|
|
|
|
Exhibit
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Seeking the Soul of L.A. on Its Streets - Paintings and Stories by J. Michael Walker
Exhibition
|
|
All the Saints of the City of the Angels:
Paintings and Stories by J. Michael Walker
Los Angeles, Ca. - through September 7, 2008
|
 Tangible history and unlikely associations are revealed in "All the Saints of the City of the Angels," through September 7, at the Autry National Center, in L.A.
Artist J. Michael Walker unlocks a treasure trove of voices amidst the saintly named city streets of Los Angeles, where stories carry metaphorical qualities, and examines connections between our history, heritage, and present-day realities. Over 50 exquisitely detailed, large-scale paintings converse with precious artifacts from the collections of the Autry's Museum of the American West and Southwest Museum of the American Indian.
Each painting is meticulously composed and framed by architectural and metaphorical elements borrowed freely from Spanish religious art. Walker’s models—the workers, the homeless, the indigent, and others who often go unseen—give the stories of Los Angeles streets back to their namesakes. English and Spanish text panels; video clips; retablos and bultos (18th- and 19th-century devotional objects from the Autry collection); an interactive area where visitors can further explore the saints and contribute thoughts; and la capilla, an altar where visitors can reflect on violence in our communities, enhance museum visitors’ experience as they connect with All the Saints.
|
Saints' names have come to identify our local mountains, bays, forests, and, over the past century, a good number of our city streets.
Since 2000, J. Michael Walker has been researching every Los Angeles street named for a saint, delving into city records, hagiographies, old photographs, maps, and history books. This exhibition combines meticulous research with creative inspiration to depict both historical and contemporary stories of community, conflict, education, homelessness, poverty, sacred space, spirituality, urban development, violence, and more.
|
|
Saint Stephanie de los Niños
|
Sumi ink and Serigraph on Paper 70 48"
|
|
 |
Saint Moritz Drive
|
Acrylics over Giclee on Polyvinyl, 36 x 24"
|
|
|
All exhibition photos by Abel Gutierrez, Courtesy the Autry National Center, Los Angeles
|
This website, all images (except as noted) and all text Copyright 2008 by J Michael Walker. All rights reserved
|
|