2 Live and Die in L.A. Review & Photo Essay

Reviewed by Julian Lucas

There were so many gallery openings this past weekend throughout the city of Los Angeles and even in the burbs. Usually when we think of exhibitions, we think of the westside or the center of L.A., but curator Frankie Orozco changed that way of thinking this past weekend with 2 Live and Die in L.A. The event was held at the now closed Juvenile Justice Center Court in South Central Los Angeles better known today as Chuco’s Justice Center where the organization Youth Justice Coalition offers a wide range of programs to assist individuals who were once incarcerated, reintegrate back into society. The JJC closed its doors about 8 years ago.

The event was a success 2 Live and Die in L.A. brought out over 2500 people and featured live performances from bands throughout Los Angeles -  Sin the Artists, Tunez 187, Migs Whiskey, Luicidal, Lil sodi, and Bella The Rapper. They played their sets perfectly against a colorful written wall, a perfect backdrop against the silhouette of tall skinny palm trees in the foreground and background. You definitely knew you were in L.A. 

Vendors from all over lined the parking lot including L.A. Originals Taco Truck. if you got hungry, you didn’t have to leave. You could continue to kick back, enjoy the surroundings, eat tacos and get punch-drunk from drinking bottles of Jarritos all day and night.

Successfully strategic - the location fit Orozco’s vision. The works of over 40 Los Angeles photographers were intelligently and uniquely displayed, covering the hallways, rooms, along with the cinder-block walls of small rooms with large windows including a stall-less toilet revealing characteristics of a holding tank. To many of us remembered what it was like to be within the confines of those thick brick walls waiting for punishment.

The photographic imagery that covered the walls were nostalgic for most of us who grew up in Southern California. The work included individuals who struggled with homelessness and addiction, humanizing portraits of those whose reality was survival, just doing what they knew best to do so. Other works were drenched with bright, candy-colored lowriders, a trademark of Los Angeles, the city where lowriding was born.

What is most powerful and important about the 2 Live and Die in L.A. opening is that artists, who may have been caught up in the system at some point, changed the narrative by recharging a facility that was once used to penalize people.

2 Live and Die in L.A. Curator Frankie Orozco with photographer Cindy Escarcega.

Kendall Ke Sun turns the Story of the Past Into Art: Pathetique

Silent on Chinese Paper Water and Ink

Text by Julian Lucas

We are finally coming to a point where businesses are opening again and museums are opening at a minimum capacity. Before then most exhibitions and talks about art were and still may be virtual through Zoom. But as galleries open, I along with other impatient artists, collectors, and art enthusiasts are feeling a sense of ease.

Kendall Ke Sun is a luminary artist who produces works of art that are profoundly steeped in history and inspired by social theory. His works encompass a combination of Chinese ink, acrylic, and Chinese paper, which gives depth. 

Titled Pathetique, exhibited at the Progress Gallery, features works that were largely created in 2010, which includes 81 pieces that took three months to complete. Viewing the exhibition virtually doesn’t begin to convey the way the scale and texture illuminate with the light. 

Kendall engages the history of China as well as his own personal expression in this set of works that unfurl with magnificent bold broad strokes, he is able to intertwine the language of abstract art with the legacy of China after the Second World War. A Chinese army squad decided ethically to push the enemy forces up a plateau to assist its leaders and protect the local population, which led to a canyon. They battled to the last second, with at the end just five soldiers surviving, which wasn't in defeat. 

From his artist statement, Kendall notes, “This could be a very emotional and dramatic moment, encompassing everything and everyone. The faith for life and the fate of mortal man are intertwined in an instant… All of this can only be faced alone; hence, many of the characters in this series of pictures, are represented by only one figure. In the process of completing these works, I pushed this emotion to its limit, where I found deeper inside of me, hopefully, it could also enlighten the viewer”.

Kendall Sun was born in China and graduated with MFA from LuXun Academy of Fine Art in China. Mr. Sun lives and works in Los Angeles, CA.

Pathetique is on display at the Progress Gallery Located at 300 S. Thomas Street Pomona, CA until the 29th of March 2021.

Julian Lucas, is fine art photographer, photojournalist, and creative strategist. Julian also works as a housing specialist which, includes linking homeless veterans to housing. Julian has lived in Chicago, Inglewood, Portland, and the suburbs of Los Angeles County including Pomona.