TBN Projects is pleased to announce its inaugural exhibition, L.A. Currents, opening on November 5th and on view until November 12th, 2022. The group exhibition is curated by Shelley Holcomb and features the work of twelve LA-based artists. The works span several mediums, including painting, sculpture, video, and installation by artists who are from, based in, and influenced by Los Angeles. L.A. Currents is a snapshot of the makers who are creating art in our esteemed city.
Los Angeles is easily the most filmed and the most looked-at place on the planet. The technicolor city has become a landscape of our collective dreams: the palm trees, the sunsets, the beaches, the downtown skyline, and the famed Hollywood sign. But what if we view LA from the point of view of the largely unphotographed, a glimpse behind the scenes with the people who give LA its essence? The result of this collective thinking is a series of works symbolizing the experiences of coming into your own as an artist in the unique urban and social topography of Los Angeles.
The exhibition is an ode to Los Angeles in all its glory, both the good and the bad. We all know L.A. for its iconic landmark signs that are sprinkled about the spread out city, and in this exhibition, we see three different paintings that pay homage: In Andrea Aragon’s “Anything Helps” displays JUST USA from the Vernon denim manufacturer just a few blocks from the gallery, Javier Ramirez’s “Lamborghini” features a sign from Douglas Charbroiled in Norwalk, CA, and Jessica Taylor Bellamy’s “Always Fresh” sign from a Yum Yum donut near the beach. The tires and hubcaps in the work of Aaron Douglas Estrada and Karla Ekatherine Canseco allude to a city built around cars. In Gbenga Komolafe’s installations, we are engulfed by the sight and smell of actual soil from various significant places around the city. Two seemingly disparate pieces, Cat Jones’ “The Quiet One” and Devin Troy Strother’s “lonely smoke signals,” share a commonly described phenomenon often experienced while living in Los Angeles—how isolating it can be. And the tones of Lizette Hernandez’s ceramic piece make reference to the colors of L.A.’s distinct atmosphere, while the palettes of Katie Hector and Brea Wienreb bring to life the beautiful people that fill our city.
It’s the moments captured in the details of these pieces that carry the spirit of Los Angeles and keep it alive. L.A. Currents represents Angelenos who find themselves in a constant battle for a place to call home and to be proud of who they are and where they come from. Each work is set in situational circumstances ranging from the very ordinary to the intimate and strange, threading a connection through their unassuming settings. The local donut shop becomes the epicenter of connection, and the fenced-in backyard becomes a cathedral of love and joy, each expressing a commitment to the sublime of day-to-day life in Los Angeles.
Artists:
Aaron Douglas Estrada
Andrea Aragon
Brea Weinreb
Cat Jones
Devin Troy Strother
Gbenga Komolafe
Haleigh Nickerson
Javier Ramirez
Jessica Bellamy
Karla Ekatherine Canseco
Katie Hector
Lizette Hernandez
TBN Projects Visitor Information
Opening Times:
An opening reception will be held on Saturday, November 5th, 2022, from 6-
10pm. The exhibition will be on view through November 12, 2022, by appointment only.
Address:
2940 Leonis Blvd, Vernon, CA 90058.
About TBN Projects:
TBN Projects was founded in the city of Vernon, and developed out of The Big New (TBN)’s desire to provide a platform for early and mid-career curators and artists to collaborate on new projects and exhibit their work. We are not limited in our definition of who an artist is and what art can be, and we will actively promote collaborations and projects with artists and creators across all disciplines in the pursuit of the most interesting ideas and outcomes.
About Shelley Holcomb:
Shelley Holcomb (she/her) is an artist, writer, curator, and active member of the Los Angeles arts community. She is the CEO and Creative Director of Curate LA and co-host of Whits & Giggles, a monthly radio show on NTS Radio. She holds a Painting BFA from Savannah College of Art and Design. Holcomb’s art has been exhibited in multiple institutions, including the Contemporary Art Museum in Raleigh, NC, Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, CA, the Jepson Center in Savannah, GA, Attleboro Arts Museum, and Gagosian Gallery, Beverly Hills.
