“Alternatives to the Alternatives: 10 places to see art that change our idea of what an art space can be” by Carol Cheh

L.A. Weekly, November 23–29, 2012, pages 45–46

In May, L.A. Weekly told you about 25 alternative art spaces that are at the vanguard of Los Angeles’ vibrant scene. These are galleries located in funky storefront spaces, artists’ studios or even their houses — homegrown operations that are a far cry from the pristine experiences of museums and established art galleries.

That was only one chapter of the endless adventure that is the alternative arts scene in this city. Here we present 10 alternatives to the alternatives — exhibition venues that skip the typical “white box” format altogether in favor of odd, tangential spaces, where you’d never expect to see art: a traveling shoebox, a voicemail account, a Facebook identity, a gallery director’s desk, someone’s vanity closet and the entire lengths of L.A.’s iconic boulevards.

Unlike traditional spaces, which strive for a flat, uniform neutrality that allows the art to bloom, the spaces on this list are so specific in their dimensions that they inevitably shape the installation — and sometimes even the nature — of the art that is exhibited.

Light & Wire Gallery: Art on a website

Internet-only art galleries are not new, but Light & Wire, started in 2008 by curator Gladys-Katherina Hernando, is probably the premier gallery of its kind, with its L.A. focus. The 30-plus online exhibitions it has hosted are archived on its website, and combing through it yields some gems by well-known local artists.

Analia Saban, who has received a good deal of positive attention for her highly textured paintings, chose to show a collection of short video works from her undergraduate days. She created absorbing, formal studies that look closely at pulsating lights, shifting colors or the view out a car door; in them, the young artist appears to be sorting through her own perceptions of the physical world.

Tamara Sussman, who has done a lot of work using narrative text, put her exhibition “From Another Los Angeles” into blog form. Through staged photographs and diarylike stories, she tracks the narrator’s adventures in a postapocalyptic vision of the Bonaventure Hotel.

Hernando took a break from programming while she got her M.A. in Art and Curatorial Practices in the Public Sphere from USC and spent a few months in Berlin. She’s returning to the project with renewed vigor, working on a revamped website and planning shows with artists outside of Los Angeles. 

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