By the mid-1920s the imperial monopolist international system of capitalism was facing a problem of overproduction. The surplus of goods could not be consumed at the same rate that it was being produced. The crisis of 1929 was the defining moment of the limit of absorption of surpluses. Since then, regulating the capability of absorbing surpluses has been the role of governments--- from Keynesian economics and welfare state policies, to derivatives and deregulation of financial markets. These seemingly contradictory projects are based on the fact that absorbing surpluses has become the main role of people in the economy. That’s our job.

-Simon, Joshua. “The Language of Commodities.”  Neomaterialism, edited by Anna Altman, Sternberg Press, 2013. 79.

NowSpace is excited to announce SELF RELIANCE 2017, a group exhibition curated by Don Edler. Opening Saturday, September 2nd, the exhibition features eight Los Angeles-based artists who challenge dominant models around the value and exchange of art objects. SELF RELIANCE 2017 presents an eclectic selection of objects by each artist including traditional studio works such as sculpture, painting, and performance alongside artist-made objects meant for sale such as ceramics vessels, shirts, and magazines. All items will be available for purchase, their varying prices reflecting each object’s assumed value and position within the economic/aesthetic hierarchies of objects. Much of how we understand the value of objects and labor is determined by the availability of capital and its relationship to the production/consumption of surpluses. Many have argued capitalism has shaped the world we live in more than any other modern institution, defining our notions around value, our politics and our customs. As climate change and political and economic instability begin to test the limits of our world, might it be time to reconsider our understanding of value and our reliance on commodities?
 

Please join us Saturday, September 2nd from 7-10pm for the opening of SELF RELIANCE 2017. The opening will feature performances by Daniel T. Gaitor Lomack and Lindsay Preston Zappas throughout the evening, as well as bread baked by Lena Wolek. The exhibition will be on view through Sunday October 1.

The gallery is open Saturdays from 12 - 5 pm and by appointment through the duration of the show.  Email: info@nowspacela.com to make an appointment.   

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Don Edler is an artist and the director of ELEVATOR MONDAYS a social exhibition space in Los Angeles. Prior to launching ELEVATOR MONDAYS in 2017, Edler curated and organized exhibitions under CASABLANCA PRESENTS in New York City; in Johnson, VT; and in Joshua Tree, CA. Edler lives and works in Los Angeles.