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2010-10-11T06:31:00.000-07:00

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Repost: Ralph Bacerra

2010-07-15T08:58:00.000-07:00

Today I am participating in Seth's Buried Treasure 2010. It's a post on his great blog listing other wonderful art bloggers who are reposting one of their favorite past posts.

I decided to repost this on Ralph Bacerra who I was lucky enough to take a class with a million years ago at Otis Parsons (well, that's what it was called back then) here in LA. He was a great teacher and would have been an encouraging mentor if I chosen ceramics to major in. His work is wonderful!

In June I read that Ralph Bacerra had passed away and I felt a huge pang of sadness. You see, he was one of my teachers when I went to school at Otis. The ceramics department at Otis was probably the smallest of the Fine Arts and Ralph was the head of it. I fell in love with hand building and was thinking about majoring in ceramics. I liked Ralph very much and knew that he would give me a lot of individual attention if I did. He was very encouraging even though I was terrible at the wheel.

When I first came back to LA I went to the Getty and they have a large collection of California ceramics. I saw some of Ralph's work there and it felt like seeing an old friend. I remember the first time I saw some of his work. It was like seeing your parents have sex. The shock and intimacy of his work, when I was used to him just being my teacher, was a revelation.

The pieces I saw at this show today were delicate, even painterly because Ralph was so influenced by Asian patterns and motifs. Each piece has a special perfection to it; you feel a master at work here.

I love this quote that Ralph said about his work "There is no meaning or metaphor. I am committed to the idea of pure beauty. When it is finished, the piece should be like an ornament, exquisitely beautiful." I think that is it's own kind of spirituality.

Ralph Bacerra at Frank Lloyd

James Nares

2010-07-11T15:29:00.000-07:00

These larger than life paintings are gorgeous pieces that draw the viewer into their space. As you come closer, the images seem more likely to have been printed onto the canvas than to be actual paint. Yet that is not the case. Each fluid brush stroke feels suspended in air as apparently the artist is when he creates the paintings. The stroke glimmers, curves in sensuous movement. At times feeling smoke, air, or an unknown force. While a single color is used on each painting, that color on a dark background fades and intensifies. You can feel the light moving through movement.

See these pieces online at Kohn Gallery or in person through August 21.

Elizabeth Patterson

2010-07-11T14:56:00.000-07:00

Elizabeth Patterson creates images using colored pencil as her medium. Her technique is so impeccable, you can't help but be impressed. At first glance you could easily think these are photos or paintings.

The colored pencil adds a softness that I don't think any other medium can. It's subtle. The sharpness that can be almost harsh that comes from the digital photograph is not missed here. The colors are incredibly vibrant contrasted with muted grays or dark blacks.

What you also see is incredible composition. After several minutes of looking the shapes become an excuse for form, geometric shapes and movement. The third piece above is is almost Kandinsky-esque in it's composition.

All of this technique is put together to create images of LA streets at day or night, seen through the windshield of a car. It's meaningful that these images of LA would be viewed from a car since most Angelenos spend so much time driving. We experience so many of our visions and impressions through this small window, behind the wheel of our cars. The rain drops on the wind shield act like a beautiful and dreamy metaphor for the way our perceptions are influenced by the things that cloud, decorate or simply exist in our sight. Our view is altered by by an external presence.

These pieces are dreamy but not romantic. Visually they are striking. They bring much alive in my feelings for the city I love.

This show is at Louis Stern Fine Arts through August 28.

Click here to go to Elizabeth Patterson's website.

Rick Araluce

2010-06-30T01:45:00.000-07:00

These pieces are miniature constructions, the largest being 16" x 8" x 3.75". They are tiny shadow boxes that hint at something dark and unspoken, perhaps forgotten or unfinished. More than any other artist I can think of, these boxes follow in the tradition of Joseph Cornell. Not in theme because Cornell's pieces tended to be more abstract and magical, but in their construction and attention to detail in addition to the allusion to a story the viewer must create. The crumbling paint falling off of a wall, the dirt on the floor, the scratches on a door, all visually gorgeous details that make me look way past the obvious. So many hints at what was or might have been; phone lines that lead to strange places, the outside of a door that appears to have days tallied on it, a blood stain... all gestures to a story that can only be imagined.

Also important to know is that the artist fabricates every piece in each box. It appears most artist use found objects or toy miniatures but this artist has said that he loves to build and fabricate and it's clear, the story is in the details.

Wonderful show at La Luz de Jesus

or check out the artists website here

Nancy Rubins

2010-06-25T20:05:00.000-07:00

Not many LA galleries can accommodate Nancy Rubins huge sculpture of canoes. An unlikely material for sculpture, it was hard for me to predict that I would like these pieces. But walking into the gallery room, I felt the awe and transformation of them. After walking under and around them, I felt like I could be in an airplane hanger or train station. Or a strange adaptation of the lake boathouse I had once wandered into in Austin. I have no personal history with boats yet I felt the stories that exist with each scratch and ding on the canoe's hulls. Interesting too, the taunt lines of cord that held the boats together along with the angles created by the shapes of the boats, made me aware of the drawing quality the sculptures created. In another gallery upstairs were the collages Nancy produced using photos of the boats. These too were reminiscent of drawings because the forms and shadows created such strong lines.

You can see more at the Gagosian site here.

Jim McHugh

2010-06-25T19:54:00.000-07:00

I love LA. And I love work that captures even a few of the city's many moods. This show captured the recent history, noir and mystery of the city. Using a large format polaroid camera the images are often soft and blurry, the colors muted or sepia toned. All perfectly reflect LA's past and present.

You can see more here at Timothy Yarger Fine Art or Jim McHugh's website here.

Alice Neel

2010-06-25T19:33:00.000-07:00

Before seeing the show I was aware that Alice Neel had lived in poverty most of her life and did not get critical recognition for work until the 70's, when she had her first retrospective at the Whitney at the age of 74. While I had seen her work online and in books, this was my first chance to see her work in person and I walked away thinking - Brilliant. While everyone else was doing abstract expressionism, Alice stuck to portraits, the only thing she was ever interested in painting. Looking at her work it is evident that the major movement of her times influenced her work. Parts of her paintings, whether a background color or a hand are often abstract. The colors are wild in the details. More than anything else you feel like you know the people she has portrayed. You see the whole of them, not just their bodily forms, but the life they have led and the emotions bottled up inside. Incredible work.

To see more go to the LA Louver site here.

Conor Harrington

2010-06-21T06:03:00.000-07:00

This artist was part of a group show called Eurotrash at Lazarides in Beverly Hills. Halfway through the gallery I expected to see some Banksy (later I read the gallery owner has put on several Banksy shows, smart me), all of the art felt very street, some obviously so; part of a wall removed and shown in the gallery... One artist stood out to me and that was Conor Harrington. The combination of graffiti, realism and abstract expressionism made for some great kinetic compositions. A British drummer figured in the pieces I liked best, reminding me of colonialism and war. War in the streets? The paintings didn't feel violent, just action filled with a clashing of worlds, new and old coming together.

Go to the Lazarides site here to see more of Conor's work.

Maxwell Hendler

2010-06-21T05:35:00.000-07:00

The fabrication of these paintings is absolutely gorgeous. The thick resin surfaces are slick and shiny. When the viewer stops in front of a piece, one can either look at the surface reflections of light, one's own image, objects in the room or peer into the greater depth of color. There is a feeling of flatness and depth all at once, making them feel 3 dimensional in the mind. The colors are not easily characterized and throw the viewer off balance a bit. They do take some time to take in. I could picture a viewer coming in and thinking they are pretty and trying to decide which ones would match or go with other paintings at home. But perhaps that is part of their charm, that can be mistaken for something more simple than they are.

This show was at Manny Silverman, unfortunately the pics on the site are not very revealing and the artist does not have a website.

Gretel Stephens

2010-06-21T05:21:00.000-07:00

Like windows or doorways into another world, these subtle paintings shimmer with light. Space is open and wide and within it are small movements in color. Reminiscent of Rothko, they feel a little old fashioned, from another time and place. That's not to say that's a bad thing. Sometimes old can feel new and these finely thinly painted oils on linen do.

These photos do not show the nuance of the artist's painting but her website does

Gretalstephens.com

Eben Goff

2010-05-30T16:01:00.000-07:00

These are complex pieces, deceiving because they appear to be so simple. Constructed of wood, plaster, was and more, the forms are in shapes that are not quite natural, clearly man made manipulated. They are textured, some with holes, scrapes, impressions and other materials added. Colors too are subtle but work in concert with the shape of each piece. Each piece makes sense yet feels off kilter at the same time. I liked Sunken Foundation, the first piece above because it invited me to look at it for a long time, to see the different material and shape at the bottom, to see the rhythmic indentations on the side, to consider the surface which looked like wood grain but was perhaps another material.

Thought provoking, these pieces seemed perfectly uncomfortable with themselves.

Nick Cave: Soundsuits

2010-05-30T15:33:00.000-07:00

Nothing could appear more awkward then wearing these pieces and I read that they are called Soundsuits because of the sounds they make when worn. Yet many of the pieces are perfectly tailored and combined with the fantasy of beads and birds or spinning tops, they make the suit seem as though created for Kachinas or some other worldly being. They involve many cultural symbols, everything from a beaded stuffed animal tchotchke to American Indian totems to fetishs for furried friends. Sequins, beads and buttons are in great abundance and they evoke hand made crafts and the kind of Americana that is influenced by every other imaginable culture.

The overall result is fantastical fun. If I was a kid seeing this, I would have loved it. The amount of detail for many of the suits was huge and you could get lost in the jungle of bead strands or metal flowers that hung on each suit. Lots of material, crocheted, and glittery and obviously hand sewn gave a combined feeling of many traditions: Halloween, Mardi Gras, Day of the Dead and more.

This exhibit was also very inclusive. It felt exotic but not snobby. Couture mixed with materials from your Grandma's closet.

Click here for the PhotoTour from the Fowler Museum.

Carroll Dunham

2010-05-30T14:38:00.000-07:00

I love the colors, the simplicity of these paintings. They are sophisticated and child like. The images you see initially are playful, even joyful. As you peruse the gallery though and especially in the second room you come upon images that are almost shocking in contrast to what is in the front room of the gallery. Painted in the same colors and style as the pretty trees and flowers in the first room, now you are confronted by orifices, pink flesh, bushy pubic hair, a body in a position that implies many things, submission coming to mind first. It's offensive, even more so because the initial first look does little to prepare you for the second part of the show. Except that in the first room you realize that you saw a cut down tree, a noose hanging from another, things that have been erased, pink colors (now associated with a woman's body) in wrong places, say at the top of a tree.

All of this leads to the most unsettling feelings. I want to love the paintings because of their shapes and colors, the gorgeous way they are painted with thin layers of color. But then there's the suggestion of violence throughout and the once charming child like colors begin to look garish and aggressive.

These paintings create such a whirlwind of reactions and emotions and they are big, even in Blum and Poe's big empty white space and made me feel small and shy. Like I was a child looking at something I shouldn't be.

John Seery

2010-05-05T21:37:00.000-07:00

If these paintings hadn't been so large (something like 9' x 7'), I wouldn't have enjoyed them near as much. Large enough to make me feel surrounded by the color and form of these Abstract Expressionist paintings, they felt new and old at the same time. Maybe old fashioned is what I mean, because they took me back to the 50's with painters like DeKooning and Pollock. I love this kind of painting, with it's big emotional energy.

Seen at Garboushian.

Christopher Mercier

2010-05-05T21:17:00.000-07:00

These sculptural paintings were colorful and enigmatic. Bright colors, sloppy painterly paint were combined with curling rolling slabs that looked like thick clay. Sometimes geometric shapes are colliding while at other times lots of space separates blobs of color. The paint manages to feel constructed and child like at the same time. Thick paint, intense color, the works enter into the arena of being both painting and sculpture. I love their wildness, their messiness.

This show was at Lawrence Asher.

Gregory Euclide

2010-05-05T16:16:00.000-07:00

I instantly fell in love with these flat and sculptural paintings. Painting with acrylic, the flat pieces are of landscapes filled with greenery, water and a bit of architecture. Many of the flat pieces also have mylar or transfer paper cut outs, pieces of decorative paper, leaves or even foam on them. The 3 dimensional paintings have many of the same ingredients but also may have wax, wood, moss, small trees, structural forms and additional sculpted paper. Sometimes the paintings are scrunched, torn, and moulded. One piece expanded to the point where the glass frame expanded with it. Trees poked through the glass like when you see a tree breaking through the sidewalk or a wall. The paintings proclaim they cannot be contained as well too.

All of these bits and pieces recreate nature and form in a way that is very much the way I experience nature in life. The flourishes done in ink are inspired by leaves, trees, and other shapes in nature. The folded, punctured, ripped paper is reminiscent of the earthy inspirations seen in the wild. The paintings almost feel architectural which parallels perfectly with the notion that design originates in nature.

Tiny details in the drawings/paintings mixed with the details of the sculptural elements made me feel like I was looking at the minutia I come across when taking a walk outside. And while the paintings have realistic rendering, they also feel dreamy and unreal.

This show was great, combining elements of fantasy and sculpture in paintings that would be so much more limited without them. This artist was expanding the idea of what a drawing or painting can give in ways I haven't see before and I can't wait to see what he does next.

I saw the show at Merry Karnowsky but go to the artist's great website to see all of his work in detail: gregoryeuclide.com.

Banksy: Exit Through the Gift Shop

2010-04-28T22:02:00.000-07:00

Well, I don't usually talk about movies here but I can't resist writing about Banksy's film Exit Through the Gift Shop. The film is a documentary about an LA transplant named Thierry Gueyta who becomes obsessed with filming everything he comes in contact with via his video camera. He finds something concrete to focus on when he visits his cousin in France who happens to be a well known street artist. There Thierry gets to film all sorts of under ground street artists by telling them he's making a documentary, eventually hooking up with Shepard Fairey (of the Obama Hope poster fame) in LA. We get to see lots of footage as Thierry follows these guys around but the most fun is watching the scary things he does with Fairey. Things like racing around roof tops and acting like they aren't vandals when cops are around. Always you have the feeling that Thierry is kinda not quite there, definitely a weird guy. He reminded me of people I've met who say things that if they were a little bit more socially self conscious, they just wouldn't. Combine that with his willingness to do anything, go anywhere and I can see how he was accepted by the artists. Thierry obsesses on meeting the unveiled Banksy and when kismet brings them together, Thierry not only gets his wish but a ton of footage with Banksy.

Eventually we learn that Thierry has no clue on how to make a documentary. Around the same time he starts doing his own street art. Wow, how weird. Banksy pushes Thierry to put the film together to prove to the world that the street artists were never about money (this after his own super successful DIY show in LA). Banksy discovers that after seeing Thierry's effort (unwatchable) at putting a film together, that Thierry is most likely a crazy person and in an effort to get his footage back offers to give the film a go himself while encouraging Thierry to focus on his art.

Cut to Thierry in LA hiring hoards of craftsmen to create a Jeff Koons like factory to produce the most horrible derivative art and the next thing you know, Thierry is doing his own grandiose DIY show in LA. After getting quotes from Fairey and Banksy and plastering them all over LA, Thierry becomes a celebrity in his own right, making ironically, loads of money. Banksy and Fairey are dismayed rightly so, to say the least.

There are so many wonderful things about this film, ah where to begin. First off you get to see lots of great footage of the artists at work. Banksy is interviewed throughout and with his dry wit accompanying the antics, you really get a feel for the purpose behind their vandalism. Also you get to see a lot of Banksy's work which is really a step above the rest because the combo of humor and social commentary is just fantastic. It's now wonder his work sells for tons and the Brits all love him.

Seeing Banksy's work you feel there is a very and conscious purpose behind what he is doing so when I watched in horror at the copy cat crap (or should I just say truly bad?) that Thierry produced, my mouth just hung open. Truly fascinating was watching how the public embraced Thierry's work. The quotes from Banksy and Fairey are what opened the door but it was the LA Weekly running a cover story on Thierry that made the show such a success. People went expecting it to be good and were totally taken in by the schlock. It's almost like the more awful it was, the more people wanted it.

The commentary on how hype plays a part in selling art and what people are willing to pay for it because they are told it's hip, is fascinating. It brings up all the questions of what is art and why do artists make it? Is the public's approval what makes it art? And if not what does?

Finally, there is another twist to the story. There is quite a debate going on as to whether the film is a hoax. This ranges from Banksy is Thierry to Thierry is a friend acting this all out on the behalf of Banksy. Afterall, Banksy is known as a prankster right? Even if it's all true, did Banksy create the film in such a way that we would wonder if it was a prank? Maybe Banksy started the rumors himself that it's a prank! So the conversation goes...

I was fascinated to read what different sites said. Some people are totally sure it's all a prank, others are positive it is not. Shepard Fairey insists in Vanity Fair that it is not a prank. But I found this quote from the LA Weekly by Banksy to be very revealing: "I'm not so interested in convincing people in the art world that what I do is 'art,' " Banksy says. "I'm more bothered about convincing people in the graffiti community that what I do is really vandalism." Somehow I find it really hard to believe that the person who feels like that, is going to take a part in creating an album cover for Madonna. It seems to go against everything he stands for in doing vandalism. Then again, maybe that is the whole point.

All I can say is, God, I LOVE BANKSY. That so much can be said about a film, the point is made whether or not the film is a prank. If the film is prank, and Banksy really punked everyone, the story of how Thierry became a successful artist with bad art and good marketing is a fantastic one!

And did I say how much this movie made me laugh? Banksy has one really wonderful sense of humor!

Scott Hove

2010-04-28T20:21:00.000-07:00

Giant cakes with jaws and teeth. What a wonderfully conflicting image. Cakes that look like they should be served at a birthday party have vicious teeth snarling from within charging the seemingly whimsical desserts with menace. Because they are crafted so well, that feeling goes beyond kitsch. Instead the viewer is lured in with the usual positive memories, fun and even tasty of idea of cake but is then faced with a gesture that is very animal, even primitive. These gaping mouth baring teeth, are not just benign yawns; they feel as though they want to devour you. What surprise to be the object of consumption!

I found the show to conjure such a mix of responses in me. Attraction to the delicious looking cakes and repulsion by the contrast of the devouring jaws. A really interesting experience to be sure.

I saw the show at La Luz de Jesus, but check out Scott's website to see his wonderful Cakeland (check out the 360 view), a virtual cake palace you can walk into.

Dustin Yellin

2010-04-25T12:41:00.000-07:00

Walking into the gallery the first thing you see are large glass cubes with what appears to be some kind of preserved foliage floating within. As I made a 360 walk around one of the cubes I heard the gallery person telling another viewer that the pieces are actually single flat slabs of resin that a 2 dimensional image is painted on and then layered upon with more slabs and more paintings to create the 3-D effect that you now see. The pieces were very interesting with the first glance but the info on the process made them fascinating. My first impression of them was of a fossil or bug that had been captured in amber, giving them an ancient feel. Realizing they are layered paintings the personal viewpoint of the artist is much more striking. Some of the pieces are huge, some 6 feet tall and requiring 6 men to install just one. They are such an interesting combination of heavy weight holding floating lightness. They look like preserved specimens but are detailed drawings. They encapsulate a 3 dimensional figure but if you look closely you can see the layers of stacked resin. They are really quite beautiful and strange with light shining through the cubes and floating images.

The following day I wondered if they their magic didn't rely too much on knowing the technique, reminding me a little bit of the hologram buddha watch I had in the 80's. But no, these pieces go beyond the curiosity of how they are created. It's like looking at specimens gathered at various times throughout earth's evolution.

I saw the show at Samuel Freeman and you can go to the artist's website for more viewing.

MOCA: The First 30 Years

2010-04-05T06:05:00.000-07:00

Close up - Jackson Pollock's Number 1

(Title Unknown) Robert Rauschenberg

Close up - Lari Pittman's An American Place

Close up - Lynda Benglis's For Bob

(Title Unknown) - Mark Rothko

I don't suppose it's a coincidence that the first paintings you see coming into the show are Mark Rothko's Abstract Exressionist paintings. They huge, beautiful, delicate, intricate. Mark Rothko was the painter I fell most in love with when I first discovered art and I easily remembered that time seeing these paintings. They still float, hang and glow.

It was interesting to see Jackson Pollack's Number 1 with new eyes. Seeing it it was clear, this guy wasn't simply throwing paint on the canvas. Small places where colors blended and overlapped were brilliant, intentional. Everything he knew about art was going into these paintings and it's apparent by these small hints that are not so easy to see at first glance. The colors he chose surprised me because they spoke of the 50's when he made the painting. They threw me into that place and time.

So many of the artists felt like seeing old friends, in this first part of the show. That huge Frank Stella, the delicate Sam Francis, the intriguing Diane Arbus. I had only seen pictures of Lynda Benglis's wax pieces and it was a treat to see one in person. For Bob - brought up so many thoughts and feelings about everything from worker bees to human sexuality, all layered in colors of the earth.

The show was split up in two, pre 1980 at MOCA Grand Ave and post 1980 at MOCA Geffen Contemporary. I discovered how old fashioned I am, the first show at MOCA Grand being by far my favorite. So many intriguing gorgeous pieces. Pieces that made me think about how thrilling it must have been to be in the place of discovery when the first artists crossed new lines of unknown territory, whether it was Pollock throwing paint or Roy Lictenstein producing his first dot paintings.

Then it was off to the 2nd half of the show. I was delighted to see recent old friends Franz Ackerman and Raymond Pettibone, both of whom I have written about here before. It was also wonderful to see works by artists I had never seen before but only read about or viewed online, like Laura Owens, Fred Tomaselli and Lari Pittman. The rest of the show was a huge disappointment.

When I was in art school in the 80's, I remember a teacher of mine saying that she didn't understand the ugly aesthetic that so many of us were into. I remember at the time thinking, this isn't ugly to me. It's a kind of beautiful ugly. Like the way I loved the ugly urban landscape in downtown LA. So I'm not unfamiliar with this idea of beauty is relative. But this half of the show is filled with beyond ugly. It's high concept all around and I get it I get it I get it already. I just don't care. Take the piece by Paul McCarthy. It's horrible fake Christmas trees that look dirty and over used, paired with large photos of a fake Santa from hell. Santa is holding a knife or covered in blood (or is that ketchup?) who looks like a drunk. I wander around the ugly tree lot and view the photos and think - Ok then, commentary on Christmas, how phony it is and how it is a scenario that has nothing to do with anything we profess it to be about. Yes yes, I could go on, but I so don't want to. Because it's boring. I wonder if it was thrilling when created in the 80's? Schlock for shock value? I mean really, it feels almost trite.

Or how about the piece byJason Rhoades? It looked like a garage someone needed to clean out, a space filled with crap that oh by the way, is painted yellow. Thing is, I can tell you intellectually what it all means, it's just that the way the ideas are presented are completely uninteresting to me. There is no attraction to the visuals of these pieces, they are all about understanding a concept.

And I suppose you can say that about all art, from Abstract Expressionism to Conceptual Art. But for me, I like a little visual delight in what I'm viewing. It takes a little bit more than just an idea, to draw me in. I want to use more than just my intellect to enjoy a piece.

View more at Moca's website.

Michael Reafsnyder

2010-03-27T22:43:00.000-07:00

These paintings are a whirlwind of color, movement and inevitably shape. I am in awe of how so much paint, smeared, spackled and brushed color can work so well together. It's because of the over abundance of color, form and texture that it does morph into a beautiful mess. Any part of the canvas can be a separate painting unto itself and in the huge canvas it's more than a feast for the eyes.

At Western Project

Camille Rose Garcia: Down the Rabbit Hole

2010-03-27T22:35:00.000-07:00

Camille illustrates Alice in Wonderland. In her style, her flair, her way. Very enjoyable, lots to take in, very nice book.

At Merry Karnowsky

Jonathon Lasker

2010-03-27T22:09:00.000-07:00

This is the wonderful experience where I walk into the gallery and laugh. It's a laugh of humor and delight. Surprise too. The paintings are such a crazy mix of flat geometric shapes and very thick primary color stripes or shapes that just shouldn't go together yet do perfectly. The background is so flat and the paint so dimensional that at first it seems preposterous that they could even be in the same field together. But quickly the viewer sees how they work together in a playful way. Eventually you see just how complex the interlocking stripes are, the juxtaposition of the background field to the foreground superimposed on it. It's contained and chaotic all at the same time. All in a wonderful colorful throw you for a loop kind of way.

At LA Louver.

American Stories

2010-03-03T07:11:00.000-08:00

First it was off to Renoir in the 20th Century. Of all the Impressionists Renoir has always been my least favorite. Not only is his color palate something I am not drawn to but the feathery brush stroke style, has never been interesting to me. In this show, Renoir seemed to be more influenced by classical painting than the movement in which he was a part of and was such a huge revelation in his younger days. The paintings feel tired. I felt the claustrophobia of someone wheel chair bound and constrained to painting only the people and things immediately around him. There were a couple of pieces where the body forms of women are distorted, huge and reminiscent of the Picasso that hangs in the show. They are a little more interesting but overall the show felt dull.

But then there was American Stories. A varied collection of early paintings about daily American life. There were a few pieces in the show that were inspired, like the JS Copley painting of Paul Revere. It reminded me of Caravaggio, a beautiful composition of dark and light. There were also several Winslow Homer paintings that were wonderful to see. I loved Homer when I was younger, especially his water colors. These paintings captured the era perfectly. Nothing dull here.

American Stories at LACMA

Don Barchardy

2010-02-20T06:28:00.000-08:00

A collection of self portraits by Don Bachardy, you see him age via pencil, water color and acrylic. An early delicate drawing of the young and pretty Bachardy in comparison to a much older Bachardy in vibrant water color colors, shows the intensity of time's passage on his face. Knowing a little bit about his life with his partner Christopher Isherwood, it's like watching symbolic images of the passage of decades on one man's face. Interesting and emotional, visually you see Bachardy loosen and let go as he explores his own life through the years.

At Craig Krull Gallery

Faces of Fashion

2010-02-14T07:04:00.000-08:00

Eye candy. Pure and simple. Stunning black and white fashion photos from the 60's and earlier. Twiggy pic is iconic.

At:

Peter Fetterman

Judith Mullen

2010-02-14T06:01:00.000-08:00

Gorgeous paintings with many layers; painted on plaster and using acrylic, ink, tea, wax, pencil and charcoal, the artist builds up layers of different materials to create an intricate universe. The colors remind me of an earthy environment, the shapes often feel like they are hanging in space. I am reminded of Kandinsky and Miro but with thick paint and unusual textures. These paintings beg you to come up close and get in their face to see the detail, the drawings and the contrasting shapes and materials.

Judith Mullen's (click here for website) show was at JK Gallery.

Ralph Bacerra

2010-02-07T11:29:00.000-08:00

Ralph Bacerra at Frank Lloyd

Julie Mehretu & Joseph Cornell

2010-02-06T07:49:00.000-08:00

Oh yes I did. I drove to the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, from LA, to see this show. I discovered Julie Mehretu a few years ago and fell in love with her work but had never actually seen her work in person. So when I heard about this show I had to go. Also a Joseph Cornell exhibit? The namesake of this blog? Ok, no way am I going to miss this.

The name of the show was Automatic Cities: The Architectural Imaginary in Contemporary Art. Boy, that is not a good start. I suspected I would be less than thrilled with the show and I was right. But who cares? There were 4 paintings by Mehretu. I think they should be called drawings but I know drawings are not considered as valuable as paintings, so well, gotta call them paintings. But they are much in the tradition of drawing, even the calligraphy like marks are more akin to handwriting than brush strokes. That doesn't make me like the work any less, in fact it's all the more thrilling. Layers of architectural maps, bright colored forms, and free hand notes that are akin to letters, cartoonish characters all create a scene of cities, war, movement, and structure. There is a lot of energy in these works and I often feel like I'm on the freeway speeding through the city when I look at them. Sometimes I feel like I'm in a high rise, sometimes I'm in a stadium at the Olympics.

Other interesting points: the surface of the canvas is a little like a clay board which kind of determines the way it's used. You aren't compelled to necessarily layer giant wads of paint on this refined and delicate surface. Also, these paintings are reproduced really well in books. I was surprised by that for once, the difference between the reproduced copy and the real thing wasn't that big.

Ah Cornell. This show was called Museums in Miniature: Works by Marcel Duchamp and Joseph Cornell. I gotta admit it was cool to see some of those famous works by Duchamp in person... but the room was dimly lit (I get it, preservation first) and made the whole thing feel a little dreary. Like I was in some stuffy old small town doll collection museum.

But Cornell can brighten any day as far as I'm concerned. This wasn't an exceptionally large exhibit, but the few pieces I saw were delightful. The detail and delicacy of the way 6 nails are placed in a box, is still astounding.

The continued influence of both of these artists is mind boggling. Whether artists are incorporating their ideas even in the most abstract sense or rebelling against them, I am always amazed at their persistent presence.

Jessica McCambly

2009-12-25T23:19:00.000-08:00

While the pics posted here never come close to capturing the paintings reviewed, the online pics for this artist are especially inferior in representing the work. These paintings are more like drawings, reminding me in some ways of Julie Mehrutu. Whereas Mehrutu's works are part architectural maps of cities during explosive activity, these paintings feel like hand drawings of maps from a birdseye view of the world. The shapes seem to be waiting to be filled with color. Their delicacy make them personal and fragile and they give the feelings of islands or cities and sometimes appear almost unfinished in their vagueness, especially when your eye follows the few dots of color around the canvas. They hint, infer and reference and with their lack of color the viewer is left with the feeling that something subtle and small is happening that should not be missed.

http://www.jkgallery.net/innerindex.php?link=artist_janis#

Samantha Fields

2009-12-25T17:05:00.000-08:00

Tiny canvases of fires in California, rows and rows of them, echoing the many fires... You have to come up close to the canvases to see the detail. You feel the immensity while peering into a familiar landscape. It makes you a voyeur, akin to seeing the images on TV or online. Yet they don't have the technological feel that those other images do. These are personal, painted so interpreted. The color palette is similar for each and that doesn't make them redundant but more effective. Out of all the scenes you could paint about California, you paint fires that cut through huge mountain ranges. That in itself becomes a commentary on the state and of things to do with who we are and how we live, speaking of desolation, devastation and being out of control.

http://www.kimlightgallery.com/

Sean Duffy

2009-12-25T16:12:00.000-08:00

A big wall filled with images and color. That's the first glimpse. As you get nearer to the wall you see that the wall is comprised of record albums, variations of color on a select few albums. This includes covers from a mix of bands like the English Beat (name of the show is - Can't Help It - a take off on their album - I Just Can't Help It) and two of my favorites, X and Madness. Suddenly the wall of color and shape has taken on time and place. Now it's personal and I see the decade of the 80's superimposed on this landscape. Other pieces in the gallery, fans, a turn table, morphed into other strange contraptions didn't fascinate me the way the wall of color and memory did. Would it have been as personal if the album covers had been Twisted Sister or Dolly Parton? Not for me, but it still would have spoken about another time and place included yet transcended. Like the other morphed pieces in the room, the album cover walls turned the mundane into something else. Even making me ask - is music ever really mundane? Not to the person listening...

http://www.vielmetter.com/index.php?site=artists&fromlink=&a_id=52&detail=exhibitions&artistname=&layout_skip=0&e_id=290

Jeff Koons

2009-12-16T06:20:00.000-08:00

I looked and I contemplated and I looked some more and said - Someone is going to have to explain this to me. Then after some out loud mumbling, I started to see. Oh yes, there are many obvious references to other painters most apparent are Roy Lichenstein, Cy Twombly, and even Jeff Koons circa Made in Heaven. But I kept thinking - So what? Why is this interesting? Why do I care? Cause right now I don't. Finally I saw it. The images on the canvas are completely diverse and then it hit me, none of the images over lapping. This is a painting (rather huge) and to create a piece where the technique in itself is much more interesting than the image created is a very interesting concept. Talk about masterly technicians at work here; everything painted is on the same surface or plane. Yet there is still the illusion of dimension, again with no paint physically over lapping. It makes the paintings sort of amazing but at the same time I am still stuck on how I am not interested in them visually. I see pop references, the sexuality and innocence of the figure, the transformation to abstract expressionism. But I am just not interested. At the same time, he sure got me to talk about the work. Is that enough?

http://www.gagosian.com/exhibitions/2009-11-14_jeff-koons/#/images/1/

Marilyn Minter

2009-12-16T05:59:00.000-08:00

I started out watching the video in Regent I and yikes! Grotesque and repulsive and beautifully visceral. It's uncomfortable viewing, watching a tongue move through unknown materials, sometimes pressed against glass, most often swirling and moving through fluids, goo, and bits and pieces that do not look like food. It's colorful and mysterious, small fascinating paintings are created and destroyed from one moment to the next. The feeling of sucking and pushing pulsing cannot be ignored. You are always vaguely aware of something sexual, gastronomical or defecation... some bodily interaction that is beyond cognitive reasoning.

Next to Regent II where very large paintings and photos are exhibited. All stills from the films, for both mediums. These I loved, big and detailed, it reminded me of when I saw the Monet exhibit at LACMA in the 80's; abstract paintings existing within paintings. Seeing the stills, one forgets the actual content and more is revealed. The movement is more interesting when the subject is forgotten. The way space is filled (and it could be "space - the final frontier") or a freaked out vanity, these paintings and photos transform the obvious realm into something else.

http://www.regenprojects.com/exhibitions/2009_10_marilyn-minter/

Charles Burchfield

2009-11-18T05:33:00.000-08:00

Heatwaves in a Swamp

Ah, one of those rare incredible transcending exhibitions... So I walked into the gallery wrong and saw the end of the exhibition first, working my way towards the earlier paintings. That was a revelation. The newer paintings are nature aglow. Infused with visions or more likely the intense emotion the painter felt about what he observed and felt, you feel the brilliance and murkiness of the each forest scene. Insects are like flowers, trees are like chapels, colors are pale and psychedelic. At times I felt like I was looking at a cross between Van Gogh and Edward Hopper. I felt the shining euphoria and the urban loneliness. Earlier pieces that seemingly of nature reminded me of a coal mining town and sure enough as I went further into the gallery there were those scenes represented. I was amazed that I had gotten the feeling of the dark, gritty coal mine town from trees. The best paintings are like cathedrals of light and air and color. They are messy and crawling with life. My favorite is the above: The Insect Chorus. I love the way the shadows are abstract and stylized. It's an earlier piece signaling to you something wild is coming.

http://hammer.ucla.edu/exhibitions/detail/exhibition_id/165

Andrew Brandou

2009-11-14T05:44:00.000-08:00

In the Garden of the Mystic

These paintings are a combination of asian floral motif and cartooning. Interesting concept, combining these two, especially with the story of bunny gets in trouble, bunny finds spirituality. It sounds too cute but I found that it had humor, which of course I always love in art. Make me laugh or smile and you've got me. Take the above, my two favorite pieces of the show. At first I didn't see the images (I know, I know - really!) just the very lovely painting. As the images started to form it was like watching an animal that was blending in with it's surroundings, suddenly emerge from the forest. It's that kind of synchronicity of painting and subject that make the images successful. And the humor. It's like seeing a childhood friend emerge with a wink, that's just between you and your childhood.

www.coreyhelfordgallery.com

Jennifer Steinkamp

2009-11-07T08:28:00.000-08:00

(click on the above for a larger view)

I have been wanting to see this artist's work in person for some time although you can get a good idea of it (especially if you have a nice big Mac monitor) here http://jsteinkamp.com/quicktime/html/orbit5.html. Huge walls are covered in a fluid floral transformation via digital projection. Color and shapes are constantly moving and changing so that you are surrounded by nature in world of nonstop fluidity. It's like being in a forest that is in movement all around you. I want the projections on the walls of my home... Better than a Disney ride, this artist takes you through visual movement, space and time in minutes.

At Acme: http://www.acmelosangeles.com/exhibitions/2009-10-jennifer-steinkamp/

Dexter Dalwood

2009-11-07T08:02:00.000-08:00

These paintings were incredibly interesting. They are a mix of styles; realistic and abstract, taped and loose, impressionist and minimal. So right from the start there is a lot to take in. There's no titles posted on the walls and I really liked this. While later it was intriguing to learn that they are all imaginary scenes of death for the famous like Diane Arbus and Hunter S. Thompson, I found it more enjoyable to fill in my own history. In Under Blackfriars (above) I imagined the scene to be a surfers spot in Santa Monica, under the pier, with a wetsuit dangling ominously above. The flat columns and vivid sunset make the scene mysterious and moody. Later I learned it to be the scene of Italian banker Roberto Calvi and his never solved murder. I gotta say - So what? I appreciate being able to use my own imagination to fill in the blanks. It makes it more clever to know the artist's intentions but not necessarily more interesting. My experience of these paintings and their mix of painting styles was wonderful. There is so much to take in and feel and create while viewing them.

At Gagosian: http://www.gagosian.com/exhibitions/2009-09-17_dexter-dalwood/#/images/4/

Francesca Gabbiani

2009-10-25T10:47:00.000-07:00

These pieces are full of symbols, myths and reflection. Literally. Up close you see that the images are created by delicate cut outs, some pieces tiny and acting as the subtlest hint of light or color. Then too you see the myriad of creatures in this "wreath" around darkness. Lovely flowers mixed with snakes or mythological creatures. Always you feel like you are looking into a mysterious woodland scene that is perhaps a little deadly too. The black center acts as a black hole sucking you in while at the same time the glass reflects your image and you see yourself surrounded by these creatures. Made me feel like I was in a 60's version of a dark forest from Lord of the Rings minus the more obvious creatures but with that essence. It's an interesting contrast that the creatures and foliage are created with precision yet imply something that is moving and fluid. The colors pop and pulse and all the while I am vaguely reminded of paint by numbers sets with a dark over tone. Yep, I loved these works.

Gallery: Patrick Painter

Nick Brandt

2009-10-20T06:16:00.000-07:00

Huge black and white photo prints of African elephants, lions, giraffe, etc. In sepia toned hues, with intense contrast of light and dark, I felt the wind and sand on my face. I felt the awe of the Serengeti.

The detail in the photos of the animals (it doesn't even feel right to use that word "animals" in reference to them here) transports them from the mundane, capturing characteristics that we all search for but rarely find in daily life. As we sit in traffic Tm-ing, emailing at work, running errands on the weekends, the abrupt beauty of the harsh land with the intimacy of a lioness with her cubs (and again, you don't see them as mere creatures here) touches on things you cannot put into words. You walk away thinking these photos are more than just pretty.

The exhibit reminded me a bit of Gregory Colbert, minus the kids. Without the staged cuteness of the human element, these pics took me even further into the unknown.

http://www.faheykleingallery.com/featured_artists/brandt_n/exh_asf/brandt_e_asf_frames.htm

Jacob Hashimoto

2009-10-05T05:58:00.000-07:00

These pieces are a combination of mobile, shoji screen, and wind chime (minus the sound and movement). Obviously the Japanese influence is big here but at the same time the creations feel totally modern too. Comprised of circles made of rice paper, each small shingle is filled with detail, constructed by hand (as opposed to one image printed). Mono filament is the almost invisible cord that holds it all together, some parts are movable, some are held in place. Most pieces are rectangular but one piece rambled from a corner of the room to a wall and over it. They are delicate, detailed, sometimes with geometric patterns. I was reminded of so many things that have passed through my life; the Japanese inspired prints I bought in the 80's, the shoji screen my roommate made, the mobile that hung in our backyard, prints I've seen on Japanese textiles over and over again. Each piece it's own little world, a world I could easily get lost in. Vibrant colors, shapes that feel like they should blow in the wind, it's magical.

Your Bright Future at LACMA

2009-10-01T05:26:00.000-07:00

For the most part I really did not like this show. The kind of art that is all mind and little on the visual experience side. But two pieces stood out that are worth remembering.

Kimsoja's A Needle Woman was an amazing video installation. 6 large projections which ran simultaneously, filmed in 6 different countries, with the artist standing perfectly still, her back to the camera and surrounded by a mass of humanity. The responses to this woman standing in the middle of the street unmoving, being filmed was fascinating. It was a cultural commentary on each with seemingly little action taking place. I was especially interested by the film which took place in a middle eastern country where only 2 women crossed into the scene, both completely covered in burkas covering every part of their body with holes or slits for their eyes. It was slow and quiet and visually subtle.

http://www.kimsooja.com

Do Ho Sun's Fallen Star was a big piece; an old Korean home crashing into a modern home. The attention to detail was immense, the contents of a refrigerator to the clothing in a closets are just of a few of the personal details exposed. Some of my favorites were rock posters on what appeared to be a boy's bedroom wall. Talk about the clash of cultures! Because it was all in miniature, and the viewer had to peer in, you felt like you were trying to see into someone's home or doll house fantasy.

Mithila Painting

2009-09-27T07:16:00.000-07:00

This was one of those wonderful discoveries...I went to CAFAM to see a show inspired by Joseph Cornell with Xene and two other artists. It was ok, some pieces were nice but almost felt decorative to me. Things I'd like or make myself to have around my apartment. Then I passed by the Mithila Painting show thinking I'd just walk through quickly and it was a revelation! So much detailed pen and ink, child like, sometimes even crude drawings, it was filled with fantastical images. I was inspired!

Larry Johnson

2009-09-27T07:08:00.000-07:00

What a surprise! Humorous and thought provoking. The images look simple but when I looked closer it became obvious that they have that kind of perfection that makes them look simple because they are executed so well. About LA, media and image, they are a commentary on this city. I loved the image of an Oscar in the window of an isolated suburban house - announcing itself in a void of unimportance. Or the conversation painted with bright words, that the painter is having with a cop, the words painted with bright colors and obviously takes place in West Hollywood, exposing that he is gay in a very casual way.

This show was the kind of show I love, I laughed throughout yet there was a lot to consider.

http://hammer.ucla.edu/exhibitions/detail/exhibition_id/161

Gary Lang

2009-08-30T05:53:00.000-07:00

Once in awhile I see a show that is breath taking. This was one of those. I walked into the gallery towards the entryway that lead into the show. It's quite clever because you can't see into the space until you have passed through the doorway. Suddenly I found myself in a cavernous room surrounding by these huge, color laden paintings. It was inspiring and overwhelming. The paintings full of brilliant color which are contrasted with matte, metalic, and various hues of variant color. The color combinations are brilliant in every sense of the word. Mostly the center circles are matte colors and this makes the concentric rings pulse and move forward and backward. From a distance the rings look like they were painted with precision, that tape or some other mechanical means was used to create perfect rings. Coming up the paintings closely, you see that they are painted by hand, with many "imperfections" and layers. The paintings evoked so many feelings. There is a sense of infinity being surrounded by the many endless rings, a feeling of nature and space that is in movement, and yet at the same time there is presence of man and nature influcencing each other. The circle as shape is so much in nature and at the same time man has used the circle as a form for everything from target practice to swimming pool shapes.

A wonderful, moving, brillant show! One of the best I've seen in a long time.

At Ace Gallery in Beverly Hills:

http://www.acegallery.net/artistmenu.php?Artist=104

Patrick Wilson

2009-08-08T06:43:00.000-07:00

I was fascinated by these paintings. The color combinations were pecular. The shapes were completely flat. I expected them to move in and out of foreground and background but they didn't. They were completely stable. Which made the techique stand out. Super cool, smooth, implaccable. I loved the slightly raised edges within, hinting at some mystery because it seemed like it should be physically flat. Small surprises.

This show stayed with me. I thought about it for days and that kind of impression can't be ignored.

http://www.vielmetter.com/index.php?site=exhibitions&action=current&e_id=283&fromlink=

Monique Van Genderen

2009-07-19T19:09:00.000-07:00

Very interesting paintings. Seemingly simplistic but strange and off putting, off balance works. Odd colors, in odd forms and shapes, implying - suggesting something but not fully realizing it or making whatever it is, known. Got great reviews from the LAT and LAW. I was drawn to them, sort of fascinated. Erich was completely uninterested in them.

http://www.thehappylion.com/index.php?artist=van_genderen&img=36

Barkley Hendricks

2009-07-04T22:13:00.000-07:00

Paintings all from the 70's. It felt like a time capsule seeing the clothes and poses. Realistic portraits with neon green backgrounds or black men in white suits on white background. Lovely and minimalist according to one critic. Social commentary, black culture, subtle prejudices, all explored.

http://www.smmoa.org/index.php/exhibitions/details/215

Julie Heffernan

2009-07-04T21:47:00.000-07:00

A mix of so many different styles from Bosch to 17th century fruit and flowers still life paintings, these paintings are filled with beautiful detail about the world in it's physical form. Nature and modern man (painted in tiny figures in the backgrounds in often terrible acts) existing together with a childlike/woman/man presiding over the mix. Messy and meticulously painted, the large canvases transport you to another time and place from mythology to the old world.

http://www.markmooregallery.com/exhibitions/2009-05-23_julie-heffernan/

L8S ANG3LES: 11 LA Photographers

2009-06-21T05:47:00.000-07:00

Annenberg Space for Photography

Beautiful show which of course I was totally lost in as each photographer (with one exception) pointed their lens at LA. Felt the depth and diversity of the city with it's natural and unnatural beauty. Sprawling is a word that is still most apt but not just in it's physicality but also in it's inhabitants psychology and cultural. The technology that presented the photos made the show stellar, 5 images projected onto a screen with a 20 minutes movie edited with interviews and photos. Gorgeous and inspiring!

http://www.annenbergspaceforphotography.org/exhibitions/digital-exhibit.asp

Kim McCarty

2009-06-21T05:34:00.000-07:00

Huge beautiful water colors. Captured the fearful self conscious feelings of a young adolescent perfectly. The sexuality of each is androgenus and I suspect viewer sees each portrait's gender according to what they identify with most. The images are intriguing, colors are subtle and earthy. The plants painted are very similar to the human forms - both feeling organic. I use the word "paint" but they feel flowed and drawn, the touch of the "painter" is so very light.

http://www.kimmccarty.net/

Farnaz Farmand

2009-06-21T05:28:00.000-07:00

Super rich textures and colors, poured and manipulated oil paint.

Second show, more black used in this one. High contrast, micro worlds invite you to come up close and look at detail.

http://www.jkgallery.net/innerindex.php?link=artist_farnaz#

Yayoi Kusama: Flowers That Bloom at Midnight

2009-05-30T21:54:00.000-07:00

Giant garden of fantastial flowers... beautifully fabricated, they look like candy and feel like they belong in a a child's garden. There was something so inviting, I kept wanting to run my hands over them, they are almost sensual while playful. I felt like a child walking around them and under them. They are a joy to be near and in a room full of their glowy happiness, it's delightful to be in this big, bold, magical garden.

http://www.gagosian.com/exhibitions/2009-05-30_yayoi-kusama/#/images/7/

Jedediah Caesar

2009-05-29T22:20:00.000-07:00

These pieces are like collage that have become stuck in space and then ossified through time, then rediscovered only to be sliced up like bread. Reminds me of when Hobo Kelly would pour junk into one end of a machine and presents would come out the other end.

What Caesar does is fill corrugated boxes with "junk", pour in resin, let it set and then cut/slice the cubes into singular yet related painting like sculptures. They are really quite beautiful, some 12 feet tall while others are 12" and laid out like a checker board. I loved the way the resign changed the appearance of the objects. Sometimes they were so hidden all the viewer could see is a shape and a color. Looking through layers, the objects take on different meaning. It's dreamy. Junk transfigured. Landscapes recreated. Objects giving new meaning to the ground they are a part of.

Interesting, they were a feast, so much detail to observe, whether an object was completely buried and fossil like and part of an archeology dig, hinting at the past... or half submerged in La Brea tar pit like goo...

http://www.vielmetter.com/index.php?site=exhibitions&action=past&e_year=2009&e_id=269&fromlink=

Kenichi Yokono

2009-05-11T09:04:00.000-07:00

These very large canvases upon first glance look like wood block prints but are actually carved wood with paint. They have a very interesting quality, feeling modern and traditional at the same time that comes from not only the way in which the materials are used but also because the subject of each piece is a blend of urbanity and nature. There is a cartoon sensibility that is used in conjunction with nature and cultural signposts. The cultural signposts are in the form of machinery, guns, a tv and the youth in the scenes. Because of the red paint there is a subtle feeling of blood and bleeding, of violence. I found myself looking in each piece for the violence that had happened or was about to.

The detail and craftsmanship of each piece is excellent, making the pieces lovely to look at.

http://www.markmooregallery.com/exhibitions/2009-04-04_kenichi-yokono/

Zadok Ben David

2009-05-11T06:03:00.000-07:00

Blackfield

This is one of those art pieces that cannot possibly be reflected in a 2 x2 inch online photo. A huge room is filled with a thin layer of sand in the shape of a rectangle. The sand is populated with metal laser cut flowers and trees and bushes. Hundreds and hundreds of these pieces create the forest. When the viewer first enters the room only one side of the forest is seen and what one appears to see is a forest tinged by fire. Each piece is black with no hint of the color on the other side. As the viewer walks to the middle of the rectangle, you can now see both the black and color sides, on each side of the rectangle. As the viewer continues on and reaches the other side of the landscape, the view is of only color. It is startling and thought provoking. It made me think about perspective, everything in life is about observation and personal perspective. Depending upon what side of an issue or physicality one stands on, your point of view and experience is formed. One can only be sure that one view point may not have all of the information with any given scenario. And from one angle what may appear to be charred or dark, at another point of view can be filled with color and brightness.

The pieces are delicate and detailed. In the other gallery room, glass boxes are filled with the trees and flowers with a mirror on the back wall so that the viewer sees both the black surface and the colored surface at the same time.

Wonderful, surprising show at Shoshana Wayne Gallery.

Thierry Feuz

2009-05-11T05:49:00.000-07:00

Vibrant forms that could be either plants or underwater creatures populate the canvases. I felt like I could be looking under a microscope or at some kind of special photography that revealed more than the eye can normally see. Not that these images are realistic; the opposite is true. More like impressions than representations, they float in the sea of their own reality.

Like looking at the cosmos, the viewer sees life in a new way and it's a vision that is familiar yet not exactly known. It is a beautiful vision too.

http://www.samuelfreeman.com/nav/a_feuz.html

Kehinde Wiley

2009-05-02T22:29:00.000-07:00

I surprised myself by loving these paintings. Walking up to one I am confronted by the look of young black men with attitude. Interestingly enough they are dressed in nice clothes, each handsome with some kind of prop (a hat, a logo, necklace) making yet another comment about their age and status. The backgrounds are bright colors, often tropical flowers or parrots that unseat themselves from their background status and float over the figures. They are huge and vibrant and they speak of culture, our obsession with appearance, money, and status.

Show's at http://www.robertsandtilton.com/exhibitions.html

Peter Zokosky

2009-05-02T21:55:00.000-07:00

As my eye fell on the first few paintings, initially I thought I was seeing beautifully rendered paintings in a natural style. As I continued to look, letting my eyes become accustomed to what I was seeing, more detail began to filter in. In Zebra, yes the lighting is soft and beautiful, the rendering exquisite, but as I continue my viewing, I see that there is a glowing purple outlining the zebra's strips, the legs look almost flat, and the animal begins to look unreal. In Tiger God and Forest Goddess, the tiger is practically glowing while the woman on the ground is in such an odd position. She doesn't look dead or even hurt and you'd think she'd be curled up in a ball but instead she just holds her hand to her head, as if succumbing or even dozing. In Captive a monkey sits on a window sill with bars in the background while holding a bird and I wonder which animal is really captive; while in Milk Snake a snake winds itself around the milky white leg of what I assume to be a cow and looks to be gently mouthing the leg instead of piercing it. Perhaps it is just taking a sip. All of the paintings felt real and unreal with glowing light and straight on compositions. Yet at the same time there is always an element of surprise in each.

More on http://www.koplindelrio.com/Zokosky.Show.09/index.htm

Todd Shorr

2009-04-19T00:05:00.001-07:00

Clash of Holidays

Todd Shorr has never been one of my favorites of the pop surrealists, but then again until today I'd only seen his work in books and online. Like Mark Ryden, seeing the paintings in person makes all the difference. The technique is gorgeous; I could see the hairs on the giant ape's legs. The fine paintings takes it to a completely different level. Reproductions accentuate the cartoon feel but seeing them up close gives a whole new meaning to the paintings. Taking a technique that is thought of as classic and then painting cartoon like forms, becomes a social commentary.

http://www.mkgallery.com/page_exhibitions_la_preview.html

Franz Ackermann

2009-04-19T00:05:00.000-07:00

Walking into the gallery I was hit with the wonder of this work. Spread out over 2 walls, this pieces were vibrant and so creative. I loved the use of drawing board, photograpsh, paints, pencil, framed pics, and cut outs. It truly felt like the nervous system of another leading me into their brain and memory territory. Such a conglomeration of images and feelings, represented by a big splash or tiny detail. I love works that use so many different methods to give the viewer the information. (The reason the Two Germanys show worked so well for me).

Continually I am drawn to artists that use the combination of paint, collage, and drawing.
http://www.oteroplassart.com/Site_2/CURRENT.html#5

Art of Two Germanys

2009-04-19T00:04:00.000-07:00

Surreal Painting by Werner Tubke

I had avoided this exhibit until the last 2 days of the show and I have to say it surprised me by very much evoking the sense of the time and place. I had a big emotional reaction to it. Something about the context, having all of the paintings over the decades explained to me in a cultural way, what it must have been like to be in either of the 2 post war Germanys. Some pieces were expressionistic of the desolation the war left, others were abstract portraits or scenes, some were groupings of socialist propaganda, obviously plus much more. It was the combination of the diversity of styles that really made me understand what people were experiencing because the show seemed to cover every angle of expression. I even liked Martin Kippenberger (wasn't turned by MOCA show) in this context; amidst the other paintings I could understand his perspective.

I found myself tearful throughout much of the exhibit. Sometimes because of the overwhelming sadness, isolation, and devastation. Sometimes because there was beauty and humor in spite of the past.

At LACMA:
http://www.lacma.org/art/exhibition/a2gslideshow/Site/Art%20of%20Two%20Germanys%20Cold%20War%20Cultures.html

Elliot Hundley

2009-04-05T21:23:00.000-07:00

This show was at Regen Projects so naturally I went to Regen II first. There was a show with 3 artists Lari Pittman, Andrew Lloyd and Thomas Hirschhom. The first 2 first just didn't do anything for me but the third, a collage of paint, digital images and over used crappy hand writing was like college art work where I would wonder what the artists' work would be like in a few years. In this setting it was just annoyingly boring.

Now normally I wouldn't write about the above disappointments because this journal is more about what I love than what I don't, except in this instance the contrast was so magnificent, it had to play into my response about what I saw next.

After seeing this show I googled the artist and there is lots to read about his critically acclaimed work so I'm going to just drool over what stuck out most for me. Upon first impression I felt the familar crappy construction that is such a big part of so much art I see. But as I looked further I realized that a huge amount of work went into each piece, the attention to detail is stunning and the amount of information given like wandering into the map of someone else's subconscious dream. Each piece contained a certain fragility, whether it was because it hung from the ceiling or was planted with sticks on rocks. The air of delicacy continues as you see that thousands of straight pins are used to attach sequins, cut photos of miniature arms, legs, head, full bodies, gems, fake flowers, colored feathers, plastic and more. Delicate protrusions are everywhere, gold thread dangles tiny bits of collage, all giving a kind of implied movement. Bits of figurative painting are combined with images of Ongina (I know her from RuPaul's drag race) or abstract painting. Crappy plastic bricks are combined with gems so that beauty and kitsch flow freely together. It's like a subconscious secretion, fragile, sensual, heavy and light contrasting to create delicacy that drifts and moves if only in the mind.

There was so much visually to take in; some pieces you could walk around while others were on canvases flat against the wall. Each piece was like walking onto the set of someone's elses movie, where you become as engrossed in their story as you would any movie that you get lost in for a couple of hours.

John Miller

2009-03-30T08:18:00.000-07:00

These fantastic sculptures made me grin like an idiot. Walking up to these pieces is like coming upon a pirates treasure. The image of a cave filled with booty is exactly what is conjured except that as the viewer looks closer at the treasures, one realizes that this could just as easily be the remains of an over turned trash tanker washed up on shore. Comprised of a combination of common objects and more traditional loot, the viewer is confronted with the junk of our culture. In one piece you could find a bra, grapes, a skull, sword, wagon wheel, helmet or octopus. Toys are mixed with household goods and more often than not, you feel as though you have stumbled upon the garage sale remains of middle America. Because the gold paint implies preciousness you can't help but assume at first glance that you are going to see objects of value. Then you realize beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But that may be the point because as humorous as these combined objects are, when viewed with objectivity the pieces as a whole are really lovely. Without valuing the assembled details, the sculptures take on yet another meaning. The shapes and spaces formed are interesting and playful. Often I felt like I was looking at the arts and crafts creations I made at summer school when I was a kid. The combination of all of these conceptions coming together made this a really delightful viewing.

This show was at Patrick Painter, see the artist's website below:

http://lownoon.com/works_6.html

Kurt Weiser

2009-03-30T07:19:00.000-07:00

When you come upon one of Kurt Weiser's globes, you instantly realize you are seeing the world as never before. Instead of a geography of continents and seas you view the inner geography of dream like landscapes. The globe itself appears to be a delicately hand painted egg or gourd that is slightly distorted and feels unreal or fleeting. In actuality it is china paint on porcelain giving each piece an ultra fragile air which contradicts the desire to touch and explore. This contradiction is perfect as symbolism of how our inner worlds are so temporary yet we struggle to explore them in the effort to know ourselves. The surface of the globe is filled with primitive landscapes, nature and feminine images. Often floating and distorted these beautiful images reinforce the feeling you are glimpsing an inner psyche. It is a beautiful world charted for our eyes.

http://www.franklloyd.com/dynamic/exhibit_artist.asp?ExhibitID=96&Exhibit=Previous

Cindy Kolodziejski

2009-03-30T06:31:00.000-07:00

This show is called Secret(ions) and what a perfect name it is. Nine beautifully crafted ceramic pieces that explore the meeting place of nature, sexuality and fertility. All of the pieces ooze and drip with eggs or tentacles. Orifices and secret holes make sensual suggestions of their uses while shapely bulbs and phallus's more openly proclaim their intentions. Realistically crafted drawings of human bodies engaged in some kind of intimacy fill the open spaces. Each piece feels influenced by the world of nature: as when the arm of an octopus reaches around the image of a man and woman's nude bodies and the urn like ceramic piece encasing them drips semen like goo from a spout. In another piece frog eggs bubble around the bottom of two fish like tails with openings that look like mouths open for filling or penetration. Each piece is beautiful to the eye and as one looks closer a whole interconnected world is revealed. The artist's decision to use very realistic images is interesting because it makes the viewer a voyeur, peering into windows to spy upon the scene within. Clearly the artist tells us there is a connection between the images we intrude upon, the organic shapes that imply sexuality and the production of fertile goo as a natural result.

http://www.franklloyd.com/dynamic/artist.asp?ArtistID=13

Rebecca Morales

2009-03-15T20:57:00.000-07:00

I found this show by accident. I was trying to find the Peter Mendenhall gallery and came upon this gallery. These paintings are a combination of ink, gouache, oil, watercolor and pastel on calf vellum. They are a really interesting combination of drawing and paint. They evoke the sense of underwater plants and creatures yet when you look at them they seem to be made of string in part, in other places they are realistically rendered and in others rather abstract. The feeling of floating and water is very strong. Even the vellum is rippled and warped from the "water." The black background makes one feel that they are deep within a cave, a body of water or empty planetary space. The colors are brilliant yet not unnatural. Up close they are detailed and fuzzy at the same time. Often I felt as though there was material or string on the paintings, even though there was not. The feathery, delicate forms were swaying in the breezy water and intrigued me with the hints of what they are and are not.

Seen at http://www.danielweinberggallery.com/artists/artists.html

Albert Contreras

2009-03-15T20:40:00.000-07:00

These paintings were an interesting mix of thick paint, bright colors and geometric forms and patterns. Tiny paintings within paintings existed in the squares within squares, which along with the brillant colors stopped the paintings from feeling repetitive or boring. They had a 60's and sometimes 80's feel because of the colors and heavy resin. They were not emotional yet up close they evoked different feelings than at a distance. The white on white paintings were nice too with glitter adding a subtle dimension.

Seen at http://www.petermendenhallgallery.com/

Rebekah Bogard

2009-03-13T21:58:00.000-07:00

This show was great fun today. I loved these animals. They were so cute, adorable. Sometimes playing with flowers or birds, they were so sweet. And then again... they all had little sexual orifaces that poked out or invited in. Little paws and tongues and tails reached and implied. Couplings with strange expressions on faces and in eyes. All pink and sugary colors which entice and allude to sweetness and innocence yet there is always contrast and implications that there is more going on than what you see at first glance. Naughty and nasty, that's what these sweet little creatures really are.

The show was worth the drive to Chinatown at Sam Lee Gallery. Check out her website:
http://www.rebekahbogard.com/index.htm

Richard Shaw

2009-02-13T14:40:00.000-08:00

I went to Bergamot Station specifically to see the Amy Bennett show. As I usually do I went into the other galleries while I was there and close to the end of my viewing I came to this show. At this point I was a little tired and ready to leave and went through the gallery quickly, feeling like these are nice pieces but that I wasn't really into this kind of vintage inspired assemblage anymore. A couple of days later I read a review about the show and realized to my complete embarrassment and shame, that these pieces are ceramic and that this fete is an incredible show of beautifully realized trompe-l'oeil. I went back a second time to see these pieces and was blown away by the beauty of the craftsmanship. It completely changed my perspective to know that I was completely fooled by them. There is always something fantastic about seeing something crafted in a material that does not naturally lend itself to what it is representing. To see paints, crayons, books, cards and more, fashioned out of ceramic is not only fantastical but very charming. Suddenly an old fashioned assemblage has turned into porcelain figurines. This show is amazing not only because it truly is so fun, but because the pieces transform their subjects into something precious, a collectible or a keepsake.

This show was at Frank Lloyd Gallery:

http://www.franklloyd.com/dynamic/artist.asp?ArtistID=26

Jim Dine

2009-02-09T06:28:00.000-08:00

Wonderful installation in the perfect setting, The artist created this installation for the Getty space and it worked perfectly. In a small room Jim Dine's giant head reminds one of the busts throughout the museum. The portrait along with the 4 other sculptures were of such a scale that it made the viewer feel that the pieces were significant and grand. There was also a playful quality to the piece - I found myself wanting to put my hand in the nose, tug on the ear or poke the eye. The poetry written on the wall reminded me too much of the way words are so often used in cards and even gift wrap as a decorative element. This imbued the space with a present day feeling that conflicted with the mood of the sculptures. I found the running recording of the poem to be distractive and unattractive while the actual pieces in the room were quite lovely.

This show as at the Getty Villa:

http://www.getty.edu/art/exhibitions/jimdine/

Amy Bennett

2009-02-06T20:22:00.000-08:00

These paintings are created from models the artist builds from which to paint the scene. The artificiality of the scene comes through as removed and impersonal. Everything is so clean and neat, nothing out of place. You look a little closer and you notice the woman being helped to shore could have drowned, you wonder why the dog is all alone on a platform in the middle of the lake and it seems that the hunting party may be looking for something other than just wild game. The reflections in the lake are more abstract than the rest of the painting making the water appear vague and uninviting. The houses are perfectly modeled which gives the appearance of conformity. Yet always there is the feeling that an event has happened with ominous overtones. You don't get to know the details but you are aware you are peering into a scene that isn't as benign as it looks. Fascinating story telling in a very subtle way.

This show was at Richard Heller Gallery:

http://www.richardhellergallery.com/dynamic/artwork_display.asp?ArtworkID=1341

Asgar/Gabriel

2009-02-06T19:57:00.000-08:00

These huge paintings have a lot to take in. At first glance they seem like an ad, young pretty things attracting other young pretty things. But as you look closer you see there is a lot of ambiguity in the paintings. What is that girl doing on the ground? Is she sick or hurt? The guy with the guitar looks like he's had too much of something and just what are those dangerous torches on the ground? Blurred out parts of the canvas make the viewer uncomfortable in contrast to the glee club practicing in the background. Often the figures are in awkward positions or have their back to the viewer. All of which makes the initial feeling of - this is just about young and lovely hipsters - recede into the background pretty quickly. What you are left with is an unsettling feeling that nothing is quite as it should be.

This show was at Mark Moore Gallery:

http://www.markmooregallery.com/exhibitions/2009-01-10_asgar-gabriel/#

Anish Kapoor

2009-02-06T13:33:00.000-08:00

Famous sculptor creates simple yet lovely paintings with beautiful colors of gauche and acrylic. A deep crevice, an open space, the light at the opening of a cave, are the beckoning opening in all of the paintings. Womb like, pulsing with the glow of blood, they invite and explode. Often I was reminded the sensuality felt in a Georgia O'Keefe painting. Not in the subject matter but at the hint of what the images may remind the viewer of.

Show was at Regen Projects:

http://www.regenprojects.com/exhibitions/2009_1_anish-kapoor/images/

Raymond Pettibone

2009-02-06T09:12:00.000-08:00

When I walked into the gallery a huge smile came over me immediately. I think of my punk days with great fondness and the first thing my eyes fell on was a painting that took me straight back to Slash magazine, the Starwood with Fear and the Whiskey with X. All those funky little shops I used to frequent (on Melrose? really?) with punk flyers and magazines... and Raymond Pettibone's illustrations.

The paintings are really like drawings. He may be using paint but they feel like drawings with all those lines making their point. They are frenetic and the style completely describes whatever the subject is as much as the images. I think aboout the scene he was a part of and how amazing it is to see his work, what? 25 years later? In well established galleries and I think - GOOD FOR HIM! Congradulations! His style was unique for it's time and I'm thrilled that his work is just as good as ever. I love it.

The show was at Regen Projects:

http://www.regenprojects.com/artists/raymond-pettibon/

Yoshitomo Nara

2009-02-06T09:01:00.000-08:00

Most of us have seen the reproduced images of Nara's paintings for several years now. It was a real surprise to see these paintings in person because they are quite beautiful. There are paintings within paintings - the skin and eyes could be separate paintings. There is a luminous quality to the images that made me feel like I was looking at something much more than a child or a girl.

There was also what looked like a wagon that had separated from the train, where a child had a hideout for play. The kind of escape where a kid would stow away anything that she felt was special whether it was a soup can or a key chain. Logic need not apply. Jim Croce played on the radio and peering inside I saw a mash up of all things Nara - stickers, dolls and more. Was the artist poking fun at his own identity? Teasing about his own work becoming a normal part of every day life?

I loved the surprise this show gave me.

This show was at Blum and Poe:

http://www.blumandpoe.com/nara08/index.htm

Simmons and Burke

2009-02-06T08:44:00.000-08:00

Delightful digital collages that are not only a cultural and social commentary but are beautiful visually as well. Plus they are damn funny too.

Juxtaposing a plethora of images, celebrities, architecture, common objects, plus floral and fauna, space and time are done away with. New lands and visions are created. Intriguing, I could stare at them all day.

This show was at Kim Light Gallery.

http://www.kimlightgallery.com/simmons.html

Louise Bourgeois

2009-02-06T08:28:00.000-08:00

Incredible diversity of mostly sculptural pieces. Giant spiders, women's breasts, sewn bodies and portraits, rooms that are their own landscape. The work was the most personal of any I had ever seen before. Growing up in a home that had an upholstery business, needles and fabric infiltrated her work - from the sharp needles of the spider's legs to the material and sewing quality used to create busts. Breasts, balls and the phallus are explored in marble, cast iron and latex. Done in a very sensual way, the pieces hint and testify to the artist's feelings. I could feel the personal association for each piece and of the materials used. Overwhelmingly intimate and beautiful... this show will always have an influence on me.

This show was at MOCA.

http://www.moca.org/museum/exhibitiondetail.php?id=412

Marlene Dumas

2009-02-06T07:17:00.000-08:00

Beautifully executed paintings exploring many themes. The paintings/drawings of women struck me hard, they felt the most personal, for me and the artist. All aspects of womanhood are looked at; self perception, society's view, roles that women take on. Even when I look at a painting of a child I see a comment on the mother that borne it. The work is vibrant and disturbing, incredibly personal too.

At times I was reminded of Francis Bacon, there is a strange violence to the work. Images of death, possibly murder and women that could be prostitutes - you are never quite sure of what you are seeing.

This show was overwhelming in it's influence on my thoughts and feelings. For days I felt like I had been witness to something big happening, a big statement of what life is about.

The show was at MOCA.

http://www.moca.org/museum/exhibitiondetail.php?id=407