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WEEKEND IN LA WITH DEWITT CHENG 01.24-27.08 General comment: I have the opportunity to spend this weekend in LA, concurrent with the Los Angeles Art Show, presented by the Fine Art Dealers Association, held at the Santa Monica Airport's Barker Hangar, and produced by KR Martindale Show Management. (Art LA, a separate extravaganza is taking place at Santa Monica Civic Center, but there's too much to do and I unfortunately have to miss it this year.) Meanwhile, back at Barker Hangar, 125 American and international galleries offer 10,000+ works of art, plus the Fine Print Fair is being held in an adjoining building. On Saturday, a panel discussion, "LA: What Kind of Art Capital?" is being moderated by George Melrod of Art Ltd. Verdict? LA's art scene gets better and better, and appears healthy at the moment, however upcoming budget cuts in Kahleefaunia bode ominous for art education and related endeavors. Plus ca change... As for the rest of the weekend, Friday I explore galleries in the new Chinatown/downtown area and Bergamot Station, and on Saturday, before the fair, I investigate the Culver City art strip along LaCienaga. Following is a sampling of work that catches my eye & photographs decently. Apologies to any artists or galleries whose names I mangle or misse; I make a good-faith effort to Google my way to accuracy. For any additions or corrections, please email AB. DeWitt Cheng writes for Artweek, Art Ltd., www.SanFranciscoArtMagazine.com, www.Shotgun-Review.com, and the East Bay Express. Welcome to LA. Old-fashioned conceptual/Pop/street art along Century Blvd. Chinatown/downtown gallerist Sam Lee of Sam Lee Gallery. Sino-Pop Postcard Paintings by Phung Huynh (Sam Lee Gallery). Paintings by Richard Godfrey from Amberjack series (L2kontemporary Gallery). Sculpture by Amie Dicke (Peres Projects). More sculpture by Amie Dicke (Peres Projects). Enigmatic sign-language sculpture by Terence Koh (Peres Projects). More sign-language sculpture by Terence Koh (Peres Projects). Sculpture by Terence Koh (Peres Projects). Detail of painting by Katie Pratt (Kontainer Gallery). Detail of painting by Katie Pratt (Kontainer Gallery). Detail of painting by Katie Pratt (Kontainer Gallery). New Ruins painting by Dan Bayles based on plans for new US embassy in Baghdad (Chung King Project). Billions for defense! One more New Ruins painting by Dan Bayles at Chung King Project. Installation by Amir H. Fallah (Mary Goldman Gallery). Painting by Amir H. Fallah (Mary Goldman Gallery). Gold-Plated Skate Rail by Andrew Lewicki (Mary Goldman Gallery). Walnut Skate Ramp by Andrew Lewicki (Mary Goldman Gallery). Birds' Museum of Non-representational Art, Cardboard signs by Alejandro Diaz (Mary Goldman Gallery). Jesus/Cheeses Mobile by Alejandro Diaz (Mary Goldman Gallery). Museum without walls: (Eco-logical Art Gallery) featuring art made on recycled billboard vinyl and displayed alfresco . Proprietor/curator Peter Schulberg (Eco-logical Art Gallery). Billboard art in situ by Jan Wurm (Eco-logical Art Gallery). Finished art inside gallery, plus mural in progress (Eco-logical Art Gallery). More art on display (Eco-logical Art Gallery). Billboard at nearby location (Eco-logical Art Gallery). Four Right Wings, political photography by Edward Colver (CoproNason Gallery). LA does graffiti: artist collectives The Seventh Letter (T7L) and Angels Will Rise (AWR) (Robert Berman Gallery). More from The Seventh Letter at Robert Berman Gallery. Lynn Foulkes (Craig Krull Gallery). Art (not sure which gallery, possibly Craig Krull). Skullpture by Mike Peter Smith, part of a multi-artist theme show, Romancing the Skull (Mark Moore Gallery). Ceramics by Satoru Hoshino (Frank Lloyd Gallery). More ceramics by Satoru Hoshino (Frank Lloyd Gallery). Eye-popping 3D drawing on multiple layers of resin by Dustin Yellin (Patricia Faure Gallery). Another of Dustin Yellin 3D drawing at Patricia Faure Gallery. One more Dustin Yellin 3D drawing at Patricia Faure Gallery. Gallery as pedestal for museum ad (shown in B&W to preserve viewer criticality, Brechtian alienation), LaCienega Blvd., Culver City.
Street semiology/signifiers, Washington Street, Culver City. LA needs more coffee shops, and with free Wi-Fi, says this SF java/dataholic.
Detail of "floral" digital montage by Lee Joong Keun (LA Contemporary) using, uh, body parts... about which enough said.
Political dissident led to execution after Tiananmen Square. Painting by Shen Qi (LA Contemporary). Artist's hand after symbolic protest digitectomy; painting by Sheng Qi (LA Contemporary). Part of architecture-themed installation by Scoli Acosta (LAXART). Another from installation by Scoli Acosta (LAXART). Balloon bike art by Margarita Cabrera (Walter Maciel Gallery). Ed Blackburn's take on NY Times photo (Walter Maciel Gallery). Paintings by Jeana Sohn (Taylor de Cordoba). Painting by Tim Steele (George Billis Gallery). Coffee art by Susan Jane Belton (George Billis Gallery). Lyre art... (Sandroni.Rey Gallery). Detail of large-format photo of Reykjavik, Iceland, with cutouts revealing other photos beneath, by Soo Kim (Sandroni.Rey Gallery). Another from Soo Kim photo cutouts at Sandroni.Rey Gallery. Art... (Sandroni.Rey Gallery). The Los Angeles Art Show: The Shawn Specks, custom framers, at Los Angeles Art Show. Complete protein-- art magazines and food. Teeming hordes. American icons fashioned from hundreds of identical postcards (Forum Gallery). Vintage games fashioned in oil on tin by Tim Liddy (William Shearburn Gallery). Grenade/chest of drawers by Los Carpinteros (Panamerican Art Projects). Art displaying prodigious work ethic. Art > life... Joel-Peter Witkin in living color (Catherine Edelman Gallery). Art. Encaustic portrait (artist's name eludes me). Abstract painting by William Wood (Scott Richards Contemporary Art). Lots of good older art, too... Squid art is popular. Charles Arnoldi painting (Bobbie Greenfield Gallery). Print mavens have their own playground (Fine Print Fair). Another from the Fine Print Fair. Art-- appears to be about 48" x 36". In retrospect. *** |
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