Hot off the success of the Artists’ Studio Tour, Topanga Canyon Gallery artists will, for the first time, curate a show of untitled works, and invite you—their audience, the general public, passers-by, art aficionados, writers, literati of the Canyon, and beyond—to name them during this exhibit.
From June 8-30, the Gallery welcomes pen-quivering raconteurs, wordsmiths, even voyeurs, to visit the show and submit titles for all you see. This is your chance to be an integral part of what makes art available to others.
Come also on June 15 for the opening reception, 4-7 p.m., and share your ideas in person: works on the walls, on pedestals, everything from sculpture to paintings, photographs, and mixed media.
What’s in a name? What is it that requires the piece to have something beyond what it is in the material form? What is your perception of what the artwork is about? How does it make you feel? Maybe you want to play with words, create synonyms, antonyms, be original or stamp it with the obvious. What, in your opinion, is the central, most important thing about the artwork? Do you think this is what it should be called? Do you want the title to set the stage? Keep the audience guessing or leave the room and invent their own story?
From royal babies, to marketing strategies, to our children, to our sense of self, books have titles, as do poems, and theories. Everything has a name. Now, give yours to our untitled art.
The word “name” is defined as: (a) A word or phrase that constitutes the distinctive designation of a person or a thing. (b) A word or symbol used in logic to designate entity.
On Sunday, June 30, we will be delighted and honored to welcome your judge, the American author, journalist, and critic Allen Salkin, who will select the best three titles and award the winners with a signed, limited-edition print by artists Caroline PM Jones, Lois York, and Patrick Ramsey.
Salkin is co-author of The Method to the Madness, Donald Trump’s Ascent as Told by Those Who Were Hired, Fired, Inspired—and Inaugurated (St. Martin’s Press 2019).
Come join in the fun, be inspired by the art around you and find your hidden litterateur.
“You Name It” runs June 8–June 30, with an opening reception June 15, 4-7 p.m. Jurying and awards take place June 30, 2–4 p.m
Topanga Canyon Gallery, founded in Topanga in 1989, is an artist-owned mutual benefit corporation. It is located at 120 N. Topanga Canyon Blvd., Topanga CA 90290. For more information: (310) 455-7909; TopangaCanyonGallery.com. Gallery Hours: Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; Friday 12–8 p.m; Sunday 11 a.m.–5 p.m.
By Caroline PM Jones