Aaron Axelrod's DARK MATTER Exhibit to Take Over Barnsdall Art Park

Los Angeles, Calif. - Artist Aaron Axelrod will take over Barnsdall's vibrant cultural campus, which houses Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery (LAMAG) and Frank Lloyd Wright's UNESCO-nominated Hollyhock Housewith multi-media exhibition, Dark Matter.

This three-day, one-of-a-kind presentation will launch at Barndall's "Breaking Convention" Summer Soiree on Friday, July 15 at 7:00pm, where guests will enjoy an exclusive preview of the work and interactive evening of arts, food and entertainment. With generous support by Swarovski,Baxter and Bombet Hospitality Group, the progressive fundraiser, which turns the gala concept on its head, will take place throughout the Park from Hollyhock's West Lawn to Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery (LAMAG).

Creating a provocative visual experience over the course of the evening and nightly throughout the exhibition, Aaron Axelrod will be projection mapping the iconicHollyhock House; marking the first time this historic landmark has been a part of a public art installation. Guests will also preview a spectacular Axelrod and Swarovski collaboration art piece housed at LAMAG, featuring almost 700,000 multi-color crystals.

Dark Matter, Axelrod's first solo career retrospective survey show, will debut to the public Saturday, July 16 and Sunday, July 17, showcasing an extensive body of the artist's work. Dealing in a vast array of mediums from painting to photography as well as installation and video art, the presentation will feature 40 pieces of art with 8 distinct themes including the inventive multi-media series "Melting Rainbows," a performance piece which was depicted in a national commercial campaign on MTV; "Freedom of the Press," a series of large-scale pastel paintings of scrambled news channels; "String Theory," a series of neon-light mixed-media paintings and several abstract resin sculptures in addition to the monumental Hollyhock House projection mapping and Swarovski collaboration.

Influenced heavily by children's fairytales, psychedelia, and the occult; Axelrod is known for his unique use of the spectacle and aesthetic choices; inspired by Dr. Seuss, Walt Disney, donuts, and the unknown. A practitioner of vast disciplines including painting, installation, performance, sculpture and video art, Axelrod's work has been displayed in galleries, museums and public spaces in cities across the country. Collaborations have included projects for Walt Disney, KCRW, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, TOMS, Myspace, PTTOW!, Coachella, Skee.TV, Vans, and theLos Angeles County Sheriff's Department to name a few. A CalArts graduate, Axelrod currently lives and works in Los Angeles, CA. @TheAxelrod for all social media.

The "Breaking Convention" Summer Soiree will support the Park's ongoing work to nurture and promote the creative fabric of Los Angeles with its year-round programming, exhibitions and

Tickets for the "Breaking Convention" Summer Soiree can be purchased via barnsdall.org/events/breaking-convention-summer-soiree.

For more information visit the Facebook Event Page and follow @theaxelrod, @BarnsdallPark, @HollyhockHouse, @LAMAGBarnsdall, @swarovski, as well as hashtags #BreakingConvention2016, #DarkMatterExhibition, #BarnsdallxAxelrod, and #Swarovski on social media channels.

Barnsdall Art Park Foundation is a 501c(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to nurture Barnsdall Park as a dynamic and vibrant artistic, cultural, and recreational destination for Los Angeles and the world. The jewel in the park is Frank Lloyd Wright's incomparable Hollyhock House, currently shortlisted to become a UNESCO World Heritage Site - only the third such site in the entire state of California. In addition to Hollyhock House, the site houses the prominent Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery, which provides a platform for art and artists across the City; the Junior Arts Center and adult art programs, which have attracted beginner and accomplished artists for over 80 years; and the Barnsdall Gallery Theatre. For more information, visit www.barnsdall.org.

Photo by David Zentz