PANDEMIC SHOW opening night

PANDEMIC SHOW November 14 – December 20, 2009

OPENING RECEPTION: Saturday, November 14, 2009; 7-10pm

Overtones 12703 Venice Blvd. LA, CA

CLOSING PARTY: Sunday, December 20, 2009 @ 8PM [details to follow]
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OVERTONES is pleased to present the “Pandemic Show”, a group exhibition of artist-designed surgical masks. The exhibition is conceived by Los Angeles artist Sandra Low and co-curated by Sandra Low and OVERTONES gallery’s director Elizabeta Betinski.

The artworks on display were created specifically for this exhibition. Over 60 artists were sent masks, and asked to interpret and customize these seemingly flimsy facial prophylactics into unique works of art. Inevitably, the resulting works are deliciously unpredictable; a display of pathos and deadpan humor that reflects upon our collective paranoia as well as our desire to survive.

News footage of brush fires, earthquakes, and pandemic flu invariably feature people swathed in the now familiar masks. Worn as intended, they become blanks upon the face that beg to be filled. Mutations have begun to emerge. In China, masks have featured Burberry plaids and cartoon critters. Painted skulls and Sharpie-pen smiles are recorded in Mexico City.

The surgical face mask has become a global symbol of dystopian microbial assault. Toxic ash and rubble. Swine flu. Botched rhinoplasties. We are all going to die. Protect yourself. Do it with style.

“Pandemic Show” marks seven years of existence for OVERTONES gallery—a contemporary Los Angeles exhibition space whose program has strived to intertwine beauty and social action, and reach out beyond the confines of established art-world structures in an effort to engage a wide range of audiences. Since its inception, OVERTONES has presented the work of 77 artists in 43 exhibitions.
“Pandemic Show” is the last group exhibition presented by OVERTONES: it is a call to celebrate life, embrace change, and utilize our creativity to fight off the biggest and most damaging pandemic of all: fear.

Participating Artists: Lalo Alcaraz, Nena Amsler, Orameh Bagheri, Leonardo Bravo, Sky Burchard, Craig Butler, Christopher Chinn, Barbara Carrasco, Carolyn Castaño, Robbie Conal, Jonathan Davies, Allan deSouza, Ricardo Duffy, Carol Es, Liza Epps, Karen Fiorito, Victor Gastelum, Sherin Guirguis, Stan Hunter, Tomo Isoyama, Michele Jaquis, Andrew Johnson, Margaret Lazzari, Viet Le, Tom Leeser, Mark Licari, Simone Lourenço, Sandra Low, Heriberto Luna, David McDonald, Kelly McLane, Maryrose Cobarrubias Mendoza, Yong Soon Min, Christine Morla, Hushidar Mortezaie, Brian Moss, Clayton Murdach, Chris Natrop, Rebecca Niederlander, Stas Orlovski, Chancellor Page, Jared Pankin, Ty Pownall, Ron Reeder, Tony De Los Reyes, Walter Robinson, Julie Rofman, Amy Ross, Carole Silverstein, Julio Sims, Susanne Slavick, Steven Simon, Coleen Sterritt, Ilene Sunshine, Cindy Suriyani, Adam Teraoka, Ehren Tool, Treiops Treyfid, Carrie Ungerman, Jeffrey Vallance, Steven Wong, Mary Younakof, Jody Zellen, Alexis Zoto [list in progress].

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+ For additional information and images please contact Elizabeta Betinski at word@overtonesgallery.com
or 310. 915. 0346. OVERTONES gallery hours are Wednesday – Saturday, 12 – 6 pm, or by appointment