Beyond the emergent field of sound art, there exist certain artists for whom music forms one aspect of a multi-faceted practice or for whom it plays a deep influence that may not find expression outside the studio. Conceived as a concept album-turned-exhibition, All Time Greatest offers the opportunity to consider how artists’ musical predilections—the secret soundtrack to their production—might add a dimension of significance to their work in an exhibition setting. The exhibition features the work of 11 LA-based artists: Gabrielle Ferrer, Brendan Fowler, Alex Klein, Dave Muller, Eamon Ore-Giron, Vincent Ramos, Steve Roden, Brian Roettinger, Sumi Ink Club (Luke Fischbeck and Sarah Rara), and Stephanie Taylor. Featured in the center of the gallery is a turntable and record collection composed of each artist’s chosen “all time greatest” album; visitors are welcome to thumb through and listen to the records. Against the culture of rapid digital file sharing, All Time Greatest uses the exhibition format as an opportunity to revive an analog, old-school approach to sharing music at the same time that it adapts the fan culture of audiophiles to the task of the curator.
All Time Greatest will be accompanied by programming that takes advantage of the gallery’s location in a Chinatown office park with terrace views to the LA skyline. Events include collective public drawing sessions on December 5 and 6 by Sumi Ink Club; an opening reception on December 12 with DJ Dave Muller and DJ Lengua; a concert on December 19 with performances by Steve Roden, Lucky Dragons (Luke Fischbeck and Sarah Rara), BARR (Brendan Fowler), and Eamon Ore-Giron; listening parties; and a catalogue release party in early 2010.
