Breaking News
Garden of Brokenness
Exhibition Extended



This Just In:

The Garden of Brokenness exhibition, by Farmlab Team, has been extended.

The show, which celebrates Los Angeles as a broken paradise and serves as a conceptual proposal for Confluence Park, had previously been slated to close Friday, June 1.

Instead, for the time being, Garden will run concurrently with the forthcoming spin-off exhibition, How To Build A Junker Garden, which will open as scheduled with a demonstration, on Saturday, June 2, at noon.

 



 

Farmlab Public Salon + Workshop
Helen Lessick
Friday, July 20 @ Noon
Free-of-Charge



Lay of the Land:
Special Salon Workshop


In "Lay of the Land," participats will learn to see California soil as a canvas for nature, culture and social experimentation.

Come and learn how soil affects land and community, landscape painting and property values by exploring what is on site. The workshop will begin with an introduction to conceptual art and public art map making. Participants will break into small teams to develop individual maps of the Farmlab area. At the end of the two-hour session, the group will reconvene to enjoy and contrast the diverse ways of looking at aspects of land.

All attendees will receive a free copy of Lessick's latest project, Soil Sample, an exhibition checklist to soils on public display in Los Angeles basin. Art experience is not necessary; an open mind is required. All materials will be provided. Participation is limited to 75.

About The Workshop Leader

Helen Lessick Helen Lessick is an experienced public and conceptual artist. She has completed artist in residency projects in New York, Oregon, Washington and Europe. Her solo exhibitions include the Bellevue Art Museum, Sierra Nevada Museum of Art and Tacoma Art Museum, and non-traditional sites including an agricultural school in France and grange on an island in the Columbia River. She has created public art print projects about Los Angeles soil, hidden treasures in Tacoma, Washington and Animal art sites in Portland. Helen earned her MFA from the University of California/Irvine and has been creating public and community art projects for twenty years. She currently resides in Los Angeles.

 



 

Cornhenge in Full Bloom, A Photo

Every now and then, this blog is pointed towards an online photograph of Not A Cornfield, Farmlab, or Under Spring that is so stunning that we can't help but share it the moment we receive.

One such shot was taken by and copyright Stephen Coleman, a Southland photojournalist and cameraman.

The image is of Cornhenge, the Not A Cornfield metabolic sculpture, in full bloom, complete with pollinating bee, with downtown Los Angels in the background.

A thumbnail of the photo is located on the left side of the page, the fifth image from the top.

 



 

Farmlab Public Salon
Jane Usher, Mike Woo, and Diego Cardoso
Friday, July 13 @ Noon
Free-of-Charge


Do Real Planning:
14 Ways to Make L.A. a More Sustainable City


About the Salon
"The Los Angeles City Planning Commission used to be important if you were a real estate developer seeking official approval for a project, or if you were a homeowners association trying to stop a developer's project. But previous City Planning Commissions tended to lack either the aptitude or the inclination to tackle many of the larger challenges facing L.A. in the future. Now Mayor Villaraigosa has appointed a City Planning Commission which is starting to shake up City Hall's usual way of doing business. Come hear Commision President Jane Ellison Usher and Commissioners Diego Cardoso and Mike Woo talk about the Commission's recently-announced set of 14 principles inspired by the admonition to 'Do Real Planning.'" - M. Woo

About the Speakers
Jane Ellison Usher is President of the Los Angeles City Planning Commission. Diego Cardoso and Mike Woo are members of the Commission; Woo is also a Farmlab consultant.

Farmlab Location
Farmlab / Under Spring, 1745 N. Spring Street #4, LA, CA 90012
Across the street from the site of the Not A Cornfield project, in a warehouse colocated at Baker Street and N. Spring Street

Salons are always free-of-charge, all ages welcome.
Refreshments will be served.

 



 

Farmlab Exhibition Center
Closed For Memorial Day Weekend

The Farmlab Exhibition Center and offices will be closed Saturday, May 26 through Tuesday morning, May 29.

Regular office hours and regular Exhibition Center hours resume Tuesday morning.

 



 

This Week @ Farmlab
News + Projects +
Salons + Exhibitions

May 23-29, 2007

Friday, May 25, 2007 @ Noon
Fallen Fruit | Take Back the Fruit: Public Space & Community Activism
Join Garden of Brokenness project artist Lauren Bon and fellow Farmlab Team members as they answer questions and otherwise discuss Garden of Brokenness .... full text


Friday, June 1, 2007 @ Noon
Joe Linton | Down By The Los Angeles River
Joe Linton will speak on the past, present and future of the Los Angeles River. Through Los Angeles was founded on our River, by the 1980's, the once scenic natural waterwa .... full text

News + Projects

How To Make A Junker Garden
Exhibition Opening and Demonstration: Saturday June 2, Noon – 3.30pm
Sharing their process for turning a junker car into a garden Farmlab presents an exhibition and demonstration of ‘How to Make a Junker Garden’. Junker Gardens grow from the ..... full text


Three Farmlab Internships Available
Topics: Public Programs; Research; Communications
Farmlab has a trio of internship positions open for interested students. Two positions are slotted for both July and August; the third is ongoing. Read more and learn how to apply.... full text

Farmlab Exhibition Center

February 23 through June 1, 2007
Farmlab Team | Garden of Brokenness
Farmlab's Garden of Brokenness celebrates Los Angeles as a broken paradise. The project is proposed for Confluence Park, a location that has been described as one of the ugliest ..... full text

 



 

Farmlab Public Salon
Matthew Moore
Friday, July 27 @ Noon
Free-of-Charge


"From Agriculture to Suburbia: Cultivating the Oasis"

About the Speaker
Matthew Mooreis a fourth generation farmer whose land and life is quickly being overcome by suburban sprawl. He creates large site-specific earthworks on and around his family’s land, which highlight the grounds on which the urban and rural collide and compete. Moore also works with video and installation art, addressing issues of ecological, cultural, and economical sustainability revealed through his artistic narrative regarding the potential loss of the romanticized American farm.

Moore's artwork has been exhibited nationally, from the Armory Center for the Arts in Pasadena, to Massachusetts Museum
of Contemporary Arts. Moore's latest creations premiered at ASU Art Museum's, New American City: Artist Look Forward. In January of 2008, Moore will be a part of a traveling show about the contemporary American suburb for the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, which is being curated with the Heinz Architectural Center at the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh.

Moore is published internationally. Dwell, Metropolis Magazine and Architecture magazine included his work, as well as the publications Mark Magazine and Dazed and Confused of Europe. He is featured in Phoenix: 21st Century City, a book by Booth-Clibborn Editions.

Farmlab Location
Farmlab / Under Spring, 1745 N. Spring Street #4, LA, CA 90012
Across the street from the site of the Not A Cornfield project, in a warehouse colocated at Baker Street and N. Spring Street

Salons are always free-of-charge, all ages welcome.
Refreshments will be served.

 



 

Farmlab Offers Three Internship Positions

Farmlab -- a think tank, art production studio, performance and educational venue in downtown Los Angeles -- is seeking three interns.

The available positions are:

  • Public Programs Intern

  • Communications Intern

  • Research Intern


  • Please click on each of the above positions to learn more about the opportunities, and how to apply.

     



     

    This Week @ Farmlab
    News + Projects +
    Salons + Exhibitions

    May 16-22, 2007

    Farmlab Public Salons
    Friday, May 18, 2007 @ Noon
    Farmlab Team | Garden of Brokeneness - Gallery Talk
    Join Garden of Brokenness project artist Lauren Bon and fellow Farmlab Team members as they answer questions and otherwise discuss Garden of Brokenness .... full text

    Friday, May 25, 2007 @ Noon
    Fallen Fruit | Take Back the Fruit: Public Space & Community Activism
    Join the celebrated trio of this collective who integrate aesthetic strategies with folk art and old-time activism, aiming to create new ways to inhabit and construct our cities .... full text

    News + Projects
    What In The World Is This?
    Hint: It's Growing at Farmlab
    The nexus between art and nature is rarely as apparent as when admiring our mystery item, pictured here. Jump to the Farmlab blog entry to learn more about the image, and its connection .... full text

    Farmlab Co-Hosts Los Angeles Old-Time Social
    Square Dance & Cabaret Highlight May 19, 2007 free program
    Beginning @ 6pm: Banjo, guitar, and fiddle workshops; a film screening; and the call-and-response joy of live music and square dance highlight the 2nd Annual .... full text

    Farmlab Exhibition Center
    February 23 through June 1, 2007
    Farmlab Team | Garden of Brokenness
    Farmlab's Garden of Brokenness celebrates Los Angeles as a broken paradise. The project is proposed for Confluence Park, a location that has been described as one of the ugliest .... full text

    June 2 through July 6, 2007
    Farmlab Team | How To Make A Junker Garden
    Sharing their process for turning a junker car into a garden, Farmlab presents an exhibition and demonstration of ‘How to Make a Junker Garden’. Junker Gardens grow from the .... full text

     



     

    How To Make A Junker Garden
    Demonstration and Opening Reception
    And Exhibition



    How To Make A Junker Garden

    "From El Camino to Earthly Paradise"

    Exhibition Opening and Demonstration:
    Saturday June 2, noon – 3.30pm

    Exhibition:
    Saturday, June 2 - Friday July 6, 2007


    Sharing their process for turning a junker car into a garden Farmlab presents an exhibition and demonstration of How to Make a Junker Garden.

    Junker Gardens grow from the engine cavities, cabs, flatbeds, and trunks of scrap vehicles. Conjuring new ways to integrate organic life into an auto-centric built environment the wheeled vehicles are still mobile when pushed or towed.

    The Gardens are a result of Farmlab’s ongoing project to generate viable urban agricultural models that are not dependent on land ownership, which was inspired by the 2006 eviction of the nearby South Central Farmers.

    The first junker car garden built by Farmlab (for the Garden of Brokenness exhibition) was a Chevy El Camino. Cucumbers, tomatoes, purple basil, marjoram and parsley were cultivated in the flatbed, while the hood was turned into a goldfish-filled fish tank.

    For this exhibition, a Volvo 240 GL 1976 station wagon is being dis-and-reassembled.

     



     

    Farmlab Public Salon
    Shannon Spanhake
    Friday, June 15 @ Noon
    Free-of-Charge


    Tangible hacks of the physical world

    During this salon Shannon Spanhake will provide answers to the following questions:

    1.) Do Mexican chickens have ears?

    2.) What happens to a garden when planted in a pothole?

    3.) How much gas does it take to monitor air pollution?

    Three recent projects that explore the limitations and possibilities of a site. Three recent projects that evoke questions of proximity between people and place as a shared experience of the world.

    About Shannon Spanhake
    Shannon Spanhake is a post-doctoral researcher at The California Institute of Telecommunications and Information Technology (CalIT2). She co-founded Lui Velazaquez, an art space in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico and founded the collective DoEAT. Her work has been presented throughout the US, notably at the Getty Center in Los Angeles, the O’Reilly Emerging Technology Conference, and at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. She likes making work and hopes to continue to find creative ways to do it.

    Farmlab Location
    Farmlab / Under Spring, 1745 N. Spring Street #4, LA, CA 90012
    Across the street from the site of the Not A Cornfield project, in a warehouse colocated at Baker Street and N. Spring Street

    Salons are always free-of-charge, all ages welcome.
    Refreshments will be served.

     



     

    This Week @ Farmlab
    News + Projects +
    Salons + Exhibitions

    May 9-15, 2007

    Farmlab Public Salon
    Friday, May 11, 2007 @ Noon
    Taja Sevelle and Joyce Lapinsky | Urban Farming

    Join Taja Sevelle and Joyce Lapinsky from Urban Farming, a science think tank with the mission “to eradicate hunger .... full text

    Friday, May 18, 2007 @ Noon
    Farmlab Team | Garden of Brokeneness - Gallery Talk

    Join Garden of Brokenness project artist Lauren Bon and fellow Farmlab Team members as they answer questions and otherwise discuss .... full text

    News + Projects
    Paul Stamets Draws Farmlab Crowd
    Expert Shares Mushroom Wisdom
    Paul Stamets, famed mycologist, spent parts of two recent days at Farmlab and Under Spring. On Friday, April 13, Stamets presented a Farmlab Public Salon to an estimated crowd of 300 people .... full text

    Recent Photographs
    From Farmlab
    See new shots of salon speakers, exhibition opening receptions, experiments in agriculture, blackboard art, and whatever else catches the eyes of our photo editors.... full text

    Farmlab Exhibition Center
    February 23 through June 1, 2007
    Farmlab Team | Garden of Brokenness

    Farmlab's Garden of Brokenness celebrates Los Angeles as a broken paradise. The project is proposed for Confluence Park, a location that has been described as one of the ugliest ..... full text

     



     

    UPDATED WITH ANSWER:
    What in the World is This?



    Last week, this blog posed the following question:

    "What is the beautiful, seemingly exotic object pictured above?"

    The blog entry continued:

    "If you've visited Farmlab recently, you'll already know.

    "If you haven't, stop on by. Or, visit this blog again in the coming week for an updated answer."

    Well, as promised, here's that 'updated answer,' along with accompanying information about what they're doing at Farmlab. Words below come courtesy of Farmlab agriculturalist Jaime Lopez Wolters:

    "These oyster mushrooms grown on Not A Cornfield corn leaves and cobs are the result of Paul Stamets' day-long workshop conducted under Spring on April 14th. The shredded corn material was pasturized at 160-degrees Faranheit, innoculated with mushroom spawn and stuffed into plastic bags.

    "After two weeks, the fully colonized bags were hung in a humidity chamber to induce sprouting. Up to date we have harvested eight pounds of oyster mushrooms.

    "While the mushroom will be eaten, the remaining myclelium will be used in mycoremediation experiments. That is to say, they will help us remove pollutants from soil and water."

    View more photosof the oyster mushrooms.

     



     

    Posted Regularly:
    Recent Photos of Farmlab
    and Under Spring


    Recent photos of Farmlab and Under Spring are posted regularly here.

    The shots -- taken by Farmlab team members James Goodnight and Sarah McCabe -- and the captions that accompany the images help tell the many stories of what occurs at the offices, galleries, performance and salon venues, and workshop space that compose Farmlab / Under Spring.

    More photos will be posted weekly. Please continue to check back to see other goings-on. And for easy access to the "Recent Photos" page, feel free to bookmark the link above, or simply visit the button on the right side of the farmlab.org home page.

     



     

    Farmlab Short Part of "Sustainable L.A." Program @ Silver Lake Film Festival

    "In the Garden of Brokenness," a 4-minute short film that is part of the ongoing Farmlab Exhibition, "Garden of Brokenness," is scheduled to appear in the Silver Lake Film Festival this Sunday, May 6, 007 at 11:30a.m.

    The screening, part of the "Sustainable L.A." segment of the film festival, will occur at the Los Feliz 3 theater, in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles.

    The Farmlab piece is included in the "Short Films Program" along with pieces by the likes of Fritz Haeg and Jacinto Astiazaran; Fallen Fruit; Elon Schoenholz; and Greenmeme.

    Also included in the "Shorts" group: "Green," a 15-minute work by the Echo Park Film Center about the Not A Cornfield project, from which Farmlab grew.

    The folks at Echo Park Film Center curated the Sustainable L.A.'s Short Films Program, and are Farmlab team members.

    To view scores of short films created by EPFC and Steve Rowell during Not A Cornfield, visit the videos section of the project's website.

     



     

    This Week @ Farmlab
    News + Projects +
    Salons + Exhibitions

    May 2-8, 2007

    Farmab Public Salons

    Friday, May 4, 2007 @ Noon
    Brian Morgan | The American Carousel -- The Magical Ride
    Join carousel expert Brian Morgan as he provides a whirlwind introduction to the art and allure of the carousel. Morgan will discuss how the American carousel is much more than .... full text

    Friday, May 11, 2007 @ Noon
    Taja Sevelle and Joyce Lapinsky | Urban Farming
    Join Taja Sevelle, founder, and Joyce Lapinsky, Los Angeles program development consultant for Urban Farming, a science think tank with the mission “to eradicate hunger .... full text

    News + Projects

    'This is Really Not A Cornfield'
    Says Newspaper Story About Farmlab
    The Los Angeles Downtown News ran a front page feature story about Farmlab in the April 23, 2007 issue of the publication. The piece, by Lea Lion and featuring a photo by Gary "Take My Picture" Leonard .... full text

    Farmlab Exhibition Center

    February 23 through June 1, 2007
    Farmlab Team | Garden of Brokenness
    Farmlab's Garden of Brokenness celebrates Los Angeles as a broken paradise. The project is proposed for Confluence Park, a location that has been described as one of the ugliest ..... full text

    Under Spring Gallery

    April 20 through May 7, 2007
    Edward Porter | Cascade
    Cascade, by Edward Porter, is a working fountain - a colorful construction of iconic ceramic, metal, plaster, and plastic objects, including statues, money banks, and wash boards .... full text

     



     

    Farmlab Help Wanted
    Architect or Architecture Student
    'Summer' Job Available
    Now Through September

    *ED NOTE: THIS POSITION HAS BEEN FILLED 5/20/07

    Farmlab -- a think tank, art production studio, performance and educational venue in downtown Los Angeles -- is seeking to contract with an architect or architecture student for at least 30 hours of weekly work helping facilitate a number of our ongoing local, national, and international projects.

    Responsibilities for the position include:

  • Create site plans for a hyper-urban environment

  • Make conceptual drawings for a working fountain

  • Do conceptual design work and make drawings for a port-related project


  • Necessary skills for the position include:

  • Using Computer Aided Design programs

  • Model Building

  • Understanding of technical working details - particularly with the fountain project


  • Other useful skills include:

  • Architectural animation experience

  • Ability to work well within a multidisciplinary team of artists, writers, agriculturalists, and other creative problem solvers

  • Interest in working in various non-traditional "office" settings


  • The position is open immediately, and will run through September.

    Pay is $35 per hour, for 30 (or more, to be determined) hours weekly.


    To apply, please e-mail a cover letter and cut-and-pasted resume -- no attachments! -- to this address: info [at] farmlab [dot] org. Type "Architecture Job" in the subject line of the e-mail.

    Or send cover letter and resume to our near-downtown warehouse snail mail address: Farmlab / Not A Cornfield, Attn: Architecture Job," 1745 N. Spring Street #4, LA, CA 90012.

     



     

    Farmlab Seeks Research Intern

    Internship Description:
    Position: Research Intern
    Hours per week: 20
    Length of project: 2 months, July-August (possibly longer)
    Internship: Paid/For Credit
    Schedule: Flexible, but availability to attend Wednesday meetings and some Friday lectures (noon) is highly desirable.

    The intern will work closely with the Resource Center Manager and other members of the Farmlab team. The intern’s primary responsibility will be the research and preparation of information in support of Farmlab’s initiatives. The majority of research is internet-based but occasional visits to research libraries or sites may be required.

    Research topics may include but are not limited to alternative energy systems, the history of land use at specific sites, community resources and the work of specific artists and activists. You will gain knowledge on important current public policy, public art and agricultural issues.

    Required Qualifications:
    • Strong research and writing skills
    • Experience in using a variety of electronic databases
    • Ability to synthesize complex topics to create succinct summaries
    • Ability to multi-task and juggle shifting priorities
    • Ability to contribute collaboratively in a dynamic environment

    Highly Desirable:
    • Professional/Academic experience in one or more of the following:
    Urban Planning/Policy, Land Use, Sustainability, Social and Environmental Justice, Art, Architecture/Design, Urban Agriculture/Food Issues, Alternative Energy
    • Graduate students preferred
    • Training/Experience in library research techniques, journalism or journalistic research/fact-checking/writing
    • Experience working in a library, resource center or non-profit
    • Web/Graphic Design Skills

    To apply, please e-mail a cover letter and cut-and-pasted resume -- no attachments! -- to this address: info [at] farmlab [dot] org. Type "Research Intern" in the subject line of the e-mail.

    Or send cover letter and resume to our near-downtown warehouse snail mail address: Farmlab / Not A Cornfield, Attn: Research Intern," 1745 N. Spring Street #4, LA, CA 90012.

     



     

    Farmlab Seeks Communications Intern

    Internship Description:
    Position: Communications/PR Intern
    Hours per week: 20
    Length of project: 2 months, July-August (possibly longer)
    Internship: Paid/For Credit
    Schedule: Flexible, but availability to attend Wednesday meetings and some Friday lectures (noon) is highly desirable.

    The intern will work closely with the Communications Director and other members of the Farmlab team. The intern’s primary responsibilities will be:
    • The promotion of Farmlab/ Under Spring events
    • Increasing Farmlab’s presence in new media venues such as MySpace, Second Life and YouTube
    • Tracking and scrap-booking media interest in Farmlab / Under Spring / Not A Cornfield projects
    • Public distribution of postcards promoting various Farmlab/ Under Spring programs and exhibitions
    • Helping maintain our database of professional contacts and mailing lists

    Required Qualifications:
    • Strong research and writing skills
    • Experience in using a variety of electronic databases
    • Ability to synthesize complex topics to create succinct summaries
    • Ability to work independently, multi-task and juggle shifting priorities
    • Ability to contribute collaboratively in a dynamic environment

    Highly Desirable:
    • Professional/Academic experience in one or more of the following: Journalism/Communications, Urban Planning/Policy, Land Use, Sustainability, Social/Environmental Justice, Art, Architecture/Design, Urban Agriculture/Food Issues, Alternative Energy

    To apply, please e-mail a cover letter and cut-and-pasted resume -- no attachments! -- to this address: info [at] farmlab [dot] org. Type "Communications Intern" in the subject line of the e-mail.

    Or send cover letter and resume to our near-downtown warehouse snail mail address: Farmlab / Not A Cornfield, Attn: Communications Intern," 1745 N. Spring Street #4, LA, CA 90012.

     



     

    Farmlab Seeks Public Programs Intern

    Internship Description:
    Position: Public Programs Intern
    Hours per week: 20
    Length of project: Ongoing
    Internship: Paid/For Credit
    Schedule: Flexible, but availability to attend meetings Wednesdays and some Friday lectures (noon) is highly desirable.

    The intern will work closely with the Public Programs Coordinator and other members of the Farmlab team and will assist with various aspects of program development, including publications, evening and weekend salons and productions, and special projects. Working environment is friendly and casual, though also very active and dynamic.

    Tasks include: organizing texts and images for print production; keeping track of production schedules and media deadlines; assist with development and production of salon and production events; scheduling meetings; light correspondence; general administrative and production assistance.

    Required Qualifications:
    • Strong written and verbal communication skills
    • Strong computer skills, including Internet research
    • Ability to synthesize complex topics to create succinct summaries
    • Ability to multi-task and juggle shifting priorities
    • Ability to contribute collaboratively in a dynamic environment
    • Self-motivated and directed, with strong organizational skills

    Highly Desirable:
    • Professional/Academic experience in contemporary art history or studio practice
    • Graduate students preferred
    • Experience working in an art museum or gallery

    To apply, please e-mail a cover letter and cut-and-pasted resume -- no attachments! -- to this address: info [at] farmlab [dot] org. Type "Public Programs Intern" in the subject line of the e-mail.

    Or send cover letter and resume to our near-downtown warehouse snail mail address: Farmlab / Not A Cornfield, Attn: Public Programs Intern," 1745 N. Spring Street #4, LA, CA 90012.

     



     

    "Accidentally on Purpose" Summer Series
    The Camel's Back
    (Music & Dance)
    Saturday, July 28 @ 7:30pm
    Free-of-Charge



    The Camel's Back is an evening of music and dance organized by Roxanne Steinberg. This free-of-charge program is open to the public and is part of Farmlab's "Accidentally on Purpose" series that celebrates summer and spontaneity.

    The Camel's Back Line-Up

  • Jesske Hume with Nels Cline (music, percussion) and Oguri (dance)

  • Robert Scott and Arnie Saiki's Obakesan, (music)

  • Miles Tokunow (dance)

  • Yuval Ron (music, earth harp composition)




  • About Yuval Ron's World Premiere Performance

    A world premier of Yuval Ron’s new music work: "Maya – themes and variations for Earth Harp" will take place at approximately 8pm.

    The new work features a stunning and grand harp, which will be wired down to the ground from the bridge over the Farmlab center in Downtown Los Angles. The Earth Harp will be played by the instrument inventor Bill Close, In addition, the new score calls for Ron on electronics and the Armenian woodwind master Yeghish Manukian on Duduk and Zurna. The site- specific work is based on themes created by Yuval Ron for the up coming film “Breaking the Maya Code” by director David Lebrun. The film explores the history of research into the language of the Mayan civilization in Central America as it is manifested visualy in the ruins and artifacts left by the Maya tribes.

    Ron also plans to respond to and incorporate the sounds of the MetroLink trains that regularly pass by the Under Spring premises.



    About the performers

    Nels Cline was named by Rolling Stone Magazine as one of the most versatile, imaginative and original guitarists active today. Combining breathtaking technique with an informed musical intelligence, the self-taught Cline displays a mastery of guitar expression that encompasses delicate lyricism, sonic abstractions, and skull-crunching flights of fancy, inspiring Jazz Times to call him "The World's Most Dangerous Guitarist." Born in Los Angeles in 1956, his earliest musical influences included Roger McGuinn, Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, John Fahey and Duane Allman. Cline claims his most valuable music training came from his work with bassist/multi-instrumentalist Eric von Essen, with whom he performed as a duo from 1977 until von Essen's untimely death in 1997.

    In the late 1970s, Cline formed the influential chamber-jazz group Quartet Music with von Essen, his brother, percussionist Alex Cline and violinist Jeff Gauthier. Cline's first appearance on an album was on woodwindist Vinny Golia's 1978 record, "Openhearted," and his first work as a bandleader was 1988's "Angelica," with New York City altoist Tim Berne. Since then, Cline has performed on over 100 albums in the jazz, pop, rock, country, and experimental music genres. Some of the musicians he has performed and/or recorded with include: Ramblin' Jack Elliot, Rickie Lee Jones, Julius Hemphill, Charlie Haden, Tim Berne, Mark Dresser, Bobby Bradford, Elliott Sharp, Thurston Moore, Gregg Bendian, Mark Isham, The Geraldine Fibbers,Thurston Moore, Mike Watt, Devin Sarno, Zeena Parkins, Wadada Leo Smith, Henry Kaiser, The Scott Amendola Band, Banyan and Carla Bozulich. In addition to his latest trio The Nels Cline Singers, formed with drummer Scott Amendola and bassist Devin Hoff, Cline is also the lead guitarist for the critically acclaimed rock band Wilco, which he joined in 2004.

    Oguri, a native of Japan, studied radical visual arts with Genpei Akasegawa, which led to his career as a dancer. He studied with Tatsumi Hijikata, the creator of Butoh dance. He joined famed dancer Min Tanaka's company, Mai-Juku, in 1985. For five years Oguri lived, worked, and helped establish Tanaka's farm outside of Tokyo.

    A resident of Southern California since 1990, he conducts Body Weather Laboratory with Roxanne Steinberg, a forum for investigating the body and dance (founded by Min Tanaka in Japan, 1978). He has taught and performed worldwide. He is an artist-in-residence at the Electric Lodge in Venice, California. Oguri has received support from the California Arts Council, the New England Foundation for the Arts National Dance Project, the Rockefeller Foundation, the City of Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department, The Durfee Foundation, The Lila Wallace Reader's Digest Arts Partners Program, and The Getty Center.

    Oguri received the Irvine Fellowship in Dance for the research and development of Height of Sky, a site-specific dance project that took place in the deserts of Joshua Tree. It was an investigation of the relationship between dancer and environment, and explored the development of his identity as a Japanese dancer in America. The documentary directed by Morleigh Steinberg documentary Height of Sky about his desert project screens on the Sundance channel October 24, 2007.

    Through the Dance: Creation to Performance grant from The James Irvine Foundation and administered by Dance/USA Oguri’s William Faulkner Project Caddy! Caddy! Caddy! was developed and performed at Electric Lodge in 2006 and at REDCAT 2007. He collaborated with Dawn Saito and Myra Melford on Knock on the Sky, a work based on Kobo Abe’s Woman in the Dunes. It was performed at the Walker Arts Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota and the Flynn Theater in Burlington Vermont. He continues to develop and tour improvisation work with Adam Rudolph called Wildflowers.

    Yuval Ronwas born and raised in Israel. Ron is a film composer, world-music artist and record producer who has composed internationally for Film, TV, Dance and Theater. Based in Los Angeles Yuval is a graduate of Berklee College of Music majoring in Film Music Composition (Cum Laude). Yuval composed scores for numerous TV programs and films including the Oscar Winner musical comedy film West Bank Story, Golda’s Balcony, Proteus, Oliver Twist, The Spiral Staircase, Susie Q and Someone to Die For. His work for TV was shown on CBS, Disney, Fox, UPN, ESPN, Fox Family Channel, and includes "Sweet Valley High," "Politics and the Games," and "To Life - America Salutes Israel's 50th."

    Ron is the musical director and oud player for The Yuval Ron Ensemble, which includes Arabic, Jewish and Christian artists who unites the sacred musical traditions of Judaism, Sufism and the Armenian Church into an unusual mystical, spiritual and inspiring musical celebration. The Ensemble has been actively involved in creating musical bridges between people of the Jewish, Muslim and Christian faiths. It was featured in the World Festival of Sacred Music in Los Angeles in 2002 and 2005 as well as in numerous venues and festivals worldwide since 2000. Yuval Ron has produced field recordings in the Sinai Desert with the Bedouins and produced the album "One Truth - A Window into the Divine Passion and Poetry of Sufism" with Turkish Sufi master musician Omar Faruk Tekbilek. His other recordings include "Under the Olive Tree", "In Between the Heartbeat", “In the Shallows”, "One", "Proteus" and “Tree of Life”. Yuval is also a noted lecturer and leader of workshops and master classes at numerous schools and universities in the US and abroad, including Berklee College of Music, MIT, UCLA, John Hopkins University, University of Pittsburgh, Brandeis University, Boston Center for the Arts, Camera Obscura and Sam Spiegel Jerusalem Film School. Between 2000-2003 he was the curator and host of world music concert series The International Underground at the UCLA Hammer Museum in Los Angeles. For more information about Yuval Ron please visit: www.yuvalronmusic.com.



    Jesske Hume is a Los Angeles based musician and performer. For the past two and a half years she has been involved with Body Weather Laboratory and playing bass in various groups. She has studied many forms of dance including
    Butoh and Latin dance. She also studied West African percussion in Mali and in the US with Abdoul Doumbia and Rusty Eklund. She consistently has several projects going on at the same time. Most recently she played with Carla Bozulich in Europe, and she is playing and recording with her band Weyou, a duo with Nate Wood. Jesske's loves include pit bulls, heart-shaped things, and hands.

    Robert Scott was born and raised in Hawaii. His irst movement studies were in the jungle and the ocean. A musical collaboration with Arnie Saiki began with a garage band in the 1980’s and continues through soundscores for dance to this day. Robert’s study in dance began at the University of Hawaii and continued in New York where he was exposed to the work of Poppo Shiraishi and the Go Go Boys. Robert joined Body Weather Laboratory in Los Angeles in 1989 and eventually danced with Oguri’s dance troupe, Renzoku. He was a founding member in the Gain Dangerous Visions and the Isle of Pines performance art ensembles. He has presented solo dance in New York, Los Angeles and Honolulu. Robert is a current and founding member of Oktagon, a group dedicated to analyzing and distilling the essence of dance.

    Arnie Saiki's Obakesan line-up includes Roger Park, Doug Scharin and Jay Villanueva

    Roger Park plays bass, pedal steel guitar, ganguro-girl guitar, piano, mandolin, banjo and accordion. As a music critic, his articles have been published in Wired, Launch Yahoo!, LA Weekly and various other publications. A native of Southern California, he lives in Los Angeles.

    Doug Scharin has been touring and recording extensively over the past 14 years, playing drums for the bands Codeine, Rex, June of '44, Directions in Music and Mice Parade. Doug has written and produced his own music with projects such as HiM and Out in Worship. His music has been remixed by Japanese artist Susumu Yakoto and Nobukasu Takemura as well as producer Bill Laswell. Recently Doug has organized a new HiM group with Japanese artist Ultra Living. They have just recorded a new record in Tokyo which will be released in early 2008. A new project with guitarist Jeff Parker entitled 'Activities of Dust' will be released on Doug's own imprint of the same name later this year.



    Arnie Saiki has been performing musical pieces for dance often in collaboration with Robert Scott since the early 80s. Since the beginning of the harmonic shift he has been approaching music through pan-asian folk instrumentation like harmonium, er-hu, sanshin and zithers and appropriating traditional folk melodies and random-numbered sequencing with orchestral timbre to enhance the thematic apparitional focus of Obakesan.

    Jay Villanueva has been composing and playing cello, guitar and accordian for many years. He is currently the impressario of Soul Sessions at Jazz Star in Chinatown, every other Friday.

    **Please note that one performer previously listed above will not in fact be on the bill.

     



     

    'Accidentally on Purpose' Part 1
    Tonalism
    (All-Night Ambient Music Happening)
    Saturday, August 4 @ 6pm-6am
    Free-of-Charge



    Farmlab + Dublab Present

    TONALISM : an all-night ambient music happening

    Organized by Dublab, this all-night extravaganza (6pm-6am) of ambient music featuring numerous musical, artistic, and other collaborators.

    This free-of-charge, all-ages program is open to the public and is part of Farmlab's "Accidentally on Purpose" series that celebrates summer and spontaneity.

    Come space out with us. Complimentary tea will be served throughout the night. Bring pillows, blankets, beanbags, sleeping bags, and cushions to lay down and listen. Bring picnic baskets, food, beverages, and snacks to enjoy throughout the evening.

    DUBLAB DJS & FRIENDS

    Hoseh (Headspace, KXLU)
    Morpho
    Frosty
    Ale
    MatthewDavid
    Part Time Punks DJ Michael Stock
    J.Mendez (Cytrax/Sandwell District)
    Farzad Moghaddam (WRAS, Atlanta) (Just added!)
    Farbod Kokabi (WRAS, Atlanta) (Just added!)

    LIVE SETS UNDER THE STARS:

    Dntel
    Languis (6 speaker surround-sound set)
    Tropic of Cancer
    smgsap (just added!)

    LIVE NATURE SOUND DUETS CURATED BY CARLOS NINO:

    Mia Doi Todd and Andres Renteria
    Adam Rudolph and Ralph "Buzzy" Jones
    Miguel Atwood-Ferguson and Peter Jacobson.
    Adventure time (Daedelus & frosty)
    Carlos Nino & Gaby Hernandez

    PROJECTIONS PROVIDED BY:

    Carolina Chaves and Ben Loiz
    the Labrat Matinee
    the Masses

    This happening will be streamed live on dublab.com

    Farmlab
    1745 North Spring Street
    Los Angeles, CA 90012
    www.farmlab.org

    Google Map:
    Click here



     



     

    This is The LA River / Sustainable LA
    (Short Film Screenings)
    Saturday, December 8 @ 7pm
    Free-of-Charge



    Curated by Echo Park Film Center. Short films from the Echo Park Film Center Youth Filmmaking Class, Edible Estates, Ross Guidici, Farmlab, Fallen Fruit, Elon Schoenholz, Tree People, Matrushka Construction, TreehuggerTV, Survive LA, Greenmeme, Surfrider Foundation and Donny Digital.


    About the Program

    This Is The LA River, an EPFC Youth Documentary Project, invited twenty neighborhood teens between the ages of 14 and 19 to explore the River through the medium of 16mm film. Over a 12-week period, the group worked with activists, historians, environmentalists, artists and residents to create a unique picture of the great waterway's complex past, present and future. PROJECT PREMIERE! FILMMAKERS IN ATTENDANCE!

    Sustainable LA is a celebration of Angelinos engaged in the green revolution. The one-hour program consists of short films on a variety of topics including urban gardening, environmental awareness and community activism. In keeping with the grassroots nature of many of these organizations, emphasis is on issues awareness, practical information exchange and hands-on participation.

    About the Echo Park Film Center

    The Echo Park Film Center (EPFC) is a non-profit media arts organization committed to providing equal and affordable access to film/video education and resources. We work to inform, educate and empower our community toward grassroots activism and artistic participation via four channels: a neighborhood microcinema/events space, free and nominal cost media arts education programs, a comprehensive film equipment and service department, and a touring film festival showcasing local established and student filmmakers.

    Program Credits

    This Is The LA River
    USA, 2007, 30 min.
    Created by the Echo Park Film Center Fall 2007 Youth Film Class
    Project support provided in part by The Annenberg Foundation, The California Council for the Humanities, Fox Studios, Los Angeles City Council District 13, The Los Angeles County Arts Commission and The Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.
    An examination of the past, present and future of the great waterway of Los Angeles.

    Edible Estates Regional Prototype Garden #2: Lakewood, CA
    USA, 2006, 12 min.
    Directed by Fritz Haeg & Jacinto Astiazaran
    Camera & editing by Jacinto Astiazaran
    Narrated by Michael Foti
    Turning front yards into farmland.

    South Central Farmers
    USA, 2005, 7 min.
    Shot, directed, produced and edited by Ross Guidici
    The struggle for food and dignity in an encroaching industrial wasteland.

    In the Garden of Brokenness
    USA, 2007, 4 min.
    Directed, written and produced by Farmlab
    Imagine junker-cars becoming magical gardens.

    Urban Fruit Action
    USA, 2007 3 min.
    Directed, written and produced by by Fallen Fruit (David Burns, Matias Viegener, Austin Young)
    Fallen Fruit's URBAN FRUIT ACTION video shows neighborhood activists planting fruit trees to create a communal neighborhood resource.

    You Can't Compost Concrete
    USA, 2007, 4 min. 1sec.
    Directed by Elon Schoenholz
    Written by Bryn MacKinnon, Elon Schoenholz and Scott Singer
    Produced by Elon Schoenholz
    D.I.Y. backyard activism.

    Tree People Campus Forestry Video
    USA, 2006, 6 min.
    Produced by Michael Kuehnert and Pablo Garrahan for WSR Creative
    Supervising Producers: Laura Kaufman and Rachel Dawson for Tree People
    Camera: Michael Vest, Michael Kuehnert and Pablo Garrahan
    Editors: Pablo Garrahan, Michael Kuehnert, Jose Delgado
    Take back the schoolyard!

    Reap What You Sew
    USA, 2005, 30 sec.
    Directed by Laura Howe and Beth Ann Whittaker of Matrushka Construction
    Filmed by Kent Young
    Edited by Stephaine Hernstadt
    Fashion power to the proletariat!

    Path to Freedom: Urban Homestead
    USA, 2006, 5 min.
    Treehugger TV
    A look at urban homesteading.

    Green Ambassadors
    USA, 2005, 8 min.
    Shot, directed, produced and edited by Ross Guidici
    The next generation of environmentalists.

    Build a Self-Watering Container
    Free Republic of Silver Lake, 2007, 2 min. 16 sec.
    Directed, written and produced by SurviveLA
    In this first of a series of self-sufficiency instructional videos SurviveLA, Silver Lake's own urban homesteaders, and proprietors of www.survivela.com, show you how to tell the MAN where to stick his tasteless, pesticide soaked, hormone pumped Frankenproduce.

    How to Make an LA River Liver: A Living Solution To Urban Storm Water Pollution
    USA, 2007, 4 min.
    Directed, written and produced by Greenmeme
    Edited by Mandy Siu
    The River Liver intends to attract nature and community to the banks of the LA River through the means of an inflatable physical art installation in the water.

    Shifting Baselines in the Surf
    USA, 2005, 4 min. 9 sec.
    Directed by Randy Olson
    Written by Randy Olson and Chad Nelsen
    Produced by Ty Carlisle
    A Joint Production of Shifting Baselines and Surfrider Foundation
    In the 1950's you could clean your cuts and bruises in the ocean; today you
    need hepatitis shots if you are a surfer. Why didn't we notice the slow
    decline?

    Wolfpack: The Hustle Ride
    USA, 2007, 3 min. 6 sec.
    Directed and produced by Donny Digital
    A bicycle crew running a weekly fast-paced ride known as “The Hustle Ride” across the streets of Los Angeles.



    Images courtesy Echo Park Film Center

     



     


    Puppets After Hours
    Saturday, September 15 @ 7:30pm
    Free-of-Charge
    Part of the "Accidentally on Purpose" Series


    About the Performance

    FARMLAB is proud to play host to PUPPETS AFTER HOURS, a fully immersive evening of adult-themed cabaret theater, interactive performance art, and live music featuring the best and brightest in puppetry arts in the greater Los Angeles area.

    This free-of-charge program is open to the public and is part of Farmlab's "Accidentally on Purpose" series that celebrates summer and spontaneity.

    Watch our puppets sing, dance, perform sketch comedy, and engage in avant-garde art installations. Walk among giant fish in our puppet aquarium. Pick up a drum and jam with the percussion performance art group GLANK. Join in three-part harmony with our Praying Mantis doo-wop girl group. After the show, feel free to mix and mingle with the cast. Our plushy performers are all working class artists - don't be shy!

    PUPPETS AFTER HOURS IS NOT SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN



    Created, Produced, and Directed by Frank Langley IV, Donna Kimball, and Jordan M. Albert, in association with the Chiodo Brothers Productions, PUPPETS AFTER HOURS boasts these talented performers:

    Scott Land, The Governator, Duncan Trussell, Alien Folk Singers From Outer Space, Kristin Charney, Giant Singing Insects, Alison Mork, Ventriloquist Dummies Possessed by the Devil, Victor Yerrid, Dancing Uncooked Chicken Carcasses, Bill Bryan, Tim Blaney, Poseidon: God of the Sea, Eli Presser, Robyn Simms Johnson, and more.

    With Special Guests:
    *Paul Rudolph's GLANK - www.glanktheproduct.com
    *DJ Agent H. of New World Revolution - www.myspace.com/nwr



    About the Performers
    The Puppet portion of "Accidentally on Purpose" is being spearheaded by Frank Langley, Donna Kimball and Jordan Albert. The three first collaborated on the wildly imaginative CLUBPUPPET a few years back and are currently putting their efforts into
    PUPPETS AFTER HOURS, an adults-only puppet nightclub experience.

    Frank Langley and Donna Kimball are co-founders of Ow My Arm Productions which is dedicated to the advancement of puppetry as an art form in film, television and theater.

    Langley served as Puppet Coordinator of the feature film TEAM AMERICA:WORLD POLICE as well as a principal puppeteer. Other credits include Doc Ock's tentacles in SPIDER-MAN 2, the Foster Farms Chicken commercials, and most recently, the 2006/07 rock'n'roll World Tour with Beck.

    Kimball also puppeteered on SPIDER-MAN 2 as well as TV's GREG THE BUNNY, but she can be seen most prominently as an actor in the films JARHEAD, CATCH ME IF YOU CAN and numerous commercials.

    Albert is an actor and independent filmmaker presently balancing editing duties on G4TV's hit show CINAMATECH.



    Farmlab Location
    Click here for address, hours, and information about the organization and venue.