“Heads Will Roll” Aug 2 at Coagula Curatorial

“Heads Will Roll” is a hugely important exhibition, curated by Kelly Thompson, opeing August 2 at Coagula Curatorial. Kelly is a force of nature, an unstoppable artist. I first saw her work when she  was in “Two Johns and a Whore” which I curated at Coagula Curatorial, and now she’s curating there, with a line up of  emerging as well as established artists from different backgrounds and cultural experiences about whom Kelly writes

The strength of the group in “Heads Will Roll” is a mutual respect and support for one another as well as a vision for equality and empowerment.

“Heads Will Roll” features the astounding Alice Bag from the seminal LA punk bands The Bags and Castration Squad, both of which challenged preconceived notions of Latinos and women.  For “Heads Will Roll” Bag has created

a series of portraits that focus on the women of Castration Squad who will always be my sisters and who continue to be audacious in their personal and professional lives.

Associated with ASCO, a conceptual multi-media performance art group, throughout the 1980s, Diane Gamboa photographically documented the East Los Angeles punk rock scene, as well developing a series of bold art pieces, including “Bruja–Ha” at Tropico de Nopal Gallery and “Chica Chic” at Patricia Correia Gallery in Santa Monica. Her work which shows her ongoing fascination with tattoos addresses male-female relationships and the stress of urban environments.

In  “Letters to mother”  photgrapher Med Madison explores cultural ritual and myth in the form of the traditional birthday card. Shizu Saldamando captures capturing specific fleeting social moments within local backyard parties, independent music shows, and other subculture gatherings in order to

create images with unconventional materials, honoring people and moments that resist categorization and question the existing archetypal and hierarchical norms.

Showing for the first time, Lorraine Scognamillo uses recycled and vintage material featuring devils to recreate the modern trickster. Kelly Thompson explores how clothing, uniforms, and outerwear communicate ideas that may challenge the feminine illusion.  Sashiko Yuen, aka Wishcandy, paints images of rebellion, ridiculousness, indulgence, restriction, sadness, violence, and femininity, encouraging others to reject standard societal expectations and create their own stories.

top image: Alice Bag

Kelly Thompson

Shizu Saldamando