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The Guardian
27-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘Tragedy to transcendence': Alice Coltrane exhibit honors jazz legend's sonic and spiritual legacy
Om … Om … Om … Sita Coltrane always opens with three oms. It's a practice she inherited from her mother, Alice Coltrane, also known as Swamini Turiyasangitananda or Turiya, who used the mantra as part of her Hindu-centered practice to induce a state of calmness and connection. 'From tragedy to transcendence', Sita said regarding how her mother's work should be remembered in a conversation about the art exhibition named after her published diary, Monument Eternal, at the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles. The exhibition spans 10,000 sq ft across four rooms featuring three major themes: sonic innovation, spiritual journey and architectural intimacy. It showcases tributes and interpretations from 19 artists, including pre-existing and new work inspired by Alice Coltrane that was handpicked by Hammer Museum curator Erin Christovale. The saffron-colored walls throughout the exhibition is an ode to the color Turiya wore often, which signifies her soul's elevation to sadhu, who, in Hinduism, are those who underwent purification produced by heat, or tapasya. The sonic innovation room is warm. The lively color associated with the sun, fire and purity covers the 1970s-style elevated conversational couch with headsets, taking listeners through Coltrane's discography including her 1968 solo debut, A Monastic Trio, 1970's Ptah, the El Daoud, 1971's Journey in Satchidananda and her 1981 tape, Turiya Sings, later discovered by her son Ravi Coltrane and published in 2021. Her chanting voice, blistering fingers grazing her harp and stretched-out toes on the organ warm the body and invite listeners to vibrate on the highest frequency. The spiritual journey Room brings the ashram steps indoors. People are nudged to explore archival capsules of her tools such as the Wurlitzer organ, tambourines, piano, harp, sitar and voice, which are channeled through video collages such as one of Brandee Younger playing Turiya's actual harp in Ephraim Asili's 2024 film Isis & Osiris. The architectural intimacy room invites visitors to experience meditative soundscapes while sitting on the ground within a bamboo curtain. Three-dimensional expressions of Coltrane's Vedic astrology chart is materialized as a laser light show by artist Nicole Miller, its artificial solar magic creating a healing and vitality atmosphere and helping the soul remember its own higher consciousness. The first major exhibition honoring Coltrane's legacy is rooted in a call to action for those ready to dig deeper into their own purpose, and allowing her work to be an awakening force to guide it. 'People are latching on to her music in a moment where we need a sort of cathartic experience, we need a healing.' Christovale said. 'Her music provides that. It invokes a sense of possibility in people.' To understand Turiya, one has to respect her vibratory intentions, and know her legacy goes beyond her songs. Some of Coltrane's greatest wisdoms came from her books, including the Endless Wisdom series and Divine Revelations, in which she captured the depths of grief following the deaths of her husband, John Coltrane, in 1967, and their son John Coltrane Jr in 1982. Her grief pushed her into isolation and at times brought on hallucinations, a period of time that she later described as a spiritual initiation that included mediating, fasting and – at one point – going silent. 'Within a short period of time, I experienced the first rays of illumination and spiritual reawakening on the physical plane, these radiations open new avenues of awareness in the brain cells,' Coltrane wrote. 'Even subtler were the inner effects of light and the cognizance of a spiritual revelation taking place within me.' In her book Monument Eternal, she writes of how she asked to become 'an instrument of the Lord' through her suffering, said Sita, who voiced the audiobook in its republishing. Alice Coltrane grew up in Detroit, Michigan, and quickly became fluent in what she later refer to as God's language: music. 'From a very early age, Alice was marrying the sort of sonic realm and spiritual realm, and that started for her in church,' Christovale said, adding that by age seven, Coltrane was learning the piano. By the 60s, Coltrane had become the muse of American jazz, building a career of her own and also working alongside her husband's group, John Coltrane Quartet. By the 70s and 80s, only a select few aligned with her experimental, telepathic music, Christovale said. Following her spiritual awakening, Coltrane moved to California after 'the Lord gave a 'spiritual order'', said Sita, citing her mother's 1976 song Om Supreme. While in California, Coltrane opened the Vedantic Center ashram in the Santa Monica mountains of Agoura Hills, a spiritual community for connectedness to the divine. When asked years ago during a curator forum: 'if you could curate a show anywhere outside the [Hammer] Museum, where would it be?,' Christovale recalls immediately thinking of Coltrane's ashram. The center burned down in the 2018 Woolsey fire. From the ashes, a greater opportunity later materialized. Christovale, with curatorial assistant Nyah Ginwright, designed a way to artistically resurrect the ashram for the exhibit with Coltrane's estate. Christovale now feels 'nothing on this project is a coincidence', she said, believing Coltrane's spirit has guided her throughout the entire process. Alice Coltrane, Monument Eternal is on view at the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles through 4 May2025
Los Angeles Times
14-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Alice Coltrane's ashram — and her ‘Black radical imagination' — lives on at the Hammer Museum
In 1972, Alice Coltrane moved her family from New Jersey to California with the goal of building an ashram. Settling in Agoura Hills, the jazz virtuoso and Hindu spiritual leader led a faith-based community for more than three decades. Coltrane died in 2007. In 2017, the secluded place of worship closed, only to be destroyed a year later in the Woolsey fire. The Hammer Museum brings Coltrane's ashram back to Los Angeles with its 'largest' exhibition of the season, 'Alice Coltrane, Monument Eternal.' Curated by Erin Christovale, it's the first exhibition to examine Coltrane's life and legacy through art. Alongside a mix of ephemera and archival footage, the show features the works of 19 contemporary Black artists. From deconstructed pianos to sensory deprivation rooms that play her sermons to colorful laser projections, Coltrane's legacy is in the hands of these American artists. Some were asked to create pieces that directly respond to her archives while others shared preexisting works that connect with Coltrane's ethos. 'She's a Black woman who found ways to liberate and emancipate herself in this society, in this world, on her own terms, and that's what I take away from her legacy,' said Christovale. 'She is a prime example of someone who exercised her Black radical imagination. She was generous enough to do that collectively with the people around her and to leave us with clues as to how to do that for ourselves. We absolutely need that type of thinking and imagination in the current state of the world.' The show is divided into three themes: sonic innovation, spiritual transcendence and architectural intimacy. First, visitors are introduced to Coltrane, the musical virtuoso. Raised in Detroit, she began playing the organ for her church's congregation at age 9. She also picked up the piano and the harp. By the early '60s, she was a part of multiple traveling jazz groups. While playing with the Terry Gibbs Quartet in New York, she met famed saxophonist John Coltrane and got married in 1965. Later in life, she became a pioneer of spiritual jazz — where she blended unrehearsed rhythms with the sounds of her faith. Marked by musically charged sculptures, such as Gozié Ojini's disassembled piano keys and Jamal Cyrus' saxophone — with ropes spewing out of its tone holes — the room explores Coltrane, the lifelong musician. Images of her and her husband touring and performing in Japan and pages from her family's photo album fill the glass cases as Jasper Marsalis' abstract paintings of musical performances hang on the neighboring wall. Ojini, who was born in L.A., considers his participation in the show to be a homecoming, as he once worked the Hammer's front desk while attending UCLA. His two pieces, '44.6 lbs' and '4.5 lbs,' debuted at his first solo show, 'Passages,' in New York last spring. He said he relates to Coltrane because he grew up in a musical family and looks to music for inspiration. 'I'm in this mode of returning back to something that I couldn't claim as mine,' Ojini said of his sprawled-out, destroyed piano structure. 'There's been a piano in my house for as long as I can remember. And I always felt estranged from music as a kid. So it's been nice to finally kind of come back and be accepted into this global community.' Last weekend, the Hammer celebrated the opening with a full-fledged party. As the night's DJs controlled the dance floor and museum-goers wandered through the galleries, Hari Williams and Malik Vitthal were transported to a vital part of their childhood. The two friends grew up on Coltrane's ashram — Williams lived there until he was 11 and Vitthal moved there when he was 8. Walking through the exhibit, Vitthal said he experienced the feeling 'you get when you get out of church. It's a lot to absorb.' 'I remember after the [2018] fires and remember after the land changed ownership, we were talking about whether the ashram existed as it did in the physical realm — especially with not being able to go there and conduct services like we were accustomed to,' said Williams. 'But its spirit is something that we carry and embody wherever we go. So to be in a space where there's a collection of so many things that feel familiar is really beautiful.' Surrounded by decals of Coltrane's albums, Williams and Vitthal stood in front of an installation that allows individuals to sit and listen to each of her projects. The pair walked over to the album cover of 'The Ecstatic Music of Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda,' a compilation album released in 2017. They recognized familiar faces from the group photo and pointed to a little girl in a pink dress, who now goes by the stage name Doja Cat. Reflecting on the creative lineage of artists like Doja Cat, who grew up on the ashram, and Coltrane's grandnephew Steve Ellison, a.k.a. producer and DJ Flying Lotus, Williams and Vitthal said many of their peers have gone on to excel in their respective fields because of the environment they were raised in. After the passing of John Coltrane, Alice turned to African and Eastern religions, specifically Hinduism, and took on the Sanskrit name Swamini Turiyasangitananda. The spiritual transcendence portion of the exhibit is marked by multiple television sets that play Coltrane's show 'Eternity's Pillar,' in which she shared her teachings. Other works like Shala Miller's 'Heavenly Father' photo series, portraying a visitation dream from her deceased father, and Coltrane's framed depictions of 'Krishna' and 'Rama,' fill the gallery. Star Feliz, a New York artist now based in L.A., was exploring the connection between civilian oracles and artificial technologies in their art when they were approached to make a new piece for the show. A longtime fan of Coltrane, they turned specifically to Coltrane's book 'Turiya Speaks, Divine Discourses Volume I' for inspiration. The multimedia artist created an earth-toned concrete sculpture with a small screen and ethernet cables reaching toward the ceiling, called 'Siren of Oblivion.' 'I really felt like this was an opportunity to strip down a lot and honor the connection to the heart and to spirit that is so present in [Coltrane's] work,' Feliz said of how Coltrane influenced their creative process. 'In my practice, spirit has always been there, but there's always been this tinge of trauma and violence because of my ancestral history.' The final section of the exhibit focuses on Coltrane's ability to build worlds, like in her ashram and in her family home. Featuring a meditation hub and an installation that plays frequencies to align chakras, visitors exit the exhibition in a meditative state. 'One thing I can say without a doubt is that her music is healing. It's cathartic. From a very young age, she understood the power of pairing the sonic realm with the spiritual realm. Her legacy has been about how to bring those two worlds together and what that can do for people,' said Christovale. 'Now more than ever, we need that sort of sonic balm that her music provides.'
Los Angeles Times
07-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Lakers' free exhibition showcasing artists of color, and more L.A. arts and culture this weekend
Attention, fellow Los Angeles Lakers fans: While we're all understandably focused on the huge news of the team's latest addition, let's also celebrate the local artists who are taking part in the Lakers' fourth 'In the Paint' exhibition. The exhibition includes 36 new works — unified by the theme 'How Expression Produces Triumph' — by 10 artists of color from all over the L.A. area. It's free and open to the public from Saturday through March 8 (11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays) at Band of Vices (1700 S. Santa Fe Ave., Suite 371, Arts District). The 10 featured artists are Abby Aceves, Estefania Ajcip, Jessica Taylor Bellamy, Daryll Cumbie, Derick Edwards, Megan Gabrielle Harris, Marlon Ivory, Larry Li, Ann Phong and Michael The Khoi Tran. Each artist will receive a $10,000 grant from the Lakers Youth Foundation and will be celebrated at Monday's home game versus the Utah Jazz at Arena. That's just some of the latest from around the L.A. arts scene. I'm Times staff writer Ashley Lee, here with my colleague Jessica Gelt with more Essential Arts news and to-do's: Alice Coltrane celebrationsThe Hammer Museum is opening 'Alice Coltrane, Monument Eternal,' the first museum exhibition inspired by the life and legacy of the jazz musician and devotional leader. Curated by Erin Christovale, the exhibition explores themes of Coltrane's cultural output and practice like spiritual transcendence, sonic innovation and architectural intimacy, and features archival ephemera from her archive — handwritten correspondence, unreleased audio recordings and video footage, much of which has never before been shared with the public. Also on view: sculptures, installations, paintings and photography by 19 contemporary artists, including Star Feliz, Rashid Johnson, Jasper Marsalis, Cauleen Smith and Martine Syms. The exhibition — which debuts Saturday night with a free opening night party, complete with a DJ set by Flying Lotus (Coltrane's grandnephew, Steven Ellison) — is on view from Sunday through May 4. Hammer Museum, 10899 Wilshire Blvd., Westwood. And in Orange County, Alonzo King Lines Ballet is celebrating Coltrane's numerous artistries and disciplines — as spiritual leader, composer, pianist and harpist. Also part of the Bay Area-based contemporary ballet company's program that evening: a tribute to the storytelling of Maurice Ravel in 'Ma mère l'Oye (Mother Goose).' 7:30 p.m. Friday, Segerstrom Center for the Arts, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. 'Buried Child'Interact Theatre Company is launching a new season of free staged readings at the Studio City Branch Library, beginning with Sam Shepard's Pulitzer-winning drama, directed by Rob Brownstein. And mark your calendars for the second Saturday of each month for 'God of Carnage' by Yasmina Reza, translated by Christopher Hampton (March 8), 'Rabbit Hole' by David Lindsay-Abaire (April 12), 'Fences' by August Wilson (May 10) and 'Wit' by Margaret Edson (June 14). 2 p.m. Saturday. 12511 Moorpark St., Studio City. 'Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends'After a London run, this celebration of composer-lyricist Stephen Sondheim comes to Los Angeles with Tony winners Bernadette Peters, Lea Salonga and Beth Leavel in tow. Directed by Matthew Bourne, the revue features beloved numbers from Sondheim shows like 'Into the Woods,' 'Gypsy,' 'Follies,' 'Company,' 'West Side Story,' 'Sunday in the Park With George' and 'Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.' This pre-Broadway production begins performances Saturday and runs through March 9. Ahmanson Theatre, 135 N. Grand Ave., downtown. — Ashley Lee FRIDAYDavid Lynch The American Cinematheque and Vidiots continue their respective tribute series to the late filmmaker.'Eraserhead,' 7 p.m. Sunday (with 'Short Films by David Lynch') and 10:30 p.m. Friday; 'Lost Highway,' 7 p.m. Friday, Egyptian Theatre, 6712 Hollywood Blvd.; 'Mulholland Drive,' 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Eagle Theatre, 4884 Eagle Rock Blvd. Whiplash A live-to-film screening of the 2014 film features an 18-piece jazz band conducted by Academy Award-winning composer Justin Hurwitz.8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 3 p.m. Saturday (doors open two hours earlier). Saban Theatre, 8440 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills. SATURDAYThe Gift: An Immersive Experience In a music-filled room, read an illustrated storybook (available in English, Spanish, French, simplified Chinese and Korean) about the fates of two stars; preceded by a conversation with LeVar Burton and project co-creators Janani Balasubramanian, Natalie Gosnell and Andrew Kircher.4:30-6:30 p.m. conversation; 6:30-9:30 p.m. The Experience, please allow approximately 30 minutes. Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 N. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. Colectivo Cherani A political and artistic initiative whose work includes paintings, murals, graffiti, photography, installation and hand-embellished objects that reflect the customs and traditions of the Purépecha people of Aug. 31, closed Mondays. UCLA Hammer Museum, 10899 Wilshire Blvd., Westwood. Ant Hampton / Time Based Editions A photobook (included in the price of the ticket) springs to life in 'Borderline Visible,' an audiovisual performance blending narration and soundscape on a journey through history along the eastern edge of Europe.1, 4 and 8 p.m. UCLA Nimoy Theater, 1262 Westwood Blvd. Romance Reimagined Contemporary paintings and sculptures collected through the Autry's 'Masters of the American West' annual art exhibition and sale explore emotion, imagination and immersion in March 23, closed Mondays. The Autry, Griffith Park, 4700 Western Heritage Way. SUNDAYCamerata Pacifica The group performs 'high definition chamber music' with selections from Morciano, Gershwin, Weill, Debussy and Schoenberg.3 p.m. Sunday. Performing Arts Center, 2100 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks; 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. The Huntington, 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino; 8 p.m. Thursday. Thayer Hall, Colburn School, 200 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. LA Voices: Black History Celebration Guest vocalists join the Inner-City Youth Orchestra of L.A., the largest predominantly Black orchestra in the U.S., for this free concert.4 p.m. The Ebell, 4401 W. 8th St. Macbeth Kamal Bolden plays the title role in director Andi Chapman's staging of Shakespeare's tragedy, reset in early 20th century New March 9. A Noise Within, 3352 E. Foothill Blvd., Pasadena. Rodolfo Leone and Quartet Integra The ensemble performs piano quintets by Schumann and Brahms.3 p.m. Thayer Hall, Colburn School, 200 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. (also livestreamed). Long Beach Opera is taking the radical — and exciting — step of devoting an entire season to pioneering electronic music composer, feminist and accordionist Pauline Oliveros. LBO's slogan, interim managing director Marjorie Beale told Times classical music critic Mark Swed, is 'We're not the Met.' And it's a good thing too, writes Swed in a column examining how LBO, 'America's oldest purveyor of consistently progressive opera is about to embark on the most uncompromising season of any company of its size or supposed mission anywhere. Ever.' South Coast Repertory said a partial roof collapse of a production building where painted scenes, more than 100,000 costumes and an abundance of archival items are stored may have resulted in serious loss. The collapse happened during a storm that brought wind and rain, and officials say they are still examining the site to assess the damage. In January, the Norton Simon Museum kicked off its 50th anniversary by launching a $14-million construction and conservation initiative called the Exterior Improvement Project. The project will make the garden and landscaping more sustainable. It will also include conservation of the 115,000 Heath ceramic tiles on the building's exterior. The goal is for the whole endeavor to be done by early fall. L.A. is getting a new gallery devoted to contemporary South Asian art. Rajiv Menon Contemporary aims to be a place for collaboration and communication among culture lovers on the West Coast and those in India. The gallery has a South Asian-influenced private garden and courtyard. It plans to open Feb. 17 and will donate a portion of the proceeds from its inaugural exhibition to fire relief through SevaSphere and the California Community Foundation. If you've been following the online drama about the original Van Gogh that was allegedly found at a Minnesota yard sale in 2016, you'll want to know that the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam has weighed in. Late last month, the museum said the piece, which was purchased by a New York-based art authentication company called LMI in 2019, was not created by Van Gogh. LMI pushed back, saying: 'Even the museum is fallible.' Hyperallergic has the full story. — Jessica Gelt Still thinking about impressionist painter Edgar Degas at the 2025 Grammys via Chappell Roan.
