Synopsis: With John’s social life at a standstill and his ex—wife about to get remarried, a down on his luck divorcee finally meets the woman of his dreams, only to discover she has another man in her life – her son. Written and directed by Jay and Mark Duplass, the iconoclastic filmmaking team behind Sundance Film Festival favorite THE PUFFY CHAIR, CYRUS takes an insightful and funny look at love and family in contemporary Los Angeles.

Languid Moments: Charleston, New Orleans, and Havana
Rebekah Jacob Gallery – Charleston, SC
5/7/10

On Friday, May 7 (5:30 to 8:00 p.m.), Richard Sexton will open Languid Moments, an exhibition of color photography. This exhibit, though it spans almost 20 years of photography, consists predominantly of very recent work, most of it from Cuba. In 1991, when Sexton moved to Louisiana, he began photographing the historic architecture of the region, which was in various stages of decline, from frayed elegance to complete ruin. In recent years he’s expanded the scope of this work beyond Louisiana to locales that have a cultural or historical connection to Louisiana. →

Keith Haring – Urban Legend
Carmichael Gallery – Los Angeles, CA
5/8/10 to 5/28/10

Carmichael Gallery presents Keith Haring – Urban Legend, a selection of original works by world-renowned American artist Keith Haring. On display in the gallery’s rooms will be over 20 original works on canvas, paper, vintage street signs and a rare vinyl blow-up “Radiant Baby Doll” from Haring’s 27th birthday party in 1985. →

Fashion films are a dime a dozen these days but this particular film directed by Sharif Hamza stood out. It wasn’t just the formulaic stark monochrome color schemes, nor the waif androgyny look of the male models used, I simply appreciated the staging of filming one singular narrow hallway. I also appreciated the use of the most recent collection of Dior Homme which includes a bevy of large bellowy trenches. This generous use of fabric, parachuting ones presence →

Outside the Box: Edition Jacob Samuel, 1988-2010
Hammer Museum – Los Angeles, CA
5/23/10 to 8/29/10

This summer the Hammer will host Outside the Box: Edition Jacob Samuel, 1988-2010, a major exhibition highlighting the remarkable depth and diversity of work included in the complete archive of prints by Los Angeles publisher Edition Jacob Samuel. →

José James’ Blackmagic features the Flying Lotus-produced “Code,” a laid-back soul jam that will likely have heads bopping and beds rocking. The record is now available on iTunes through Brownswood Recordings, featuring several unreleased remixes and an exclusive song produced by Flying Lotus, “Visions of Violet.” →

In 1908, Albert Kahn traveled to Japan on a business trip and discovered an interest in photography. After returning home, he gathered a group of photographers equipped with the most advanced camera system of their time, the Autochrome, to create a photographic archive of the world. The Autochrome process was the first of its kind to produce true-color photos →

Synopsis: Grégoire, a Parisian film producer, has it all — a beautiful wife, three adorable daughters, wealth and a buzzing career. On the surface he seems invincible, maintaining humor and charm as he tirelessly juggles the demands of his production company with his family’s needs. But when Grégoire’s reserves — both financial and emotional — reach a dramatic breaking point, his family’s love and resilience is tested. Winner of the Un Certain Regard Special Jury Prize at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival and featured at the Toronto and London Film Festivals, THE FATHER OF MY CHILDREN is an extraordinarily perceptive new drama from emerging young talent Mia Hansen—Love, and a deeply moving portrait of family in tumult.

Famed engineering and fabrication factory Carlson & Co. has announced they are shutting down their San Fernando Valley based operations. According to company founder Peter Carlson, it will be filing something “akin” to bankruptcy.  An unfortunate happening, especially if one takes consideration of the unique and important role that Carlson & Co.  played in realizing a great deal of large scale artwork. Koons’ $20 million dollar ‘Dog’ was one such art piece that took Carlson five years in research and development to conceive, not to mention the transporting of the piece requiring →