Dynamic Duo
Art
Boys who love girls
This month’s award for best art-show concept goes to Distinction Gallery for its He Said, She Said exhibition ("Unfinished", by Lyle Motley, pictured), which opens with a reception from 6 to 11 p.m. Saturday, March 14. The artists—Ahren Hertel, Ken Kierns and Lyle Motley are dudes (obviously) but their subjects are women (and girls) rendered in a pop-surrealist style. Because getting to Distinction (316 East Grand Ave. in Escondido) might be a bit of a hike for city dwellers, the show’s made sweeter with the Sub 1K Lounge (works by well-known artists priced at under $1,000) and The Alley—another portion of Distinction’s 7,000-square-foot building, where you can check out works by more than two dozen artists. 760-781-5779. www.distinctionart.com.
Breaking language barriers: Composed of visual materials, web-cam videos and props, local artist Robert Twomey’s new installation at 4 Walls Gallery (3813 Ray St. in North Park) will certainly be a highlight at Ray at Night, happening from 6 to 9 p.m. on Saturday, March 14. Described as a “hybrid studio / programming project,” Twomey’s Natural Language involved him collaborating with a computer by inputting descriptive text that was then cataloged, parsed and analyzed with the computer’s language-processing tools. The computer responded to Twomey’s input, telling him to create things like a remolded lawn chair and blueprint designs of dogs. Think of it as a much more fruitful collaboration between Hal 9000 and Dave. www.4wallsgallery.com.
Film
Casualties of war
One of the more unexpectedly acclaimed anti-war documentaries of recent years is Phil Donahue’s directorial debut, Body of War, which chronicles the misfortunes of a 25-year-old soldier paralyzed by combat injuries sustained within two weeks of arriving in Iraq. Co-directed by Ellen Spiro, the doc takes an unflinching look at the ramifications of U.S. involvement in the Middle East and the lasting impact such skirmishes can have on veteran’s lives. As part of CSU San Marcos’ Media Makers series, Spiro will be on hand for a post-screening discussion. And while the movie ain’t easy watching, Body of War’s soundtrack, with music by Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder, plus Bruce Springsteen and Lupe Fiasco, should soothe at least some of the wounds. The screening takes place at 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 17, at Arts Building 240 on the CSU San Marcos campus. Free. www.csusm.edu/communication/mediamakers.
Special Events
Shot on surf
For years now, San Diego resident Aaron Chang has been traveling the globe and taking photographs of surfers and the culture that surrounds them. His vivid photos have become legendary within the industry, earning him spots on the covers of hundreds of magazines, as well as gigs with the likes of Billabong and Yamaha. From 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, March 12, Chang will showcase his latest work at Aztec Graphics (1439 Garnet Ave. in Pacific Beach), and posters and prints will be for sale. If you pay an extra $5 to get one of them signed, that money will go to the Friends of Scott Foundation, an organization that provides support and advocacy to young cancer patients and their families. The event is free. www.posteramerica.com
Nightlife
The finer things
Because CityBeat made so much noise in last week’s Local Music Issue about musician Jackson Milgaten, it makes absolute sense that we’d be encouraging you to take advantage of the next opportunity to see his band The Paddle Boat play live. Lo and behold, that time has come: From 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, March 18, the band will perform at Lux Art Institute’s Lux @ Night, which combines some of the best things in life—music, art and wine—at Lux’s picturesque hillside location in Encinitas (1550 S. El Camino Real). In addition to the music, recent artist-in-residence Jolynn Krystosek’s beautifully intricate paper cutouts and wax floral carvings will be on view. We’re fans of both The Paddle Boat and Krystosek, so if you’re 21 or older, we urge you to head north. $5 suggested donation. www.luxartinstitute.org.
Books
McGovern on Lincoln
If you’re like us, you still can’t figure out how John Kerry lost to W. And such was the feeling in 1972 when progressive Democrat George McGovern lost to Dick Nixon in a landslide. Well, we all now how the rest of that story played out (more war, more dirty tricks, more crookery), but McGovern has a new story to tell about the nation’s 16th president with his bio of Abraham Lincoln. The former senator and Medal of Freedom recipient will speak and sign copies of the book at the La Jolla Library (7555 Draper St.) at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 11. The event is free, but guests must purchase the book at Warwick’s bookstore (7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla), where they’ll receive a ticket to attend. www.warwicks.com.
Music
Piano man
The phrase “hot young jazz artist” doesn’t regularly emerge from CityBeat’s pages, but pianist Danny Green will receive nothing less. The San Diego native feeds Brazilian and classical influences into a jazz sound that’s inspiring critics to dial up Thesaurus.com for new ways to say nice things about him. Green will hold a release party for his new album at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 11, at Anthology (1337 India St., Little Italy), and we think you should go and check him out. www.sdanthology.com. $11.
