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Art

A Shimmering Mylar Wave Undulates Above Downtown LA

Spanning 15,000 square feet, the installation Liquid Shard subtly sways above downtown Los Angeles’s Pershing Square, a glittering band of what appears to be silver streamers. The piece, by Patrick Shearn of Poetic Kinetics, is actually composed of holographic mylar and monofilament, the materials which give the work its reflective quality.  As the two layers of the piece undulate with the wind they range from 15 to 115 feet off of the ground, creating a natural movement some have compared to swaying sea flora.

Shearn was inspired by humans’ collective observation of nature and the limited knowledge of what we see around us, which is why he intended the piece to be viewed from above as well as below. It is when things are zoomed in or slowed down that we begin to understand the workings of the plants and animals around us, and sense the movements that are imperceptible with our limited vision.

“Like fractals recurring progressively, we feel the currents of air on our skin but do not see the larger movements,” said Shearn. “I wanted to play in that realm with this technology I have been developing.”

The piece is part of an ongoing outdoor exhibition series curated NOW Art LA who worked on this particular project in collaboration with The City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks, NOW Art LA, the AAV School, and Pershing Square. Liquid Shard will be remain on view until August 11, 2016.

 

Art Design Food

Dive Deep Inside a Seven Thousand Square Foot Cake at LA’s Break Bread

Have your cake and eat inside it too? That’s what Break Bread LA, a six-room installation of cake sculptures, is hoping to achieve for 30 days starting this past weekend at Think Tank Gallery. The immersive art experience will include performance, visual art, and pop-up dinners within the frosted walls put on by Scott Hove and Keith Magruder (aka Baker’s Son). Seven thousand square feet will be dedicated to the sugary experience, made even sweeter by an ice cream truck selling watercolors that match the bright pinks, blues, and peaches found within its surroundings.

Hove’s Cakeland installation is not all frosting and cherries however. To add detail, and a bit of darkness to the works, Hove adds unexpected elements within his sculptural confections. “To contrast that bougie cake look, I collect items that have an inherent violence, but beauty at the same time,” said Hove. “That’s why I choose things like switchblades, wolf jaws, and leopard jaws. Even though they are plastic, they possess a real fierce quality that affects us on a very deep level.”

Exploring his installation during the day is free, but performances at night will be ticketed and need reservations. Events include dinner clubs, pop-up brunches, improv, poetry readings, and other food-themed activities from deep inside a frosting-lined mega-cake. You can learn more about the pop-up and how to get tickets on Break Bread LA’s website here. (via LAist)

Art

New Urban Geodes on the Streets of L.A. by Paige Smith

Surrounding an exhibition at Maker City LA, artist Paige Smith A.K.A. a common name (previously), began to install new crystalized rock formations around the streets of LA. The geodesic rock formations which she refers to as urban geodes are created mostly with paper and spray paint or cast resin in random cracks and crevices around the city. She’s also installed geodes in Spain, Istanbul, Jordan, South Korea, and elsewhere around the world over the last few years. For the most up-to-date news on her geological street art you can follow smith on Instagram.

Art

Mirror City: A Kaleidoscopic Timelapse of Chicago, San Francisco, San Diego, Vegas and L.A.

Mirror City is the latest video from photographer and filmmaker Michael Shainblum that takes time-lapse footage of Chicago, San Francisco, San Diego, Las Vegas and Los Angeles and runs it through a constantly shifting kaleidoscopic pattern of mirrors. Shainblum says of the piece took about four months to edit and adds:

These clips were all processed from their original form, into the kaleidoscopic visuals that you see in this video. Many people visit these large cities every day, and all of these places have been shot and filmed, but I wanted to emulate these urban landscapes in a way that nobody has even seen before. I wanted to put man-made geometric shapes, mixed with elements of color and movement to create less of a structured video, and more of a plethora of visual stimulation.

And a plethora of visual stimulation it is indeed. The fun part for me was trying to recognize all of the different cities as the patterns become more abstract and chaotic. Amazing editing. I definitely suggest watching it full-screen with HD turned on. (via vimeo)

Art

Geological Street Art Seen on the Streets of L.A.

For the past few months Paige Smith of A Common Name has been installing colorful geodes within the gaps of crumbling buildings and other public infrastructure on the streets of L.A. Each piece is site-specific and made from carefully cut and painted paper. I think it would be pretty awesome to stumble onto one of these in the wild without knowing anything about it. You can see a full gallery of all the sedentary formations as well as a map of their locations over at A Common Name, and hey folks, don’t steal the geodes. (via present and correct)