Ian O’Phelan

This weeks theme was “Keeping it Real Stupid.” Hopefully one gets the play between the perceived requirements of “keeping it real” and looking just plain stupid.

The Peluda (sometimes called the “Shaggy Beast” or La Velue which is French for “Hairy One”) is a supposed dragon that terrorized a La Ferté-Bernard, France, in medieval times. Despite the French origins, its more recognized name is Portuguese for “hairy”. Depending on the account, it had either a porcupine like body or a mess of hair like projections hanging from its body that were actually stinger tipped tentacles which could erect into quills. This shaggy appearance is where its name is derived. Consistently, it was told to have possessed poisonous stingers that it could shoot off its body, a snake’s neck, head, and tail, large, tortoise like feet, and a green color.

The myth proposed that the beast was denied access to Noah’s Ark yet survived the biblical flood by seeking refuge in a cave near the Huisne River. After many years, it returned to rampage across the countryside, wilting crops with its breath and devouring both livestock and humans. It was finally defeated after it killed a man’s fiancée. He tracked it down and cut off its tail. This was the only vulnerable point on the beast, and it died immediately.

Thursday May 1, 2008

Broad Art Center (EDA Broad Art Center 240 Charles E. Young Drive, Room 1250 LA CA 90095)
BEAMED BY MACHINE + DJ CARLOS NIñO WITH JESSON DULLER AND RANI DE LEON (from Spaceways Radio, KPFK, LA)
5:00pm
http://www.design.ucla.edu/

Friday May 2, 2008

Altered Space Gallery (1221 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice, CA 90291)
Richard Patterson and Grace Ann Warn
7:30pm to 9:30pm
Exhibition runs through May 31, 2008
310-452-8121
http://www.alteredspacegallery.com

Bonhams & Butterfields (7601 W. Sunset Blvd., LA CA 90046)
Modern, Contemporary and Latin American Art
Los Angeles Art Auction Preview
May 2-3, 10am to 5pm
May 4, 12pm to 5pm
323-850 7500
http://www.bonhams.com/us

La Luz de Jesus (4633 Hollywood Blvd., LA CA 90027)
UNDIGESTED KERNEL – SCOTT HARRISON
ARCHITECTUAL MONSTERS – SAM SAGA
THOMAS WARGIN
8:00pm to 11:00pm
Exhibition runs through June 2, 2008
323-666-7667
http://laluzdejesus.com/

ZAK IMAGES GALLERY (2526 Hyperion Ave. #1, Silverlake 90027)
Glam Men Sampler – Fred Pyrczak
6:00pm to 9:00pm
323-662-3661
http://www.ZakImages.com

Saturday May 3, 2008

Blum & Poe (2754 S. La Cienega Blvd., LA CA 90034)
Takashi Murakami – Davy Jones’ Tear
6:00pm to 8:00pm
Exhibition runs through June 14, 2008
310-836-2062
http://www.blumandpoe.com

Couturier Gallery (166 N. La Brea Ave., LA CA 90036)
(Don’t) Want To Be Anonymous – James Gilbert
6:00pm to 8:00pm
Exhibition runs through June 14, 2008
323-933-5557
http://couturiergallery.com

Crewest (110 Winston St. LA CA 90013)
FOTOGRAFF – an urban photojournalism exhibit
7:00pm to 10:00pm
213-627-8272
http://www.crewest.com/

dkrm (2121 San Fernando Road, Suite 3, LA CA 90065)
Aftermath: The Griffith Park Fire – Photographs by Colin Remas Brown
7:00pm to 10:00pm
Exhibition runs through May 18, 2008
323-223-6867
http://drkrm.com

Found Gallery (1903 Hyperion Ave. LA CA 90027)
Not Particularly Tall – A&K
6:00pm to 9:00pm
Exhibition runs through June 6, 2008
323-669-1247
http://www.foundla.com

Gallery 1988 (7020 Melrose Ave., LA CA 90038)
The Revolution Will Be Fabulous – Peter Gronquist
7:00pm to 10:00pm
Exhibition runs through May 16, 2008
323-937-7088
http://www.nineteeneightyeight.com/

The Hive (729 S. Spring St., LA CA 90014)
HIVE MOMENTS: Nancy Macko, Works on Paper
7:00pm to 9:00am
Exhibition runs through June 14, 2008
818-242-5303
http://www.thehivegallery.com

Hyaena Gallery (1928 W Olive St., Burbank, CA 91506)
Clint Carney
8:00pm to midnight
Exhibition runs through May 15, 2008
818-972-2448
http://www.hyaenagallery.com

Merry Karnowsky Gallery (170 South La Brea Ave., LA CA 90036)
Mere Inches – Jim Houser
8:00pm to 11:00pm
Exhibition runs through May 24, 2008
323-933-4408
http://www.mkgallery.com

Orange County Center For Contemporary Art (117 N Sycamore. Santa Ana, CA 92701)
On, Of, and About Paper – juried by Art on Paper Magazine
Paper Pieces, Paper Made – a curated sculpture exhibition
6:00pm to 10:00pm
Exhibition runs through May 31, 2008
714-667-1517
http://www.occca.org

project:gallery (8545 Washington Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232)
the upside of down – a solo exhibition by Yoskay Yamamoto
7:00pm to 10:00pm
Exhibition runs through May 30, 2008
310-558-0200
http://www.projectgalleryla.com/

Raid Projects (602 Moulton Ave., LA CA 90031)
Swap Meet - closing exhibition
7:00pm to 10:00pm
323-441-9593
http://www.raidprojects.com

S B London (3740 W. Sunset Blvd. 2nd fl, LA CA 90026)
VIDEOworks – Carolyn Castaño
6:00pm to 10:00pm
Exhibition runs through June 21 2007
323-668-0734
http://sblondon.com/

SCALO|GUYE (302 N. Robertson Blvd (at Beverly Blvd) West Hollywood, CA 90048)
Fictional Spaces – Daniele Albright
6:00pm to 10:00pm
Exhibition runs through May 31, 2008
310-358-9396
http://www.scaloguye.com

SECRET HEADQUARTERS (3817 w. Sunset blvd., LA CA 90026)
Cute Hunter – Scott Campbell
8:00pm to 11:00pm
Exhibition runs through May 29, 2008
323-666-2228
http://www.thesecretheadquarters.com/

SolwayJones (5377 Wilshire Blvd., LA CA 90036)
Useable Histories – Carmine Iannaccone
6:00pm to 8:00pm
Exhibition runs through June 7, 2008
323-937-7354
http://www.solwayjonesgallery.com/

Sunday May 4, 2008

Celebrity Centre International (5930 Franklin Ave. at Bronson, Hollywood, CA 90028)
11th Annual Rose Variety Arts Show
presented by The Rose Breast Cancer Society
11:00am to 4:30pm
310-274-1130
http://www.rosebreastcancersociety.org

HAUS (517 S Sierra Madre Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91107)
Jamison Carter
4:00pm to 7:00pm
Exhibition runs through May 31, 2008
626-356-2408
http://www.hausgallery.com

Two Roads Gallery (4348 Tujunga Avenue, Studio City, CA 91604)
Urban Underground – Douglas Alvarez, Kelly Thompson, Walt Hall & Tooter
6:00pm to 9:00pm
310-773-1585
http://www.tworoadsgallery.com