Aftermath: The Griffith Park Fire 05/07 Photographs by Colin Remas Brown

Aftermath: The Griffith Park Fire 05/07

Photographs by Colin Remas Brown
May 3rd - 18th, 2008
Opening Reception Saturday, May 3rd, 7-10 pm

On May 8, 2007 a major wildfire broke out in Griffith Park and, over the course of that afternoon and evening, spread rapidly. Before it was contained, the fire had consumed over 800 acres of the 4,200-acre park. Just days after the fire, photographer Colin Remas Brown documented its effects. Where he expected to find only scorched trees and hills, what he discovered instead was an apocalyptic nightmare. "I hope my photos will reveal the true victims of the blaze: our native wild life." During the fire our worries about damage to our neighbor's homes and the possible destruction of such beloved landmarks as Dante's View trumped all other concerns. Did anyone wonder if the reptiles went deep enough into the dry, parched ground to survive? How far do you think the rabbits, squirrels and deer got? How many birds flew off in the middle of the night?

Brown's photographs unveil the incalculable losses suffered from a wildfire and what we stand to lose in the future. These photos fascinate and repel, shock and sadden, for they expose a pitiful and grotesque tragedy, one that would have remained invisible had Brown not ventured into the park that day. But life does go on. "The last day I was there" says Brown, "there were green sprouts pushing through the blackened soil everywhere."

Drkrm. presents these photographs in an exhibition commemorating the one-year anniversary of this disaster.

Colin Brown graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in photography in 1997. For the past 10 years he has been a member of IATSE Local 600 International Cinematographers Guild.

drkrm. gallery is an exhibition space dedicated to fine art and documentary photography, cutting edge and alternative photographic processes and the display and survey of popular cultural images.

drkrm. Gallery
2121 San Fernando Road • Suite 3
Los Angeles, CA 90065
323.223.6867
drkrmgallery@gmail.com
http://www.drkrm.com/

Regular gallery hours are Tuesday – Saturday, 11 am – 5 pm. Sunday 1-4pm

"Extinction," Artwork by Yumiko Kayukawa April 4 - April 27, 2008

LA LUZ DE JESUS GALLERY
4633 Hollywood Blvd.,
Los Angeles CA 90027
323-666-7667 Fax: 323-663-0243

Yumiko Kayukawa- "Extinction"

April 4 - April 27, 2008
Artist Reception: Friday, April 4, 8 pm – 11 pm
www.laluzdejesus.com

Online press release with images:
http://leejosephpublicity.com/show/yumikokayukawa

Yumiko Kayukawa hails from Sapporo, Japan and has already made a name for herself early in her career for her candy-bright pop paintings of hip young women, animals, and traditional Japanese motifs. Using acrylic and ink, Kayukawa blends fashion illustration, sharp iconic graphics, and meticulously rendered flora and fauna to create images that evoke a dreamy and enigmatically erotic tone. The girls in Kayukawa's paintings are mysterious and elusive-- using images of both innocence and fetish, in a sexy, subtle way, always engaging the viewer with direct eye contact. The fantasy of these dream girls is mixed with the realistic depictions of nature-- insects, birds, and animals are always present, bringing a sense of the messy and real world crashing joyfully into the lives of these pristine, icy beauties. Traditional Japanese flower motifs and kanji characters used in an untraditional way round out the compositions creating a jolting, modern tone to the paintings.

"I've been creating work in the theme of communion with animals and nature for long time. That feeling of connection inside me is growing and growing through the process of painting. Because of that I feel increasingly sad about the situation between humanity and wildlife. "Extinction" is an extremely scary word. I put that fear into my consciousness to help myself face it" says Kayukawa of her latest group of paintings.

"Her nods to tradition include the integration of calligraphy, free-floating flowers, bubbles, stars, and insects in the work's composition, as well as the sometimes impossibly positioned bodies (much like Shunga, the erotic prints). Her flat, bright style and gorgeous, stylish girls are like advertisements for fun, as impossible as fashion magazine scenarios but equally as desirable." – The Seattle Stranger
Artist Website: http://sweetyumiko.com/artwork.php

La Luz de Jesus is located at the Soap Plant/Wacko building, in Los Feliz at 4633 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90027. Gallery hours are Monday – Wednesday: 11am – 7pm, Thursday – Saturday: 11am – 9pm and Sunday 12-6pm.  For high resolution jpegs, interview requests and more information contact: Lee Joseph Publicity, 359 E. Magnolia, Suite F., Burbank, CA 91502, leejemail@gmail.com, p (818) 848-2698  f (818) 848-2699.