Hard Copy Los Angeles

Opening January 9th at Webber Gallery

After a successful show in New York May 2024— I’m bringing Hard Copy to Los Angeles. With a remix of artists. And a few from the original line up.

If you’re in LA on January 9th please come out to Webber Gallery for the opening. It’s from 6pm - 9pm ish. Runs til Feb 3rd.

Like the previous exhibition I worked with a group of artists to reproduce a selection of their work. Repurposed and printed. On office printers and Xerox machines. They vary in size. But the majority are 36x54in.

WSA asked me to come up with an idea for a show last year. Originally, I thought to repurpose the work of artists I liked. As a test I made xeroxes of Thomas Ruff’s “Nudes”. Exhibited back in 2000 at Zwirner. He appropriated thumbnail pictures off porn sites then “enlarged, distorted and transformed” them.

It was the first thing I thought of. Repurpose the appropriated. Hopefully get people to clutch some pearls in the process. I had a list of others to do the same with.

But then thought I’d enjoy making the show more if I asked people to participate in the process. It was what I loved about making the fax book. Twin Palms published it back in 2021. Available for purchase here.

Sure— collaborating is cool. But I was into talking to the people that were part of the project. The xeroxes above are the ones I made of Thomas Ruff’s pieces. I screen grabbed them. Printed. Xeroxed. Scanned. He isn’t in the show though.

Last year I went to Paris in late June. To talk to OFR about bringing Hard Copy to them. I met Laurel Thoma at David Black’s opening. She sent me a PDF. Reminded me of the Ruff pieces. I asked her to be in the show on the spot. Made xeroxes of them when I got back to New York in July.

I thought about my friend David Black’s pictures from his book Candy Mountain (above). I was meant to show some of his work in an exhibition in April 2020. AIPAD New York. Obv that didn’t happen.

Talking David on the phone in LA got me thinking— called my friend Jim Mangan.

I exhibited his Blast pictures back in 2014 at 205-A. My year long project space in New York.

Jim showed me a few pictures I hadn’t seen of his. I liked the above picture. A perfect through line from David to John Divola’s “Dogs Chasing My Car in the Desert”. Also in the show.

Below is the press release. It’s the same concept. A trillion pictures made every day. Cuz iPhones. Seven of a couch you never bought. Food pics that make something great tasting look unappetizing. 72 Pictures of a vacation with your ex. Now housed in your hidden folder. A million screen grabs of text conversations. That you send your go-to hard truth friend. For over-analyzation. 14 close up blurry pics of funny license plates. Digital detritus. Almost entirely. Desensitizing you to the art of photography.

But then a good show opens. And a few thousand people come out for it. At least in New York. They line up four blocks deep. To see Avedon. Nan Goldin. Tillmans. 2500 People came to the Hard Copy New York opening. I’ve never seen that kind of turnout for a painter. Not knocking painting. Just saying. A great picture is maybe more accessible? And now anyone can try and make one. Like a Xerox.

What I like most about this whole thing— is that it’s not precious. The prints are essentially computer paper. Rolled up. Shipped from an industrial shop in Midtown West. I’m ok with them a little crinkled. Corner bent a little. Would actually look better like that in a frame.

If you’re thinking of buying a print— I’ve had several hanging in my sun bright apartment. Unframed. Since April 2023. Haven’t faded at all. Email me aaron@aaronstern.us

Thank you to Chantal Webber and her team at Webber Gallery. It’s been a dream to work together. Hope to see everyone on Jan 9th. Pictures on both flyers are by Jerry Hsu.