Jan. 8-29, 2022
Opening reception:
Jan. 8, 7-10pm
Hours:
Saturdays, noon-5pm, and by appointment

Curated by Brian Thomas Jones and Jorin Bossen
Curator contact:
Brian Thomas Jones btjphoto@gmail.com

Artists include:
Jorin Bossen, Laura Krifka, Atilio Pernisco, Luis Antonio Rodriguez, Erica Ryan-Stallones, and Daena Title


Durden and Ray presents Momentous Occasions, an exhibition of six figurative painters whose work explores narratives that are contained within brief periods of time, enticing the viewer to imagine moments before and after a depiction. The artists in Momentous Occasions create scenarios — both real and imagined — that provide insight into their subjects’ lifestyle, psyche, and environments through richly-painted figurative works.

Featured artists include Atilio Pernisco, whose dream-like depictions utilize dueling modes of portrayal. His work often inhabits the space between representation and abstraction, ambiguity and certainty, reason and intuition, and personal and public space. Pernisco's work summons our innermost fears, dreams and fantasies, offering its own shortcuts to that deep-rooted anxiety.

Using the visual language of cinema and photography, Laura Krifka’s carefully-crafted paintings occupy various states of undress, preparation, and play. Krifka’s work invites the viewer to become comfortable with intimacy, where the act of looking is a central component of desire.

Daena Title’s painterly works are commentaries on Western society’s obsession with the female image. Her work explores the contradictory messaging exploited by popular media, including authenticity vs. conformity; beauty vs. distortion; and complicity vs. rebellion.

By interpreting the figure within an environment, the artists in Momentous Occasions have opened a specific world for the viewer, allowing them to provide their own response with momentary prompts from the artist.


Blooming in the Whirlwind

Download Image List HERE

Opening Nov. 13, 2021, Blooming in the Whirlwind at Durden and Ray takes a creative journey through the pandemic.

A collaboration of the Level Ground and Durden and Ray collectives, the project began early in the pandemic with Level Ground inviting poets to write poems about the moment. Level Ground then paired those poets with filmmakers. Now, Durden and Ray has paired installation artists with the films to create an exhibition that takes us from early in the pandemic to our pandemic/post-pandemic world through three forms of art.

At the show, visitors can pick up booklets that contain the poems, watch the videos on a monitor, and explore the art installations.

Show run: Nov. 13 to Dec. 5, 2021

Opening reception: 6-10 p.m. Nov. 13, 2021

Open hours: 12 to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays

Location: Durden and Ray, 206 Maple Ave #832, Los Angeles, CA 90015

Poets: Christina Brown, Daniel Binkoski, DeiSelah, Jireh Deng, Karly Kuntz, Madeleine St. John, Noor Jamal, Simone Tetrault, and Tamisha A Tyler

Filmmakers: Andrés Vazquez, Anthony D. Frederick, Andrew Neel & Alex C. Smith, Ilgın G. Korugan, Labkhand Olfatmanesh, Leila Jarman, Meredith Adelaide, Rich Johnson, and Taree Vargas

Installation artists: Arezoo Bharthania, Ismael de Anda III, Dani Dodge, Kiyomi Fukui, Sean Noyce, Tina Linville, Reed Van Brunschot, Flora Kao, and Ricardo Harris-Fuentes

Level Ground curators: Andy Motz, Rebekah Neel, Samantha Curley, and Simone Tetrault

Durden and Ray curators: Arezoo Bharthania, Ismael de Anda III, Sean Noyce

“Blooming in the Whirlwind” takes its name from a line found in the poet Gwendolyn Brooks’s 1968 classic, “The Second Sermon on the Warpland.” In that year that also contained upheavel, Brooks encouraged readers to “conduct your blooming in the noise and whip of the whirlwind.”

This exhibition explores the COVID-19 pandemic in a unique and moving way through three different forms of art created in three different points of time. And through this process it proves, there can be blooming in a whirlwind.




Estevan Oriol

Estevan Oriol

Durden and Ray
1206 Maple Ave. #832
Los Angeles, 90015

FB Invite

THE L.A. SIX

ON VIEW: OCT. 9 - 31, 2021 AT DURDEN AND RAY

OPENING RECEPTION: OCT. 9, 6-10PM

Artists: Angela Boatwright, Gilbert Godoy, Merrick Morton, Estevan Oriol, Frankie Orozco, and Suitcase Joe

Organized by Max Presneill

Durden and Ray presents The L.A. Six, an exhibition of six prolific Los Angeles documentary and street photographers that provides a unique glimpse into the lesser-known reaches of Los Angeles.

Works in the exhibition include photographs of 1980s L.A. gang culture; the low rider scene of the '90s; the hip-hop generation; the Mongols Motorcycle Club; East L.A. and South Central backyard punk scenes; landscapes of the city; and intimate views of Los Angeles’ Skid Row.

The prevailing image of Los Angeles is one shaped by the glamour and glitz of Hollywood celebrity culture. Yet underneath this shimmering facade lies a city that remains largely hidden. The L.A. Six is a creative response to this cultural underrepresentation. Photographs from The L.A. Six reveal the beating heart of the city, filled with hard-working people who build strong communities, often without public assistance or recognition


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“Sunset Hour Artist Talk”

 The Big Embrace

Wednesday, September 15th, 6:30 pm

Artists: Flora Kao, Rebecca Niederlander, Amanda Yamashita

Moderators: Ty Pownall and Valerie Wilcox 

Curated by Valerie Wilcox

 

You are invited to come see this engaging exhibit at this magical hour when the sun sets and the installations glow! You will have the chance to experience the exhibit in person and hear the artists tell you more about their inspirations, process and practice.

 

Durden and Ray

1206 Maple Ave. #832

Los Angeles, 90015

 

Parking on the streets is free and available after 6:00 pm (parking structure in the Bendix building closes at 6:30)

THE BIG EMBRACE

A Fantastical Journey Through Site-Specific Installations

Please Join Us THIS SATURDAY SEPT 4 6-10 PM

COVID CAUTIOUS IN PERSON RECEPTION- MASKS REQUIRED

Curated by Valerie Wilcox

Co-curators: Joe Davidson, Ty Pownall

Artists: Flora Kao, Rebecca Niederlander, Amanda Yamashita

Durden and Ray presents an exhibition of site-specific installations by three Los Angeles based artists that heighten our realization of physicality when surrounded by an engrossing, fantastical environment.

Open:  
Saturday, Sept. 18th, 12-5
Sunday, Sept. 26th, 12-5
Saturday, Oct. 2 12-5

1206 Maple Ave. #832
Los Angeles, CA 90015


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NextGen LA


July 10 - August , 2021

Reception July 31st, 6-9pm


Artists:  Justin Ayala, Clarisse Abelarde, Maryam Aziz,  Anna Bayla, , Gwenyth Bulawsky, Melissa Depaz, Bridget de Lee, Elijah Gaines, Edson Gersain Martinez, Christal Perez,  Drew Pilot, Danny Ramirez,  Juan Carlos Velasquez

Curated by Alexandra Wiesenfeld, Hagop Najarian, and Curtis Stage

Durden & Ray is proud to present NextGen LA- a group exhibition showcasing the work of 13 emerging artists who are deeply rooted in the fabric of their respective communities. All find themselves at the heart of our current dialog around  politics of culture, identity, gender, and racist institutions. Working in a variety of media,  these artists investigate the slippery boundary between societal expectations and personal truths.The personal is political, as the self butts up against societal pressures and contradictions. All take on the challenge with a joyous embrace of the physicality of their respective media. Their works celebrate the making:  the tactility of materials and  process visible in their works engages  the viewer on a personal and emotional  level. The show is a hopeful reminder that todays’ artists are deeply committed to evolving attitudes and political world views.



The exhibition will be open the following:

SATURDAY, July 10, 2021, 12 PM PST – 5 PM PST

SATURDAY, July 17, 2021, 12 PM PST – 5 PM PST

SATURDAY, July 24, 2021, 12 PM PST – 5 PM PST

SATURDAY, July 31, 2021, 6 PM - 9 PM PST (Reception)


Artist Hedy Torres, 32, holds her painting “Number One in L.A.,” which was not in her Arts District studio that was destroyed by fire this week. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

Artist Hedy Torres, 32, holds her painting “Number One in L.A.,” which was not in her Arts District studio that was destroyed by fire this week. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

OTHER WAYS TO HELP:


  • GOFUNDME: If you are unable to contribute items to the fundraiser, but would like to donate directly, ArtShareLA has a GoFundMe page for the LTAC artists. Please boost and share as well.

  • DONATE ART SUPPLIES: Many of these artists lost art supplies they have been collecting for decades. Could you imagine losing your favorite brush or your sculpting tools? If you have art supplies that you are not using or feel compelled to purchase new supplies, we are collecting supplies for the victims of this horrible event. Donate supplies at Art Share LA anytime Monday - Thursday 10AM - 4PM OR at the event at Durden and Ray 6/27 1-6pm.


Feel free to pass along to others who may be interested in supporting the LTAC community.

LTFAC Fundraiser | Sunday, June 27th 1pm to 6pm at Durden and Ray Gallery

Dear Los Angeles Artists and Lovers,


During the early morning hours on Tuesday, June 8th 2021, the first floor of the building housing the Little Tokyo Art Complex (LTAC) on 211 E 3rd St. caught fire and became a structure fire. The 100-year old building was a historic structure as well as a storage for over 20 Angelino artists. This massive tragedy has destroyed years of stored artwork and products owned by 20+ local Angelino artists and their staff. All of these artists have lost years of incredible work, stock and supplies alongside their creative storage spaces. This is a loss that will undeniably hurt the Los Angeles art scene and culture as LTAC was a welcoming and popular brand for art show curations and ArtWalk events. An article was released yesterday by the LA Times about the event.


We are partnering with Luke and Cheyanne from ArtShareLA to raise funds to support this group of artists to replace their supplies, ease some financial stress and provide a little bit of hope and relief during an insurmountably tragic and traumatic experience. We will be hosting a fundraising event at Durden and Ray’s gallery space in the Bendix Building. We are asking for donations of artwork to be sold on Sunday, June 27th. 100% of proceeds will be distributed to LTAC artists affected by the fire via ArtShareLA. We are looking for smaller, low-priced artworks and/or artist-made gifts from you all with the goal of boosting the relief fund as best we can. A few big ticket items could be auctioned off at the event as well if you would like to donate something larger or pricier. We are asking for 100% donations for this cause. If you have items you would like to donate to the cause please complete THIS GOOGLE FORM for each item. For those who would like to donate items for the fundraiser we will be collecting artwork at various locations in the city until June 21st. We will be reaching out to coordinate the collections with confirmed artists.



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Durden and Ray presents Cautious Optimism.

The work of the artists in this exhibition reflects both optimism and caution, as we move forward to create work in uncertain times. Through Color, Form, Light and Space, each artist renders their work as a celebration of their creative process and also reminds the viewer of the underlying potential for disharmony, which can be sensed through phenomenological experience of viewing art. The varying nuances of time, memory, escapism and joy are elements prevalent in these works, yet presented in a diverse visual language that best celebrates each artists’ voice and power to communicate.

There are socio-political tensions in our country that will only continue if nobody takes the time to talk, look and listen. In the spirit of open communication and mutual respect, this exhibition is a an effort to move forward with optimism, but maintain a cautious approach towards the belief that we all want democracy and will put aside our differences. It is a time to regain our most essential trust in humanity, community and kindness, to redefine the basic functions of being good citizens. Cautious Optimism is a step in the right direction as we begin a new chapter of communication and visual expression.

The Gallery will be open for limited viewing.

SATURDAY, May 08, 2021, 12 PM PST – 5 PM PST
SATURDAY, May 15, 2021, 12 PM PST – 5 PM PST
SATURDAY, May 22, 2021, 12 PM PST – 5 PM PST
SATURDAY, May 29, 2021, 12 PM PST – 5 PM PST

Masks are required and a maximum of 20 visitors in the gallery at any one time.

Cautious Optimism

May 8 to May 30, 2021
Durden and Ray
1206 Maple Ave. #832, Los Angeles, CA 90015


Welcome Back Reception!
Sat. May 22, 6pm to 8pm - (See Guidelines Below)
In-Person, Social Distanced and on our Durden and Ray Instagram LIVE @durdenandray

Artists:
Kim Abeles
Cherie Benner Davis
Jessica Goehring
Hasef
Brian Thomas Jones
Hagop Najarian
Molly Schulman
Curtis Stage
Participatory Performance during the reception by Gordon Winiemko

Organized by: Brian Thomas Jones, Hagop Najarian, and Curtis Stage

Reception Guidelines:
As our first priority is the health and safety of our visitors and artists, Durden and Ray has implemented new, enhanced, health and safety protocols and processes to provide a safe environment for all. Please read all the visitation guidelines before your visit. These new protocols and processes are in alignment with L.A. County Department of Public Health's guidelines for galleries and museums during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Durden and Ray encourages all planning to come to be fully vaccinated.

  1. 20 Visitors will be allowed in the gallery at any one time and we will have a door monitor ensuring capacity requirements.

  2. A mask must be worn over the nose and mouth at all times. There will be NO FOOD OR DRINK at this event.

  3. Maintain a physical distance unless 2 or more in a group are fully vaccinated.

 

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By Way of Laughter and Trembling

Come see the show in person at our gallery:

SATURDAY AT 12 PM PDT – 5 PM PDT
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2020 AT 12 PM PST – 5 PM PST
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2020 AT 12 PM PST – 5 PM PST

Masks are required and a maximum of 4 visitors in the gallery at any one time.
Thank you

Saul Bellow once said that “laughter and trembling are so curiously mingled that it is not easy to determine the relations of the two.” Durden and Ray artist David Leapman curated the show, choosing artists for the exhibition whose work is defined by that same kind of fearful exuberance.

“It’s in the tension within, and between these not-quite opposites that true experimentation, and ultimately wisdom, arises,” Leapman said.

The artists in the group are from both Europe and America, and each highlights the ongoing play of compression and release in their work, a perpetual back and forth without the ultimate salvation of denouement. Each work displays the artists’ passion alongside uncertainty. Each artist grapples with these themes within the formal language of painting through variations of color, line, form, and texture with energy.

So while the exhibit will feel like the curious mingling of laughter and trembling, each work within the show will have an internal logic all its own.

Participating artists: Karl Bielik (UK), Clem Crosby (UK), EC (UK), Jenny Hager (USA), Vincent Hawkins (UK), Kysa Johnson (USA), David Leapman (USA), Edwina Leapman (UK), Heather Gwen Martin (USA), Selma Parlour (UK), Max Presneill (USA), James Rielly (FR), Julian Wakelin (UK), and Valerie Wilcox (USA)

Image: James Rielly
Let me fill your cup
2020
watercolor on handmade
Indian paper
10 1⁄4 x 7 3⁄4 inches

Masks are required and a maximum of 4 visitors in the gallery at any one time.
Thank you


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Another Dimension

Although our opening has been canceled, the exhibition will be open regular gallery hours through April 5, 2020
Hours: Saturdays, noon-5 p.m. and by appointment

Curated by Jorin Bossen

Artists: Daniel Adkins, Nadege Monchera-Baer, Jorin Bossen, Gul Cagin, Michelle Carla Handel, Renee Henderson, Jennifer Lugris, Liz Nurenberg, Kottie Paloma, and Molly Segal

Durden and Ray presents ​Another Dimension​, an exhibition that explores representations of the human body in paint and sculpture. This roster of Southern California-based artists contains works that relate to personal, social and emotional issues that display a varied and ever-evolving world of contemporary figurative art. Through the play between abstraction and representation, literal and poetic, depth and flatness, works from ​Another Dimension​ push the boundaries of figuration to the precipice of total abstraction.

Location: Durden and Ray, 1206 Maple Ave., #832 Los Angeles, CA 90015


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THE VISTA

Abstract Painting - attending to issues of interior space, time, and memory

THE VISTA AT DURDEN AND RAY
Opening reception: 7-10 p.m., Feb. 8, 2020

Organized by Max Presneill and Wade Schuster
Artists: Nick Aguayo, Tim Biskup Art (official), William Bradley, Daniela Campins Cambra, Tomory Dodge, Martin Durazo, Yvette Gellis, Rema Ghuloum, John Goetz, Jenny Hager, Alex Kroll, David Leapman, Michael Mancari, Max Presneill, Wade Schuster, Marie Thibeault, Chris Trueman, Chasen Wolcott, Steven Wolkoff, and Alison Woods

Looking across Los Angeles, one can see the direct connection between the work of many of the city’s abstract painters and the vista that is the City of Angels. Living and working here influences everything in an artist’s work: conceptual underpinnings, color, and scale are all connected to L.A.

The paintings presented in The Vista reflect a duality in scale, reflecting the vista that surrounds them in Southern California — vast, yet intimate. We know the size of the city but we recognize it as small hamlets. Artists in The Vista produce both large and small works that mimic this contrast: large scale works that trace the street plan for understanding, and small works that reach out to touch the street corners and alleyways we know as home.

When Schuster and Presneill were introduced to each other’s work, they found a mutual interest with memory, city life, the diffusion of experience and the gritty reality of personal interactions. Those shared themes and approaches unite other powerful abstract L.A.-based painters — a central tenet to this exhibition.

On view: Feb. 8 – March 1, 2020
Hours: Saturdays, noon-5 p.m. and by appointment
Location: Durden and Ray, 1206 Maple Ave., #832 Los Angeles, CA 90015


Intersections

Curators: Arezoo Bharthania, Gul Cagin, Alanna Marcelletti

Artists: Arezoo Bharthania, Gul Cagin, Lana Duong, Larry Gipe, Jenny Hager, Alanna Marcelletti, David Spanbock, Curtis Stage

Opening Reception: Saturday, January 4th, 2020
7pm-10pm

Durden and Ray
1206 Maple Ave. #832, Los Angeles, CA

Hours:
Saturdays, noon-5 p.m.
and by appointment