Dennis Hollingsworth

Once Emerging Now Emerging

Jean Milant of Cirrus Gallery is having a huge year long exhibition (Sept. 24, 2011- May 5, 2012) called Once Emerging Now Emerging, which is a celebration of Jean's 41 years (and counting, Jean is going strong, very impressive) history in the art scene in Los Angeles. As a hybrid of a print atelier and gallery, Jean has worked with a full spectrum of the stars who lit up the LA art scene since the sunset of the Cool School.

Here is the introduction from their site, Once Emerging Now Emerging:

In September, a forty-year archive of L.A. art history will be presented as a multi- media exhibition. The exhibition, Once Emerging Now Emerging, expands upon this history by literally projecting the archive of Cirrus Gallery into its own gallery space. Cirrus was established in 1970 by Jean Milant after printing some of Ed Ruscha's famous Standard Stations and taking a rental suggestion by the artist. This seminal gallery and publishing house began promoting Los Angeles artists locally and internationally early on, including its pioneering participation in Art Basel. As a rotating, four-part exhibition aligned to the entire span of PST, the exhibition will operate "excavation-ally" to Cirrus' archive and how it pertains to the current artistic climate of Los Angeles. By focusing on moments of particular artists' early involvements with the gallery, such as Guy de Cointet, Barbara T. Smith and works by international and local emerging artists of today, the exhibition presents a liberal marriage of the past and present. Progressively, Cirrus invites artists today from Los Angeles and beyond to react to the archival information through a specially created website which will funnel into the exhibition; integrating the once emerging with the now emerging.

Aaron Wrinkle

(Image above: Jean Milant, Stephanie Hollingsworth awaiting another great dinner -Jean is a naturally talented chef- at his home in the crest of the hills of Echo Park, Los Angeles, 2010.)