postponed for the time being. A new date will be announced for the Austin Straus talk on Monday, November 18, 4:30pm to 5:30pm, at Occidental College

Event has been postponed for the time being. A new date will be announced! 

There will be a talk with Austin Straus on Monday, November 18, 4:30pm to 5:30pm, at Occidental College 1600 Campus Rd. Los Angeles, CA 90041 to formally open an exhibition of his works.

http://www.oxy.edu/events/paintingscollages-unique-books

Paintings/Collages & Unique Books

by Austin Straus

Violators by Austin Straus
Special Collections, Occidental College Library
Paintings/Collages & Unique Books by Austin Straus
Main Floor, Library
Open through January 31, 2014.
"The works shown here are a small sampling of my output spanning more than 50 years. I have been experimenting with burning techniques since childhood. I love the feeling of multi-layered aerial views which suggest maps, roads, veins and arteries, and the inner complexity of the brain and mind. Among my many influences are layered and weathered posters and billboards, and the work of Schwitters, Rotella, Tobey, Kandinsky, Klee, and Stuart Davis.  In many of my collages I try to suggest the multiplicity, ambiguities, and interplay of memories and dreams. (Thus: Rosetta Speaks, Boy in a Sailor Suit, Panther Song and Violators.) In others, I map cities and ruins. And in Las Vegas I tried to suggest the glitter and gold of that overwhelming money machine. I started making artists’ books more than 30 years ago. Recently, I’ve been experimenting with burning books (see my additional statement near the vitrine). I love the idea of see-through multi-level pages that can be turned by the reader-viewer, with a beautiful and powerful surprise on each page. Many of my books are sculptural artworks in book form. Other books are albums of paintings, collages, and drawings."  -- Austin Straus.
There will be a talk with Austin Straus on Monday, November 18, 4:30pm to 5:30pm, to formally open the exhibition of his works. More info here.
Photo: Violators, mixed media on board, by Austin Straus.

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

MOBY DICK Screening at Beyond Baroque on Thursday, 11-7-13

TOMORROW NIGHT! We're screening the Gregory Peck version of MOBY DICK (with screenplay by Ray Bradbury). Reception at 7:30PM, screening at 8:00PM.