Cannibal Flower
by J.C. Peters
The L.A. art scene is blessed to have a creative group such as Cannibal Flower art group. Their monthly art shows are part treasure hunt, part circus, with a dash of porn, a dollop of the rave scene all blended together with the feel of a neighborhood block party. They have this “craziness” at different locations around the city. I have been to their shows at an old dance hall, the basement of a nunnery and a bank. This changing scenery, the multitude of art, and the atmosphere that the group pulls off is a treat that you can’t find anywhere but at Cannibal Flower.
Stepping in to this month’s selection of artistic delights, I was met by the arrow pointing me in to doors marked men, women, and others. There is art hanging on every empty space. They generally show about 60 artists every month. Moving thought the space I was entranced by the piece by Kevin Wasner, a wicked take on Alice in Wonderland. All you see is a colorful evil looking caterpillar with his hookah. Alice’s feet are lying in the grass looking as if she may have just passed out from smoking what ever was in the hookah. The Cheshire cat is napping with just one eye open.
Michele Waterman’s creative piece shows a touching scene of a little boy devil giving a girl his heart. Looking closer, the whole thing is made out of little square pieces of paper stuck together. This gives the piece an unusual texture and feel. Flames surround the not so innocent scene
The piece “sha sha-a- jelly” by Martini Art made an impression on me. The illustrative style was so bright and colorful. This piece made me laugh and have to look at it again and again. The opposition of the two women, one fat and one painfully thin, one with a bird for a pet the other holding a cat up in the air. This reminded me of two old L.A party girls sitting at home with only their animals to love them now.
On the darker side of the art spectrum is Nathan Cartwright’s piece named “Adam, Eve and the Restitution of Names.” This three dimensional piece reminds me of Rodin’s “Gates of Hell” layer upon layer of tormented souls all together. This dream like piece takes you deeper into it at the center a door that opens to reveal an apple with a brain on the inside.
These are only a few of the goodies that you will see at the Cannibal Flower shows. The next Cannibal Flower is on May 25th the location is to be announced at the web site www.cannibalflower.com. Or call 626-212-1851.


Marilyn Revisited
In celebration of their 10th anniversary, the Stephen Cohen Gallery will be having a special two-part exhibition featuring Marilyn Monroe.
Part One: "Becoming Marilyn” showcases the work of Andre de Dienes. In 1945 Andre de Dienes called a modeling agency looking for a new face to photograph. The agency sent a nineteen-year-old girl on her first assignment. Her name was Norma Jean Dougherty, the future Marilyn Monroe. The two embarked on a trip to take pictures in the Western States. During the journey the two became friends and lovers; the resulting pictures are Marilyn Monroe’s earliest professional images. "Becoming Marilyn" is a document of her beginnings; before she learned to exist as the Hollywood icon she became. Captured in photographs is the naiveté and youthful exuberance of a 19-year-old girl as of yet unacquainted with the methods of Hollywood packaging. A book of de Dienes’ diaries and photos of Norma Jean will be published by Taschen.
The second opening, Part Two: "An Evening with Marilyn” showcases the work of Douglas Kirkland. In November of 1961 a young photographer from Fort Erie, Canada found himself with the thrilling and terrifying job of photographing Marilyn Monroe. The assignment was to take the most sizzling picture he could get for the 25th anniversary issue of Look. Kirkland devised a simple set: a bed and white sheets, silk as Marilyn had requested. He procured the Dom Perignon and Frank Sinatra LP’s for which she’d asked. Eventually the two of them were alone with the camera. Kirkland used a constant light so there would be no interruption of a flash. In the book An Evening With Marilyn, Kirkland describes the sensuality and intimacy of the shoot. Between photographs, he lay on the floor and the two talked and laughed. Some of the most telling images are those of Kirkland and Marilyn together during the shoot. These photographs are Marilyn as we remember her: sexual, smiling, somehow natural beneath her cap of peroxide hair. Her spirit is echoed by the terrific sense of immediacy in the photographic technique. You can almost feel her rolling languidly around the bed, challenging the photographer. Her skill at being Marilyn is apparent and yet she retains the radiance captured in the de Dienes prints. She is no longer innocent; she is a professional, and less than a year later she would be dead. Part One runs from May 9-June 8, Part Two from June 13-July 13. Stephen Cohen Gallery 7358 Beverly Blvd LA.
323-937-5525 www.stephencohengallery.com. -MH

Castle Green by Todd Eliassen
Five rooms, one and a half baths, two cars, three motorcycles, four pets, boxes and boxes of junk, a non-functioning hot tub, and one ex-wife. Maybe my life is getting a little cluttered. My plan to combat this is twofold: One, should the San Fernando Valley secede and become ‘Camelot,’ I will strap on my codpiece and go gallivanting around North Hollywood in search of maidens fair. But this makes no sense and I move on to the second part of my plan. I’m going to take control of my life, put my stuff in storage (including the ex-wife) and move into a castle. No, really, there’s a castle in Pasadena in which people actually live.
Built in 1898 as an annex to the Green Hotel, the castle is truly a live-in museum. Architect Frederick I. Roehrig combined Moorish and Mission Revival architecture to erect this fireproof building of steel, brick, and concrete. Though the main building is long gone, the central annex to the Green Hotel was renamed Castle Green in 1924 by a group of investors determined to save this stunning piece of history. They turned the building into a co-op and later into condominium style units which tend to attract residents with a creative bent or those with a love of architecture.
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the State Historic Register, and the City of Pasadena's list of Historic Places, the Castle Green’s façade is owned by Pasadena Heritage while residents own the individual rooms. James Marin, castle tenant and president of the Friends of the Castle Green, explains that the building is operated much like a traditional condominium, though with a few exceptions. Owners who wish to make changes to their unit must adhere to strict CC&R architectural standards in order to preserve the original integrity of the building. Though it’s an expensive proposition, residents are making every effort to maintain or restore the building to its 1898 grandeur. The façade is being restored, the look of the original signage was reproduced, and carpets resembling the original are being laid as well.
Walking through the castle, I was struck by the sheer beauty of it all. The floor of the main entrance hall is covered in mosaic tile. The grand staircase is wide and made of marble. (And if you don’t care much for climbing the stairs of the six story building, you can always hop on the ornate, ironwork lift. There’s even a guy in the thing who pushes the buttons for you. Fancy-shmancy.) The main parlor is expansive to say the least. Huge beams on the ornate ceiling, an immense fireplace, and large double doors allude to times when men with handlebar moustaches spent their winter months entertaining in the former resort. There are parlors, sun rooms, and verandas; each a living picture of the past. To help pay for further restoration, the parlors are rented out for weddings and parties. Residents, too, are allowed to have up to three events a year in these rooms. (When I move in, I’m planning to rent the main parlor, then recreate the scene from Somewhere in Time where Christopher Reeves goes running through the hotel looking for Jane Seymour, only to realize the theatre troupe has left town. I play Jane.)
Unlike the usual condo situated somewhere in the immense sprawl that is Southern California, residents of the Castle Green enjoy a city center lifestyle. Anyone who’s been knows Old Town Pasadena is a very cool place. Shopping, dining, and theatre are a stone’s throw from the castle. Residents often meet each other for morning java at a quaint little coffee shop located right on the grounds. And for those wishing to streamline their life further by getting rid of that clunky old Lexus or Mercedes, the Metro Gold Line will end in a historic train station one block from the building.
So, if your spring cleaning includes walking away from your current residence, think about putting your stuff in storage and buying your spot in the Castle Green. Or, if you simply want to see this historic place, the next tour is June 9th. Call the Friends of the Castle Green at 626-577-6765 for tour information. To rent out a ballroom for your next event, call the business office at 626-793-0359. I’ll be there, too. I’m the one wearing a codpiece and swooning over Christopher Reeves.