Tanya Ragir's Hard Wisdom

LAAA | Gallery 825 in West Hollywood
The exhibition will run from October 26 - December 26
My YouTube 3-min video here.

Have you ever spent a melancholy morning walking on a beach or in the woods? Aimlessly contemplating little things like like a leaf, a struggling flower, or a stone, perhaps picking it up to feel its texture? Perhaps thinking about the pieces of your life, some that have caused you heartache? Maybe contemplating an odd feeling that nature can't give you any answers?

There is a magnificent show in the heart of Los Angeles on La Cienega through December 26th that will be one of the most humanist, empathetic, and beautiful exhibitions you will have experienced within the last decade. Tanya Ragir fearlessly dives into our hopes and dreams, regrets, loss, love, and even chaos. Her pieces are the answers to questions about how to handle pain, how to cope, and how to find meaning.

It is not a show to be entertained by or to be blown away by, it is not a social event nor does it give you prestigious points--it is a quiet pilgrimage for the health and well-being of your soul. Ragir has picked up pieces of broken concrete, wood, and leaves merging them with sections of the female figure molded in ceramic clay creating one-of-a-kind pieces.

It strikes me the difference between a solitary walk in nature and visiting this show is that the sculptures are a conduit of communication--they are another person relating to your fragility, showing you respect and honor for your hardships, and gratitude for your gifts of beauty and kindness.

Please carve out a block of time, take a sabbatical, and visit this show. Your spirit will thank you.

Michael Newberry
Idyllwild 11/17/2019

Los Angeles Art Association
at Gallery 825

825 N. La Cienega Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90069
Phone: 310.652.8272

Email: gallery825@laaa.org
 

Gallery Hours
Tuesday-Saturday 10-5pm