Thinkspace May News Update...

Kathleen Lolley's mural/installation as part of

'...Away From The Things Of Man'

Currently on view at Thinkspace:

'…Away From The Things Of Man' featuring new works and an installation from Kathleen Lolley + 'A Brief History' from Allison Sommers & 'Inner Myth Pt. 1' from Joao Ruas in our project room. All current exhibits are on view through June 5th.

View works from our current exhibits via the links below:
Kathleen Lolley – http://thinkspacegallery.com/2009/05/works.php

Allison Sommers – http://thinkspacegallery.com/2009/05/project/works.php

Joao Ruas – http://thinkspacegallery.com/2009/05/project2/works.php

View opening night photos here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/thinkspace/sets/72157618023944392

Great video tour of all three exhibitions courtesy of mrvader24

Some of the press received thus far for our May exhibits:

Juxtapoz: http://www.juxtapoz.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6127&Itemid=1

Fecal Face: http://www.fecalface.com/SF/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1551&Itemid=90

Arrested Motion: http://arrestedmotion.com/2009/05/openings-allison-sommers-a-brief-history-joao-ruas-inner-myth-thinkspace-gallery/

Dailydujour: http://dailydujour.com/2009/05/09/seen-joo-ruas-inner-myth-part-1/
Dailydujour: http://dailydujour.com/2009/05/09/seen-allison-sommers-a-brief-history/
Dailydujour: http://dailydujour.com/2009/05/09/seen-kathleen-lolley-away-from-the-things-of-man/

Formag Mag: http://www.formatmag.com/news/kathleen-lolleys-away-from-the-things-of-man-exhibition/

Ekundayo tearing it up during last week's Downtown Art Walk

Thank you to those that came down to the Downtown Art Walk last Thursday and said hey. We had a great time and Ekundayo and Mear One rocked some awesome pieces during their time at the Citizen Downtown Art Park.

Check out some coverage from Jack over at Dailydujour via the links below:

Mear One live painting at the Citizen Downtown Art Park: http://dailydujour.com/2009/05/16/seen-mear-one-for-thinkspace-downtown-art-park/

Ekundayo live painting at the Citizen Downtown Art Park: http://dailydujour.com/2009/05/16/seen-ekundayo-for-thinkspace-downtown-art-park/

Coming up at Thinkspace:
June 12th – July 3rd:
Sarah Joncas “Beneath The Seams” + Kelly Vivanco “The Conservatory” & Tran Nguyen “Portraits of the Unknown” as part of our ‘Fresh Faces’ series in our project room

July 10th – August 7th:
Stella Im Hultberg “Memento Mori” + Catherine Brooks “The Seeded Wind and Silent Motion; an Oeuvre of Beetled Beauty” & Hannah Stouffer “Twilight & Fate” as part of our ‘Fresh Faces’ series in our project room

August 8th & August 9th:
Dennis McNett “Year of the Wolf” (special weekend only event)

August 14th – Sept. 4th:
‘Point Of No Return’ group show curated by MODART Magazine with featured artist Mr. Jago

Sept. 11th – Oct. 2nd:
Camilla d’Errico & Caia Koopman + Lilly Piri, Fumi Nakamura + Yuka Yamaguchi in our project room and Nathan DeYoung as part of our ‘Fresh Faces’ series

Oct. 9th – Oct. 30th:
Esao Andrews solo + Tony Philippou in our project room and Joshua Mays as part of our ‘Fresh Faces’ series

Nov. 6th – Nov. 27th:
Timothy Karpinski solo + Turf One in our project room & Craig “Skibs” Barker as part of our ‘Fresh Faces’ series

Dec. 11th – Jan. 2nd:
Andy Kehoe solo + Jesse Hotchkiss in our project room & Rebecca Hahn as part of our ‘Fresh Faces’ series

Thank you all for the ongoing support!!!

Photos from this past Friday's opening night reception now posted...

(l-r) Andrew Hosner (Thinkspace), Allison Sommers, Kathleen Lolley, Joao Ruas, Shawn Vezinaw Hosner & L. Croskey (Thinkspace)

Photos are now posted on our Flickr from this past Friday's opening night reception. Thank you to all that came out and said hello to this month's exhibiting artists and made them fell like they were at home. They all had a blast and had very succesful debut Los Angeles solo shows. We can't thank you all enough for coming out and showing them support. There are some great pieces still on hand from each show, and their works are even better in person, so please be sure to come on through before their shows come down in early June.

Links to all the works in each show and interviews with each can be found on our homepage at www.thinkspacegallery.com

Some great coverage of the opening night festivities courtesy of Dailydujour can also be found here, here and here as well. Thanks Jack!

Thinkspace

4210 Santa Monica Blvd (near Sunset Junction)

Thur-Sun 1-6PM

Recommended openings to catch this weekend...

Travis Louie

"The Most Dangerous Comb Over" 11x14" / acrylic on board

Showcasing as part of Travis' solo this Saturday at Copro Gallery

Fri, May 8th 6-9PM
La Luz De Jesus Gallery
4633 Hollywood Blvd. in Los Angeles / 323.666.7667
“Miss Mindy’s Sassy Paper Doll Bonanza” book release party & signing
(one-night only special event)
http://www.laluzdejesus.com/

Fri, May 8th 7-11PM
thinkspace
4210 Santa Monica Blvd in Los Angeles / 323.913.3375
“…Away From the Things of Man” with Kathleen Lolley + “A Brief History” from Allison Sommers in the project room alongside “Inner Myth Pt. 1” from Joao Ruas as part of the “Fresh Faces” series
(On view through June 5th)
http://www.thinkspacegallery.com/

Sat, May 9th 7-10:30PM
Black Maria Gallery
3137 Glendale Blvd, Los Angeles / 818.613.9090
“These Are Strange Times My Dear” featuring works from CJ Metzger, Catia Chien, and Danny Paragouteva
(On view through June 6th)
http://www.blackmariagallery.com/

Sat, May 9th 3-7PM
Carmichael Gallery of Contemporary Art
1257 N. La Brea Ave in West Hollywood / 323.969.0600
“Total Sao Paulo: A Guide To The Unexpected” special book signing event with complimentary Brazilian cocktails courtesy of Leblon Cachaca – plus you can take in Thais Beltrame’s debut LA solo and the ‘Get Rich Quick’ group show that both just opened on Thursday evening
http://www.carmichaelgallery.com/

Sat, May 9th 8-11:30PM
Copro Gallery
2525 Michigan Ave, Space T-5 at Bergamot Station in Santa Monica / 310.398.2643
“Strange Grooming Habits” from Travis Louie + “Sentimental” from Kathie Olivas
(On view through May 30th)
http://www.copronason.com/

Sat, May 9th 7-11PM
Exhibit A Gallery
1086 S. Fairfax in Los Angeles / 323.954.7295
“Die Posers, Die!” featuring works from Steve Caballero, Tony Alva, Chris Pastras, Steve Olson, Lance Mountain and many more – limited prints and gift bags for those that get there early
http://www.exhibitagalllery.com/

Sat, May 9th 6:30-10PM (dog adoptions 4:30-8:30)
GR2
2062 Sawtelle Blvd in Los Angeles / 310.445.9276
“Free To A Good Home: Art Exhibition and Dog Adoption” featuring works from Apak!, Robert Bellm, Evah Fan, Susie Ghahremani, David Horvath, Michael Hsiung, Little Friends of Printmaking, Justin "Scrappers" Morrison, Tom Neely, Tru Nguyen, Martin Ontiveros, Albert Reyes, Martha Rich, Rob Sato, Edwin Ushiro, and many more + dog adoptions on site too day of event from Los Angeles Animal Services
(On view through June 10th)
http://www.gr2.net/

Sat, May 9th 7-10PM
LeBasse Projects
6023 Washington Blvd in Culver City / 310.558.0200
“Hello and Goodbye” featuring new works from Yoskay Yamamoto + new works from Melissa Haslam in the project room
(On view through May 28th)
http://www.lebasseprojects.com/

Sat, May 9th 7-11PM ($100 at the door)
MOCA Fresh Silent Auction
At the Geffen Contemporary / 152 North Central Ave in Los Angeles / 213.633.5381
Annual benefit auction to raise funds for the MOCA – food, drinks, and music courtesy of DJ Rashida
www.moca.org/auction

Sat, May 9th 7-10PM
Billy Shire Fine Arts
5790 Washington Blvd. in Los Angeles / 323.297.0600
New works from Mars-1, Damara Kaminecki, Chris Roberts-Antieau and Ray Abeyta
(On view through June 6th)
http://www.billyshirefinearts.com/

Sun, May 10th 6-9PM
Billy Shire Fine Arts
5790 Washington Blvd. in Los Angeles / 323.297.0600
Dr. Sketchy Los Angeles Session #000 with Shag and Tim Biskup + a few surprise guests – join Baby Tattoo and the gang at BSFA for what promises to be a very fun evening
http://www.billyshirefinearts.com/
http://www.drsketchyla.com/

Kathleen Lolley starts work on her installation at Thinkspace...

Kathleen Lolley arrived into the gallery yesterday afternoon to start work on her mural/installation for her debut LA solo show, ...Away From The Things Of Man, opening this Friday at Thinkspace. Please read on for some behind the scenes action...

Laying down the base coat...

Working away on the foundation of trees for her mural...

Kathleen Lolley's sketch for the front entry area... complete with about a dozen hand carved wooden birds that will be hanging from the ceiling, flying amongst the clouds...

Kathleen's massive owl sculpture keeps a close eye on things as we start to lay things out in the main gallery for this Friday's opening...

Things are starting to come together in the main gallery for this Fri...

Two of Kathleen's amazing lil' creations... just awaiting their homes to be unpacked.

Shot of the main gallery coming together for this Fri...

Shot of the main gallery coming together for this Friday...

Allison Sommers' "Ligatures" about to be unwrapped and 'hung' on the wall... wait till you see these!!! So much attention to detail in all her work, it's really astounding.

The bizarre and wonderful world of Allison Sommers is starting to come to life in our project room... don't miss this one. She's gone above and beyond - just a magical experience.

Joao Ruas - fresh back from Sherman framers...

Kathleen Lolley ...Away From The Things Of Man

Allison Sommers A Brief History

Joao Ruas Inner Myth Pt. 1

Opening Reception: Fri, May 8th 7-11PM

All three artists are in town for the opening, so please be sure to swing on through and say hi.

Thinkspace
4210 Santa Monica Blvd (near Sunset Junction)
Los Angeles, CA 90029

João Ruas 'Inner Myth Pt. 1' works... ready to go to the framers...

All the goodness for this May laid out and ready to ship. They'll be off to the framers this weekend and ready for all to check out next Friday. Can't wait!

'Inner Myth Pt. 1'

João Ruas

Opening Reception: Fri, May 8th 7-11PM

*also opening: solo shows with Kathleen Lolley & Allison Sommers

Thinkspace

4210 Santa Monica Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90029

João Ruas sneak peek at 'Inner Myth Pt. 1'...

João Ruas

"Enkindu & Gilgamesh"

11x11" / 28x28 cm

Watercolor, Gouache and Gold leaf on 300gms Fabriano

João Ruas is hard at work finishing up the final piece for his largest showing of works to date in the States. Opening on Fri, May 8th @ Thinkspace in our project room as part of our 'Fresh Faces' series, 'Inner Myth Pt. 1' will feature six new works. Big news is that João will be in town from Brazil for the opening reception.

"Enkindu & Gilgamesh" process shot

"Enkindu & Gilgamesh" process shot

"Enkindu & Gilgamesh" process shot

We leave you with a close up shot of "Elephantman"... more images and info soon, including an interview with João. In the meantime, check out our full 'Sneak Peek' set on Flickr here.

João Ruas

'Inner Myth Pt. 1'

Opening: Fri, May 8th 7-11PM

Thinkspace

4210 Santa Monica Blvd in Los Angeles (near Sunset Junction)

http://www.thinkspacegallery.com/

Joao Ruas 'sneak peek' at his new series for this May @ Thinkspace

Joao Ruas is hard at work inside his studio in Brazil on the new series of works for his 'Inner Myths Pt. 1' mini-exhibition that will take place this May at Thinkspace...

We're expecting around a half-dozen new works from Ruas for this small showing on our 'Fresh Faces' wall. We're eager to have him back next April for his proper debut solo show, but we both felt it was a good idea to get a small series of works out prior to that and build from there. The new works are just looking sick. Can't wait!!!

Joao Ruas named as the new cover artist for the Fables series...

Last September, Fables fans got a bit of a shock. After 81 issues, Eisner-winning cover artist James Jean was leaving. The man whose work was infamous for his dazzling Fables iconography was moving on, and everyone wondered who would replace him.

Time has passed, and we are happy to announce that the new cover artist for the Fables series is none other than Brazilian artist Joao Ruas, whom we just started working with here at Thinkspace during The Drawing Room exhibition.

Ruas' first cover will be for April's issue #83 (shown above), which is the first part of "The Great Fables Crossover", a nine-part story arc which will see Jack of Fables and Fables interact for the first time.

A glimpse at Ruas' second cover, for issue #84, is shown above.

According to Ruas, he was in the midst of eating sashimi when he first received a phone call regarding the possibility of working on the Fables covers. Getting the job was a mix of excitement and fear for the artist. "It's cliche, but the fact that I used to read Vertigo titles in my teenage years and now having the opportunity to be on the other side of the mirror is fantastic," said Ruas. "Another [thing that excites me] is the range that comics can reach; I hope my work is able to say something to the readers. "Obviously replacing James Jean was the [most frightening issue]. He gave so much to the series with his amazing technique, but especially with his illustrative emotional storytelling that is hard to detach one from another. The other issue was the pressure, Fables is a big title and a lot of people will have opinions and judgments about my work. In the end, I just put the insecurity aside and started to paint."

Read the full press release from Vertigo over at IGN, including a short interview with Fables writer/creator Bill Willingham, here: http://comics.ign.com/articles/939/939654p1.html

Look for more great new works to arrive soon to our gallery from Ruas, as we work towards hosting his debut Los Angeles solo show in the spring of 2010. The beautiful work we took to Art Basel - "Scowrer" - is still on hand (view a close up below). Please inquire if you are interested and view all our available works here.

Look for more on Ruas in the coming months...

Joao's site: http://souvlaki.jp-ar.org/

Off to Miami...

Joao Ruas
Scowrer
12”x17”
Gouche, watercolor and graphite on 200gr watercolor paper

Our ‘Looking Glass’ exhibit offers a sampling of new works from artists that will be showing with us during our 2009 and 2010 programs and beyond... get ready to see a lot more from Brazil's Joao Ruas very soon... and look for an interview to be posted with him as well here in the near future.

Gen Art Vanguard New Contemporary Art Fair

Charcoal Studios in the Wynwood Arts District

2135 NW 1st Avenue, Miami, FL 33127

Vanguard Website: http://www.genart.org/event.view.htm?itemid=2353

Runs 12-04-08 through 12-07-08 during Art Basel in Miami, Florida

Digital preview for 'Looking Glass': http://www.sourharvest.com/thinkspace/2008/project/lookingglass/works.php

Joao Ruas sneak peek from "The Drawing Room" this November...

Joao Ruas

Haunted #16

Watercolor and gouache on board

Website: http://souvlaki.jp-ar.org/

Flickr here: http://flickr.com/photos/feralkid

This beauty and two others will be featured in The Drawing Room opening November 7th.

Look for a couple of additional new works from Ruas at our booth at Vanguard during Art Basel this December in Miami.

Past that, plans are already underway for his first solo with us in 2010... more details soon. A waiting list is already developing, so drop a line soon if you are interested in his work.