Frequency Hopping

Amanda Beech and I met at a panel discussion for an exhibition on sound held at the Torrance Museum of Art. It's interesting to me how chance encounters such as this manifest into residencies and others forms of project work....
 
Several years after our meeting, Amanda proposed coming to BoxoHOUSE to work on the beginnings of a new project that looks at communications, specifically how the form of communication can shape its content. Amanda's projects are large and develop over time, resulting in high production videos complemented by sculptures, installation, print and painting.

Working around her academic schedule at CalArts, Amanda chose the end of year break as a time to focus on this new project. As her interest extended to games and strategy, and how communications shape them, Amanda asked about the possibility of getting on the nearby USMC base in Twentynine Palms. Having worked with the public affairs folks there before, I enquired and was very pleased that they agreed to arrange a tour for us. This tour took place ahead of the residency, in October, 2017, and was a very comprehensive look at some of the amazing training areas including the large simulated Iraqi village and the video simulations for armed vehicles.
 


During the residency in December, 2017 Amanda did some test shooting in areas around Joshua Tree, extending out to Amboy, with a view to returning here with a full production team when the final video will be made. She also spent a lot of time writing for the project and completed a web commission for the Remai Modern Museum in Sakatoon, Canada.

Amanda ended her residency with a very well received artist talk presenting past projects and talking about the groundwork on the new project. Many thanks to Amanda, her husband Matthew Poole and Blaise the dog for sapending time at BoxoHOUSE.

Turtle Time

Yassi Mazandi, based in Los Angeles, is a sculptor, known for her complex ceramic forms, who also works in several other mediums. Yassi came to BoxoHOUSE to create ceramic pieces related to mythical creatures that might have lived in the local Coyote Dry Lake when it was teeming with life. Working with a low fire clay, she fashioned stylized shells of turtles that might have swum the local waters as well as creating evocative nautilus-shaped pieces and a series of patterned watercolors using fabric dye.

On a tour of Andrea Zittel's A-Z compound, Andrea offered the use of her brand new kiln to Yassi and the work was fired there. On Sunday November 13th, 2016, Yassi hosted an artist's tea program organized through the partnership with JT Lab and led an enthusiastic group through drawing their spirit animals. many thanks to Yassi and to the local community that supported her residency in various ways.