Almost exactly 10 years ago, one of my favorite (and certainly most improbable) curatorial projects was unleashed upon the world: Renee Fox, who was overseeing the development of the Beacon Arts Building in Inglewood (at least its cultural aspect) invited me to do something for their Critics-as-Curators series. I’d been wanting to do something to demonstrate that a museum-scale and quality show could be realized without 1) spending millions of dollars 2) 5 years of planning, and 3) a massive top-heavy bureaucracy. (After which the fake-ass house-of-cards Art World would collapse under the weight of its hubris, ushering in a shining new era of anarcho-syndicalist communalism. Still waiting on that one!)

The Beacon — designed to be a complex of private artist studios — was almost empty at this stage, and Renee negotiated for me to use most of the entire 4-story warehouse space instead of just the dedicated exhibition area on the main floor. I specifically wanted to put together a one-person show, so I needed an artist who was enormously prolific, underexposed, and whose work I honestly admired. Thus was born ARATALAND! A Mid-Career Survey of Artworks by Michael Arata, a theme-park inspired installation exploring the artist’s sprawling, inventive, playful oeuvre. (The text from the rarely-seen ARATALAND! catalog essay — which has one of my favorite titles of all time RIP Ferlinhetti — + a link to purchase same on lulu are reprinted below.)

In the decade since, Arata’s kept up the pace, producing enough new work to fill another museum space. But until LACMA or MOCA screw their heads on right and choose to serve their actual local community, we’ll have to take things on the installment plan – currently, Arata has a solo show entitled FRANTIC up at LSH CoLab, artist Laura Howe’s gallery on Virgil a couple blocks east of LA city college. The show is up through May 8 and the gallery hours are 1 – 6 daily, appointments preferred. LSH CoLab, 778 N Virgil Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90029.

Argument, acrylic on canvas, 40×30 in., 2020

Our operative met with Michael Arata in his Malibu penthouse over adrenochrome cocktails to interrogate his praxis.

(DOUG HARVEY) LESS ART: I think your pictures are neat! Where do you get your ideas?

Michael Arata: Well let’s see, I did 12 pictures of the Mona Lisa with a narrative dialog from the model’s perspective. Since I had to deal with scheduling models for life drawing it was a natural segue to the notion. My Narrative includes her and her sisters substituting as models posing for Leonardo.

The titles of the pictures include some of their takes on how he regarded them and their attitude about working for him.  Some pictures are simply personal and reflect a day or thought. The pictures with the titles become gossipy tidbits of entertainment for pleasure. After the basics – food, shelter, clothing – it’s all entertainment!  I decided it took 12 sessions to make the Mona Lisa painting because donuts and bagels come in a dozen. 12 inches in your foot, 12 months in a year, 12 apostles, 12 animals in the Chinese calendar cycle, and so on.

Mona Lisa Tenth Sitting: Leo paints the accusatory finger-pointing shrub after Lisa and Leo have words, acrylic on canvas, 40×30 in., 2020

You need to publish a calendar! What are the other paintings, and how do they connect with Mona & Her Sister?
The other 12 or so pictures are variants on life basics — mythology and magic as stories or parables for teaching and entertainment. After the acquisition of basics — food, shelter, and clothing — entertainment, politics, religion, emotion, and drama take the stage. Maybe things get boring when you know all the answers and satisfy basic needs.

Pegasus, spraypaint and acrylic on canvas, 40×30 in., 2020

I don’t think Pegasus and Mona know each other, they’re from different times. Their connection is that they’re from history – but different times. Pegasus probably knew Icarus until he had a meltdown.  Mona probably knew who modeled for the Venus who knew about the apple in the garden and Eve.

Venus with the Flighty Fruit, spraypaint and acrylic on canvas, 40×30 in., 2020

The myths/stories may have originally been meant as educational and equally entertaining.  Many had been reevaluated and re-written a thousand years later, and I am engaging in rewriting and repurposing them another thousand years later. Changing the context to suit the need and time — reworked historical allegory/myth/religion collaged with LA local, national and global genre.

Michael Arata, Shout, acrylic on canvas, 40×30 in., 2020

They seem to share a common stylistic approach – fast, somewhat cartoonish sketches that are sometimes, but not always, fleshed out with more intricately painterly passages.
I am happy with the painting technique, using the simple drawn color outline. The imperfections of the line add a fresh, difficult-to-repeat quality that make it direct, immediate, and sure. I told the gallery to use the phrase “Sgraffito Tango“ in describing the line work for their press release. Filling them in with solid flat color works fine. Blended filled color sometimes works to create illusionistic form and depth, they make a nice contrast when combined.

The backgrounds are treated like the fill parts, sometimes painted before and sometimes after or over the subject. In some pictures I started with a black background and used lighter colors for drawing figures and filling the shapes. The visual effect and process reminds me of  “Elvis” paintings on black velvet from the 70’s, 80’s.

Frantic, acrylic on canvas, 40×30 in., 2020

What’s with those cakes?
The group also includes sculpture, 2 half-cakes, one yellow and one chocolate. I only like chocolate or vanilla cake and chocolate or vanilla frosting. No fruit- especially if it looks like jam or jelly. Although bananas seem to work with the yellow on white. Chocolate swirly is OK if it has the cream cheese filling like the stuff on carrot cake.   I guess strawberries are tolerable.

When I first painted the Half Cakes I did solely for the pleasing color and simple high contrast value, a visual choice.  Then I recognized they were divided (by color), so politics of the day likely planted the thought.  Come to think of it spice cake is good too.

Vanilla – Chocolate Cake, wood, styrofoam, nova paste, acrylic gel, and paint, 6.5 x18x9 in., 2019

And these other sculptural entities?
The other 3D works are “Dats” and “Cogs” — chimeras.  The pack/pride Started in 2013. A nod to the divisive positions held socially then and now… which have only escalated. Have/have-nots and so on.

Not to mention race and gender! What are the materials for these pieces?
The Dats and Cogs begin with wooden armatures, then they are fleshed out with carved Styrofoam. Shaped with masking tape, then coated several times with  NovaFlex, Then a couple coats of NovaResin.  Then  I paint them with acrylic paint. The population is still fighting like cats and dogs. The pandemic didn’t help that at all.

Dats and Cogs, wood, styrofoam, nova paste, acrylic gel, and paint, 2013-2021

How has your personal pandemic been?
The pandemic has affected my practice by giving me more time to work, so not a deficit but a benefit.

 I like cake. Thank you for your service!