Exhibition opens Wednesday 5 October 2005 from 7 - 9 pm
Exhibition runs Thursday 6 October - Saturday 31 December 2005

PRESS CONTACT - 323-957-1777 x15

Los Angeles, 29 August 2005 - Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions is pleased to present Taking a Bullet, a solo exhibition of recent works by Los Angeles-based artist Joe Sola, organized by Karl Erickson, Program Coordinator, and consulting curator Irene Tsatsos.

The exhibition will kick-off at the opening reception with a one-night performance titled "Film Actors Make Conceptual Art." Here Sola acts as director, requesting four Hollywood actors to use provided materials to create artworks live onstage; the results of which will be on view throughout the exhibition. Sola will also present the video work, "Studio Visit," a compilation of meetings inside the artist's studio with an international cast of museum curators and gallerists; a screening at the Egyptian Theatre of the 35mm film "Army Ranger Reaching for New Spirit Warrior (from the Mankind Project) Near Mulholland Drive, Los Angeles," a meditation on the grand narratives of Hollywood cinema and the fantasies that support them; and a new series of watercolors inspired by coming-of-age films.

Armed with strategies of seduction, including humor, beauty, and the occasional jolt of spectacle, Sola's artworks explore the problems we face when navigating between the stylized images we consume from Hollywood film and the residue of them that we take with us.

Taking a Bullet is Sola's first solo exhibition, which will travel to the Atlanta College of Art Gallery, Atlanta, GA, in 2006, and it is accompanied by a 64-page catalog to be made available through our website at www.artleak.org.

Joe Sola's work has been exhibited internationally in Mexico, England, Switzerland, Spain, and Cuba. Sola's second solo exhibition will be at the Wexner Center for the Arts, Columbus, OH in 2006. His most recent group exhibitions (all 2005) include 'Rogue Wave, LA Louver Gallery, Los Angeles, Landmarks. Portland Institute of Contemporary Arts,OR, and Still Things Fall from the Sky, Evanston Cultural Center, Evanston, IL., and the UCR's California Museum of Photography. He has received many fellowships, including those from the Jerome Foundation in St. Paul MN, and LEF foundation in Saint Helena, CA.

Related Public Programs
5 October 2005 | 7-9 PM
Los Angeles Premiere of "Army Ranger Reaching for New Spirit Warrior (from Mankind Project) near Mulholland Drive, Los Angeles" at American Cinematheque at the Egyptian Theatre located at 6712 Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood, CA 90028.
Shown on a continuous 3 minute loop.

27 October 2005 | 7 PM
Artist presentation and discussion with Joe Sola.

15 December 2005 | 8 PM
Joe Sola and musician Michael Webster present a ragtime slapstick pizza-spinning piano extravaganza. $5 admission; free for LACE members

Also at Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions
Voiceovers | October through December 2005
Voiceovers is a series of performances, readings and screenings exploring the voice as a physical utterance and carrier of meaning rather than a tool of language to be learned and controlled. Including Jeff Cain, Carnivorous Birds, Terry Chatkupt, Krysten Cunningham, Trinie Dalton, Dude Dogg, The Elizabeths, Chuck Jones, Lucas Michael, Adam Overton, Jeannie Simms, Slanguage, Ultra-red, Michael Wilson and more. Organized by Karl Erickson, Program Coordinator.

Upcoming Winter 2006
Civic Matters
A site specific project, Civic Matters invites Swedish artists, designers, and craftspersons to come to Los Angeles for cultural exchange and production of art/design with local artists and organizations. The exchange will result in the production of prototypes or social interventions that address identified needs or concerns in the community. The project is co-organized by Zandra Ahl, a Swedish artist and Project Manager of "Craft In Dialogue" at IASPIS in Stockholm, Brett Littman, Deputy Director of PS1 in New York, Irene Tsatsos, former Director/Curator of LACE and now a Los Angeles-based independent curator, and Veronica Wiman, an independent curator based in Stockholm.

About Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions
Uniquely positioned among commercial galleries and major art institutions, Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions distinguishes itself by serving as a laboratory for artistic research and unfettered, positive creative expression, where artists--including newly-emerging and under-represented artists as well as more established artists--have the freedom and the opportunity to take risks. The organization originated in 1978 from a need for a Los Angeles venue that supports, exhibits, and advocates innovations in art-making. Since its inception, the organization has presented the work of over 5000 artists in over 3000 exhibitions, performances, screenings, and works of public art.

Admission to Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions is free with a recommended donation of $3.00 ($2.00 students, members free). Gallery hours are Wednesday - Sunday 12 - 6 pm, Friday 12 - 9 pm. Call 323.957.1777 for parking information, directions, and additional information. For more information about Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions and its programs please visit www.artleak.org.

Partial support for Army Ranger Reaching for New Spirit Warrior (from the Mankind Project) Near Mulholland Drive, Los Angeles, was provided by LEF Foundation.
Support for Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions and its programs comes from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, California Community Foundation, City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, Hollywood Chamber of Commerce Community Foundation, JPMorgan Chase Foundation, LLWW Foundation, Los Angeles County Arts Commission, Morris Family Foundation, and the members of Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions.