WOMEN AROUND TOWN by Karen Schifman for April 2011 For this month's "Spotlight," I have invited my colleague, art historian, Katherine Zoraster to contribute: In celebration of Women's History Month, NoHo Gallery LA presented its 10th annual onstallment of "Woman!" featuring a group exhibition of work by several female artists. Ranging in style from landscapes, to figural, to abstract, the works on exhibit are a reflection of the varied personalities and stylistic influences of each artist. The featured artist is Ora Tamir whose pristinely painted desert landscapes have a surrealist quality. Through the use of lithe, fragmented figures and hints of bright color highlighting the desert settings, she creates enigmatic scenes, which are made more intriguing through her artistic vocabulary which includes the recurring usage of certain items like ropes and apples, such as those appearing in Imagine Embellished and again in Forever Embellished, suggesting a deeper symbolic or personal meaning to these objects. Contrasting with the mysterious quality of Tamir's works are the textural and bright andscapes of Alexandra Kube. Painted in impasto with vibrant colors, landscapes such as Bristle Cone Pine are filled with the energy of twisting, growing nature and white light. Alternatively, taking a very different approach, the works of Lola Scarpitta focus almost entirely on figures set in the foreground against colored interior backdrops. Revealing a stylistic influence of Pop Art, Scarpitta creates ironic and somewhat ominous compositions like Death of a 20th Century Housewife, which is complete in its Andy Warhol reference with the inclusion of a Brillo box. Also included in the exhibition are works by Sandra Cooper, Renate Dartois, Spike Dolomite, and Rachel Weissberger. In the interim of moving to a new permanent gallery space, "Woman!" can currently be found as an online exhibition on the NoHo Gallery LA website -Katherine E. Zoraster Women in the News to be built in Washington, D.C. A bill to establish the museum--which does not ask for federal funds but does pinpoint a site near the National Mall--is waiting a full vote by the Senate. Women in the Galleries LA Louver Gallery presents " Rebecca Campbell: Romancing the Apocalypse." Using a bold palette and sweeping brushwork, these ethereal paintings address the extremes of sensory experiences. Thru 4/16/11. "The Utopian Tense of Green" is an exhibition of paintings and drawings by Venezuelan-born Mariangeles Soto-Díaz on view at Ruth Bachofner Gallery. The artist explores the meaning of "green" from Alexander von Humboldt's writings of his travels to Esmeralda to the more evocative and poetic sense of the color. Thru 4/19/11. "Uncommon Threads" at Connell, Joyce Dallal, Dawn Ertl, Lauren M. Kasmer, Victoria May, Russell McMillin, Michael Lewis Miller, Rachel J. Siegel, Suzanne Siegel, Robin Valle and Nancy Youdelman that speak to the cultural and personal implications of clothing. Rachel J. Siegel's Tightly Bound video utilizes a child's ballet slippers as a vehicle for cross-cultural examination of the history of women's beauty/torture rituals. Dawn Ertl's handbags and deconstructed-dress pattern pieces made almost entirely of plastic bags with printed logos explore the complex relationship between the producer, consumer and disposer. SCWCA member Nancy Youdelman provides sculptures of bronze and found objects that speak about the past and artists Joyce Dallal and Lauren M. Kasmer invite the public to exchange items with those in their installation. Active clothing exchanges will take place on 4/5 and 4/28 from 1-3 pm. Thru 4/29. (Closed April 11-15, Spring Break)  Gallery KM presents "Occasional Beast," large oil paintings and mixed media works, by Alexandra Wiesenfeld presented as triptychs that include self-portraiture and symbolic animals. Thru 4/30/11. "Bareedina: Women of Eastern Oromia" at California State University Northridge, West Gallery showcases the images of Oromo women from the Horn of Africa. Designed and co-curated by Professor Peri Klemm, a specialist in African art, these amazing photographs will go on display in other venues in the United States and Ethiopia thereafter. Opening: 4/22; 7-9 pm with gallery talk on 4/30. Thru 5/5. Lois Lambert Gallery at Bergamot Station presents large-scale works on paper by "Gali Rotstein: Flying Crooked." Thru 5/8/11. "Faces from the Southern Ocean" is a photography exhibition by SCWCA member, J.J. L'Heureux now on view at G2 Gallery in Venice. This unique gallery gives all of its sales proceeds to environmental causes and is a worthy venue to check out in particular this month with the outstanding photographs of animals of the sea by L'Heureux. Thru 5/8/11. "Ariadne's Thread" by Elaine Reichek at Shoshana Wayne Gallery presents the entire Greek myth re-created in thread. In her embroideries and large tapestry, Reichek appropriates images of the Ariadne tale from Greek pottery through Picasso and pairs are them with quotations from Catullus to Nietzsche. 4/2-5/21/11 Women in the Museums "Rodarte: States of Matter" is an installation at the MOCA Pacific Design Center that features the recent fashions and costumes designed by the talented sisters, Kate and Laura Mulleavy. Installed as interrelated vignettes, both static and in motion, the garments are portrayed as charged sculptural objects. Includes selections from their runway collections, as well as costumes from Black Swan. Thru 6/5/11. Paintings by " Vija Celmins: Television and Disaster 1964-1966" continues at LACMA. Thru 6/5/11. | 
