The Academy

The Academy of Long Beach presents a pop culture infused art exhibit by Japanese Renaissance Artist Lun*na Menoh. Recent high profile works by Menoh include uniforms for the staff at MOCA for Takashi Murakami’s opening party, which was hosted by Louis Vuitton, in honor of Marc Jacobs.

“The Sound of Music” is a series of screen prints based on songs from artists including Michael Jackson, N.E.R.D, Pulp, Gang of Four, and George Michael. As the frontwoman of the Los Angeles punk band, “Jean Paul Yamamoto,” Menoh has always paid special attention to lyrics and makes deceptively astute observations in her series.

Viewers will find her series deliciously playful and funny.

Opening Reception for “The Sound of Music” will be held at The Academy on Saturday, January 12, 2007 during January’s Art Walk at 8.p.m.

Art Walk is a monthly nighttime series that celebrates art, craft, music, and community in burgeoning downtown Long Beach’s Arts District.

Menoh’s work has been exhibited at renowned museums including the Victoria & Albert Museum and under the radar galleries in London, Tokyo, Paris and Los Angeles, where she currently resides. Lun*na Menoh’s website.

The Academy is located at 433 E. First Street, Long Beach, CA.

We may be jumping the gun here, but regardless there is going to be a good time tomorrow night at Temporary Spaces in Hollywood. Featuring music and a trunk show from the young gods of Los Angeles.

//Albert

I wasn’t there to see them in person, but even the news stations out here in Los Angeles were reporting on ‘The Gates’ in Central Park. Installed by Christo and Jean-Claude, a married couple who create beautiful works of environmental installation art, ‘The Gates’ caused quite a stir. Inciting both outrage and awe amongst New Yorkers that winter, these artists claim their only aim for their art is the immediate aesthetics of the piece, simply, they want to make the world a more beautiful place.

But years before their New York installation was making news worldwide, this couple had been altering landscapes across the globe for decades. One example is the ‘Running Fence’ that exhibited from 1972-76 and ran 24-miles across Californian wine country.

(Click the pictures for maximum awe-inspiration. Amazing, right?)

So, I’m happy to announce that available now for pre-order at The Academy Store is 5 Films About Christo and Jeanne-Claude, a DVD chronicling their life’s work. Buy the movie and see what has already happened. History is a good thing.

Oh, and if you dig on this I’m betting you’ll love the work of Andy Goldsworthy. Here’s a link to a film about his work, which also has a very intimate relationship with nature. In fact he only uses natural materials when installing his work, that means no knives or sculpting tools. He only allows himself to use his hands and to fashion tools out of materials found in the immediate site of his installation. I tend to see Goldsworthy’s pieces less as installations but more so as alterations of the land, modification. Watch and let us know what you think.

ALBY!

Thanks to friends at AEG and Goldenvoice, The Academy got to give away tickets to see everyones (second) favorite French-duo take the stage. Hope you enjoyed it, we all came out dirty, tired, sweaty messes. They closed it off with some Metallica-heavy riffs. I know, I know… what the fuck? Is Metallica the first metal band we can come up with as reference for dark, distorted shreddage?

Justice For All… and it all comes full circle.

Also, special belated thanks to So Sweet records and Missingtoof, who with The Academy, co-hosted the Ladytron afterparty a few weeks ago at the Roosevelt Hotel. Look forward to more events between the three of us.

when: Sat 9.22 (5-10pm)
where: Various locations (Long Beach Arts District)- including The Academy

SoundWalk returns to downtown Long Beach for its fourth year, transforming the LBC’s East Village arts district into a wonderland of exploratory sights and sounds. Sound-art collective FLOOD has brought together more than 60 artists, curating a multidimensional event that’s totally worth the drive down the 710. Hidden installations are triggered by passersby as music issues from underground. Additional installations swoop sound into gallery installations, pedestrian walkways, and throughout the city streets, as sculpture, “soundmarks,” and a whole slate of special performances round out the truly unique take on the concept of surround sound.

Vintage clothing has a following that includes club meetings, online chat rooms, nail biting eBay moments, and celebrity starlets. What makes vintage fashion so darn endearing is that they enhance personal style—something that is very hard to accomplish nowadays.

For many, vintage fashion is an obsession that involves hours of search during family visits to those states between New York and California. (At least, that’s what The Academy Vintage Select involves.) Read the rest of this entry »

Der Traum vom Fliegen is a study of the history of flight as seen through black and white and color images by photographers including: Georg Wegemann, Paul Wolf, Jacques Henri Lartigue, M. Branger, Arthur Hoffschild, Wright Brothers, Milan Skaryd, Andreas Muller-Pohle, Art Ringger, Jerry Uelsmann, Ralph Bageritz, Hans-Jurgen Sieker, and Martin Pudenz.

The 118 page book is filled with images that will remind viewers that flight is a modern day revolution. Before the technical realization of flight was accomplished, flight was seen as mythical and a behavior or characteristic of divinity. The pictures serve as a time-slice of various events in the evolution of flight. This is a fascinating book with images and abstractions that viewers will appreciate. Text in German. 94 plates. Available at The Academy. Click the link below to view some of the photos.

Read the rest of this entry »

Hooray for Humans present You are probably my favorite person in the whole world. The exhibit features over two dozen artists who answer the question, “Who is your favorite person?” Pictures of opening night to come. For now, enjoy some of the work featured. Please email spar@theacademylb.com for price list and availability.