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Dashiell Manley
The Great Train Robbery ( Scene 3 version A) May 4 - Jun 22, 2013
On view at LA><ART from May 4–June 22, this exhibition connects early cinema to contemporary art by creating an ensemble that cannot be reduced to a single work or style. Bypassing any notion of the discrete art object, in his own words, Manley assembles various “takes” on the film “The Great Train Robbery” as large canvases copied by hand. Training his brush to reproduce his own paintings resembles the many takes that make a film scene. Manley's process also resembles the structure of cinema itself, which is always a blend of technical prowess and the somewhat arbitrary application of craft.
Working in both colored grids and shorthand glyphs, these works search for the moment in which the hand was replaced by the machine. Understanding how a mechanical force rendered the painterly world (and the painter) obsolete necessitates the return to early action cinema. Within the maze of the installation, viewers are asked to consider how a previous modernism became an ancient one over a brief period, and how all media express their disappearance as unique formal qualities.
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Press Release | download PDF
LA><ART IS PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THE FIRST INSTITUTIONAL SOLO EXHIBITION BY LOS ANGELES BASED ARTIST DASHIELL MANLEY
Dashiell Manley: The Great Train Robbery (Scene 3 version A) LA><ART Galleries One and Two Double-sided paintings, one hundred-pounds each, five in all, bolstered by nine polished steel armatures; a two-channel video consisting of over 13,000 still images taken in the artist’s studio: these components frame Dashiell Manley’s “The Great Train Robbery: Scene 3, Take A.” On view at LA><ART from May 4–June 22, this exhibition connects early cinema to contemporary art by creating an ensemble that cannot be reduced to a single work or style. Bypassing any notion of the discrete art object, in his own words, Manley assembles various “takes” on the film “The Great Train Robbery” as large canvases copied by hand. Training his brush to reproduce his own paintings resembles the many takes that make a film scene. Manley's process also resembles the structure of cinema itself, which is always a blend of technical prowess and the somewhat arbitrary application of craft. Working in both colored grids and shorthand glyphs, these works search for the moment in which the hand was replaced by the machine. Understanding how a mechanical force rendered the painterly world (and the painter) obsolete necessitates the return to early action cinema. Within the maze of the installation, viewers are asked to consider how a previous modernism became an ancient one over a brief period, and how all media express their disappearance as unique formal qualities. In this sense, Manley’s “The Great Train Robbery: Scene 3, Take A” at LA><ART represents a single multimedia work and a game Hüsker Dü composed of painterly signs in one room that realize their virtual extinction in the next. Dashiell Manley lives and works in Los Angeles, CA. He received his MFA from the University of California Los Angeles and a BFA from California Institute of the Arts. Manley was featured in the first Los Angeles biennial Made in LA 2012 organized by the Hammer Museum in collaboration with LA><ART. LA><ART recently staged a billboard with Manley as part of our Public Art Initiatives. He has exhibited across America, and recently held a solo exhibition at LUCE Gallery in Turin. ABOUT LA><ART Founded in 2005, LA><ART is a leading independent nonprofit contemporary art space in Los Angeles, committed to the production of experimental exhibitions and public art initiatives. Responding to Los Angeles’ cultural climate, LA><ART produces and presents new work for all audiences and offers the public access to the next generation of artists and curators. LA><ART supports challenging work, reflecting the diversity of the city and stimulates conversations on contemporary art in Los Angeles, fostering dynamic relationships between art, artists and their audiences. Since 2005, LA><ART has produced and commissioned over 200 exhibitions, public initiatives, and projects. In 2014, LA><ART will launch its Vision Campaign including The Occasional – a city wide exhibition and public art initiative. This platform for LA continues the organization’s ongoing commitment to supporting artistic and curatorial freedom while focusing on commissioning new work in experimental contexts. LA><ART’s programs are made possible with the generous support ofMichael Price,Justin Gilanyi,Jennifer Hawks,Stanley and GailHollander, Candace Nelson,Jessica Silverman,Leslie Fram, The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, The National Endowment for the Arts, The Los Angeles County Arts Commission, Foundation for Contemporary Arts, The City of Los Angeles’ Department of Cultural Affairs, and an anonymous donor.
LA><ART is located at 2640 S. La Cienega Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90034 T.310.559.0166 F.310.559.0167 www.laxart.org 
Press Coverage | download all Press (.zip file)
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