The Carla Podcast

Conversations about the body, the ephemerality of performance, the marginalization of certain art histories, and how a teen art collective is engaging in the community.Writer's RoomLindsay is joined by two Carla writers to discuss two seemingly unrelated articles. Ike Onyewuenyi discusses his recent article on EJ Hill, dealing with performance, the body, and labor, and Catherine Wagley introduces her recent inquiry into 4 influential female gallerists in the 1960s, and discusses why they were largely written out of art history. The three talk about the challenges of historicizing ephemeral artworks or projects, and how certain art-historical narratives become marginalized.LA at LargeLindsay is joined by Timo Fahler & Thomas Linder, two of the founders of BBQLA gallery. They talk about the teen art initiative that they started called Meatgrinder, and then I'm joined by 4 of the teens in the meatgrinder collective: Ella Bandouveris, Olinga Bolden, Sofie Del Barrio, and Max Oppenheimer. The group discusses the impact that the program has had on them, and how they hope it's impacting the community.

This is a packed episode with conversations ranging from politics in art, all-women exhibitions, art fairs and alternative gallery structures, and the benefits (and hardships) of getting an MFA. Writer's RoomLindsay is joined by Carla contributing editor, Aaron Horst, to talk with Catherine Wagley about her recent Carla article, “Women on the Plinth.” We talk through issues of politics, gender, and war in art, in reference to Mai-Thu Perret's exhibition, Feminaires, at David Kordansky Gallery. The conversation shifts into discussing some of the problematic aspects of all-women exhibitions; exhibitions like CUNT at Venus Over LA, and Revolution in the Making at Hauser & Wirth act as touchpoints. LA at LargeLindsay talks with Brett Schultz (BWSMX Gallery and Material Art Fair) and Francisco Cordero-Oceguera (Lodos Gallery) about their history in the art scene in Mexico city as well as the story behind their recent L.A.-based collective gallery, Ruberta.Resources to aid in Mexico post-Earthquakes: topos.red / comoayudar.mx / Centro De Acopio Parque Mexico / verificado19s.orgDear CarlaEvery episode on Dear Carla we answer a reader-submitted question about the art world. This episode, we asked Michael Ned Holte, an L.A. based writer, curator, and professor, to come in to answer our intern's question: “Why did I just get my MFA?”

Audio book of Carla issue #31, published February 2023. Individual articles can be accessed by navigating to the timestamps below.Read the full issue, access photos and more at contemporaryartreview.la/print.Read by Jessica Simmons-Reid.Purchase the issue or a 1-year subscription.Contents: Letter from the Editor (1:33) –Lindsay Preston ZappasThe Scatological Disembodiment of Tala Madani's Shit Mom (4:33) –Jessica Simmons-ReidThe Power of Objects: On Afro-Atlantic Histories at LACMA (18:30)–Yxta Maya MurrayAnachronism and Apocalypse: Notes on the Contemporary Medieval (29:39)–Isabella MillerInterview with rafa esparza (40:17)–stephanie mei huangL.A. HarvestFeaturing: Evan Walsh & Alika Cooper, Esteban Schimpf, and Crenshaw Dairy Mart (54:48)–Photos: Paloma DooleyReviewsLauren Bon and the Metabolic Studio at Pitzer College Art Galleries (59:59)–Nick Earharta time to tear and a time to mend at Wönzimer (1:07:00)–Donasia TilleryMaria Maea at Murmurs (1:12:54)–Tina BaroutiThe New Bend at Hauser & Wirth (1:19:00)–Isabelle RustChris Warr at Phase Gallery (1:24:41)–Serena Caffrey(L.A. in London) John Knight at Cabinet (1:31:14)–Rosa Tyhurst

Audio book of Carla issue #30, published November 2022. Individual articles can be accessed by navigating to the timestamps below.Read the full issue, access photos and more at contemporaryartreview.la/print.Read by Julie Weitz.Purchase the issue or a 1-year subscription.Contents: Letter from the Editor (2:22) –Lindsay Preston ZappasOpacity and the Spill: The Photographs of Clifford Prince King, Shikeith, and Paul Mpagi Sepuya (4:58) –Allison Noelle ConnerAndrea Bowers: An Ethos of Resistance (15:58) –Jessica Simmons-ReidLumbung in Los Angeles (29:47) –Julie WeitzInterview with Amia Yokoyama (1:03:35) –Yves B. GoldenL.A. HarvestFeaturing: Diane Williams, Heather Rasmussen, and Mimi Lauter (1:03:35)Photos: Paloma DooleyReviewsKaari Upson at Sprüth Magers (1:12:17)–Isabella MillerNadia Lee Cohen at Jeffrey Deitch (1:19:09) –Erin F. O'LearyWendy Park at Various Small Fires (1:29:08)–Neyat YohannesPaul McCarthy at Hauser & Wirth (1:35:45) –Janelle ZaraL.A. Memo: Chicana/o Art from 1972–1989 at LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes (1:43:51) –Rosa Tyhurst(L.A. in Venice, Italy) Kelly Akashi at Barbati Gallery (1:53:03) –Vanessa Holyoak

Audio book of Carla issue #29, published September 2022. Individual articles can be accessed by navigating to the timestamps below.Read the full issue, access photos and more at contemporaryartreview.la/print.Read by Alitzah Oros.Purchase the issue or a 1-year subscription.Contents: Letter from the Editor –Lindsay Preston ZappasGoing Back: Kevin Beasley and the Power of Homecoming –Allison Noelle ConnerFrom Both Sides of the Lens: Ulysses Jenkins' Self-Reflexive Video Practice  –Neyat YohannesSara Cwynar and the Texture of Digital Pictures –Erin F. O'LearyExisting is Resisting: AAPI Artists at Work–Vanessa HolyoakInterview with Genevieve Gaignard –Colony LittleReviewsDerek Fordjour at David Kordansky Gallery –Amy MutzaJimena Sarno at the Los Angeles State Historic Park –Hande SeverPool at JOAN–Nahui GarciaEi Arakawa at Overduin & Co. –Niall MurphyEXTRACTION: Earth, Ashes, Dust at the Torrance Art Museum –Alitzah OrosJacci Den Hartog at STARS –Irina Gusin

Audio book of Carla issue #28, published May 2022. Individual articles can be accessed by navigating to the timestamps below. Read the full issue, access photos and more at contemporaryartreview.la/print. Read by Lindsay Preston Zappas. Purchase the issue or a 1-year subscription. Contents: Letter from the Editor (2:30) –Lindsay Preston Zappas The Performance Artist and the Politician (6:41) –Julie WeitzTurn and Return: The Artist's Practice During Trauma (20:35) –Beth PickensIn Formation: How Early SoCal Feminist Artists (34:40) Forged their Identities through Collaborative Practice –Ashton CooperInterview with Tidawhitney Lek (49:33) –Tina BaroutiTertiary: On Workers, Pictures, and Power (1:06:30) –Rodrigo ValenzuelaReviews Who is it that I am writing for? at Certain Fallacies –Vanessa HolyoakClarissa Tossin at Commonwealth and Council –Reuben MerringerDale Brockman Davis at Matter Studio –Georgia LassnerAlicia Piller at Track 16 –Renée Reizman(L.A. in Manchester) Suzanne Lacy at the Whitworth and Manchester Art Gallery –Rosa Tyhurst(L.A. in Long Island) Mis/Communication: Language and Power in Contemporary Art at Paul W. Zuccaire Gallery –Diana Seo Hyung Lee

Audio book of Carla issue #27, published Spring 2022. Individual articles can be accessed by navigating to the timestamps below. Read the full issue, access photos and more at contemporaryartreview.la/print.Read by Lindsay Preston Zappas.Purchase the issue or a 1-year subscription.Contents:Letter from the Editor (2:51)–Lindsay Preston ZappasI Don't Think I Belong: On Niki de Saint Phalle's (Auto)biography (6:34)–Catherine WagleyTime After Time (21:00)–Melissa LoAbundant Frequencies: Black Abstraction in Motion (36:58)–Nneka JacksonDreaming the Neighborhood: The Communal Visions of Pipilotti Rist (48:38)–Vanessa HolyoakInterview with Haena Yoo (1:01:41)–stephanie mei huangSo Close Right Now (1:16:32)–Ian Byers-GamberReviewsDevin Troy Strother at The Pit (1:19:53)–Neyat YohannesKatherina Olschbaur at Nicodim Gallery (1:27:45)–Lindsay Preston ZappasSam Richardson at Human Resources (1:36:14)–Erin F. O'LearyUmar Rashid at Blum & Poe (1:46:05)–Reuben Merringer(L.A. in Paris)Ser Serpas at Balice Hertling (1:53:14)–Rosa Tyhurst

Audio Book of Carla issue #26, published Winter 2021. Each individual article can be accessed on our new Carla Audio Books feed. Read the full issue and access photos and more at contemporaryartreview.la/print.Read by Lindsay Preston ZappasPurchase this magazine or buy a 1-year subscription.Contents:Letter from the Editor–Lindsay Preston ZappasRaul Guerrero's Deflated Mythologies–Catherine WagleyHow virtual care lab Builds Community in Online Spaces–Ceci MossArtists Examining Themselves On Nao Bustamante's Speculum–Neyat YohannesInterview with L. Frank–Julie WeitzExquisite L.A.Featuring: Yves B. Golden, Amanda Harris Williams, and Lauren Halsey–Claressinka AndersonPhotos: Joe PuglieseReviewsKenneth Tam at ICA LA–Joseph Daniel ValenciaThe Going Away Present at Kristina Kite Gallery–Reuben MerringerAria Dean at REDCAT–Aaron HorstEliza Douglas at Overduin & Co.– Renée ReizmanLee Bontecou and Michelle Stuart at Marc Selwyn Fine Art–Peter Frank(L.A. in S.F.)Julie Weitz at The Contemporary Jewish Museum–Amy Mutza and Ariel Zaccheo

L.A. based artist Patrick Martinez's artistic practice takes many forms. An observer of the city, his work illustrates the ever-changing urban landscape and the beauty that can be found within the diverse and layered aesthetics of our streets. Martinez discusses his role as an observer, the importance of recovering and documenting erased histories, and how his art serves a social purpose, communicating the most pressing social issues of our time. Listen on contemporaryartreview.la, iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hosted by Lindsay Preston ZappasProduction: PJ Shawhamat, Alitzah OrosMusic: Joel P WestEpisode Sponsor: Odd Ark LA

L.A. based artist Maysha Mohamedi's abstract paintings are flurries of colors, lines, and shapes imbued with energy, sensation, and meaningful intention. She often paints with her hands and talks about both visible and invisible marks that go into the making of her work. She discusses her process, her use of language, the movements and gestures that define her work, and how the making of abstraction can be a privilege. “It does feel like a privilege for a person of color to engage in creativity abstractly. It feels like a privilege to spend time thinking about our feelings and expressing them, and having emotions that are carried out in a visual way like that.” – Maysha MohamediHost and Producer: Lindsay Preston ZappasEngieneering: PJ ShahamatProduction assistance: Alitzah OrosTheme music: Joel P WestEpisode sponsored by: Paradise Framing and Parrasch Heijnen Gallery

L.A. based artist Naotaka Hiro talks about the exploration of the “unknown body” in his multi-media practice. The Osaka-born artist, who works across painting, drawing, video, film, and sculpture, often puts constraints on his body as he works, embracing his own limitations and failures. In this episode Hiro gives listeners intimate insight to his nuanced process, and the private performance that goes into making his work. He also talks about how 2020's pandemic and unrest directly impacted his recent exhibition, Armor.“I think that making failure is to show myself, like a raw self.. Not pretending or [trying] to be pretty with something extra. I always have the tendency to make it neat and nice, but having a failure kind of pulls me off from that.”–Naotaka HiroHost and Producer: Lindsay Preston ZappasProduction and engineering: PJ Shahamat Theme music: Joel P West

Audio Book of Carla issue #25, published Fall 2021. Each individual article can be accessed on our new Carla Audio Books feed. Read the full issue and access photos and more at contemporaryartreview.la/print.Read by Lindsay Preston ZappasPurchase this magazine or buy a 1-year subscription.Contents:00:01:40Letter from the Editor–Lindsay Preston Zappas00:05:05Eating the Self:Arnold J. Kemp's Hungry Hydras–Allison Noelle Conner00:17:30More than Not:LACMA's Not I and the Necessity of History–Melissa Lo00:31:17Learn from this Community:Resisting Hierarchy through a Return to Community Arts–Catherine Wagley00:46:59Interview with Taylor Renee Aldridge–Eva Recinos01:00:36Exquisite L.A.Featuring: Kang Seung Lee, Leslie Dick, and Amia Yokoyama–Claressinka AndersonPhotos: Joe PuglieseReviews01:06:34Sessa Englundat Hunter Shaw Fine Art–Matt Stromberg1:11:54Em Kettnerat François Ghebaly–Lindsay Preston Zappas01:19:49Beverly Fishman at GAVLAK–Neyat Yohannes01:27:43Marisa Takalat Night Gallery–Nick Earhart01:33:31Intergalactix: against isolation/contra el aislamientoat LACE–Nahui Garcia01:40:27If it's good for you,it's fine by meat Real Pain–Sampson Ohringer

Audio Book of Carla issue #24, published Summer 2021. Each individual article can be accessed on our new Carla Audio Books feed. Read the full issue and access photos and more at contemporaryartreview.la/printRead by Lindsay Preston ZappasPurchase this magazine or buy a 1-year subscription. Contents:00:01:53Letter from the Editor–Lindsay Preston Zappas00:05:44Hidden Archives:L.A.'s Historic-Cultural Monuments and the Women They Leave Out–Neyat Yohannes00:19:28Zombie(s in Candy)land:Sula Bermúdez-Silverman's Sugar and Salt–stephanie mei huang00:33:12On Making Photographs in a Surveillance State–Erin F. O'Leary00:48:03Correcting the Record to Preserve It:The Art of the Intersectional Archive–Catherine Wagley01:01:34Interview with Cauleen Smith–Madeleine Seidel01:12:34Exquisite L.A.Featuring: Lila de Magalhaes, Young Joon Kwak, and Beatriz Cortez–Claressinka AndersonPhotos: Joe PuglieseReviews01:17:36Sarah Rosalena Bradyat Blum & Poe–Allison Noelle Conner1:24:07Alex Pragerat LACMA–Travis Diehl01:29:23Richard Tuttle at David Kordansky Gallery;Stanley Whitney at Matthew Marks Gallery–Jessica Simmons01:38:41Xylor Janeat Parrasch Heijnen–Matt Stromberg01:44:47(L.A. in N.Y.)Thomas Fougeirol | Tony Marshat albertz benda–Leah Ollman01:51:16(L.A. in N.Y.)Becky Kolsrudat JTT–Anthony Hawley

L.A. based artists Amanda Ross-Ho and Erik Frydenborg talk about shifting focus and priorities after a year of the pandemic. As teachers, the two discuss what it's been like to work with students over the last year, and they also find common threads across their art practices: attention to detail, engaging with time and archival material, and inviting the viewer into an open-ended dialogue. "The craft element was not just about a well-made object, but a way to see other objects with precision and close attention to form. Like reading the contexts in which objects come into the world, and where they've been—I think of craft as being not just a tool, but a way to respect materiality. It's a respectful ceremony for objecthood, so thereby it entends to other things in the world that you have not made... For us it's also like a church of—it's devotional. It's totally ritual, devotional, it's reverence, it's a world view." –Amanda Ross-Ho and Erik FrydenborgAmanda Ross-Ho holds a BFA from the School of the Art institute of Chicago and an MFA from the University of Southern California. She has exhibited widely, both nationally and internationally. Solo exhibitions include Cherry and Martin, Los Angeles, Hoet Bekaert, Belgium,The Pomona Museum of Art, Mitchell-Innes and Nash New York, The Visual Arts Center, Austin, TX, Shane Campbell Gallery, Chicago, The Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles, Vleeshal Center for Contemporary Art, Middelburg, Netherlands, the Bonner Kunstverein, Bonn, Germany, Tramway, Glasgow, Scotland, The Approach, London, Praz-Delavallade, Paris, and Mary Mary, Glasgow, and Kunsthall Stavanger, Norway. Group exhibitions include Artists Space, New York, The Henry Art Gallery, Seattle, The Orange County Museum of Art, The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, The Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco, The Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, The Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, The New Museum, New York, and The Museum of Modern Art, New York. She was included in the 2008 Whitney Biennial, and the 33rd Ljubljana Biennial of Graphic Arts, curated by Slavs and Tatars. She has presented commissioned public works at The Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, City Hall Park, New York City, the Parcours Sector of Art Basel Switzerland, and the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. Ross-Ho's work has been featured in Artforum, The New York Times, ArtReview, Modern Painters, Art in America, Flash Art, Art + Auction, and Frieze among others. She is Professor of Sculpture at the University of California, Irvine and lives and works in Los Angeles.Erik Frydenborg was born in 1977 in Miami, Florida. He holds a BFA from MICA in Baltimore, MD, and an MFA from the University of Southern California. Frydenborg has held solo exhibitions at The Pit, Glendale, CA, Andrew Rafacz Gallery, Chicago, IL, Albert Baronian, Brussels, BE, The Suburban, Oak Park, IL, and Cherry and Martin, Los Angeles, CA. Previous group exhibitions include NADA House, New Art Dealers Alliance, Governor's Island, New York, NY, 100 Sculptures, Anonymous Gallery, Paris, FR, Divided Brain, LAVA Projects, Alhambra, CA, Real Shapes, Dateline, Denver, CO, Skip Tracer, M. LeBlanc, Chicago, IL, Knowledges, Mount Wilson Observatory, Los Angeles, CA, Re-Planetizer, Regina Rex, New York, NY, TRAUMA SAUNA, ASHES/ASHES, Los Angeles, CA, Full House, Shanaynay, Paris, FR, BAD BOYS BAIL BONDS ADOPT A HIGHWAY, Team Gallery, New York, NY, Trains, Night Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, Set Pieces, Cardi Black Box, Milan, IT, and The Stand In (Or A Glass of Milk), Public Fiction, Los Angeles, CA. Frydenborg's work has been reviewed in Artforum, FlashArt, and The Los Angeles Times, among other publications. From 2017 through 2019, Frydenborg was a partner in the cooperative artist-run Los Angeles gallery AWHRHWAR. Erik Frydenborg lives and works in Los Angeles.

Audio book of Carla issue #23, published Spring 2021. Each individual article can be accessed on our new Carla Audio Books feed. Read the full issue and access photos and more at contemporaryartreview.la/printRead by Lindsay Preston Zappas

In this episode, host Lindsay Preston Zappas talks to L.A. based artist Simphiwe Ndzube. Ndzube talks about his childhood growing up in South Africa and how as an artist he uses his Magical Realist style to blend past experiences with fantasy. Ndzube talks about following his inner child as an intuitive guide to his art making which blends sculpture, painting, and assemblage. Ndzube discusses art-making as a tool for unpacking traumas, and how he uses his own practice to process past experiences. “The work is so much based on the openness. I do not judge my work. I bring to it what comes naturally, and I allow it as the finish goes to be whatever it's going to be. And I think what ends up happening is there is something that comes naturally without dictating and controlling it and wanting to say a specific thing or be a specific thing.” –Simphiwe NdzubeSimphiwe Ndzube  (b. 1990, Cape Town, South Africa) lives and works in Los Angeles, CA and Cape Town, South Africa. He received his BFA from the Michaelis School of Fine Arts in 2015. Ndzube's work is characterized by a fundamental interplay between objects, media and two-dimensional surfaces; stitching together a subjective account of the black experience in post-apartheid South Africa from a mythological perspective. Recent exhibitions include INXS: Major Never Before Seen Works by Simphiwe Ndzube, Moffat Takadiwa, and Zhou Yilun, Nicodim Gallery, Los Angeles, USA (2020); Hollywood Babylon: A Re-Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome, Nicodim, Jeffrey Deitch, and AUTRE Magazine, Los Angeles, USA (2020); Where Water Comes Together With Other Water, The 15th Lyon Biennale, Lyon, France (2019); People, Jeffrey Deitch, Los Angeles, USA (2019); In the Order of Elephants After the Rain, Galeria Nicodim, Bucharest, Romania (2019, solo); and New Acquisitions, The Rubell Museum, Miami, USA (2018). His work can be found in the collections of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Musée d'art contemporain de Lyon, Lyon, France, and the Iziko South African National Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa, among others.

Adapting performance work for Covid-19 safety — How performance operates without an audience present — How writing, sampling, and sound play in performance work — How the pandemic has shifted the way we think about institutional support and artist communities  In this episode, I talk to three artists in The Hammer exhibition, Made in L.A. 2020: A Version, which is on view but still not open to the public due to Covid-19 restrictions. Harmony Holiday, Aria Dean, and Jaqueline Kiyomi Gork all had planned performance works for the biennial exhibition and had to shift their artworks to accommodate for Covid-safety. We discuss the process of adapting their initially envisioned work, how performance becomes altered without audience participation, and how other disciplines like writing, sculpture, and sound play out in each artist's work. Together, the artists muse on issues that the pandemic has brought to light. How might alternative platforms privilege community and care for artists and performers? Hosted by Lindsay Preston Zappas

Listen along to our very first audio book of Carla issue #22. Each individual article can be accessed on our new Carla Audio Books feed. Read the full issue and access photos and more at contemporaryartreview.la/print

Abstraction as Resistance — Reclaiming Identity Through Strategies of Refusal  — The Labor of Performance — Relating Audience and Performer — The Politics of Rest — Saying NoNikita Gale is an L.A.-based multi-media artist working in sound, sculpture, and video. In 2018, Gale made a solo show about changing her name—a form of reclaiming her own identity away from a patriarchal lineage. This refusal in many ways sets the stage for Gale's multi-disciplinary practice, as she explores what it means to insist on self-autonomy and abstraction as a method for refusal—a means of presenting her subject matter to the viewer on her own terms. In our hour-long conversation Gale and Zappas talk about how ideas of chosen identity, abstraction, refusal and rest can act as powerful mechanisms in artwork, as well as in protest and dissent. In 2018, Gale made a solo show about changing her name—a form of reclaiming of her own identity away from a patriarchal lineage. This refusal in many ways sets the stage for Gale's multi-disciplinary practice, as she explores what it means to insist on self-autonomy and abstraction—a means of presenting her subject matter to the viewer on her own terms. We talk through the relationships between audience and performer, and how those play out in recent works by Gale: "Audiencing" and "Private Dancer."Host: Lindsay Preston Zappas

Learning within Institutions — Building Spaces for Community — Redefining Centers, Structures, and Bureaucracies — Connectivity within Digital Adaptations — Radical Everyday Practice — Living, Breathing ValuesSarah Williams is the co-founder and Executive Director of the Women's Center for Creative Work (WCCW). In this episode, Zappas & Williams discuss the seeds in Williams' trajectory that grew into WCCW, a space that nourishes and adapts to the needs of its creative feminist communities. As they speak on a range of topics, from day-to-day practices to the larger workings of power and resistance, Zappas and Williams muse on what it means for an organization to be attentive, nimble, and ultimately radical within artistic and social ecosystems. How can strategies of collectivity and horizontality be implemented to create a more liberatory and inclusive pathway forward?Even before the pandemic began in March, WCCW was in a transition — having outgrown its space, they were considering moving to a larger building. The pandemic halted those plans, and also provided a slew of other puzzles to work through. Zappas and Williams discuss how space-making can happen in the digital sphere, and how the digital offers the potential for new connections. Hosted by Lindsay Preston Zappas

Remembering John Baldessari: artist, friend, teacher, and mentor — Hear reflections from Leslie Jones, Meg Cranston, Fay Ray, Amanda McGough, and Norm Laich on the life & legacy of the celebrated Los Angeles artist This special episode of the Carla podcast is dedicated to remembering John Baldessari, who passed away on January 2nd, 2020 at the age of 88, leaving behind a massive void in the L.A. art community and beyond.You'll hear from five people who knew John—former assistants, students, friends, and colleagues—as they reflect on not only his artistic contributions, but his impact as a dedicated teacher, friend, and mentor. Thanks to LACMA, you'll also hear from John Baldessari himself via an interview taped during his 2010 retrospective, Pure Beauty.John Baldessari lived a life that was indivisible from his practice as an artist and exhibited great care for his community of students and peers. He conducted his practice with generosity, humor, and deep curiosity that will be long remembered by those who had the pleasure to work with and know him, as well as by the countless who have been impacted by the work of the celebrated artist.The Carla podcast is produced by Contemporary Art Review Los Angeles and Lindsay Preston Zappas, edited by Jenna Kagel, and engineered by PJ Shahamat. Our theme music is by Joel P West. Other music in this episode included tracks by Ibeke Shakedown, Lobo Loco, Ari Di Niro, Scott Holmes, and Joel P West. Thank you to LACMA, Amanda McGough, Meg Cranston, Leslie Jones, Norm Laich, and Fay Ray.

Growing up in L.A. — Rock Photography and Photographing Michael Jackson — Feeling Split Between Commercial Work and Art — The Colonized Mind — Finding Balance Between Mind and Body — Make Rules Break RulesHosted by Lindsay Preston ZappasTodd Gray joins Lindsay for an hour long conversation surrounding his work and the influences that life experiences have had on his approach to thinking and making. Gray's meticulous photographs are framed and then stacked on top of each other, so certain areas are strategically concealed. Some of his works contain images of Michael Jackson among his other subjects of European gardens and scenes shot in Africa. As a teen, Gray started taking photos at rock concerts, and for a stint became a successful music photographer, working with The Rolling Stones, and doing album art for Jackson Five, Gladys Knight, and Stevie Wonder. He later became Michael Jackson's personal photographer, and amassed a huge archive of images. Alongside all this, Gray received his MFA from CalArts in 1989 where he studied under photographer Allan Sekula and focused primarily ideas of mental colonialism. These ideas first started around his well-known subject, Michael Jackson, until Gray realized that his own mind had been colonized by his western upbringing and education. Todd and I talk about the split between a western logical thinking, and a more African bodily and intuitive way of thinking—and how much of his practice is an effort to reconcile the two.Gray's exhibition, Euclidean Gris Gris, is on view at Pomona College Museum of Art through May 17, 2019. 

This episode, host Lindsay Preston Zappas is joined by painter Lari Pittman that was recorded just days before Pittman's retrospective opened at the Hammer Museum in LA. They discuss personal experiences that have deeply influenced his work, and talk about what it was like to delve into painting and decoration in the '70s—a time when painting was as Pittman says, “dilapidated.” Pittman now teaches painting at UCLA, and in this conversation, he talks about the impact that working with younger artists has had on him. He also delves into his early experiences growing up in Colombia, the impact that his identity has had on his work and the way in which his work has found a dialogue with a new generation of contemporary painters. ––––––––––––You can submit a question to Dear Carla by emailing us at podcast@contemporaryartreview.la or DM us on Instagram @contemporaryartreview.la

 Welcome to Season 3 of The Carla Podcast! This episode, host Lindsay Preston Zappas is joined by curator Jamillah James for an in-depth conversation spanning the whole episode. They discuss James' background in music and fast-track from overcoming serious illness to landing her current role as chief curator at ICA LA in a span of just nine years. James and LPZ discuss the responsibility of the museum to be accessible, accountable, and willing to learn from its public. James talks about the contemporary as something that is actively unfolding, and how to curate the contemporary while it is constantly evolving. She also shares her thoughts about showing generosity and mentorship to a younger generation, and the importance of teaching professional practice. Plus, a sneak peek into her largest curatorial project to date and the ICA's ambitious plan to crowdfund their museum. ––––––––––––You can submit a question to Dear Carla by emailing us at podcast@contemporaryartreview.la or DM us on Instagram @contemporaryartreview.la

1. Writer's RoomIn this last episode of Season 2 of The Carla Podcast, host Lindsay Preston Zappas is joined by Carla contributor Catherine Wagley and artist Trulee Hall to collapse all segments into one conversation on Hall's recent exhibition The Other and Otherwise, which Catherine wrote about in our forthcoming issue 16 of Carla. 2. L.A. at LargeThe three discuss Hall's life and background, the presence of Americana, the female body, and sexuality in her work, and how she navigates working across multiple mediums. They also talk about the importance of timing in an artist's career, and some of Trulee's experiences that allowed her to build her voice. 3. Dear CarlaHall also weighs in on the importance of choosing a gallery carefully.You can submit a question to Dear Carla by emailing us at podcast@contemporaryartreview.la or DM us on Instagram @contemporaryartreview.la

Dianna Molzan discusses her recent show Fizzz, and generating joy amidst political chaos — Vanessa Place's Rape Jokes — Understanding how art might open up space to communicate about the #MeToo Movement — Do artists need to be good at writing about their own work?        1. L.A. at LargeHost Lindsay Preston Zappas is joined by artist Dianna Molzan. We discuss her recent show Fizzz at Kristina Kite Gallery, as well as what drew her to the L.A. art world. Molzan shares her thoughts on the medium of painting, and her desire to generate joy through her work amidst so much political chaos. 2. Writer's Room         Lindsay is joined by contributing editor, Catherine Wagley, to discuss her article from Carla Issue 15, “Laughing in Private,” which centers around the artist Vanessa Place's Rape Jokes performance, and subsequent book. They discuss the function of these jokes in Place's work, how they function in culture, and art's ability to open up space to communicate about the #MeToo Movement.3. Dear CarlaDianna Molzan returns to discuss a listener-submitted question: “Do artists need to be good at writing about their own work?” You can submit a question to Dear Carla by emailing us at podcast@contemporaryartreview.la or DM us on Instagram @contemporaryartreview.la

Julian Rosefeldt's Manifesto, in relation to the subjectivity of the body, Hollywood, and politics — Kelly Akashi discusses her art practice and recent show — What makes a good press release?1. Writer's RoomHost Lindsay Preston Zappas is joined by Carla contributor Christina Catherine Martinez to discuss her article from Carla Issue 15, “Eyes Without a Voice,” which considers Julian Rosefeldt's Manifesto, an immersive video installation starring actress Cate Blanchett that was recently on view at Hauser & Wirth. We discuss Christina's take on Manifesto and how issues of celebrity, politic, Hollywood production value, and the subjectivity of bodies play out (or don't) in the work. 2. L.A. at LargeLindsay is joined by LA-based artist Kelly Akashi to discuss her experience growing up in LA, her current show, Figure Shifter, on view at Ghebaly Gallery, the intricacies of her detailed process, and the importance of community. 3. Dear CarlaLindsay continues the conversation with Stuart Krimko (Editorial Director, David Kordansky Gallery) to answer a listener-submitted question: “How do you write a good press release?” Stuart has almost 20 years of experience writing press releases, and gives his take on how to do it well. To submit your questions to Dear Carla, email us at podcast@contemporaryartreview.la. 

Writer's RoomHost Lindsay Preston Zappas is joined by Carla contributor, Travis Diehl to discuss his article from Carla Issue 14 called “Lynch in Traffic,” which discusses David Lynch's transition from painter to filmmaker. They talk about the deskilled style of his painted works, where the resolution of his paintings is left unanswered in his films, and how his depiction of '50s-style clichés and traditional gender roles land in 2019. L.A. at LargeLindsay is joined by L.A. art accountant Jim Walters to discuss all things taxes. Here, we discuss the complicated task of doing taxes as an artist, break down deductions, art trades, filing statuses, and common tax rules that artists unknowingly break.Dear CarlaWe need your questions about the art world. Ask us anything: Are you confused about gallery rosters or representation? How artists make a living? Certain trends you are seeing in artwork in LA? Write to us at podcast@contemporaryartreview.la or DM us at @contemporaryartreview.la and we'll pick a batch of questions to answer this season on the podcast.

Hosted by Lindsay Preston ZappasWriter's Room:Lindsay is joined by Carla contributor, Catherine Wagley to discuss her article from Carla Issue 14 called “Celeste Dupuy-Spencer And Figurative Religion,” which discusses Dupuy-Spencer's recent show The Chiefest of Ten Thousand at Nino Mier Gallery. We talk about figurative art in Christianity, the subjectivity of figuration, and how Dupuy-Spencer straddles these lines within her work. L.A. at LargeLindsay is joined by Frieze L.A.'s executive director Bettina Korek, and the Talks and Music curator Hamza Walker. Here, we discuss what to expect from the upcoming art fair, why it's coming to L.A., and ways they hope the fair engages the art community in Los Angeles. Dear Carla:Lindsay continues the conversation with Sam Parker (Parker Gallery) to answer a listener submitted question about how to price an artwork. 

Looking Back on Made in L.A. 2018— What does it mean for an artist to be political? — How are artists responding to our time?—How do young artists connect with curators?Writer's Room: Lindsay is joined by the three Carla writers who reviewed Made in L.A. 2018 for Carla issue #13: Jennifer Remenchik, Aaron Horst, and Claire de Dobay Rifelj. Hear about the hits (and misses) from three of our very own critics. They also discuss how politics were interpreted across the exhibition, and how nuance can play a role in political work. You can read each of their Made in L.A. 2018 reviews here: Precarious Healing, Jennifer RemenchikUnfinished Finish Fetish, Claire de Dobay RifeljLoose Aesthetics and Agreeable Politicking, Aaron HorstL.A. at Large:Lindsay speaks with the curators of Made in LA 2018, Erin Christovale and Anne Ellegood. They discuss the process of choosing artists for the show, what it means for an artist to be political, and the responsibility the curators felt in making the exhibition a reflection of our surreal historic era.Dear Carla:The Hammer curators stay on to weigh in on this listener submitted question: How does an artist ask a curator for a studio visit? There are unwritten rules for example about not asking gallerists unsolicited for studio visits..so how does an artist crack into the curatorial view.You can submit your question on Instagram (DM us) or write to us at podcast@contemporaryartreview.la.  

Whose work is it anyways? — Norm Laich's world as a brush for hire — The art of the collaboration — Is there a viable way to share your work on social media? Hosted by Lindsay Preston Zappas Writer's Room: Lindsay is joined by Carla contributor, Matt Stromberg to discuss his article from Carla issue 13 called “The Collaborative Art World of Norm Laich,” which discusses Norm's recent show Brush for Hire at ICA, and his role as a fabricator over the years. We talk about Norm's work as it pertains to questions of authorship, fabrication, and the role of artist assistants. L.A. at LargeLindsay is joined by the man himself, Norm Laich, as well as artist Amanda Ross-Ho—Norm and Amanda are long-time friends, and have worked on a number of projects together. We discuss how they met, the process behind art making, and their experiences as artists living and working in Los Angeles. Dear Carla: Lindsay continues the conversation with Amanda Ross-Ho to answer a listener submitted question about posting work on social media, fears of being copied or ripped-off, and the viability of Instagram to reach new audiences or galleries. 

Florals and feminism — the historical, political, and gendered uses of floral imagery — Call out culture and Instagram feminism — Has female representation in the art world made any progress? Hosted by Lindsay Preston Zappas Writer's Room: Lindsay is joined by Carla writer Angella d'Avignon to discuss Angella's recent article, “Perennial Bloom,” which discusses California's super bloom in late 2016 as it coincided with stark political events such as the presidential election and Women's March. We talk about the trend of florals in contemporary art, some of the historical and feminist roots of floral imagery, and the gendered associations that are tied to the flower. L.A.-at-Large: Artist and teacher, Micol Hebron—who founded the Gallery Tally project—joins Lindsay to discuss the gender disparity that exists in the art world, what led her to begin the Gallery Tally project, and the issues at force behind call out culture, and gender-based oppression. Dear Carla: Lindsay continues the conversation with Micol Hebron to answer a listener-submitted question about what progress we've made in the art world regarding gender equality, and what we can do to prevent this progress from regressing under the Trump administration. Links: http://contemporaryartreview.la/perennial-bloom/ http://gallerytally.tumblr.com/

This summer, we are taking a break from our regular monthly podcast to present a series of bonus episodes, featuring selections from the Carla archives. This week, Lindsay reads "MEAT PHYSICS/Metaphysical L.A." by Travis Diehl and "SOGTFO at François Ghebaly" by Jonathan Griffin.

This summer, we are taking a break from our regular monthly podcast to present a series of bonus episodes, featuring selections from the Carla archives. This week, Lindsay reads "Kanye Westworld" by Travis Diehl and "Generous Structures" by Catherine Wagley.

This summer, we are taking a break from our regular monthly podcast to present a series of bonus episodes, featuring selections from the Carla archives. This week, Lindsay reads "The Rise of the L.A. Art Witch" by Amanda Yates Garcia and "The Female Cool School" by Catherine Wagley.

This summer, we are taking a break from our regular monthly podcast to present a series of bonus episodes, featuring selections from the Carla archives. This week, Lindsay reads "Art Advice (from Men)" by Sarah Weber and "The Art of Birth" by Carmen Winant.

The death of alt weeklies — The responsibility of the writer — Creating inclusive news platforms for local communities — How do we make art writing accessible to a wide audience? Hosted By Lindsay Preston Zappas Writer's Room: Lindsay is joined by Carla writer, Catherine Wagley, to discuss her recent Carla article "Accessible as Humanly Possible." We discuss recent shifts in publishing platforms like the LA Weekly, as well as the importance of accessibility and vulnerability in art writing. What is the changing role of the art critic, and how can writing be more inclusive to a wider audience? The podcast will take a short break for the summer, but will be back in the fall with a fresh season of episodes.

The role of Instagram in the art museum – should museums be adapting programing to appeal to the general public? – Highland Park gallery, Odd Ark LA, shares their story – We listen to some great music by Mike Kelley and Jim Shaw (D'red D'warf). Hosted By Lindsay Preston Zappas Writer's Room: Lindsay and Aaron are joined by Carla writer, Matt Stromberg, to discuss his new Carla article "Museum as Selfie Station." Should a trip to the museum be about entertainment or cultural enrichment? How has social media affect public engagement with art institutions, and how are museums adapting to try to stay relevant, and keep people engaged? L.A.-at-Large: Yvonne Bas Tull and Dani Tull, the couple who founded the new Highland Park gallery Odd Ark LA, share their history within the Los Angeles, and the process of deciding to start a gallery. Odd Ark hosts a hybrid event program which celebrates the L.A. music scene, and the rich history of artist musicians. Dani shares a couple of tracks by L.A. artists Mike Kelley and Jim Shaw (D'red D'warf). Music Credits: D'red D'warf , A TONE MEANT FOR YOUR SINS, Slouching Toward Bedlam (Dec 7 2016). Jim Shaw, Dani Tull, Brian Randolph, and Daniel Hope. Tijuana Hayride, from Mike Kelley's Day Is Done / Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. Sampler: Mike Kelley; Sampler, Keyboards: Scott Benzel.

New trends in trash – the role of artists and galleries within gentrifying neighborhoods in L.A. – Does the boom of artist run spaces actually point to a lack of support for emerging artists? Hosted by Lindsay Preston Zappas Writer's Room: Lindsay is joined by assistant editor Aaron Horst and Carla writer Travis Diehl, to discuss Travis's recent article, L.A. Povera, which articulates new trends of trash being used in artwork in gentrifying neighborhoods. We talk about what these trends point to, how some galleries are using architecture to broker their presence in a gentrifying neighborhood, and if artists play a role in gentrification. Dear Carla: Lindsay is joined by Adam Miller and Devon Oder, the co-founders of The Pit to answer a question from a local L.A. artist about whether the explosion of artist run spaces points to a larger issue of a lack of mid-size commercial galleries and funded non-profits in L.A. Adam and Devon weigh in on the lack of support for emerging artists and the kind of alternative models we may be seeing more of to help sustain young working artists.

Conversations about the body, the ephemerality of performance, the marginalization of certain art histories, and how a teen art collective is engaging in the community. Hosted by Lindsay Preston Zappas Writer's Room: Lindsay is joined by two Carla writers to discuss two seemingly unrelated articles. Ike Onyewuenyi discusses his recent article on EJ Hill, dealing with performance, the body, and labor, and Catherine Wagley introduces her recent inquiry into 4 influential female gallerists in the 1960s, and discusses why they were largely written out of art history. The three talk about the challenges of historicizing ephemeral artworks or projects, and how certain art-historical narratives become marginalized. L.A. at Large: Lindsay is joined by Timo Fahler & Thomas Linder, two of the founders of BBQLA gallery. They talk about the teen art initiative that they started called Meatgrinder, and then I'm joined by 4 of the teens in the Meatgrinder collective: Ella Bandouveris, Olinga Bolden, Sofie Del Barrio, and Max Oppenheimer. The group discusses the impact that the program has had on them, and how they hope it's impacting the community.

This is a packed episode with conversations ranging from politics in art, all-women exhibitions, art fairs and alternative gallery structures, and the benefits (and hardships) of getting an MFA. Hosted by Lindsay Preston Zappas Writer's Room:Lindsay is joined by Carla contributing editor, Aaron Horst, to talk with Catherine Wagley about her recent Carla article, "Women on the Plinth." We talk through issues of politics, gender, and war in art, before talking about some of the problematic aspects of all-women exhibitions. L.A.-at-Large Lindsay talks with Brett Schultz (BWSMX Gallery) and Francisco Cordero-Oceguera (Lodos Gallery) about their history in the art scene in Mexico city as well as the story behind their recent L.A.-based collective gallery, Ruberta. Dear Carla Michael Ned Holte comes in to answer our intern's question: "Why did I just get my MFA?"