FARAI CHIDEYA, host:
CCH Pounder, or CC to her friends, is one of those actors with a mutable face. She can look friendly or stern, joyful or veiled. Pounder was nominated for an Emmy for the hospital drama, "ER," took charge as Detective Claudette Wyms on "The Shield," and played an attorney on "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit."
She's also done quirkier roles like her turn as manager Brenda in the 80s art film, "Baghdad Cafe," also, known as "Out of Rosenheim."
(Soundbite of song "Baghdad Caf?")
Ms. CCH POUNDER (Actress): (Singing) And nothings so tragic cause it's all about magic Take it away. Let's seize the day. When it's showtime at the Baghdad Gas and Oil Caf?. Hey.
CHIDEYA: Pounder has also used her leverage as an artist to find apartheid and AIDS, and she owns and runs the Pounder-Kone Art Space in Los Angeles. I've had a chance to visit the space and see the art she chooses for her shows, and now, CC is here. How are you doing?
Ms. POUNDER: I'm good. Thanks for having me.
CHIDEYA: So, you know, you have this space at Atwater Village, one of the, for me, living in Los Angeles, one of the eastern, eastern parts of L.A., but everyone has...
Ms. POUNDER: The outpost.
CHIDEYA: Yeah, exactly. But it's this place where you have - you know, I went to one of your openings and saw another show, and you have such an interesting mix of people who come as well as an interesting mix of artists who show. What does it mean to you, and why did you start the gallery?
Ms. POUNDER: Well, I've had the gallery in several places prior. Obviously, I started out in my home like most people. Come over and see the art of my living room. And then I moved to Pecot and Houser(ph), which is much closer to where I live. It's on the south side.
I think myself and Terrell Tilford and Addis Art Gallery, we started to create a wonderful sort of section and really watched the neighborhood change. You know, you change from the car repair shops and you get little cafes and so on. And, unfortunately, what happens with most artists is that you make a place more beautiful, and everybody puts the rent up.
So, off to the eastern outpost of Atwater Village, which had one gallery when I got there two years ago, which now has - it's about to open its seventh gallery. So, I think I've got a track record of bringing good stuff with me.
CHIDEYA: Tell us about the kind of artists you represent?
Ms. POUNDER: Well, one of the things - just before I do that, I think it also sort of represents your neighborhood as well because the clientele that comes in the door is considerably different. And so, I have now Armenians and Asians and Africans, and it's exactly how I pictured it in my mind. And it's coming true there.
The artists that I show are basically artists of the African Diaspora, number one. The fact that I am an Angelino, and I live in Los Angeles, I show Angelino artists, as well. If you happen to be an immigrant who lives in Los Angeles, and you're a fantastic artist, I am very happy to see your work as well.
So, I've tried to keep a niche, but it is not restricted to what I say it is. It's restricted to the fabulous work that comes through the door.
CHIDEYA: And the show that you have up right now references Fela Kuti and has this mix of kind of, you know, urban, western style portraiture, I mean, you know, not direct, but, you know, kind of interpretive portraiture. And then all these images of - Fela has like a cameo in one picture. What did that show say to you?
Ms. POUNDER: The artist is Jasmine Murrell. She comes from Brooklyn, New York. And she has what I call a rhythmic style in the sense of her patterning in her paintings and collages. A young, emerging artist and I thought she had an extraordinary sense of color and design, which reminded me, when I was a young girl, I came from Guyana, originally, had the accent still, and I had my first American boyfriend who insulted me in his mind by saying, the problem with you is you mix your checks with your florals, and we don't do that here.
And I was saying, but my sense of style is absolutely fantastic and unique. And then to see it, years later, in a painting of people who have the sense of - it's the assault of rhythm and color that comes from our culture is a natural extension for it to be in individual art, so.
CHIDEYA: And I saw a mixed media piece that you did. It wasn't for sale, but it was kind of a toy airplane superimposed with the image of the interior of the slave ships that crossed the Atlantic. What is doing art mean to you?
Ms. POUNDER: Well, I try not to sell art personally, as I still consider myself, I'm still in the old profession of acting. And I always knew that I was going to do a transfer into the visual arts, but what happened in the between time is that I've become an art appreciator and a collector.
And what that piece was about, the previous show was about immigration. It was called, Immigration Stories. And the idea that we are all exiting our countries now by any means necessary, by boat, by train, by plane. And the Golden Ticket was the name of that piece, and I found an old Mexican airplane at a Mexican flea market, and I had it redone in gold leaf paint. And it's literally covered in black and brown babies.
In the sense of, I used babies because of the innocence that we think we're going to this golden place where life will be better. And when it's mounted, they're hanging out of the doors, it's just littered. And the runway is the old middle passage of all the slaves on the slave ships.
CHIDEYA: Before we let you go, of course, I have to ask what you're working on now? What are you doing in the world of acting?
Ms. POUNDER: Well, I've kind of got two wonderful things going for me at the same time. You know, my husband and I own the first Museum of Contemporary Art in Descartes. And this was the year he was finally recognized by the European Union. So, we've actually had an acknowledgement that a private museum exists and lives, and it's the most beautiful place in Descartes, so I'm really proud of that.
And "The Shield" is over, seven years. The new season you'll see starting in September with an exquisite ending, which I won't talk about, but, definitely worth seeing.
And now, I'm, basically, an actor for hire. I'm going off to Canada to do "Warehouse 13" as a guest in a new pilot, and I completed a pilot before which I thought was brilliant by Meredith Steen(ph) and it was called "The Tower," which I hope will have a life later on, but, right now, it's not a go.
So, basically, I'm out and about like everybody else. And after seven years of sort of knowing where you're going, it's kind of exciting all over, again, that you're out there pounding the pavement in a funny kind of way.
CHIDEYA: Very quickly, do you see good things for actors like yourself who, you know, may know fit in one niche, but can go from very mainstream to independent?
Ms. POUNDER: If you equip yourself with skills, yes, but to stand and complain with no skills, you've got a problem.
CHIDEYA: Well, CCH Pounder, great to talk to you.
Ms. POUNDER: Thank you.
CHIDEYA: CCH Pounder is an actor and gallery owner. Her space in Los Angeles is called the Pounder-Kone Art Space, and she joined me right here in the studios of NPR West in Culver City.
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