September 8 through October 8, 2018
Opening Reception: Saturday, September 8, 7-10PM
Bermudez Projects proudly presents SPACELAND IV | Unification, the fourth iteration of the multi-exhibit SPACELAND Biennial series.
On view through October 27, 2018, the exhibit highlights the binding thread that aesthetically, artistically, and philosophically unifies the ethos of Bermudez Projects. Through paintings, photography, sculpture, fiber art, and neon, each participating artist interpreted the exhibit’s theme in his/her own unique way.
John S. Rabe’s More Babies poster is a “transformative updating of Jerry McMillan and Joe Goode’s original poster for the exhibit War Babies at Huysman Gallery in Los Angeles in 1961.” Utilizing Amanda Beckmann’s upcycled denim American flag, Rabe’s reimagining features artists Emmanuel Crespo and Josh Patterson flanking gallery owner Julian Bermudez.
Luke Reichle’s painting series The Myth of the Body Politic investigates the arc of mythology.
“Whether recast, borrowed, appropriated, reinvented or created from whole cloth, (or perhaps merely extrapolated by this viewer,) the dialogues investigated using myth, legend, fairy tales and arcana tell a story that is at once revealing and veiled in allegory,” says Reichle. “I hope to encourage a conversation about the acceptance of otherness as a force for unification.”
Erynn Richardson’s But first, they must catch you… presents a series of three ink and watercolor paintings on gold leaf.
“For this show’s theme, Unification, we were asked to make a piece that was inspired by the other artists in the show,” says Richardson. “I asked each artist to choose an animal, and from those choices I selected groupings that showcased struggle and life cycles.”
SPACELAND IV’s roster includes other notable artists within the Bermudez Projects network, such as Amanda Beckmann, Emmanuel Crespo, Kellan Shanahan, Gordon Henderson, and Cody Norris. Newcomers include Leticia Maldonado and Ana Serrano.
The SPACELAND Biennial has become a highly-anticipated feature of the institution’s artistic programming. Presenting artworks made specifically to represent the biennial’s theme of that year, SPACELAND highlights the artists’ technical, philosophical, and artistic processes, as well as the ever-changing, multifaceted ethos of Los Angeles.
Since 2012’s SPACELAND | Los Angeles: Vast, Light, Modern, which conveyed a vibrant metropolis filled with beauty, unity, and optimism, the biennial’s narrative has evolved into a multi-exhibit storyline continuing from where the last exhibit left off. SPACELAND II | Escape from Spaceland, presented artworks illustrating a more dystopian, post-apocalyptic Los Angeles. And, 2016’s SPACELAND III | Aftermath, has connected artists to create joint works of art in order to demonstrate the strength and effectiveness of their combined efforts.
SPACELAND | SPACELAND II | SPACELAND III | SPACELAND IV | SPACELAND V | SPACELAND Biennial
