Art Exhibition: Faces Explained Away

Meet the artists behind the exhibition & experience the voices that have helped shape Los Angeles underground art, music, & counterculture.
About this Event

Opening Recepetion Saturday August 29, 5:00 pm - 8:00pm

Eastern Projects presents “Faces Explained Away by the Light of Day,” a group exhibition featuring Exene Cervenka, David Buckingham, Edward Carbajal, Gary Wong, and Cesar Massturd. Bringing together artists rooted in Los Angeles’ underground art, music, and creative communities, the exhibition explores a shared commitment to experimentation, storytelling, and pushing against traditional boundaries.

At the heart of the exhibition is Exene Cervenka, the iconic vocalist and songwriter of the influential Los Angeles punk band X. Beyond her groundbreaking role in music, Cervenka has developed a powerful visual art practice through collage, poetry, and mixed media. Her work carries the same raw honesty, curiosity, and fearless individuality that helped define the spirit of the early Los Angeles punk movement.

Together, these artists reflect the enduring energy of Los Angeles, a place where music, art, and community collide. David Buckingham’s sculptural works transform found industrial materials into bold reflections of Americana, humor, and everyday life. Gary Wong’s multidisciplinary career bridges visual art, music, surf, skate, and the city’s countercultural history. Alongside Edward Carbajal and Cesar Massturd, these artists create a dialogue around personal experience, memory, and the independent spirit that fuels creative expression.

“Faces Explained Away by the Light of Day” celebrates the artists who have shaped Los Angeles’ cultural identity through authenticity, experimentation, and an unwavering dedication to their own unique voices.

Celebrate the opening with an evening of bold art, great conversation, and complimentary drinks. Meet the artists behind the exhibition and experience the voices that have helped shape Los Angeles’ underground art, music, and counterculture movements.

Admission: Free, All Ages

Exhibition Dates: Augus 29 - September 26, 2026
Website: www.easternprojectsgallery.com

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Exene Cervenka, 1988 Photo by Frank Gargani

Exene Cervenka is widely recognized as one of the defining voices of the Los Angeles punk movement. As the co-founder, vocalist, and lyricist of the influential band X, she helped shape the sound and spirit of American punk in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Her songwriting blended raw emotion, poetic imagery, and social commentary, distinguishing X as one of the most critically acclaimed bands to emerge from the L.A. underground scene. Beyond music, Cervenka has maintained a multidisciplinary artistic practice spanning collage, poetry, photography, and mixed media. Her visual work reflects the same fearless individuality and uncompromising creative vision that made her a cultural icon, continuing to inspire generations of artists, musicians, and creatives who embrace authenticity, experimentation, and self-expression.

David Buckingham is a Los Angeles-based sculptor whose bold assemblages transform discarded industrial metal into striking works that fuse wit, history, and social commentary. Working exclusively with found steel sourced from the deserts and industrial landscapes of Southern California, Buckingham preserves the material's original colors, weathering, and scars, allowing each fragment to retain the story of its previous life. His sculptures draw inspiration from popular culture, language, music, and Americana, often incorporating text and iconic imagery with a sharp sense of humor and irreverence. A longtime friend and creative contemporary of Exene Cervenka, Buckingham shares her commitment to artistic independence and the DIY ethos that emerged from Los Angeles' underground cultural scene. Together, their decades-long friendship reflects a shared belief in making art that is honest, fearless, and deeply personal.

Photo by Jalen (Mrlo) Marlowe

Gary Wong is a pioneering figure in the West Coast art scene whose work reflects the intersection of his Chinese American heritage, California culture, and the creative energy of Los Angeles’ underground movements. A graduate of Chouinard Art Institute, Wong became deeply connected to the worlds of art, surf, skate, and rock culture. He was a member of the legendary underground collective the Jook Savages alongside Rick Griffin and collaborated with influential figures including Boyd Elder of the Eagles, Ivan Hosoi of Hosoi Skates, and Jim Ganzer of Jimmy Z.

In 1966, Wong co-founded Gallery 66 with fellow Chouinard alumni Terry Allen and Ron Cooper, an experimental space that challenged traditional ideas of art and culture. His lifelong connection to music expanded through his role as MC for Pinnacle Concerts from 1967–1968, where he introduced Los Angeles audiences to legendary artists including Jimi Hendrix, The Who, The Doors, Janis Joplin, Cream, Lou Reed, The Yardbirds, and The Grateful Dead. Wong’s career embodies the powerful intersection of visual art, music, and counterculture that continues to define the spirit of Los Angeles.