Los Angeles Art Association is proud to present the group exhibit Glossary and three solo exhibitions by Sydelle Foreman, Maureen Haldeman and Buena Johnson opening on January 21at Gallery 825. Glossary, an all media exploration an artists visual vocabulary. Juried by Louis Stern, Louis Stern Fine Arts. All shows run January 21 – February 24, 2023 at Gallery 825.

In an environment of uncertainty and challenges, we need to reach for elements of life to inspire, motivate and remind us that life changes and things will get better. Sydelle Foreman’s exhibit HOPE is the thread reminding us to hang in there, and that good things are on the way. The lead sculpture of Foreman’s show is the form of a radiating pregnant torso -- pregnant with HOPE and possibility that will get us through. The supporting seven sculptures reinforce the elements and reminders we need along our journey.

Maureen J Haldeman’s exhibit Defining Shadows is a body of work consisting of black and white images using the traditions of monochrome photography to explore the dichotomy of shadow and light as it relates to the urban landscape. It is an exploration of the inherent abstractions contained in architecture, while eschewing the traditional rules of architectural photography. In these photographs the artist’s affinity for light, shadows and abstractions has come together not to expose distinctive shapes and lines of interior and exterior structures, but to feature the non-concrete obscurities created by a mystical interplay of the ever-changing light; the dance of light and shifting shadows creating impressions about the energy that is the soul of modern architecture. Be it realistic or symbolic, light and shadow, basic elements of an image, have always been open to interpretation; the contrast between the two creating an impression, a thought, a feeling or emotion. In Defining Shadows light and the shadows represent the mélange of emotions, feelings and energy that are the pulse of the metropolitan landscape.

As a Los Angeles based artist Buena Johnson is deeply influenced by the effects of the African Diaspora and the healing related to the Black American experience. Her work is often symbolic and crosses boundaries between contemporary and historic subjects. In her new exhibition O' My Soul, the artist uses a realistic style to compose highly detailed and meticulous figurative art drawn from living persons. Never shying from difficult themes, Johnson subverts the often painful narratives of Black America through evocative beauty and love. Her visual retelling addresses the difficulties of previous eras by shining a light on historic harm. By illuminating the dark places of the American past, Johnson creates an artistic viewpoint that gives way for Hope, Angels, and Personal Well-Being.

When: January 21 – February 24, 2023
Reception: January 21, 2023, 10am - 5pm
Where: Gallery 825, 
825 N. La Cienega Boulevard, 
Los Angeles, CA 90069

Admission: By appointment only.