Heather Rasmussenand Tomory Dodge: Two Unique Solo Shows at ACME Gallery
By Patrick Quinn
Through June 10th
Acme Gallery is in many ways, the quintessential Los Angeles art gallery. It’s a large space with rooms that can accommodate elaborate installations as well as intimate displays. While following the standard model of four stark white walls, there are enough odd corners and angles to avoid being sterile. It’s off the beaten path, but still set in a neighborhood trendy enough for a local brew pub. But more to the point, it’s run by people who know how to curate a good show. Currently, there are two solo shows on display as well as a group show including work by some of the artists on the Acme roster.
In the main gallery is “Body Variations,” a solo show by Los Angeles based artist Heather Rasmussen. Combining photographs, sculptures, and video, the collection has been carefully arranged so that each piece has a connection to its closest neighbor. For this particular show, the artist selected work by three influential peers; Hans Breder, Ujj Zsuzsi, and Rene Magritte, and remade them using her own methods. The photographs feature the artist as her own model, though her face is never seen. Each image is precisely choreographed with limbs entwined around a mirror. The mirror is placed between her legs, but the effect on the viewer is not so much sensual as voyeuristic. The artist is looking within herself for answers and we are invading that private space.
There are also mixed-media sculptures that are extensions of those images. Props from the photos are incorporated into these pieces; vegetables, mirrors, and even plaster castings of the artist’s legs. One piece, a worn vintage chair with a mirror for a seat and a large zucchini, manages to be equally funny and disturbing at the same time. Overall, it’s a fascinating show.
The center gallery features over 80 works on paper by Tomory Dodge. It’s a mixture of drawings, watercolors, and collages that are the result of over seven years work. The pieces selected for this show have been displayed salon-style on three walls. The artist had them hung in a similar fashion in his studio giving us a snapshot of how he worked during those seven years. Viewed individually, these pieces would still appeal. But taken in as a whole, it’s a colorful and complex show.
The front gallery as well as the side office features a variety of work by different artist, some of whom, such as Amir Zaki and Lisa Sanditz, have had their own solo shows at Acme.
All of the gallery shows will be on display through June 10th.
ACME Gallery is located at 2939 Denby Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90039
Regular House are Tuesday – Saturday 11:00 to 6:00 pm
For more information, call (323) 741-0330 or visit-
http://www.acmelosangeles.com/
