Michael Uhlenkott & Damon Willick on L.A.R.Z.

ANOTHER Seagate external hard drive has crapped out, leaving me devoid of documentation -- this was after the brand new big one I got to back that shit up died while sitting on a shelf, unused for 3 months. So is it any wonder that I've not been blogging so much?

I will, however, break the silence to promote the upcoming episode of Less Art Radio Zine featuring Michael Uhlenkott and Damon Willick. Michael was a founding member of the 70s/80s L.A. art collective World Imitation (Products) and their auditory wing Monitor, one of the most beloved but misplaced post-punk bands of the era. Their single self-titled 1981 LP was finally reissued last year to not enough fanfare on the Superior Viaduct label.

Subsequently, Michael honed his songwriter chops leading the avant-cowpunk band The Romans through a couple of albums to near-glory, and has recently been devoting his energies to the preservation and perpetuation of Tiki culture -- the peculiar mid-century American translation of traditional Polynesian art, music, food, and lifestyle that captured the imaginations of many from the post-punk generation -- including frequent WImP collaborator Jeffrey Vallance.

So we have a lot of material to pick from to fill up the hour, and plenty of L.A. art and post-punk historical veins to mine. Tune in Sunday Aug 26th at 12 noon to www.kchungradio.org! And check back for archival links.

Jeffrey, Michael, and the other WImP operatives (most notably master collagist and Solid Eye member Steve Thomsen) are among the subjects -- along with Judith F. Baca, Hans Burkhardt, Karen Carson, John Divola, Scott Grieger, Channa Horwitz, Michael C. McMillen, C.R. Stecyk III, Rena Small, Benjamin Weissman, Robert and Suzanne Williams, and many others -- of Valley Vista: Art in the San Fernando Valley, ca. 1970-1990, a sort of San Fernando Valley riposte to the Getty's 2011/12 Pacific Standard Time extravaganza, curated by my other guest, art writer Damon Willick, Ph.D.

Valley Vista runs from Aug 25 – Oct 11, 2014 at the Cal State Northridge Art Galleries, 18111 Nordhoff Street, Northridge, CA, 91330-8299. It's open Mon-Sat 12-4pm, Thurs 12-8pm (closed Monday, Sept. 1) Public Reception: Sat, Sept 6, 4–7 pm; Gallery Talk: Mon, Sept 15 10 am; Panel Discussion: Sat, Sept 27 1pm. More info: http://www.csun.edu/artgalleries/