"home" a video installation by artist Mia Babalis and New Paintings by Deborah Martin June 11-July 3 2009

The sacred and mundane live together perfectly in the boarded up house. Sitting silently like coffins or mausoleums, these modern ruins evoke a past, both empty and full- as much here as gone.

When they go, not just structure is gone but an entire past; a time, place, and people we may never know. Many homes, like these, don’t meet Historical Preservation standards, but are valuable none-the-less. Does the memory of these rooms live in someone's mind and heart far from the place where this house stands? How many homes are connected to our hearts in this way, how many places housed our dreams and memories?

Like time that seems to vanish yet persists, “home” is in our beings, in a formless, placeless domain.

About Mia Babalis and Deborah Martin

Mia Babalis is a Los Angeles based artist living in Santa Monica, CA. Before becoming a visual artist, Babalis had a long and successful career as a modern dancer in New York, receiving critical acclaim performing in the companies of Alvin Ailey, Ballet Hispanico, Lar Lubovitch, and Mikhail Baryshnikov.

In 2005, Babalis graduated with honors with a BFA from Otis College of Art and Design, and received a jury award for her work “overunderinbetween.” She has created a variety of installations in traditional gallery settings, as well as site-specific works that transform existing architectural space, combing the use of video, form, and the movement of the viewer, to explore temporal-spatial experience.

Deborah Martin is a downtown Los Angeles based gallery director, painter, fine art photographer and art instructor. Martin received a BFA and BS in Art Education from The Museum School of Fine Arts and Tufts University, respectively. Martin’s current work in progress titled “America” documents the abandonment of what was once known as America’s heartland.

Babalis and Martin met recently by chance and immediately began connecting with one another based on their mutual interest in documenting “home.” Both artists share a concern for the history of place and time and believe whole-heartedly in the importance of historical preservation.

“home” runs June 11th through July 3rd at Deborah Martin Gallery, 209 West 5th Street in the Spring Arts Tower, Downtown Los Angeles. 310-428-6464.

Open for the Downtown Art Walk Thursday June 11th, 2009 12-9pm
Artist’s Opening Reception 7-9pm

Artist Talk & Benefit Saturday June 20th 7-10 pm Live Music by musician/actor/filmmaker Paul Hipp and special guests…

Mold Making With Kim Ye

DMG/STUDIO 528
FINE ART & PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOPS

Saturday May 30th 10-4pm
Course: $125.00 $25.00 Material fee

This workshop provides you with basic skills for thinking and working in three dimensions—the first step to expressing your ideas as sculpture or installation. In this Intro to Mold Making I workshop, you will learn the basics of one-part mold making. Working with latex and plaster, students will learn how to make replicas of found objects and arrange them in a meaningful way. Through class slides and critiques we will shed light on what makes or breaks a sculptural arrangement. Students with little or no 3-D experience gain a rich understanding of the building blocks of sculpture while creating original artwork.



Kim Ye was born in Beijing, China and graduated summa cum laude from prestigious Pomona College in Claremont, California, receiving a B.A. in studio art. Since her graduation in 2007, Kim’s work has already been exhibited nationally, and featured in a wide range of publications from Los Angeles, CA to Sarasota, FL. Experienced in woodcarving, metalworking, and casting, Kim’s technical training and highly visceral approach to sculpture allows her to effectively transform abstract ideas into compelling physical objects.

For more information on how to enroll follow this link: Studio 528

The Annex LA

The Deborah Martin Gallery will be a participating gallery in The Annex LA

Location: The Farmers & Merchants Bank
Corner of 4th & Main St.

Hours:
Open for the Downtown Art Walk may 14th 12-9pm
Saturday & Sunday may 15th & 16th 12-5pm

Participating Galleries:
Bert Green Fine Art
Deborah martin Gallery
LACDA
Pharmaka
Phyllis Stein Art
Todd/ Browning Gallery

Visual Naratives l Photography Workshop with Susan Burnstine

Saturday May 16th 10am-4pm

This one day workshop focuses on exploring and realizing individual narratives through the power of photography. Using metaphor, symbolism and personal stories participants articulate or refine their visions. Whether the focus is on landscapes, portrait, still life, nature, abstract,photojournalism, self-portrait or documentary, images are deeply rooted in personal emotion despite being self-created or found scenarios.The aim is for the photographer to become emotionally connected to each image they create and to convey their vision in a true, honest and consistent manner.

Students should bring their portfolios and cameras for shooting exercises. Participants will explore their own personal narratives, aesthetics and psychology in image making. Through practical demonstrations, creative exercises, group discussions, brief shooting assignments and portfolio reviews, participants are encouraged and inspired to grow to the next plateau. Additional discussions will include, long term project development, techniques, editing portfolios, marketing, publishing and exhibitions.

Susan Burnstine is an award winning professional fine art and commercial photographer based in Los Angeles. Susan is represented in galleries across the country, widely published throughout the world and has also written for several photography magazines, including Black & White Photography (UK) and Camera Arts. Winner of B&W Magazines 2008 Portfolio SpotLight Award.

"Susan has an extraordinary gift at identifying the deeper basis for an artist's work and what areas he/she should be focusing on and developing further. That's quite a bit more valuable than what is usually communicated in a "portfolio review". Prior to her workshop, I felt that I needed some better focus with my new photo series, and I feel that I really received that from her. It's also my perception that her feedback to the other members of the workshop was equally insightful and helpful. Thanks for facilitating and hosting her workshop!"

For more info visit: www.deborahmartingallery.com