The inaugural group exhibition showcasing artists represented by Shoebox Projects

This year marks the 4th iteration of Maiden LA: an annual art happening utilizing the entire county as an alternative venue- welcoming the involvement and engagement of literally everyone. Our artists have joined over 75 artists, collectives, curators, and organization to present a disruptive, inclusive, thoughtful array of works.  More info and event map can be found here.

We recorded the online artist talk/reception which you can watch below and listen to the artists talk about their work.

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Chung-Ping Cheng: The Last Episode

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The Last episode is an extention of Refining Fire/Undescribed Variation. I shot this project in three locations, Hang Zhou, China; Taipei, Taiwan; and Los Angeles. U.S.A..

Hang Zhou was my mother’s hometown, my mother was born and grew up in Hang Zhou. Hang Zhou once was the Capitol of Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279). The city is famous for it’s beautiful scenery, and a great city for art; The China Academy of Art has nourished  many world famous artists, like Zao,Wou-Ki, Wu,Guan-Zhong, Chu,The-Chun, Lin,Feng-Mian… their works are auctioned in Sotheby’s. Taiwan is my hometown, I was born in Taipei, Taiwan, grew-up, educated, and married; in the year 2000 I moved to Los Angeles with my children. Now I live and work in Los Angeles.

My life was influenced and nourished  by the three cities ‘s culture, environment.  Hang Zhou is the origin, Taiwan is the root, Los Angeles is habitation. The three cities consist the journey of my life.The Last episode is an extention of the project  Refining Fire/Undescribed Variation.  I shot this project in three locations, Hang Zhou, China; Taipei, Taiwan; and Los Angeles. U.S.A..

Debbie Korbel

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Humor, love, beauty, vulnerability, heartbreak— If I can get you to see or feel emotion from something I have created, then I have succeeded in making that human connection. We are no longer strangers; we are of like mind—if even just for a few moments.

Eric Sanders

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This series reflects my experience  of gaining access to or recognition from the fine art community. At this point I’m just a shadow or silhouette; present, but only in a limited capacity like a ghost or spirit. Plato’s Allegory of the Cave comes to mind as another way to think of these pieces where the shadows on the walls of the cave can alternately be seen as reality or an illusion depending upon your level of enlightenment.

Jo Ann Block

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These three works present situations of gender dysphoria. Together the images reflect on the lifelong experience of bodily discomfort with and disavowal of one’s biological gender.  Each image captures a particular moment in life:  Jane Wants Dick’s Dick, imagines the first wish to be different;  Bad Bois shows the teenager rebelling against social roles; and, Who Da Man? figures the adult still not at ease in their body, suggesting that for many queer people, one’s gender identity is never resolved.

Justin Prough: Seascapes Found

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Everything is underwater. Driven by climate change and a global pandemic. All that we knew will change, for change is the only constant. But what course will we chart? How will we live? What will we value? I believe humanity hasn’t decided. Yet, I dream of a future where life flourishes anew.

Karen Hochman Brown

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Working with images of flowers and clouds from my travels has allowed me to re-experience life outside while sheltering in place. Using distorted symmetry, I dance around on a mental journeys as well. I am transported to awesome and breathtaking vistas.

Linda Sue Price

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The energy of the darkness and chaos of the past few years had begun to suck the joy out of life but I found inspiration in a line from Anne Herbert’s essay, Handy Tips on how to behave at the death of the World. She suggested we “practice random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty” so I created this series titled Plan B. Each piece contains elements recycled from previous work. I wanted each piece to be fun and playful. My nature is to recognize brick walls and find ways around them. In this case, chaos was the brick wall.

Palmer Earl

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Pandora:The story of Pandora written down by Hesoid detailed the creation of the first woman and was believed before and during the time of the Old Testament. It is largely forgotten now but it’s negative influence on the perception and treatment of women is not. I retell the story using pages from Hesoid’s work to emphasize the old and enduring idea that women trick and deceive men with their beauty and are not to be trusted. She is adorned in beautiful things and her jar’s shadow has an ominous plume of smoke foretelling the evil she will soon release on the world. Her new husband Epimetheus is not painted with any defining traits because in Hesoid’s world it is the mind of men that is important not their physical traits.

Eve’s Moment: Adam and Eve are surrounded by animals all relating to the four humors as in the Adam and Eve engraving by Albrecht Durer. Every shape is cut from the pages of Genesis to reinforce the power of the words that some men trying to ensure male dominance wrote long ago.I have changed the story to give Eve the power of a Goddess and made Adam merely a ladder. Only the snake and Eve are painted in color that spreads through the fig tree because Eve, her tree and her snake belong in the world of Goddess theology and not in Eden. Snakes and figs are sacred to the people who worshipped the Goddess.

The Return: The woman represents the main Goddess of the ancient Mesopotamian religions accompanied by her totem animals. She is stepping through a burning hole in a wall made of pages from the Old Testament. The Goddess religion and everything used in its worship was brutally destroyed and replaced by people believing in a violent and chauvinistic male God. Once, somewhere, women were as powerful and respected as men and that we have the power to be again.

Pam Douglas

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The three rafts shown are elements of Part Two of a multi-year Sanctuary project by Los Angeles artist Pam Douglas. They will be exhibited at TAG Gallery from October 6 to 31st. In this dramatic installation, refugee rafts escape across the gallery floor from a 36-foot abstract mural of a devastated land.

Douglas began Sanctuary last year as a visceral response to refugees seeking asylum on our border and around the world. In 2020 the series grew into a metaphor for all of us adrift in the winds of change.

Susan Amorde

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This body of work in collage format and mixed media are my statements about social injustice in 2018 that were very disturbing to me.  Unfortunately, they are still current plagues in our society—the absolute breaking of traditions and norms in law enforcement, immigration and homelessness, among many other things. It is important to me to factually document current events to contribute to awareness and thereby making the way for hope and change.

We are honored to support our Shoebox PR artists through new programming with Shoebox Projects. If you would like to join our community check out our website www.shoeboxpr.com.