“As above, so below” 72” x 48” x 12” steel, concrete, brass on view at Lobster Club Los Angeles Nov. 13
Los Angeles-based artist Maja Dlugolecki knew the relationships between artists and galleries needed an overhaul, so this year, she forged ahead with launching Lobster Club. The new artist collective offers a select group of artists chosen by Dlugolecki and are given the ultimate freedom in their work. With this initiative, Dlugolecki put to work her “first round is on me” approach and with Lobster Club, artists take 100% of their sales from the show.
Recently the collective returned from its first-ever artist residency in Yucca Valley that took place in October. Ahead of Lobster Club’s debut show on Nov. 13, Dlugolecki opened up to Angeleno about the launch of Lobster Club, transforming the industry and the importance of artistic freedom.
You just launched Lobster Club. Can you tell us about the inception of this artist collective?
Lobster Club is essentially an umbrella of many different initiatives under one roof. The two most important being the group show and the artist residency. The group show is organized by and for artists, which shifts the perspective, intention and experience of showing work. I'm very much so a “first round is on me” kind of person, and I'm applying that spirit to this debut show wherein artists will retain 100% of their sales.
The heart of Lobster Club is centered around celebrating not just art, but the artists themselves. In addition to the show on Sunday, we’re throwing an artist dinner on the Friday before the show, which will be hosted at Alex Tiwa’s old studio in Echo Park—the new Wildform hq. We're thrilled to pour wines from Hiyu Wine Farm which will be paired with a seafood spread prepared by Allison Jacks.
I’ve had many conversations with fellow artists about the mutual desire for more connection in this space. In organizing this evening and launching Lobster Club I see limitless possibilities to showcase artists and initiatives which focus on the experience from an artists perspective. A group show featuring artists of this caliber is rare, and I feel fortunate to have the trust of these artists to bring them together for the inaugural Lobster Club Los Angeles.
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Tell us about the name— why “Lobster Club?”
I was having dinner with some artist friends at Wildform over the summer, and I shared this idea I had for a large group show with 20 of my favorite artists all in one space. I had been marinating on this idea for a while, and that night after a wine-infused dinner (which included a beautiful lobster), I decided I was going to make it happen in November.
You said you’ve always dreamed of facilitating a community and space for artists to show work together without the standard gallery set up of a 50/50 profit share. Can you tell us more about that and why this is needed in the industry?
There’s a lot of nuance within the artist/gallery space. Historically, galleries took artists under their wings and would provide stipends in exchange for showing their works. Today the landscape has changed, and while many artists continue to rely on galleries to get their work into the hands of collectors, there are many artists who have built their own channels and sell directly to their collectors. This comes from years of building a presence on social media platforms like Instagram, as well as newsletters, etc. I've had good experiences with galleries, but I often approach these shows as marketing opportunities rather than my bread and butter. When I'm accustomed to selling work directly and receiving 100% of the sale, it is a pretty steep cut to lose half of that when selling through a gallery. Add on top of that shipping a large collection of works to and from the gallery…it really adds up. I think the ideal partnership for an artist is showing with a gallery that will introduce their work to new markets and collectors, and even then I think the profit share should be closer to 30/70 in favor of the artist. In this inaugural show, the artists in Lobster Club Los Angeles will take home 100% of their sales.
What criteria do you consider when choosing artists for the residency?
Our application process is intentionally straight forward—no CV or long essay is necessary, just photos of the applicants previous or current works and a brief about what they hope to work on over the course of the 10-day residency. We are looking for artists who have demonstrated a high caliber of work, as well as an interest in learning from other artists. Our ideal artist in residence thrives in an intimate setting among other artists and enjoys collaboration, as well as moments of solitude to dive deep into their work.
Lobster Club recently had its first residency in Yucca Valley. What was that experience like and why was that the right location for the inaugural residency?
It was a dream! Our artist in residence was Lane Walkup, a sculptor based in Brooklyn. Lane challenged herself by only bringing metal and tools that were TSA-approved—limiting her process to cold-connections rather than the forging or welding that she uses in her formal practice. Here is a snippet from her artist statement during the residency:
Besides the concrete blocks and cement, all I brought was a suitcase full of metal and tools that were TSA-approved. I wanted to experiment with cold-connections and fundamental methods of construction. Nothing has been forged or welded, like my typical practice consists of, instead it’s been bound through barbed wire and work-hardened steel wound tightly in specific places. I made a rusting accelerator and used the rays from the desert sun to patina the metal. A lot of my work mixes recycled textiles, so these pieces are a bit of an ode to tapestry work in steel barbed wire.
Her work,“As above, so below,” references one's spiritual and physical planes reflecting. Everything is connected.
The private home we hosted the residency at is a place I often go myself for personal residencies—I've painted some of my favorite works on the property. The set up has a main house and a separate studio for the artist, and sits on 6 acres of sprawling Joshua trees. Allison, our Lobster Club food director and artist, cooked locally-sourced meals for us daily, which gave us all an opportunity to share and connect with one another over a beautiful meal.
See also: How Kwame Ferreira's Impossible Co. Is Capturing Heartbeats And Creating Better Futures
As above, so below garden heart
What do you look forward to about the November show?
I'm looking forward to bringing people together into a beautiful space with more than just art on the walls. We've thought about every detail imaginable while bringing this event to life. We have Paraguayan food artist, Allison Jacks, creating an interactive food installation with a merienda theme, DJ SEES0 playing a 5-hour set to guide us from the afternoon preview hour into the evening public reception and our 18 artists will be present as well alongside their large-scale works. We're also very excited to have the Marigny as our wine sponsor for the evening.
Why does the industry benefit from artists having the opportunity for such freedom in their craft?
Artistic freedom is integral to an artist's practice—and as an extension—the longevity of the ever-evolving art world. Our artist residency rests on the idea of giving an artist a period of time where their expenses are fully covered, homemade meals are provided in between studio time and they have a stipend to cover any costs of materials while they are in residence.
What do you want artists to take away from being part of Lobster Club?
There are no rules and there is no limit to what we can do. If there is something you are missing in your life or in your community—you can make it happen. You just have to decide to do it and get to work. If you build it, they will come.
Is there anything else important to know about this debut show?
This event would not be possible without my stellar team and our incredible sponsors. A heartfelt thank you to: Tadzio Dlugolecki, Stef McMahon, Allison Jacks, Claire Preston, Mckensie Shea, Jose Barraza, Martin Spanjers, Katie Levy, Jen Ryall of Naked Eye Studio, Josh Hamlet and Sarah Boisjoli of Wildform Collective, Andy Young of the Marigny, Nate Ready of Hiyu Wine Farm, Mahsa Darabi of Moody Chai, Karolina Bumbak of GVG Ceramics, Shay Carillo of Madre Linen and Marble Unlimited.
And of course this show would not be possible without this stellar roster of artists that I deeply admire:
Jess Ackerman
RF. Alvarez
Erin Armstrong
Jessalyn Brooks
Caroline Denevraud
Andie Dinkin
Kristen Giorgi
Aaron Glasson
Tyler Guinn
Isabella Innis
David Matthew King
Thai Mainhard
Michael McGregor
Marcel Rozek
Ellen Rutt
Lane Walkup
Photography by: Courtesy Maja Dlugoleck
