Retrospective Rollercoaster: Photography Exhibition
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The landmark Culver Hotel has recently reopened its storied second floor art gallery, which will be playing host to an ongoing series of rotating exhibitions showcasing work from established and emerging artists with a connection to Los Angeles and California.
This month’s featured exhibition is Retrospective Rollercoaster from Los Angeles-based photographer Emil Ravelo. The exhibition explores the journey to “making it”. In whatever field, the ride is hardly linear. Zig-zags, ups and downs, unsuspecting curve balls and delicious highs are a few of the routes experienced along the way. The show takes the viewer on a journey through the many periods Ravelo has observed through his camera and his own non-linear path to where he is today. With scissors in one hand and his dad’s paper clips close by, Ravelo’s interest in image-making was sparked from trimming historical images from his middle school textbooks and adolescent collection of mid-2000s fashion journals. As a product of the MySpace generation and growing up in the flatland suburbs of the San Joaquin Valley, Emil adopted photography as a release of self-expression; he didn’t imagine it could be a viable career possibility until his early 20s. His work infuses vivid color and collage, with a nod to cinematography and rooted in Los Angeles. This is his first solo exhibition.
“Some paths are fleeting whereas others, it's easier to wander and hyper-fixate on why you're stuck on that route instead of channeling attention into flowing through it. This show will take you through the many periods of how I viewed the world through my camera, what interested me, my use of color, and the advancement and stagnancy of my technical skill; autodidactic in nature. These pieces serve as a retrospective of my rollercoaster ride to this very point. I'd like to share this journey of looking back together, but request your mind be here in the now... that's where you'll find me.” - Emil Ravelo, Photographer.
Opening Preview
Saturday, 22nd April 7-9 PM
Drinks, light bites and live music
Retrospective Rollercoaster will be on show for one month and is open to hotel guests and the visiting public. The Culver Hotel is located at
9400 Culver Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232.
About The Culver Hotel Located in the heart of Downtown Culver City, The Culver Hotel is a nationally landmarked flatiron-style building which first opened its doors in 1924 after being designed by architects Curlett & Beelman - the city’s pioneer of lavish Beaux-Arts architecture—and the visionary City founder Harry H. Culver. In 2007, the property was acquired and redesigned by hotelier Maya Mallick who thoughtfully restored the 46-room boutique hotel. Following a 2-year closure during the pandemic, The Culver Hotel reopened in August 2022, in partnership with Proper Hospitality (Proper Hotels, Hotel June, The Collective). The Culver Hotel has always been a hub for the arts, hosting creative workshops, nightly live music and now is finally reopening its beloved art gallery to guests and visitors to showcase some of the best creatives working in California today. The overarching mission is to create authentic, memorable experiences for guests and the wider community, through genuine hospitality, a compelling history, and artful design.