Transforming Los Angeles into a Massive Art Installation
Glynn Cartledge
Glynn Cartledge, a 2024 TBC grant awardee, artfully navigates the intricate landscapes of justice and redemption in her compelling body of work. With a formidable background as a criminal lawyer spanning over twenty-five years, Cartledge's transition into the arts enables her to scrutinize the nuances of incarceration from both its onset—the fraught period of awaiting trial—and its aftermath, focusing on the reintegration of formerly incarcerated individuals. Her series, "P2P," employs a blend of oil portraits, archival materials, and audio recordings to offer a multifaceted perspective on the lives affected by the criminal justice system, emphasizing themes of social justice and the profound human stories behind the statistics.
Larry Li
Larry Li is an emerging artist whose poignant works delve deeply into the complexities of cultural identity and memory, rooted in his experience as a child of immigrants. Through his exploration of "Cultural Amnesia," Li captures the essence of being caught between the worlds of his Chinese heritage and the American immigrant experience. This duality forms the cornerstone of his work, enriching it with layers of personal and historical narratives that resonate universally. Li's artistic process is both traditional and innovative, characterized by a unique fusion of collage and painting. He incorporates a technique of photo transfers where historical and family photographs become integral materials of the artwork, allowing him to preserve their authenticity while recontextualizing them within his paintings. This method not only highlights the photographs' significance but also enhances the narrative depth of his pieces. One of Li's standout series, "The Home is Red," created during his thesis at Otis College of Art and Design, features large-scale prints of old family photographs juxtaposed with elements reflecting significant historical moments like the Tiananmen Square protests. Another compelling piece, "I Got Some Tattoos This Year My Mama Won't Like Them," connects the personal act of getting tattoos with the broader historical narrative of Tiananmen Square, embodying the personal-political dichotomy that characterizes many immigrant experiences. Li’s work is a continuous exploration of his identity, reflecting his feelings of belonging nowhere and everywhere simultaneously. His recent residency in Shanghai deepened his engagement with this 'third cultural space,' impacting his creative expression. While his past works focused significantly on Tiananmen Square due to its relevance to his family's history, Li contemplates new directions that would still resonate with the themes of immigrant identity and cultural dialogue. Through innovative use of materials and profound thematic exploration, Larry Li not only narrates his personal history but also invites viewers to consider broader implications of migration, identity, and memory in contemporary society. His art stands as a bridge between past and present, private and public, personal and universal, making Larry Li a significant voice in the landscape of contemporary art.
2024 Grant Awardees
Werllayne Nunes
Werllayne Nunes is a self-taught painter from Brazil who is currently based in Washington D.C. His years living in Brazil, Europe, and the United States have deeply shaped the central focus of his work: how structural racism operates in racially diverse societies. Integrating faces, colors, and cultural and religious traditions from Brazil and other African diasporic countries, his paintings represent portraits of empowerment that provide counter-narratives to the media’s uni-dimensional and stereotypical depictions of people who are marginalized because of their race and socioeconomic status. His work challenges these stereotypes by creating visually striking images that reflect the complexity and agency of individuals in marginalized groups. His paintings have been shown in galleries, museums, and public spaces in Brazil, Spain, and the United States. From artist's website.
Gail Postal
Gail Postal is a self-taught painter based in New York City. A lifelong artist, she came to paint full-time after retiring as a school teacher. Using models, she draws and paints portraits and later embellishes them using her own patterns and design motifs. A multimedia artist, she often combines graphite, oil paint with rhinestones and glitter. Her work is inspired by the circus and figurative artists like Egon Schiele and Gustav Klimt.
Lola Del Fresno
Lola del Fresno is a visual artist whose projects involve large-scale mixed-media installations with an active public component that involves the viewer as part of the project in the space. Her work comprises mixed media pieces including drawings, photography, paintings, and sculptures. She has exhibited her work locally and internationally. Her large-scale installations and paintings are housed in well-known private collections and museums. From artist's website.
