Every picture tells a story
Malibu’s always provocative Tiffany Trenda put on quite a show at this year’s photo la exhibit at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. The edgy performance artist greeted shutterbugs at the entrance in a skintight white latex leotard worthy of Judy Jetson. Her ensemble was paired with some sky-high Plexiglas stilettos and topped with a purple TV screen on her head featuring a smiley face.
“The piece is about our obsession with images and how we make them our own,” the performer explained.
Like Tiffany, the chic crowd was almost as colorful and intriguing as the pictures they were viewing, sporting everything from dreadlocks to couture, flannel hats, embroidered shawls and granny glasses.
One South African exhibitor dazzled in a shout-out-loud, look-at-me lime green three-piece suit with a neon blue shirt. His specialty was a collection of intense portraits featuring fully greased muscle men in all their glory. When not people watching, you’d find more than enough eye popping works on the wall. One local gallery had the current economic crisis as a theme with a photo showing a group of Realtors hoisting a “for sale” sign in the precise pose of the iconic soldiers putting up the American flag at Iwo Jima.
There were exquisite portraits, breathtaking landscapes and lots of thought-provoking themes.
Photographer Ellen Jantzen featured ghostly images of her husband wandering in forest scenes, almost disappearing into nature. The series is called “Losing Reality and the Reality of Loss.”
“These came about because we were in the Midwest with a relative who had Alzheimer’s,” the artist said. “You see how people deal with loss. They are not dead but they are moving away from their circumstances. It’s how you depict loss.”
The series was shot in rural Illinois and the images were enhanced using a Photoshop blending technique.
There were black and white classics from Ansel Adams and iconic snaps of legends like Marilyn Monroe in a cushy towel bathrobe and blues legend B. B. King giving it his all in concert.
After a night here, it’s easy to see why photo la has become one of the most popular art shows on the Westside. Whether your photographic taste is mild or wild, this expo is always a visual delight and a sight to behold.
Honors for Olney
Congrats to my old buddy Warren Olney, an award-winning TV vet who once shared the anchor set with me at Channel 13. As a newsman’s newsman, Warren quit TV in 1991 and launched KCRW’s legendary program “Which Way L A?” It was meant to be a one-off gig, but turned into a longtime local institution.
Now, 20 years later, the show is still going strong. For his hard work and dedication, Warren has been presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Radio and Television News Association.
Thanks for the memories and the insight, Warren. Wishing you many more successful years to come. In a broadcast world dominated by screaming heads and oversized egos, you are a class act.