By Garrison Frost

It's not uncommon for artists to want to get involved in the entire vertical process of their business – to get their hands dirty with the work of education, marketing and sales. Writers want to self publish. Artists want to run their own galleries. Actors want to direct and produce. Often the urge arises from bad experiences dealing with the people who normally perform these duties. Just as often, the desire to go beyond the actual act of creating art comes from a desire to make people understand and appreciate what it is the artist does.

And so the history of art is replete with stories of artists who have tried their hand at running galleries, curating exhibitions, etc. Most of these stories end badly. Most artists are only good at one thing – making art – and generally suck at all others aspects of the business. Sometimes, though, the artists accomplish exactly what they set out to do.

The Société Anonyme, founded in 1920 by a group of modernist artists in New York, was such a case. Inspired by the modernist movement that had swept through Europe, this group of artists sought to educate and promote this brand of art in their adopted home. Led by artists Katherine Deier, Marcel Duchamp and Man Ray, the Société Anonyme went on to promote some of the movements finest artists – Constantin Brancusi, Piet Mondrian, Joseph Stella, Jean Miró and many others – to new audiences. The group held dozens of exhibitions, published books, sponsored educational programs and even established a permanent collection.

In the type of multi-artist exhibition that is perfect for summer audiences, the UCLA Hammer Museum in Westwood is hosting a broad overview exhibition of the Société Anonyme, its artists and its impact. Called "Société Anonyme: Modernism for America," the show runs through Aug. 20. Admission is free of charge all summer long at the Hammer.

And it's a good show to see, not only for those interested in the history around the Société Anonyme, but also for the artists. Lots of good stuff here, if not the masterworks for which many of these artists are known. One of the first great paintings the visitor sees is Joseph Stella's "Brooklyn Bridge," an awesome depiction of the bridge in blue, black and purple geometry. Another work of Stella's, "Spring or The Procession" dazzles with yellow, green and light blue. While there's lots to see here, these two works dominate the show.

Another favorite is a photolithograph of a painted glass work by Man Ray that is too delicate to exhibit. "Danger/Dancer" is a classic juxtaposition by the artist of text and image. This writer's weakness for the geometric expressionism of Wassily Kandinsky makes the works of his in the show particularly welcome.

At one point in time, the Société Anonyme attempted to feature artists representing specific countries. When Austria came around, another artist was chosen over Dreier's student, Erika G. Klien. At is turned out, the artist in question fell ill and Klien was tapped after all. The three works by Klien in the Hammer show are nothing short of amazing. The larger painting called "Abstraction" only hints at the energy realized in the two smaller drawings, "Factory" and "Rhythm of Movement Figure."

"Société Anonyme: Modernism for America" is full of surprises. While the booklets, flyers and letters give an interesting look at artists trying to make their way in the business of art, it is ultimately the artwork on display that gives the visitor the full impact of what this group of ambitious artists accomplished.

Angela Dufresne

When one goes to see a show at the Hammer, it's always smart to check out the small gallery on the south side of the main lobby. This little space is set aside for the Hammer Projects program, which directs a spotlight on emerging artists. As I walked into the Hammer recently, I found the space reminiscent of my youthful obsession with, of all things, Omni magazine, or more specifically, that magazine's emphasis on futuristic art. In the Hammer Project's gallery, I was surrounded by, what at first glance, seemed to be futuristic landscapes and foreign worlds. But upon closer inspection, I realized that the images weren't necessarily of futuristic scenes or of other planets. Nevertheless, they were the product of a wild imagination, and an artistic talent capable of conjuring both the real and unreal at once.

Such is the domain of Angela Dufresne, who creates these marvelous wild landscapes populated with imaginary modernist buildings. So well realized are these visions that they often tell a story, one that comes into full picture when we read the titles of the paintings.

For instance, our favorite painting in the series: "The First Frame from Mildred Pierce with the beach house Renovations Including a View of the Michael Curtiz/Rainer Werner Fassbinder Observation Deck (2006)." The image is a breathtaking cliffside mansion fully engulfed in nighttime, with only the lights in the distance and the dull illuminations of the house itself to reveal the subject. As the title suggests, there is a forbidding sense of noir, as well as architectural detail. It would seem a funny combination, but it's a territory that the artist has mastered.

Another example is the artist's giant "The Oum Kaltheum International Center for Vocal and Intellectual Training build on the Remains of the Congress Building in Brasilia, Brazil. Designed by Brian Burton (aka Danger mouse) c.2052." Sure, it's the future, but it's a future that will not be. But it already exists in Defresne's art, and wonderfully.

Angela Dufresne's work will be shown at the Hammer through Oct. 29.

(Aug. 7, 2006)

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