The Darkroom Presents: Yoshie Sakai

Image from Come One Eat All (2007) by Yoshie Sakai


The Torrance Art Museum has long been a proponent of video art, but displaying it has always been complicated. In setting up an exhibition space, should the videos be intermingled with the paintings, photos, sculptures, and installations? If so, should there be seating and headphones? Alternatively, should the videos be separated into their own video space, with dedicated seating and sound system. Each of these approaches and all the others in between have their advantages.

However, the TAM has decided to open up a new space, The Darkroom, dedicated to exhibiting video art. Yes, our other exhibitions will still continue to include videos, but there is now an exhibition area purely for the showcasing of videos. In our first exhibit, we are featuring the works of Yoshie Sakai.

Humorous, witty, and socially relevant, Yoshie Sakai puts a critical eye to topics as diverse as body image, familial expectations, and mass media concepts of beauty. Combining these satirical critiques with influences from Japanese aesthetics, her videos are engaging, provocative, and entertaining.

Here's one of the works on view in the exhibit:

Come One Eat All

We're looking forward to seeing you at the TAM!!!

Subterraneans: Opening Night Photos

The Subterraneans opened on Saturday, September 22, at the TAM.


Last weekend, the TAM opened a set of new exhibitions. In Gallery One, "The Subterraneans" is on view. In Gallery Two, we have "XYZ: The Geometric Impulse in Abstract Art" running. Finally, we've premiered our video gallery, The Dark Room, which is currently featuring works by Yoshie Sakai.

Here are some photos from Opening Night.

XYZ in Gallery Two, including Jessica Halonen's Rx Garden: Sticky Ends (6)

The Dark Room Presents: Yoshie Sakai

The Subterraneans viewed from behind Elonda Billera Norris' Theory of Transformation

Dance and music from Pieter



TAM's Sculpture Patio, featuring Ichiro Irie's RX-Heaven



The Subterraneans viewed from behind Audrey Moyer's This Is My Place



The Subterraneans viewed from behind Mario DiDomenico's Visions and Revisions



Mobile Arts Platform (MAP) charting the Los Angeles experience



The Subterraneans viewed from behind Bianca D'Amico's Planter Study #253 (should be a real plant, but we are without windows)


These shows will be running until Saturday, November 3rd.

We're looking forward to seeing you at the TAM.

Empty Gallery

The Torrance Art Museum is temporarily closed for installation of the next exhibit

Well, another show has wrapped up and we're in that empty space between exhibitions. However, although it looks like there is nothing going on at the TAM, it is actually a hive of activity as preparations are underway for a huge show that opens on Saturday, September 22.

In Gallery 1, we'll be exhibiting "The Subterraneans: The Artists behind LA's Artist-Run Spaces." This will be joined by "XYZ: The Geometric Impulse in Abstract Art" in Gallery 2. Moreover, we will be unveiling our new space, the Video Gallery with recent works by Yoshie Sakai. And in the Hallway Promenade, TAM will be hosting an installation by MAP, "Mobile Art Platform."

Yeah, it'll be a big event with lots of engaging art on view for your edification and enjoyment. ;-)

I'll be writing up some articles over the next few weeks to provide more details, artist lists, photographs and other teasers.

We're looking forward to seeing you at the TAM!!!