A Catfish in the Bodoni

Soft Systems presents A Catfish in the Bodoni
An offsite exhibition staged at Felix Art Fair
Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles
Reception: Sunday, March 1, 2–5pm

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Soft Systems is delighted to present A Catfish in the Bodoni, a group exhibition of eight artists staged offsite at Felix Art Fair on Hollywood Boulevard. A reception will be held from 2–5pm on Sunday, March 1.

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Borrowing its title from Otto J. Boutin's 1970 novel, the exhibition assembles a collection of works that have traveled with the curator. Gathered in transit over recent months, the objects have been packed, unpacked, and moved between temporary spaces before arriving in Los Angeles. Installed on the sidewalk adjacent to the fair, the exhibition positions itself in proximity to the art market while remaining physically outside its architecture.

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"Are you a poet or something?" I asked.
All kinds of characters come to this part of California. Even misfits like me, Linotype operators who refuse to remain imprisoned in print shops. Misfits who keep dreaming of escape…
"I'm a painter," he said quickly, but corrected himself by adding slowly, "I used to be a painter. That is, I wanted to be a painter. But I never really had time."

From A Catfish in the Bodoni and Other Tales from the Golden Age of Tramp Printers (1970), Otto J. Boutin.

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Featuring contributions from:
Ika Pearl, Y. Waffle, Jules Garder, Lane Sheehy, Noelle Whitaker, John Ogonowski, and Drew Villanueva.