The Shared Otherness exhibition was a collaborative mixed-media exhibition referencing the community to which the University of Southern California and the California African American Museum belong.
Brief
Featuring projects in a variety of media, the exhibition "Shared Otherness" includes a mix of conceptual ideas and concrete forms that address the immediate geographical context in which both organizations reside — Exposition Park and its surrounding communities — while also adding the artists' voices to larger national and international dialogues.
The exhibition took place in the courtyard of the California African-American Museum. The Intertwined installation was created was designed specifically for this space and exhibition by Kristine Ortega and myself.
Vision
Intertwined is a visual representation of the cultural entanglement that is characteristic of Los Angeles. Agency or intention aside, the intertwining of string, lines, and roads demonstrates the mixing of a diversity of world-views, perspectives, languages, and traditions – all of which comprise contemporary Los Angeles.
Installation Components
There were essentially three levels to this installation:
1. Strings representing Immigration – Distinct color groups of string draping down from various angles that converge at a point on wall 2. Vinyl mural representing the Intertwining of cultures – From that point, the different color strings intertwine into a vinyl representation of the LA skyline 3. Los Angeles Map – This map illustration of LA highlights the ethnic enclaves (Chinatown, Koreatown, Little Ethiopia, Little Saigon)
Original Comp
Measurements
CHERRY PICKER TIME. The scale of this project was a wonderfully exciting challenge (and quite the fun perk riding up, up, up)
Watching the vinyl cityscape come to life, thanks to the Skye Graphics team!
This LA-based screen printing team was phenomenal to work with. Definitely recommend Skye Graphics to any Angelino!
LOOK MA, I'M IN THE AIR! Here we can be seen in the top right of the photo, carefully tying the ends of each string to a screw and draping it over the cherry picker rail in an orderly fashion.
STRING THEORY: One of the biggest challenges in the execution of this project was getting the string mounted from one wall, slowly wheeling the cherry picker to the opposite wall, and then tying it to the "converging point" (aka the screw shown above) all while keeping the string from tangling. With some trial and error, we came up with the "nail" solution.
OUT WITH A BANG. USC Gayle Roski School of Art & Design sponsored a "Roski Talks" artist talk by Denver-based artist Rick Griffith followed by a closing reception of the exhibition.
