With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today during our fall member drive.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Death, Sin, Redemption, Morality: Gallery Show Features Artists' Take on Law & Order Plotlines
For fans of TV's Law & Order franchise, catching an episode in rerun can be like greeting an old, familiar (and sometimes disturbing) friend. For the first few minutes you might be working to unravel your own mystery after pulling up the episode on your on-screen guide: "Hmmm, have I seen this one before? Is it the guy who works in the deli who collects the kiddie porn?"
Those one-line episode summaries are what inspired California artist Brandon Bird to curate a gallery show called "These are Their Stories," which opens Saturday in the galley at Meltdown Comics:
Each piece is an artist's interpretation of a one-line episode summary from the DirecTV program guide. Like the series that inspired them, they are sometimes straightforward and sometimes offer a twist; sometimes they contain no easy answers, and sometimes they are just plain goofy.
We got in touch with Bird to find out why Law & Order works well in art, how the show came to be, and what he thinks about the future of the show...aka LOLA.
Support for LAist comes from
LAist: What makes L&O such a great subject for artists?
BB: It's got everything an artist is looking for--themes of death, sin, redemption & morality; hot actresses; craggly old men.
How did your show at Meltdown come to be?
It came out of watching a lot of Law & Order and having DirecTV--I noticed that instead of using full sentences like it does with most programs, the DirecTV onscreen menu was giving the weirdest, most terse descriptions for episodes of L&O. Things like, "man found on bus," or "mysterious homicides." I thought, "Those kind of sound like painting titles..." which led to thinking, "Why don't a compile a giant list, and get a bunch of artists to illustrate them?" Some of the finished pieces use a lot of Law & Order imagery, and some don't use any, just using the phrase as a jumping-off point for something weird or hilarious.
What are your thoughts on L&O: Los Angeles?
I'm cautiously optimistic. On one hand, it has the writer/producer behind all the best seasons of original Law & Order (Rene Balcer), so there's hope it will wander into story territory and L.A. locations not normally seen on television. On the other hand, adding "Los Angeles" to a title isn't exactly fresh creative territory, and it'll get boring really quickly if every other episode is about a movie producer being murdered in a beach house.
Also, since I live in the Arts District, I'm looking forward to stepping outside and running into the film crew.
These are their stories @Meltdown
July 24-30th; Reception July 28th 8-10 p.m. (ice cream & cake!)
7522 Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles [map]
(323) 851-7223
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
Kevin Lacy has an obsession with documenting California’s forgotten and decaying places. -
Restaurants share resources in the food hall in West Adams as Los Angeles reckons with increasing restaurant closures. -
It will be the second national day of protest against President Donald Trump. -
The university says the compact, as the Trump administration called it, could undermine free inquiry and academic excellence. -
This is the one time you can do this legally! -
Metro officials said it will be able to announce an opening date “soon.”
Best of LAist