Sunday, May 5–Saturday, May 18
self<not>self
Tom Leeser: curator
Human beings are born with a body,
and this body is the ground of primordial limitations of human existence.
Hyong-hyo Kim
The spark that ignited my idea for self<not>self was lit by Hirokazu Kosaka’s visiting artist lecture at CalArts in 2022. During that lecture, Hirokazu presented his collection of calligraphy brushes whose bristles were made from his son’s hair. The lecture prompted an “ah ha” moment for me, a sudden realization that the brushes were not a sentimental object, they were a poignant homage to his son, a devotional votive in the form of an anomalous portrait. His lecture then led me to recall the Buddhist doctrine of Anatta, or non-self, the act of considering ourselves as a blending of experiences and ever-changing processes over time.
Twenty-first century portraiture can be characterized as transformational and mutable, an ever changing dynamic act. The root concept of Anatta illustrates how the mind creates many senses of an ever changing non-essential self. The trans-disciplinary works in self<not>self are varied expressions of the human form, output as physical imprints, virtual data, AI computer models, animation and image processing residing within the precarious nature of our time-based sensations.
The artists in the exhibit are all CalArts alumni, including JACCC Artist-in-Residence, Hirokazu Kosaka. They all share a common impulse to subvert, reinterpret and critique commonplace renderings of the body through a disruptive approach to art, technology and time.
Exhibition dates: May 5-18, 2024
Reception: May 5, 2024, 2-5p
Hours: Tuesdays to Sundays, 12-4p
Location: George J. Doizaki Gallery
244 S. San Pedro Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Credit list:
Curator: Tom Leeser
Associate Curator: Dongpu Ling
Curatorial Assistant: Kathi Schulz
Artists:
Jack Cheng
Beth Fiedorek @feltweather www.bethfiedorek.com
Weilu Ge and Kelon Cen https://imuu.io/
Provisional Collective www.viralnet-v4.net
Alex Hawthorn @afhawthorn www.alexhawthorn.com
Sterling Hedges https://cargocollective.com/sterli_ng
Catherine Hsu
Christopher Johst @chrisjohst
Hirokazu Kosaka
Kai-Luen Liang https://kailuenliang.com/
Dongpu Ling @xestax www.dongpu.studio
Malte Sänger @malte_saenger http://www.maltesaenger.de/
Kathi Schulz
Jordan Wong @okjordanwong https://www.okjordanwong.com/
George J. Doizaki Gallery: https://jaccc.org/events/
Master Artist in Residence: Hirokazu Kosaka
Mellon Community Curatorial Fellow: Julie Zhu
President and CEO: Pat Wyatt
Special Thanks:
CalArts: Tracie Costantino, Provost and Irene Scholl-Tatevosyan, General Counsel