Maria Nordman Filmroom: Smoke 1967-Present September 16, 2011

FREE ADMISSION FOR BANK OF AMERICA CUSTOMERS ON 10/2!

Shot on a beach in Malibu in 1967, this film features two professional actors, a man and a woman, who were asked to be present at the given location at a certain time. No script was provided to them but the artist gave them specific props: a cigarette lighter, a box of cigarettes, and a chair. The Pacific ocean and the sun are also actors in the scene, Nordman says. Two cameras-one static on a tripod, the other one following the movement of the actors-recorded the situation. The films are shown side by side with a wall in between that creates three defined spaces. The room to the left features the film shot with a hand held camera and the chair used as a prop in the film. The room to the right loops the film made with the fixed camera. There is a third room where the viewer is able to look at both screens, witnessing a situation that keeps unfolding in time and space.

Maria Nordman Filmroom: Smoke 1967-Present is part of the groundbreaking cultural program, Pacific Standard Time: Art in L.A. from 1945 to 1980. Starting in October 2011, more than 60 cultural institutions across Southern California will come together to tell the story of the birth of the L.A. art scene and how it became a major force in the art world.

The campaign features unexpected pairings between pop culture icons of today with artists featured within Pacific Standard Time. “Celebrate the Era that Continues to Inspire the World” is the theme of the campaign, which celebrates how Los Angeles art from 1945 – 1980 continues to inspire the world of music, art, film and architecture of today.

Check out a video of Anthony Kiedis of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Pop Art movement artist Edward Ruscha: http://bit.ly/PSTvideos

For more information on Pacific Standard Time, visit http://bit.ly/PSTLA