Renaissance & Rebellion - Flipbook - Page 75
they united to preserve the legacy of this historic school for future generations
through a museum and university exhibition, numerous shows, an awardwinning feature-length documentary (Curly, 2013), a gallery, and an art
school with classes taught by ex-Chouinardians and other noted L.A. artists
like Guy Dill, Laddie John Dill, Diana Vitale, Sam Clayberger, Doris Kouyias,
Chuck Swenson, Larry Bell, George Herms and others. Granted by Mayor
Antonio Villaraigosa, the Chouinard Foundation went on to partner with the
City of L.A. in the first of its kind “public/private partnership” Chouinard
at L.A. PARKS and REC from 2006-2009. The Foundation brought their
progressive art programming to underserved youth in downtown L.A. and
Venice Beach, facilitated by Assistant General Manager of PARKS and RECS
Kevin Regan, anchored by artists Doris Kouyias, Chuck Swenson and Mary
Anna Pomonis, with Tourjé as Executive Director throughout.
The Foundation’s activities became the nexus for the California Locos,
and the reunion of Tourjé with Bojórquez, Van Hamersveld, Wisdom and
Wong progressed into something more in 2011 when Tourjé invited them to
join him for a panel discussion on L.A. art. The panel was held during Tourjé’s
solo exhibition L.A. Aboriginal curated by Tom Gregory at the Gregory Way
Gallery in Beverly Hills, which dealt directly with the above L.A.-centric issues.
His exhibition coincided as a counterpoint to the Getty’s massive, region-wide
initiative Pacific Standard Time: Art in L.A. 1945-1980 (P.S.T.), focusing on
his own work after P.S.T.’s 1980 cutoff. During the panel moderated by artist
and curator Mary Anna Pomonis, the artists, which included sculptor Brad
Howe, discussed the fact that many of those being celebrated in P.S.T. as being
“quintessential L.A.” artists had actually moved to L.A. from elsewhere. The future
California Locos artists agreed that their personal experiences growing up in L.A.,
breathing its smog, surfing its waves, cruising its gritty streets, experiencing the
racial tensions and violence, as well as witnessing its evolution from ground zero to
a major art center, gave their art a unique insiders perspective. An internationally
acclaimed and award-winning short documentary was made about Tourjé by
Bayou Bennett and Daniel Lir also entitled L.A. Aboriginal and which included
the future Locos. The Los Savages band began at the opening with Tourjé, guitarist
Ian Espinoza and included Carol Espinoza and Gary Wong. They would expand
to include Jim Grinta, Bryan Head, Dave Ryan, Toby Holmes, Llyn Foulkes and
Lynn Coulter with Norton Wisdom painting, playing at most of the Locos’ art
openings from there on out. During the panel, moderator Mary Anna Pomonis
affectionately referred to the artists as “Los Locos” based on the Bojórquez work
Los Locos de Cali. Filmmakers Bennett and Lir added “California” and the name
stuck. Though they initially resisted a name, the artists were now armed with
CALIFORNIA 144
LOCOS
Opposite:
L.A. Aboriginal, Gregory Way
Gallery, Beverly Hills, 2011
Pre-Locos panel, L.A. Aboriginal, 2011.
L-R: Norton Wisdom, Chaz
Bojórquez, Brad Howe, Gary Wong,
Mary Anna Pomonis, Dave Tourjé
and John Van Hamersveld
RENAISSANCE
145
REBELLION
