Exhibitions
Credit: All photos courtesy Aardvark Press, Lisa Jane Persky and the Artist
Currently showing in the Austin Burch Gallery:
LOS ANGELES LOTERIA: AN EXPLORATION OF IDENTITY
May 7 - Sept 19, 2010
Opening Reception: Fri, May 7,6-8 pm.
Traditionally, Loteria is a game of chance played with 54 cards that represent significant Icons in Mexican culture. Aardvark Letterpress Co-owner Cary Ocon and designer/artist Rick von Dehl had been refining an idea for a letterpressed Los Angeles version of the game of Loteria for two years. For Aardvark, the idea was to ask artists to select and interpret some part of the Los Angeles experience in their own style within the design frame and layout von Dehl created for each card. Ocon talked some of the artists who came in for other printing purposes into creating cards but it was slow going, being that he was in the midst of running an already demanding printing business.
In March 2008, Lisa Jane Persky began working with Ocon as co-curator. Within days they had gathered up Dan McCleary, Sammy Harkham, Andre Miripolsky, Ed Wexler, Greg Colson, artists with strong ties to Los Angeles, and the artists brought artists and the game was truly on. In this spirit of collaboration, Ocon and Persky refined and developed the full scope of Los Angeles Loteria, forming it around the Aardvark Letterpress business model: a crossroads of Los Angeles, a family place, a model of democracy, a melting pot. With that in mind Aardvark and artists began to create a gift for their city, a fine art edition like no other, and priced to be accessible to new collectors.
Loteria Series I is a signed and numbered edition of 100 each of 18 19 ¾ x 13 inch works on Cranes Lettra 220 with the Aardvark Letterpress ‘chop’. Currently the prints are priced at 375. ea. and 6,250. for the suite of 18 (which includes a bonus 19th card). Available at www.aardvarkletterpressfinearteditions.com .
List of Artists (alphabetical): Greg Colson, Richard Duardo, Angel Gonzalez, Daniel Gonzalez, Sammy Harkham, Karen Kimmel, Claudia Laub, Dave Lefner, Mel Lim, Marc Lumer, Dan McCleary, Andre Miripolsky, Cristina Padron, Somsara Rielly, Casey Ryder, Rick von Dehl, Ed Wexler, Ernesto Yerena.Exhibition includes the first image of Aardvark's Loteria Series II, a powerful impression by scratchboard artist and former cinematographer, David Trulli.