Mastodon Mesa

April: Ministry of Raqs: The Sonic Embassy of Discostan

May: Aaron Elvis Jupin: No one knows who you are haha

the indelible marks will be all within.
watch this Space. May 15, 2013

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ––

In an incredibly diplomatic move, the United Nations Dance Council has signed a treaty giving complete freedom to feet when met with a danceable rhythm. The law will apply to anyone within earshot of music.

The agreement, forged by the sovereignty of Discostan, will go into effect beginning April 7, 2013. To celebrate this momentous occasion, the Sonic Embassy of Discostan will install its Ministry of Raqs for the month of April at Mastodon Mesa gallery in Los Angeles, California.

On April 7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th, the Ministry will open its borders, sharing state secrets of sound, discussing syncopated sovereignty, and declassifying all acts of double-timed espionage. Rose petals, step-by-step rituals, and a very large disco ball will be involved

—

About the artist:
Discostan is a newly formed nation. Previously it operated under the guise of a small DJ collective that concentrated on highlighting Bollywood funk, Balkan brass attacks, bhangra, Algerian raï, Arabic dabke, Gypsy boogaloo, and all manner of delights from Beirut to Bangkok via Bombay.

—

Artist website:

https://www.facebook.com/Discostan

‘Break the Lass and Fall into the Glassblower’s Breath’ ships a moment of peace from a place where the people’s screams often sound like whispers.

Mastodon Mesa is proud to present Marjan Khoshbakhti Vayghan for the last 4 Sundays of March.

Vayghan, a transplant of Iran, will keep people in a moment held a few breaths after democracy stumbled and protests began. Using two large shipping crates as an enclave, Vayghan will give passers-by the chance to enter the crates and experience an important part of history for Iran and Vayghan.

Each crate, crafted and filled with pieces of Iran, offers a 1-on-1 intimacy with a culture in the middle of an important shift—one based on Vayghan’s experiences during the Green revolution after Iran’s election in August of 2009.

The performance and installation will take place at Mastodon Mesa gallery, which can be found at the north entrance to the Melrose Trading Post, part of Fairfax High School at: 7850 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90046

—

About the artist:
Marjan Khoshbakhti Vayghan is a Los Angeles-based artist whose works focus on context of movement and flexible citizenship across both geographical and cultural spaces, and the multiple realities these spaces engender. She immigrated to the United States in the spring of 1995, and currently alternates living between Tehran and Los Angeles.

—

Image courtesy of the Shulamit gallery in Venice, California:
http://shulamitgallery.com/

—

Artist website:
http://marjanvayghan.com/

Mastodon Mesa is proud to present Yarn Bombing Los Angeles. YBLA is a group of Los Angeles-based guerrilla knitters who have been collaborating since 2010 on public installations in the urban environment.

YBLA produce highly visible art projects that anyone can contribute to. They are creating a unique culture in the public space, mixing craft, community, and beauty. By creating art on the streets, they make art available to anyone in the city, not just those who attend museums regularly.

Over 4 Sundays in February, YBLA will be hosting a public art workshop to sew together over 5,000 squares into colossal patterns to cover the façade of the Craft and Folk Art Museum in Los Angeles. All are welcome, to learn the skill and help contribute.

Yarn Bombing Los Angeles has previously shown work on the streets everywhere and at the 18th Street Arts Center, Museum of Contemporary Art, Torrance Art Museum, the Craft and Folk Art Museum and more.

The workshop will take place at Mastodon Mesa gallery, which can be found at the north entrance of the Melrose Trading Post, part of Fairfax High School at: 7850 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90046

–

Can’t attend but still want to help? YBLA is raising money to fabricate the project here: http://www.usaprojects.org/project/cafam_granny_squared

–

Yarn Bombing Los Angeles:
http://www.yarnbombinglosangeles.com/

Click here to download: Retreat Powerpoint

The book written by the retreat participant above can be found here: The United World of Free and Clear

From solve, to resolve, to resolute, to solution, to resolution to New Years Resolutions — and back the other way, to its simplest form. It begins in one moment. Our idea as a resolution, nebulous for months, until a calendar tells us we must provide for others, and ourselves, something much more concrete
and palatable.

And that exactly is how it will occur over four weeks in January at Mastodon Mesa gallery. Every Sunday, a different artist will present their response to the necessity of resolutions — to them, to society, to time.

Over January:
• 6th, Wk. 1 – Miles Gracey will play with the idea of resolution as a wish, where money sleeps in the backseat of the car driven by dreams
• 13th, Wk. 2 – Mya Stark will host a corporate retreat for self-management
• 20th, Wk. 3 – Natalie Jones will make a felonies fun again with counterfeit currency to buy your wishes
• 27th, Wk. 4 – Unknown will hold change hostage

Each performance will have a different beginning and end time. Please check this event page for updated times as each date approaches.

The performance and installation will take place at Mastodon Mesa gallery, which can be found at the north entrance of the Melrose Trading Post, part of Fairfax High School at: 7850 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90046

Click here for the Facebook event.

Los Angeles Aqueduct Day is the least noted, most important nonexistent holiday in Los Angeles.

In conjunction with the 99th anniversary of the Los Angeles Aqueduct, Mastodon Mesa is pleased to present Bijan Berahimi‘s solo show titled ‘LA Aqueduct Day’.

Every Sunday in November, Berahimi will share the story of how water came to Los Angeles, through the hand’s of controversial figure William Mulholland. From 10 am until close, Berahimi will highlight our cities most important infrastructure with a flag-waving celebration dedicated to our dear friend, the Los Angeles Aqueduct.

Beyond serving as a tell-all makeshift museum for the Owens Valley and Los Angeles Aqueduct, the space will dually function as a shop of items to be used to celebrate the pre-centennial of Los Angeles Water Day.

The performance and installation will take place at Mastodon Mesa gallery, which can be found at the north entrance of the Melrose Trading Post, part of Fairfax High School at: 7850 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90046

—

Berahimi’s Los Angeles Aqueduct Day website:
http://laad.bijanberahimi.com/

—

Bijan Berahimi is a Los Angeles based artist with an exquisite understanding of visual language. He creates stunning visual work with an incredible mixture of the hand and the computer. Berahimi was educated at CalArts, in Valencia, California. He has previously been recognized by AIGA, ADAA, and HOW Magazine.

Every Sunday in October, we are excited to present a project by UCLA’s Game Lab in which visitors to the Melrose Trading Post  will be invited to make their own costumes and characters, and play a Live Action Role Playing game (LARP) with the entire swap meet as their arena.

The rules of the game will be created by Game Lab students and members of the public who’d like to attend a free workshop on LARP design held Tuesday, October 2nd and Thursday, October 4th from 6pm to 9pm at the UCLA Game Lab (Broad Art Center, room 3252).

Participants will be required to pretend they are fairies from outer space.

Then, every Sunday in October, Game Labbers/space fairies will turn Mastodon Mesa into the headquarters for Trading Post visitors to craft their own costumes and learn the rules of the game.

Success will be rewarded with prizes such as trophies and photo opportunities.

David Elliott, manager of the UCLA Game Lab, says about the project, “Live Action Role Play (LARPing) is seen as marginal or niche; as being only for people like Civil War re-enactors. But it’s something we’ve all done as children. LARPing isn’t really a ‘game,’ it’s interactive theater. There can be rules, and a LARP can be many things, but at base it’s a group of people agreeing to share a fantasy together.

“We want to turn people on to the idea of playacting as an accessible form of entertainment. Everyone has playacted as a child, and most people grow out of it—but it’s not something you need to grow out of.”

We are interested in bringing this particular adventure to the swap meet because it reminds us of the concept of neotany in evolution. Neotany is when traits of the juvenile form are retained in adulthood.  Many of humans’ best aspects, such as the ability to learn, be affectionate, and an innate desire to cooperate, are thought to be the result of psychological neotany. So, by being space fairies on Sunday, we may actually be advancing the species.

Costume supplies are provided in part by Culver City’s reDiscover Center, which takes materials discarded by local businesses and reuses them for art and education.

Do ya, punk? Come find out how at the Pasadena Museum of California Art’s 10th Birthday Party! In addition to an appearance by the mysterious GreyRainbow (a global research-based biopharmaceutical company), we will also enjoy:

Performances by El Haru Kuroi, We Break Cameras, Crazy Band, Regal Degal, and Dunes

Activities include projects with nomadic art gallery Mastodon Mesa, a writing workshop with young-adult author Cecil Castellucci, personalized sketchbooks, making and flying kites, and more!

Food Trucks: Coolhaus, Nom Nom, Pie and Burger

Exhibitions on view Edgar Payne: The Scenic Journey and Layer: A Loose Horizon

Beer Garden: Stone Ale, Brouwerij West, and Crispin and Fox Barrel Ciders