See: Charles Gaines' Work in Los Angeles

After viewing two exhibits by conceptual artist, Charles Gaines, showing in Los Angeles, I aspire to be a little more like him. Charles Gaines: Gridwork 1974-1989 is featured at the HAmmer Museum at UCLA through May 24th and Charles Gaines: Librettos: Manuel de Falla/Stokely Carmichael is showing at Art + Practice in Leimert Park through May 31st. Gaines' appeal is largely in his ability to create interesting collections based on an established set of rules. The attraction to conceptual work like that of Charles Gaines' tends to be more intellectual than emotional, but for someone like me, who rebels against rules....short of those related to cooking, it was inspirational to see the application of such discipline to create something so unique and beautiful. In Gridwork you experience the result of his process as a walnut tree orchard. Initially there is a photograph of a tree, then an outline of a tree on a grid, finally the tree's outline is filled in with numbers.

Librettos is similar to Gaines' other work, but with a political twist. He establishes a system that layers sheet music and speech, to create a twleve-part series. The words of Black Panther and civil rights activist, Stokely Carmichael's 1967 speech on race is the libretto (lyrical text) for the music of La Vida Breve by Manuel de Falla, an opera chronicaling a love story plagued by class difference. Further investigation reveals two intensely emotional declarations merged into a calmining visual offering sure to evoke some response informed by the viewer's personal life experience. What a perfect starting point for vigorus dinner party discussion!

Photo: Genelle Brooks-Petty

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