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Alexander Lee:
Recitations from the Great Fish Changing Skies Exhibition
VIP Event and Press Preview

Enjoy Cocktails and Hors d’oeuvres with the artist
and receive the first look of his new exhibition

Who

Alexander Lee: Recitations from the Great Fish Changing Skies Exhibition, an exhibition of sculptures and drawings. In Lee’s new installment, he transforms the gallery into a space that invites the viewer to witness the epic and chilling legend of the creation of a volcanic island. This fable tells of a rebellious young maiden who defied the gods by swimming in a river near her home, only to be swallowed by an inexplicable eel. Lee’s sculptures delve into the aftermath of this episode and the subsequent chain of events that culminated into the creation of the island of Tahiti. Further accounts and interpretations of the myth put forth the story of a clan of villagers exiling themselves from the highly religious and regimented life at Opoa - island of Raiatea and home to the Polynesian civilization. Their journey on the open seas in double canoes, guided by stars, led them to Tahiti-manahune, or plebeian Tahiti.

What
VIP Event and Press Preview Enjoy Cocktails and Hors d’oeuvres with the artist and receive the first look of his new exhibition.

Where
Kinkead Contemporary
6029 Washington Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90232

When
Friday, September 5th, 2008
6:00-8:00pm

For more information on Alexander Lee, please see the press release below: http://www.ballantinesbiz.com/green/Kinkead-FishChangingSky-082908.html

To RSVP or for press inquiries, please contact Cara Morrissey at Ballantines PR.

Cara Morrissey
Ballantines PR
cara@ballantinespr.com
www.ballantinespr.com

Kinkead Contemporary Announces Exhibition byAlexander Lee:
Recitations from the Great Fish Changing Skies

Los Angeles, CA September 2, 2008 - Kinkead Contemporary is proud to announce Alexander Lee: Recitations from The Great Fish Changing Skies, an exhibition of sculptures and drawings by New York artist Alexander Lee. The exhibition opens on September 6th and runs through October 4th, 2008.

In Lee’s new installment, he transforms the gallery into a space that invites the viewer to witness the epic and chilling legend of the creation of a volcanic island. This fable tells of a rebellious young maiden who defied the gods by swimming in a river near her home, only to be swallowed by an inexplicable eel. Lee’s sculptures delve into the aftermath of this episode and the subsequent chain of events that culminated into the creation of the island of Tahiti. Further accounts and interpretations of the myth put forth the story of a clan of villagers exiling themselves from the highly religious and regimented life at Opoa - island of Raiatea and home to the Polynesian civilization. Their journey on the open seas in double canoes, guided by stars, led them to Tahiti-manahune, or plebeian Tahiti.

While Lee’s driving narrative is firmly planted in Tahitian folklore, his interest lies in the anthropological and cultural construction of the Other, which manifests in what the artist refers to as “an ecology of carnivorous relationships.” The exhibition’s central sculpture, titled The Great Fish Changing Skies, is comprised of an erupting mushroom cloud. It refers to the Island’s recent past as France’s nuclear testing ground, as well as the ensuing local economical boom, and, more broadly, the military-industrial-complex and its recent global aftermaths. The lower component of the sculpture, cast in resin and black sand, consists of clashing tectonic plates in the shape of mountain peaks that form both the base for the volcanic/nuclear eruption, and the transforming body of the mythical fish. A third component, in the shape of a submarine spill, gives direction to the creature in transformation, announcing the development of species. Finally, hanging in mid-air, a series of sculptures in the shape of stars draw a trajectory between the body of the fish and the visual recitation of its journey.

In addition to sculptures, Lee will be showing for the first time a series of drawings on paper that trace an arc for his sculpture’s fantastical journey. At times loose and poetically fragile, and other times more topographically determined, they broaden Lee’s practice and give pendant to the physicality of his sculptures.

Alexander Lee was born in Stockton, CA and grew up in Tahiti, French Polynesia. He received his MFA from Columbia University and an MPS from New York University. Lee’s work has appeared in numerous solo and group exhibitions throughout the U.S. and Europe, and he has recently been awarded a fellowship at the RBPMW in New York. This is Lee’s second solo exhibition at the Kinkead Contemporary gallery.

Kinkead Contemporary is a contemporary art gallery dedicated to emerging artists. Founded by John Kinkead, the gallery’s mission is to introduce new voices through an ambitious series of solo and curated group exhibitions.

For press inquiries and to RSVP to the Alexander Lee opening, please contact Cara Morrissey at Ballantines PR.

Cara Morrissey
Ballantines PR
cara@ballantinespr.com
tel: 310 454 3080
fax: 310 388 6027
cell: 310 499 3033
www.ballantinespr.com

Macular Degeneration Partnership (MDP)
Instrumental in Organizing
the Vision Pavilion at AARP National Expo

Los Angeles, CA August 29, 2008– The Macular Degeneration Partnership (MDP) along with The Discovery Eye Foundation (DEF) will be participating in the annual AARP’s National Event and Expo in Washington D.C. MDP has been instrumental in working with AARP in organizing the Vision Pavilion at the expo. The Vision Pavilion will be one of 9 pavilions highlighted, and will include various organizations and vendors distributing free samples and information about vision loss prevention. There will also be a pavilion stage with speakers and raffles taking place over the three-day event. This year’s tag line for the Vision Pavilion is “life begins at 50, vision loss doesn’t have to!”

As one of the most powerful lobbying groups in the United States, AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization for people age 50 and over. They are dedicated to enhancing quality of life for all as we age. They lead positive social change and deliver value to their 38 million members through information, advocacy and service. This year’s AARP National Event and Expo will take place at the convention center in Washington D.C. and is expected to draw approximately 45,000 visitors.

The Macular Degeneration Partnership has been Influential and an important player in organizing AARP’s Vision Pavilion. Under the umbrella of the Discovery Eye Foundation, which plays a vital role in finding the causes of and cures for eye disease, MDP is a patient education and advocacy program for people with age-related macular degeneration (AMD), their families and caregivers. Judith Delgado, MDP Director, has been participating in the AARP expo for eight years, having had the first booth at the AARP National Event and Expo dealing with vision loss prevention. Since then, the booth has expanded to a Vision Pavilion, and includes nearly a dozen other organizations and vendors. It is one of the most visited pavilions at the annual expo.

“It is very exciting and rewarding to be a part of the Vision Pavilion, especially as AARP celebrates their 50th anniversary as an organization this year,” says Judi Delgado. “As baby boomers age, we want to bring an increased awareness about vision loss prevention. We encourage everyone to come out to the Vision Pavilion to learn about prevention and coping with vision loss, as well as the current research efforts by many of the participating organizations.”

In addition to Macular Degeneration Partnership and Discovery Eye Foundation, there will be several other organizations and vendors with booths inside the Vision Pavilion. They include: National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Prevention of Blindness Society of Metropolitan Washington, American Foundation for the Blind, American Optometric Association, Foundation Fighting Blindness, Humanware, Reader’s Digest Partners for Sight Foundation, and Wild Blueberry Association of North America. Support for the Vision Pavilion was provided by an unrestricted grant from Genentech, Inc. and the Wild Blueberry Association of North America.

Part of the Vision Pavilion’s mission this year is to promote dilated eye exams to people age 50 and over. Food vendors will also be giving free samples and discussing the health benefits of anti-oxidants for the eyes. For those coping with vision loss, a Low Vision Booth will demonstrate special gadgets, furniture and technology in a kitchen and living room setting. Contributing their expertise and equipment to the Low Vision Booth are Enhanced Vision, Lowe’s and OTT-LITE Technology, to name a few. Prizes will also be given away as part of a free drawing, and will include iPod Shuffles, hand-held digital magnifiers, Fantas-eyes Sunglasses, large print books, and much more.

Among the many Pavilion Speakers are Emily Chew, M.D., speaking on “AMD and AREDS;” Susan David, RD, discussing “Aging: The Power of Fruits and Veggies;” Sayta Verma, O.D., with the “Ten Common Culprits in Vision Loss;” and Marc Gannon, O.D. on “Better Lighting/Better Sight.” In addition to the pavilion speakers, the very popular Nutrition and Health Editor of The Today Show, Joy Bauer, will be a featured speaker on the main stage and will be speaking on “Aging Gracefully: The Fountain of Youth in Your Grocery Cart.”

This year’s AARP National Event and Expo will take place September 4 to 6, 2008 at the Washington D.C. Convention Center. To learn more about the expo, please visit the AARP website at http://www.aarp.org/aarp_benefits/natl_events/ .

To learn more about Age-related Macular Degeneration, please visit the Macular Degeneration Partnership website at http://www.amd.org. For more information about Discovery Eye Foundation, please go to http://www.discoveryeye.org/.

For media inquiries or to schedule an interview with Judith Delgado of MDP, please contact:

Erika Maya
Ballantines PR
erika@ballantinespr.com
Tel: 310 454 3080
Cell: 310-850-0309
www.ballantinespr.com