Events Posted Sep 02, 2015

15: Jason Brinkerhoff | Unfinished Drawing

PLEASE JOIN US THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10TH,

5:00-7:00 FOR A BOOK SIGNING WITH

JASON BRINKERHOFF: UNFINISHED DRAWING

Unfinished Drawing presents a selection of works on paper, direct from Jason Brinkerhoff's Northern California studio, that he has described as being unfinished. Brinkerhoff's drawings embody an exhaustive exploration of the female form, art historical allusions and the nuanced materiality of mark-making itself. As though encountering an archive of lifelong work we see a complete statement consisting of hundreds of drawings made over several years, each with artist's signature touch. Here is a body of work that has been suspended in an undefined state, representing drawings not as single objects but instead drawing as an ongoing act - one in which any single fragment can be further marked upon, erased, cut or cannibalized. Even so, when encountering the work, it's difficult not to isolate drawings that one would wish to collect and own, thereby seeing them as complete. This book, then, is not only the result of a desire to present a selection for a wider audience, it also poses questions about an artist's declaration of completion - or lack thereof - since the drawings no doubt embody the singularity and vigor of Jason Brinkerhoff's best work.

Our event coincides with an exhibition of select Unfinished Drawings held at FARAGO. The opening reception for the artist will be the following evening, Friday, September 11th from 7 to 9:00 PM at 224 West 8th Street in Downtown Los Angeles.

We hope to see you Thursday, September 10th between 5:00 and 7:00 PM to meet our friend Jason Brinkerhoff and celebrate the launch of Unfinished Drawing! If you would like to purchase a signed copy but cannot attend, please place an order here, or call us at 310-458-1499.

Events Posted Aug 27, 2015

Save the Dates! Upcoming Events at Arcana: Books on the Arts

Please join us for these great events at Arcana: Books on the Arts!

Book Signing: Thursday, September 10th, 5:00 - 7:00 PM
JASON BRINKERHOFF: UNFINISHED DRAWING

Discussion & Book Signing: Saturday, September 12th, 4:00-6:00
THOMAS DEMAND: THE DAILIES
in Conversation with RUSSELL FERGUSON

Book Signing: Saturday, October 3rd, 4:00 - 6:00 PM
ALINE SMITHSON: SELF & OTHERS: PORTRAIT AS AUTOBIOGRAPHY

Book SigningSaturday, October 10th, 4:00 - 6:00 PM
RON JUDE: LAGO

Saturday, November 7th, 4:00 - 6:00 PM

MARCIA PRENTICE: HOW WE LIVE

Saturday, November 14th, 4:00 - 6:00 PM
JONA FRANK: THE MODERN KIDS

COMING SOON:

SAM JONES + BLAKE MILLS: SOME WHERE ELSE

MICHAEL DWECK: THE END - NEW EDITION

Stay tuned for details or sign up for our e-mailing list here.

Events Posted Aug 19, 2015

Book Signing at Arcana This Saturday (8/23) > RYAN SCHUDE: SCHUDE!

Schude celebrates a decade of work with nearly two hundred cinematic images by Los Angeles-based photographer Ryan Schude. His vast tableaux and vivid portraits combine humor - both light and vivacious and black as night - with extreme skill and an auteur's eye that encapsulate Pop Americana in a way that has resonated with audiences worldwide. Schude, his first monograph, features a foreword by Zac Pennington, an introduction by Davy Rothbart, and a text by the photographer himself illuminating the intricacies and personal stories behind his process in creating this engaging body of work. To get a glimpse of the nature of the Schudeverse, check out this video!

Arcana is the place to be Saturday, August 22nd between 4:00 and 6:00 PM to celebrate the launch of Ryan Schude's striking new tome! If you would like to purchase a signed copy of Schude but cannot attend, please place an order here, or call us at 310-458-1499.

Events Posted Aug 11, 2015

Book Signing at Arcana This Saturday (8/15) > GREG GORMAN: OUTSIDE THE STUDIO

PLEASE JOIN US SATURDAY, AUGUST 15th,
4:00 - 6:00 PM FOR A BOOK SIGNING:
GREG GORMAN: OUTSIDE THE STUDIO

Outside the Studio is Greg Gorman's tenth monograph. It finds the noted Los Angeles-based photographer outside the reaches of the portrait and figure-study work for which he is best known, and onto the streets of Southeast Asia. Traveling throughout Singapore, Malaysia, China and India on behalf of Epson to participate in symposiums on fine art digital printing, Gorman got a firsthand look at these very different cultures at the very beginning of the digital revolution. Working in the studio with the likes of Marlon Brando or Robert De Niro had become second nature, and his long-running series of celebrity portraits for L.A. Eyeworks is viewed as one of the iconic advertising campaigns of the late twentieth century. However, having shot exclusively on film for more than thirty years, the transition from analogue to digital cameras was a new experience for Gorman, and being thrust in front of strangers in China, Kuala Lampur, India, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam was an adventure - one who’s engaging results are revealed in this lovely new book from Damiani Editore.

Be here at Arcana on Saturday, August 15th between 4:00 and 6:00 PM to meet acclaimed photographer (and winemaker!) Greg Gorman and have him inscribe Outside The Studio for you or your loved ones! If you would like to purchase a signed copy but cannot attend, please place an order here, or call us at 310-458-1499.

Events Posted Jul 24, 2015

Two - TWO! - Great Events at Arcana This Weekend

Read all about 'em!

Events Posted Jul 19, 2015

Book Signing at Arcana This Saturday (7/25) > TOM ADLER: AN UCOMMON ARCHIVE

PLEASE JOIN US SATURDAY, JULY 25th, 4:00 - 6:00 PM FOR A BOOK SIGNING

TOM ADLER: AN UNCOMMON ARCHIVE
WITH JEFF DIVINE AND CRAIG R. STECYK III

An Uncommon Archive is a thought-provoking selection of images from the projects, books, and saved references found in the hard drives, stored files, and archives of T. Adler Books. This lovely new volume draws its content from the seemingly disparate worlds of surfing, fashion and style, fishing, music, fine art, rock climbing, world travel, and adventure. The photographs, paintings, ephemera, illustrations, and contact sheets are arranged in pairs and sequences suggesting subtle connections and parallels between them.

Iconic historical images, works by well-known contemporary artists and photographers, and beautiful outdoor photographs blend and share page space with found paintings, vernacular snapshots, and NASA imagery; works by Walker Evans, Dorothea Lange, and Jacques Henri Lartigue share space with those of Craig R. Stecyk III, Ed Templeton, Tim Barber, Dewey Nicks, and Thomas Campbell; ocean views from above and below the surface by Wayne Levin and Corey Arnold are scattered throughout the volume alongside paintings by Maynard Dixon and Robert Overby, nineteenth-century Cyanotypes, and a hand-painted sign by Stephen Powers. Iconic surfing photographs by Don James, Ron Church, Steve Wilkings, Leo Hetzel, Jeff Hornbaker, Art Brewer, Jim Russi, Jeff Divine, and Jim Driver are interspersed wit classic climbing images from Glen Denny, Mike Graham, Allen Steck, Johannes Mair, and Jeff Johnson. But it is the editor's imaginative sequencing and pairing of these photographs that provides the unique pleasure of this book. A fresh, blue-sky and water-drenched elegance carries the volume along, resulting in a melding of tone and composition, gestures and cultures, associations and connections that reinforce the individual images.

To read more about about the esteemed Mr. Adler and An Uncommon Archive, please view this most excellent article published in this past week's New York Times.

Do come celebrate our pal - as well as our graphic designer! - Tom Adler's latest at Arcana on Saturday, July 25th from 4:00 to 6:00 PM along with legendary surf and skate photographers Jeff Divine and Craig R. Stecyk III, and no-doubt other contributors! If you would like to purchase a signed copy of An Uncommon Archive signed by all three but cannot attend, please place an order here, or call us at 310-458-1499.

Events Posted Jul 18, 2015

Book signing at Arcana 7/26/15 > An Eames Anthology by Daniel Ostroff

PLEASE JOIN US SUNDAY, JULY 26th, 4:00 - 6:00 PM FOR A BOOK SIGNING AND DISCUSSION

AN EAMES ANTHOLOGY: ARTICLES, FILM SCRIPTS, INTERVIEWS, LETTERS, NOTES, AND SPEECHES
WITH DANIEL OSTROFF

An Eames Anthology collects for the first time the writings of the esteemed Los Angeles-based American architects and designers Charles and Ray Eames, illuminating their marriage and professional partnership of fifty years. More than one hundred and twenty primary-source documents and two hundred illustrations highlight iconic projects such as the Eameses' Case Study House in Pacific Palisades, the molded plywood chair, as well as their work for major corporations as both designers (Herman Miller, Vitra) and consultants (IBM, Polaroid). Previously unpublished materials appear alongside published writings by and about the Eameses and their work, lending new insight into their creative process. Correspondence with such luminaries as Richard Neutra and Eero Saarinen provides a personal glimpse into the advance of modernity in mid-century America.

Charles Eames (1907–1978) and Ray Eames (1912–1988) are celebrated for their groundbreaking work in furniture, architecture, exhibitions, graphic design, toys, and film.

Daniel Ostroff is the author of Modern Classic, Eames + Valastro, and Collecting Eames. He was consulting curator for Eames Words and curator of Collecting Eames: The J.F. Chen Collection - both for The Getty Museum's Pacific Standard Time Consortium. He has consulted for The Eames Office, The Museum of California Design, Herman Miller, LACMA and SFMoMA, and others. Mr. Ostroff also produces feature films, television, and documentaries.

Please come celebrate with us at Arcana on Sunday, July 26th as Daniel Ostroff discusses, and signs copies of An Eames Anthology! If you would like to purchase a signed copy but cannot attend, please place an order here, call us at 310-458-1499.

full event details here

Events Posted Jul 10, 2015

Save the Dates! Upcoming Events at Arcana: Books on the Arts

UPCOMING EVENTS AT ARCANA: BOOKS ON THE ARTS

Saturday, July 25^TH, 4:00 -6:00 PM

TOM ADLER: AN UNCOMMON ARCHIVE
WITH GUESTS C.R. STECYK III AND JEFF DIVINE

Get stoked about meeting our friend Tom (and about buying his book) by reading this great New York Times article about him!

Sunday, July 26^TH, 4:00 - 6:00 PM

DANIEL OSTROFF: AN EAMES ANTHOLOGY

Saturday, August 22^nd, 4:00 - 6:00 PM

RYAN SCHUDE: SCHUDE

COMING SOON (date TBD)
ETHAN RAFAL: SHOCK AND AWE WITH WHISKY AND PIE!

Events Posted Jul 06, 2015

Shio Kusaka + Jonas Wood: Blackwelder - Book Signing this Wednesday, this Wednesday, July 8th from 6 - 8:00 PM!

Join us for a book signing for

Shio Kusaka + Jonas Wood: Blackwelder.

Published by Rizzoli and Gagosian.

Book Launch and Signing this Wednesday, July 8^th from 6-8:00 PM.

Shio Kusaka and Jonas Wood draw from each others work as painter and potter to probe the tensions between representation and expression, precision and chance, and influences from art history and life. Kusaka’s porcelain vessels play muse to Wood’s drawn and painted interiors, while conversely their idiosyncratic forms and glazes owe something to his impulsive line. They draw from personal memory and their shared existence as a married couple - his half-objective, half-fictional Los Angeles landscapes and still lifes set in their studio on Culver City's Blackwelder Street, and her painted patterns that allude to their young daughter’s fascination with dinosaurs.

Jonas Wood’s works display overlapping textures and disorienting compressions of space. These intimate settings invoke the work of forebears such as Matisse and Hockney, yet his distorted verdant rooms possess an affectless cut-out appearance that is all his own. In drawings, collages, watercolors, and paintings, outlines of pots and vases frame landscape and interior imagery. Drawn and painted vessels set against neutral backgrounds contain a sprawling green golf course, a coral reef with exotic fish, a lush garden, a painter’s studio - all scenes that end abruptly at the parameters of the object.

Shio Kusaka’s recent vessels take traditions of Japanese stoneware and porcelain as a foundation for historical fusions inspired by Iron Age ceramics, Minimalist repetition, and the silt pottery of Ancient Egypt. These quotations merge with the subtle dimples, pinches, and other surface impressions of her haptic approach, as well as eccentric touches such as long handles in the shape of Brontosauri, or blue streaks suggestive of rainfall. Several works are glazed with imprecise grids in which the artist softens hard geometries by allowing her lines to waver and overlap, while on tall glazed vessels colors ebb from dark green to white.

The two share influences and imagery but embark on autonomous explorations of their respective media. Exhibited together, these symbiotic works reveal the autobiographical roots and layers of cross-pollination that inspire their creation. Shio Kusaka and Jonas Wood's unique collaborative working process and artistic output are beautifully documented in the newly-published Gagosian and Rizzoli monograph Blackwelder.

Please come celebrate with our delightful neighbors Ms. Kusaka and Mr. Wood at Arcana on Wednesday evening July 8th as they unveil the awesome Blackwelder! We're anticipating an enthusiastic turnout, so do try to arrive early to insure ease of parking.

Events Posted Jun 23, 2015

Save the Dates: Upcoming Events at Arcana: Books on the Arts

Sunday, July 5th, 4:00 - 6:00 PM

LINDA ROSENKRANTZ: TALK

Wednesday, July 8th, 6:00 - 8:00 PM

JONAS WOOD + SHIO KUSAKA: BLACKWELDER

Sunday, July 26th, 4:00 - 6:00 PM
DANIEL OSTROFF: AN EAMES ANTHOLOGY

July - TBD
TOM ADLER (WITH GUESTS C.R. STECYK III AND JEFF DIVINE): AN UNCOMMON ARCHIVE

July - TBD
ETHAN RAFAL: SHOCK AND AWE - WITH WHISKY AND PIE!

Saturday, August 22nd, 4:00 - 6:00 PM
RYAN SCHUDE: SCHUDE