Struck by the eerie similarities between the giant megalopolises of Los Angeles and Beijing, Sterling Ruby (born 1972) takes the reader into his own journalistic vision-sourcing photographs of landscapes and interiors of the two cities, both shot and found by the artist-each page claustrophobically framed by collaged imagery of stalagmites and stalactites. The focal point where these two cities merge gives rise to a dystopic scene that feels like science fiction. Following in the great artist book tradition of John Baldessari and Edward Ruscha, the UCCA has called on Sterling Ruby along with LA artists Kathryn Andrews, Aaron Curry, Alex Israel, Matthew Monahan, Ryan Trecartin, and Kaari Upson to make individual artist books for The Los Angeles Project in Beijing.

Sterling Ruby: LA/BJ

Arts & Photography

Individual Artists

UCCA/Koenig Books

For Square Garden, Matthew Monahan (born 1972) reproduces a series of 30 six-foot drawings which seem to continuously resurface, as if the reader is navigating through an unfurling labyrinth where images rise and fall like the monuments of a fictional empire. Made from carbon paper folded into rice paper to create a series of overlapping Rorschachs, the simple drawings of figures, building materials and decorative motifs come to resemble architectural plans, disaster diagrams, exercise manuals and war games. A kaleidoscope-esque experience, Square Garden was inspired by the artist's 2002-2003 experience of Chinese traditional architecture and garden design, as well as the contemporary urban landscape. Following in the great artist book tradition of John Baldessari and Edward Ruscha, the UCCA has called on Matthew Monahan along with LA artists Kathryn Andrews, Aaron Curry, Alex Israel, Sterling Ruby, Ryan Trecartin, and Kaari Upson to make individual artist books for The Los Angeles Project in Beijing.

Matthew Monahan: Square Garden

For her first artist book, Kaari Upson (born 1972) took an amalgamation of source materials, automatic drawings and sketches, which systematically, through different combinations and organizational systems, manifested itself as a revealing psychosexual graphic novel. Following in the great artist book tradition of John Baldessari and Edward Ruscha, the UCCA has called on Kaari Upson along with LA artists Kathryn Andrews, Aaron Curry, Alex Israel, Matthew Monahan, Sterling Ruby, Ryan Trecartin, and Kaari Upson to make individual artist books for The Los Angeles Project in Beijing.

Kaari Upson: The House

Alex Israel (born 1982) invites readers to join him in his ongoing exploration of mise-en-scène. Indebted to both classical painting and Hollywood set design, he has created a book where the reader can create his or her own installations using Israel's artworks. Following in the great artist book tradition of John Baldessari and Edward Ruscha, the UCCA has called on Alex Israel along with LA artists Kathryn Andrews, Aaron Curry, Matthew Monahan, Sterling Ruby, Ryan Trecartin and Kaari Upson to make individual artist books for The Los Angeles Project in Beijing.

Alex Israel: Alex Israel's Sticker Book

For his first artist book, Ryan Trecartin (born 1981) compiles more than 100 composited images created by mining his personal Instagram and Snapchat feeds, screenshots and photos, all captured and archived in his phone. While developing several new bodies of work that encompass video, sculpture and installation (which debuted in Berlin and Los Angeles in September and October 2014, respectively) Trecartin collected images which functioned as both reference material and conceptual pivot points for his expansive new bodies of work. Following in the great artist book tradition of John Baldessari and Edward Ruscha, the UCCA has called on Ryan Trecartin along with LA artists Kathryn Andrews, Aaron Curry, Alex Israel, Matthew Monahan, Sterling Ruby, and Kaari Upson to make individual artist books for The Los Angeles Project in Beijing.

Ryan Trecartin: Yet

In Strip, snapshot photos of Hollywood Boulevard's Walk of Fame reel and collide, resulting in random but systematic juxtapositions of street performers and gawking tourists. As the reader turns the pages of Kathryn Andrews' (born 1973) first artist book, rows of images-much like film strips-become visible, shifting left and right within the picture window of the book page. Ultimately this three-dimensional, layered world is lost as a new image of a fragmented Hollywood emerges from the book's chance encounters. Following in the great artist book tradition of John Baldessari and Edward Ruscha, the UCCA has called on Kathryn Andrews along with LA artists Aaron Curry, Alex Israel, Matthew Monahan, Sterling Ruby, Ryan Trecartin, and Kaari Upson to make individual artist books for The Los Angeles Project in Beijing.

Kathryn Andrews: Strip

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