fruiting bodies
November 18, 2019–April 5, 2020
Connecting plants, animals, and Descanso Gardens; Los Angeles-based artist Jessica Rath and curator Pamela Bailey Lewis presented the first major survey of Rath’s contemporary works of art and her exploration of the human manipulation of agriculture and food production.
An exciting element of fruiting bodies was the connection Rath made between the exhibit and the Gardens. A robust and stimulating schedule of programs and in-garden installations accompanied the work in the Gallery, including an arrangement of the score of Resonant Nest performed by the Bob Cole Conservatory Chamber Choir from California State University, Long Beach.
Rath and interactive systems designer Robert Hoehn created bee “hotels” that were installed throughout the Gardens. The “hotels” were crafted from materials sourced from Descanso Gardens and designed to appeal to some of our 115 species of bees.
fruiting bodies was funded in part by Heather and Paul Haaga and the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Department of Arts and Culture.
Shine a Light
July 15–October 27, 2019
For almost a year, interdisciplinary artist Carole Kim worked at Descanso Gardens as its first artist-in-residence. The results of her work were on display at the Shine a Light exhibition.
Shine a Light showcased a diverse array of work including digital metal prints, micro video projections, window treatments, and a multimedia installation in the larger gallery. Over the course of the exhibition, she presented site-specific installations in different locations within the Gardens, featuring video projection onto landscape, live music, and dance.
“I’ve devoted the last 20 years to pulling the moving image off the cinematic screen and having it take on spatial and sculptural form,” said Kim. “In my more recent work, I have turned directly to nature and landscape as a canvas for video projection. My residency at Descanso is a direct extension of this area of research. I could not have asked for a more perfect fit for a laboratory for my work at present.”
To see the poems from Shine a Light, click here
Shine a Light was funded in part by Heather and Paul Haaga.
Unusual Views
February 11–June 9, 2019
Descanso Gardens has a long history of presenting art in the Gardens. From exhibitions mounted in the old garage and the Hospitality House to “arts and craft faires,” photography competitions and “Art Under the Oaks,” there have been many opportunities to enjoy high quality artwork from talented artists such as the Heritage Artists and the Botanic Artists Guild of Southern California.
Occasionally, we have the chance to return to the tradition of presenting the artwork of local artists. Unusual Views, an open call for entries, invited artists through a juried exhibition, to present a different way of looking at nature.
Garden landscapes tend to invoke images that reflect reality: trees, flowers, and butterflies, etc. Unusual Views presented an opportunity for risk-taking, for trying something never attempted. Creatively, we encouraged innovative use of media, a personal point of view, and avant-garde representations of gardens. We asked artists to uniquely interpret, not simply represent, the garden. They responded with diverse, discerning — yes, Unusual Views.
Unusual Views was funded in part by Heather and Paul Haaga.