Darin Klein & Friends Present: Kate Barclay + Live Music by Ben and Bruno & Catchy Gory

Untitled, 40x63". Pencil on Duralar, 2009

Wall Storm, 20x25". Pen, colored pencil, acrylic, photos on Duralar, 2009

Ben and Bruno

Catchy Gory

February 27
Live music by Ben and Bruno + Catchy Gory
Since 2003, Ben and Bruno (more recently "BB") has released five albums and an assortment of EPs and collaborations. For this performance we heard a stripped-back set, including songs from the forthcoming album Marcescant. Ben and Bruno is based on the story of a character named Benjamin and his boyhood dog, Bruno. The songs follow Benjamin from childhood to adulthood through a saga of abduction, marriage, divorce and visions of death. www.myspace.com/benandbrunomusic

Since 2004, Catchy Gory has released five albums and has performed at venues including Backyard Campfire in Albuquerque, NM and Colonial Tavern in Fredericksburg, VA. As a minstrel of rousing dreamy ballads, for this performance we heard from Catchy Gory six new tales of fortune in a 'suburban folk' style. www.myspace.com/catchygory

Darin Klein & Friends Present: Kate Barclay + An Evening of Short Films and Videos with Julia & Kye

Pile Up, 52x80". Colored pencil, marker on paper, 2009

Solid Things Go Liquid, 52x80". Photos on paper, 2009

Couchstorm, 23x36". Colored pencil, marker, photos on Duralar, 2009

Still from Mystery Tamers by Julia Dzwonkoski and Kye Potter

Opening night crowd

February 20
Opening Reception
Plus… A night of short films with Julia & Kye
Impressive in execution and engaging in subject matter, Kate’s colored pencil, marker, acrylic, graphite and photo-collage works on paper and Duralar now grace the walls of Amy’s studio. Kate did an amazing job of choosing which pieces to show and installing the work. Responding to the space, a preliminary hanging of the work was tried, and that evolved gracefully into the installation in the studio now.

Collaborative duo Julia Dzwonkoski and Kye Potter showed 10 short films and videos from 8:30-9pm. Poignant, absurd and sincere, I thought the selection played perfectly in the context of Kate’s work. Julia and Kye have organized exhibitions and screenings at the MAK Center and the Echo Park Film Center in Los Angeles; the Carnegie Art Center in Buffalo, New York; and the Herndon Gallery, Antioch College, Yellow Springs, Ohio. Creators of paintings, works on paper, videos and numerous artists’ books, they are also co-authors of a book of interviews conducted while traveling throughout the US, The Sky Opened Up with Answers (Onestar Press, 2009). www.weirdshadow.com

Darin Klein & Friends Present: Kate Barclay

Darin Klein & Friends return to Amy Adler’s Echo Park studio with recent work by Los Angeles based artist Kate Barclay. Kate will be exhibiting works that demonstrate both the beauty of chaos and the labor of lyricism. Collage, as a medium and as a concept, plays a vital role in Kate’s work. “I increase the size of the in between, stretching it, inflating it,” writes the artist in her catalog for Rawhang Teewang, a recent solo exhibition in Bangkok, Thailand. And, “I am focused on the moment of most potential in an object or a site, when there is a movement or a transition from one form to another.” The result of her observations is the documentation, prediction or fabrication of the outcomes to obvious and/or barely perceived movements.

Hosting community-driven get-togethers and educating and learning from friends and strangers remain integral parts of this experiment. Temporarily re-purposing the studio of an already established artist to give emerging artists a platform for the expression of their own ideas, we invite you to attend our scheduled series of programs featuring artists and peers using vocabularies complementary to Kate’s.

Kate Barclay
Kate Barclay graduated with a BA in Visual Art from the University of California, Los Angeles in 2004 and completed her MFA at the University of California, San Diego in 2008. Her work has been featured in local group exhibitions at Black Dragon Society, Fox Studios, LACE and LACMA Lab. In 2008, she was an artist in residence at Bangkok University, which culminated in her solo exhibition there.

Amy Adler
Amy Adler currently lives and works in Los Angeles and is Associate Professor of Visual Art at the University of California San Diego. www.amyadler.com

Darin Klein
Collaborating with an ever-expanding network of friends, Darin Klein curates and organizes exhibitions and arts programming, simultaneously producing, collecting and promoting artists’ publications and independent media. Darin is the Programs Coordinator at the Hammer Museum, where he also curated his first museum exhibition, Hammer Projects: Christopher Russell (January – April 2009). www.darinklein.net

Darin Klein & Friends Present: Original Plumbing #2 Release Party

Ayden from OP #2 photographed by Amos Mac

Khane from OP #2 photographed by Amos Mac

Rocco: He doesn't just work on OP, he also modeled for the first issue! Photo by Amos Mac

Mustache Station!

From our screening of short films: Fish: A Matrilineage of Cunty White Woman Realness by Zackary Drucker

16mm film loop installations: Rhys Ernst (R) and Mariah Garnett (L)

workspace

OP #2

Despite the rain, approximately 200 people came out to workspace for the release of the 2nd issue of Original Plumbing magazine. A diverse crowd of all genders and many variations of self-representation were there, and throughout the evening people expressed their appreciation for being recognized and celebrated. The look of wonder on many people’s faces would hint that the underserved trans community is really happy to have spaces like this created. Everyone was pleased to have filmmakers Silas Howard and John Cameron Mitchell among the attendees.

Upon entering workspace, visitors were greeted by Amos Mac who was surrounded by an exhibition of his photographic portraits of subjects from past, present and future issues of Original Plumbing. Amos personally sold about 60 copies of issue #2 while chatting with fans and friends.

Heading into the back of the space, loads of people were busy at the Mustache Station all evening, where Jenn Kolmel and Kate Hoffman encouraged people to partner up and assist one another in applying fantastical facial hair creations. The results ranged from fairly realistic five o’clock shadows, goatees and mustaches to glittery synthetic mystery wisps, or feather sideburns and fake fur chest hair. Austin Young took pics all night which you can view here.

Meanwhile, the 16mm film loop installations by Rhys Ernst and Mariah Garnett were playing side by side against the back wall. A short video screening had to be cycled through twice, so that we could empty out the packed back room and usher in a second round of visitors who wanted to see the videos. We showed The Stroke by Austin Young and Barry Pett, Fish: A Matrilineage of Cunty White Woman Realness by Zackary Drucker, Drumstick by Deanna Erdman and Darin Klein (that's me!), and finished it off with Baby Got Front, a Jackie Beat video by Austin Young.

10pm rolled around, and I was sorry to have to shut the event down (a girl can't stay all night, can she?). I did pop in for a nightcap at the Akbar where I spotted many familiar faces sporting faux facial hair (Hi JP Craft Captain and your awesome friends!). Looking back on the night, it's obvious that we'll have to organize another event for the next issue of Original Plumbing. Stay tuned...