LA art season kick off (recap)...

The Los Angeles art season officially kicked off in grand fashion this past weekend. We posted something like 17 shows on our 'Recommended Openings' post/email blast and there were three times that many and then some counting all the blue chip spots with openings and all.

My wife and I hit the road at 5:30PM to get over to Culver City area first where shows were starting as early as 6PM.

First up was the grand opening of the new Roberts & Tilton - directly across from BSFA on Washington, their new digs blew away their prior spot over on Wilshire.
The crowd at the new spot gathered quickly as the night went on...
Spotted in the crowd early on was LA art living legend John Baldassari (the tall man with the white hair and beard in photo below)...

The "Macrocosm" group show featured works from a number of the art world's finest, including the below gem from Barry McGee that sold for a cool $9K before the opening.

The below work from Ai Yamaguchi was just stunning...

As was this photo installation from the one and only Ed Templeton (see below)...

Two monster new works from SF artist Andew Schoultz were on view (see above and below) - these alone are worth a trip to take in. Sooo much going on in each. Schoultz just had a huge new solo show open up in SF area, so be sure to catch that if up in Bay Area this month.

By far the show stopper was the below monster work from Kehinde Wiley - absolutely massive in scope. It must have been 6 feet square. And it had already sold upon doors opening.

Ran into fellow MOCA Contemporaries board member Sue Pink at the opening (seen above with my wife Shawn)... so many made it out to Roberts & Tilton's opening, was definitely one of the must see shows of the night.

Walked down the street to David Gallery after that to catch Nick Veasey's "X-Ray" show...

Then it was down the road to Kinkead Contemporary... uh, not sure what was going on here. The install (pictured below) from Alexander Lee, "Recitations From The Great Fish Changing Skies" took up a good 80% of the gallery and patrons had to shuffle around it against the wall almost to view... made up of resin casts of dead, burnt fish, configured into a mushroom cloud of sorts.

Still scratching our heads, we wandered down a couple doors to Koplin Del Rio to see the solo show of the much celebrated Kerry James Marshall...

My first time seeing his work in person and I was glad we popped through - also ran into Sam Wellington (an artist we've shown in the past), so that was super cool...

Just down the way was d.e.n. contemporary where Kristi Lippire was putting on a very diverse solo show... you'd think it was a group show given the diversity of style and medium throughout...

The below works were my favorites... not sure what the below represented to be 100% sure, but it just jumped off the wall.

The below sculptural installation was made out of collapsing colanders used in cooking... even had a hands on bird sculpture you could crank and make its wings flap.

Then we hopped on over to Kinsey/DesForges (formerly BLK/MRKT) where a sculpture from artist Mark Jenkins holds court over the gallery. Look for a solo from Jenkins in LA next year... and rumor has it that it won't be at Kinsey/DesForges...

UK rising star Ian Francis was holding his 2nd U.S. solo show at Kinsey/DesForges on this eve... and he just knocked it out of the park. I think all but 2 had sold when we arrived very early on and I'm sure all will sell soon. Still kicking myself on a somewhat regular basis for not taking Jana's advice and grabbing one of his works from their epic BLK/MRKT ONE show... ugh!!! I think all his works in that show were under $2K... ah, for a time machine :)

After taking in Francis' new works (and I could have stayed there for an hour looking at those), we popped in the car and drove down Washington a bit to the Corey Helford Gallery where good friend and fellow collector Bil Burri showed off his free print he just received from Eric Joyner in front of their gallery...

As mentioned above, Eric Joyner was on hand, and if you were one of the 1st 300 patrons through that eve, you were lucky enough to get a very nice print signed in person from Joyner himself (shown below in front of an absolutely massive new piece from Coop who will be showing at the gallery next spring)...

On our way out we ran into gallery director Richard Scarry (seen below with my wife Shawn) - one of the nicest guys in our scene I say, a stand up cat.

After catching up a bit with Richard, we scooted across the street and swung in Lab 101 (sorry, didn't take any pics) to see their current show and then headed next door to see the last show at Project:'s current location where their now annual "Fresh Faces" show was underway...

By far the standout of the bunch was Nimit Malavia - already garnering a solid buzz. Show below is the beauty that my good friend Oliverio just commissioned from Nimit and that was on view in the show... stunning.

Really enjoyed the two works below from Yuto Onoda too...

Ran into our good friend and fellow collector Amanda Erlanson (shown below chatting with Shawn)... she's got a pretty rad blog too - check it out over at: http://www.commandax.blogspot.com/

After hitting up Project: it was time to leave Culver City, and continue our quest to overload on art hahaha... it was about 7PM when we rolled into the sprawling Bergamot Station art complex over in Santa Monica...

First up for a visit at Bergamot was the Robert Berman Gallery where Robert Sean Coons was holding a solo show of his vivid works... look closely at the backgrounds of each painting to see blurred, almost reflective like images of beautiful women... one might not even notice if not pointed out, so seemless was the design of each.

We then walked across Bergamot's parking lot to take in the new group show at the James Gray Gallery, as well as a mini-solo from Jeff Gillette in one of their back galleries... just stumbled upon this one. A rather new spot, at least to this scene, they've begun to dable more with some from this scene and on view in this show were a vast array of works...

Of particular note were two new works from Jophen Stein - who was also on hand for the opening, good seeing him for sure...

The below beauty from Shag was hanging in their office...

Upon entry, one was treated to a wall of framed, rare prints from Mark Ryden which hung adjacent a wall of framed Miro prints - go figure. Definitely a diverse mix of works and artists made up this show...

But stumbling upon a new body of work from Jeff Gillette really made swinging into this new spot worth it... hidden away behind the bar, in a lil' seperate gallery were twelve works from the man himself - almost all were new for this show and in particular the Vegas themed pieces were just stellar. Had we not just picked up a couple from his last Copro Nason solo, it would have been very tempting. My only concern is this is his 3rd solo within six months in LA - just seems as though he's putting too much out there - a problem too many have these days it seems. No need to show so much in one city, especially in such a short period - that's just my humble 2 cents... regardless, his work ranks up there with some of our favorites in this scene and I hope his name spreads. Look for a feature in Vol. 9 of HI FRUCTOSE which hits in early October, can't wait for more to find out about his work...


While walking to the next opening within Bergamot, we passed by this recent addition to the Bergamot Station lot, an old Benz that has been made into a giant work of art - a planter with all manner of herbs growing in it. Pretty funny to come upon while walking around the grounds... After taking in the Benz planter, we headed around the corner to the Patricia Correia Gallery to catch Becca's new solo "Wild West Wonderland"...

Becca's new works were super vivid and captured her trademark style - thing is, she hasn't gotten up on the streets in ages, and sales somewhat reflected that it seemed... still love her work though, but ever since she left Merry Karnowsky's gallery, she's faded from the limelight (at least in my opinion)...

Wasn't even planning on popping into D3 Projects, but there was a huge crowd and it grabbed our attention, and man, are we glad we swung in to catch the absolutely break taking graphite on paper works of Ethan Murrow...

I'll be headed back to Bergamot one weekend soon to take in this show again... each piece was massive, easily 4'x4', beautifully framed and presented and lit. His skill is 2nd to none...

After taking in that show, not much could top it, but we headed to the back of Bergamot Station to take in this year's Blab! show at Copro Nason...

Upon entering Copro we were quickly introduced to Tom Huck by gallery director Gary Pressman. Huck works in wood carved block prints... below Tom stands next to his latest masterpiece. This has to be seen in person if you get the chance. Wow!!!

One of the highlights for me was seeing a couple of killer new works from Andy Kehoe (both of which had already sold). He'll be having his 2nd solo with us next December and I just can't wait to have him out again.

Speaking of sales, the below piece from Ron English had sold early on for a cool $60K as well...

We arrived pretty early on in the evening, but was still very surprised to see both of the pieces from Travis Louie still available. Sure that wasn't the case for long, as both were just amazing.

Over in gallery 2 at Copro Nason there was a solo show of work from Ryan Heshka's work - shown below are a few and the wall mural he did for the show...

On the way out, gallery co-owner and Juxtapoz curator Greg Escalante called us over to meet living art legend Llyn Foulkes (shown below on the left, next to Greg) - that was pretty cool to say the least...

Headed out of Bergamot Station area at around 10PM to head out to West Hollywood area to take in the new show at Carmichael Gallery...

At Carmichael they were holding the debut LA solo show from OddZoo....

After hanging out and catching up with Seth and Elisa, we got in the ol' VW to head to the downtown area to catch the Hive Gallery's latest group show... arriving just shy of midnight, we breathed a heavy sigh and prepared to take in our final show of the night...

Upon entering we were treated to the mini-solo of new works from artist N.C. Winters...

And moments later we ran into Myna Sonou and Catherine Brooks... they both rule!

Above is Catherine Brook's piece for the Hive show... she continues to excel and we're excited to hosting her debut LA solo show next summer... more on that soon...

One of the main reasons we headed all the way downtown at midnight after such a long day of art crawling was to take in the new works of Ekundayo's studio mate, Michael Alvarez. His works are really unique, and you can recognize his work after viewing only once, his style is that distinct...

We'll be taking Alvarez to Art Basel this year when we show at Vanguard... more lay ahead from him for sure, so stay tuned.

To view more of Alvarez' artwork, check out http://www.michaelalvarezart.com/

We rolled into our home at 1:30AM... eight solid hours of non-stop art crawling. This coming weekend promises almost as many shows... can't wait! Gotta love living in LA!!!

A day at the Getty Villa...

Recently had a chance to visit the newly remodeled and recently reopened Getty Villa out along the PCH in Malibu and just wanted to post a lil' photo recap of our visit.

Not normally one for antiquities from the Greek, Roman, and Etruscan empires, but laid out and displayed in this setting, it's hard to deny. Definitely worth a visit one weekend.

You need to book a visit, so be sure to visit their site for more details and parking reservations at http://www.getty.edu/visit/

An interview with Zach Johnsen...

An interview with Zach Johnsen

1) Please give us a lil’ background info on yourself. Where were you born and raised?
I was born and raised in a little town in northeast NH state called Colebrook.

2) I know you just moved to Portland from NYC. If I came to your area, what would we do / where would you take me?
Inside the city, we'd have to go to Ground Control, grab a beer and play some old school video games. In the northeast, we'd have to get some food at this cuban restaurant, Pambiche. And definitely, we'd have to go to at least one of the ample strip clubs around here.. like Devil's Point or Sassies.. it's pretty much mandatory.. even if you don't frequent strip clubs.

3) What are your thoughts on art school in general?
Art school is pretty great because it exposes you to a number of ideas, techniques, and facilities that you probably otherwise wouldn't have access too.

It sucks because at the end of your tenure there, you are left with a degree in art and big school loans that you have no means to pay for.

4) What’s your earliest memory involving art or creating art?
Some of my earliest memories are of my mom's colored pencil work hanging around the house. I remember particular pieces she created and that her friend Janice (whom did gouache paintings) had in the house. Actually, one of the pieces I really remember used to hang above the sink in the kitchen.. It was this still life my mom created in colored pencil of a sink full of dishes.. It remains to this day one of my favorite pieces that my mom created.. In fact, it hangs in my house here in Portland as we speak.

5) When are you most productive / when do you normally work on art?
I work any and all the time. Usually my favorite time to work is about 11am, noon when no one else is around.. or late at night after my roommates have gone to bed. 6) Tell us something about yourself that someone would never guess in their wildest dreams.
I have always wanted to date a celebrity. Right now, I have this recurring fantasy to date Lauren from the Hills.

7) Are you reading anything right now?
Yes indeed. I am finally reading Behold a Pale Horse by William Cooper. That, and this huge book.. kinda social commentary by the Harvard Design School called Project on the City 2.

8) What’s your favorite color and why?
Um.. hmmm... painting wise.. yellow. It just pops so lovely.

9) Do you listen to music while painting/drawing? If so, do you have a current favorite that inspires?
Yes, I pretty much always listen to music. It gives my mind something to focus on instead of wandering aimlessly while I paint and draw. Currently, I'm listening to whatever my friends pass me for free. I've been listening to the new Ratatat album and a bunch of new rap music from the northwest that a friend of mine introduced me to.. Commom Market, Jonson & Johnson, Blue Scholars.

10) If you had to explain your work to a stranger, how would you do it?
I probably wouldn't. I'd show them an image and let them glean what they might. But if that person were blind, I guess I would say I create personifications of human and animal charactersistics when they drift from the natural world.

11) Talk a lil' bit about the general idea/vibe behind your new series of works for "Sunnyside-Yard".
The Sunnyside Yard is an installation show revolving around the business/office world and the relentless pursuit of misplaced ideals. With this show I am bringing out the true nature of the average employee and turning them into the traits that they actually are.

12) Favorite artist (living or dead) and what makes them special to you?
Egon Shiele because of his drawings, and actually his paintings too. His line and style to me is unrivaled and his use of color is spot on.

13) What have you got coming up in terms of shows and projects after "Sunnyside-Yard"?
I have a big ol' show in this space here in Portland called Backspace. It's a humungous space that I have pretty much free reign in.. so I have a number of installation works in mind as well as some new paintings and drawings. Plus, I plan on curating a small show of other artists works to show alongside mine come December.

14) Speaking of other projects, I know you are deeply involved with the Tank Theory clothing company and do a good bit of work for various brands/labels. Any feedback/advice for artists looking to do more in the ever-growing lifestyle arena? Man, that's a tough cookie to crack, especially these days when there is an overabundance of clothing/lifestyle brands out there. It is totally oversaturated... But the good thing is, a good half of it all looks similar or even the same. So my one piece of advice would be, if you are starting a clothing company, t-shirt design company, etc you have to come from an original angle. The artwork has got to be unique and the ideas well thought out for it to really stand out.

15) What are you doing right after this interview?
Going to the Florida Room... this shitty dive bar right down the street that serves awesome drinks but terrible food.

For more on Zach Johnsen, check out: http://www.zenvironments.com/illustration.html

Zach Johnsen
Sunnyside-Yard
Opening Reception: Fri, Sept. 12th 7-11PM
Sept. 12th - Oct. 3rd in our project room

Recommended openings to catch this weekend...

Recommended openings to catch this weekend...

The kickoff of the fall art season starts this weekend. Sooo many killer openings, I wish I could clone myself. We'll be sure to post a lil' 'art adventure' photo recap come Sunday afternoon here. As always, this is just a sampling of the shows we plan to go see and/or endorse. By no means a complete listing of all that is going down in LA this weekend, but I'd suggest any of these if asked as all promise great art and a good time.

Fri, Sept. 5th 7-11pm
C.A.V.E. Gallery
507 Rose Ave in Venice
“Growing Pains” with new works from Mark Covell, L. Croskey, Delphia, Johnny Siu, Macsorro, Jennifer Springman, Michele Waterman, Raid, and many more with live music from DJ BusRider
(On view through Sept. 26th)
http://www.cavegallery.com/

Fri, Sept. 5th 7-10PM
DDR Projects Gallery
1532 E. Broadway in Long Beach
“415: Emerging Artists from San Francisco” group show with works from Hiro Hayashi, Felxiii, Bert Gatchalian, Josh Herbolsheimer, Ryan Rouse and Lawrence Yang
http://www.ddrprojects.com/

Fri, Sept. 5th 7-10pm
Fresh Pressed
4646 Hollywood Boulevard in Los Feliz area of Los Angeles / 323.663.7374
“5 Presses For 5 Artists” - Fresh Pressed is a new public screen-printing shop in Los Feliz aand they are throwing a lil’ opening party along with the good folks at http://www.busy-being.com/ and exhibiting artists: Kime Buzzelli, Sean Cassidy, Rory Wilson, Frohawk Two Feathers, and Andy Mueller. All are welcome, especially kids, to come and play! Create your own design - borrow & revamp someone else's art and bring home a one of a kind!
http://www.fresh-pressed.com/

Fri, Sept. 5th 7-10PM
La Luz De Jesus Gallery
4633 Hollywood Blvd. in Los Angeles / 323.666.7667
“Neofolk” featuring new works from Anne Faith Nicholls
(On view through end of month)
http://www.laluzdejesus.com/

Sat, Sept. 6th 8PM-Midnight
Carmichael Gallery
1257 N. La Brea Ave. in West Hollywood
“The Art of OddZoo”(On view through September 28th)
http://www.carmichaelgallery.com/

Sat, Sept. 6th 7-10PM
Chango Coffee House and Gallery
1559 Echo Park Avenue in Los Angeles “Paper Cuts” featuring new work by L. Croskey and Rebecca Hahn
(On view through Sept. 30th)
http://www.myspace.com/changocoffeehouse

Sat, Sept. 6th 8PM-11:30PM
Copro Nason Gallery
2525 Michigan Ave, Space T-5 at Bergamot Station in Santa Monica / 310.398.2643
“The BLAB! Show” with featured artists include: Shag, Travis Louie, Ryan Heshka, Gary Baseman, Ron English, Luke Cheuh, Gary Axali, Fred Stonehouse, Andy Kehoe (work shown above), Travis Lampe, Mark Burckhardt, CJ Pyle, Mark Todd, Tom Huck, and many more. This year's show also feature's Ryan Hehska's The Obit Paintings, an exhibit of work from his forthcoming BLAB! book. In addition, there's an exhibit of BLAB! artist Tom Huck's gigantic wood block prints.
(On view through Sept. 27th)
http://www.blabshow.com/
http://www.copronason.com/

Sat, Sept. 6th 7-10PM
Corey Helford Gallery
8522 Washington Blvd in Culver City / 310.287.2340
“Artificial Enlightenment” featuring new works from Eric Joyner – free poster to 1st 300 through the door to help celebrate the release of Joyner’s new book “Robots & Donots” + new works in the loft from Brezo
http://www.coreyhelfordgallery.com/

Sat, Sept. 6th 7-10PM
Crewest
110 E. Winston Street @ Main St in Los Angeles / 213.627.8272
“I Learned It By Watching You” featuring new works from Syndrome
(On view through Sept. 27th)
http://www.ilearneditbywatchingyou.tv/
http://www.crewest.com/

Sat, Sept. 6th 7-10PM
CSUF Grand Central Art Center
125 N. Broadway, Santa Ana (Parking in lot at 3rd and Sycamore / 714.567.7233
Main Art Gallery and Project Room“Aspects of Mel's Hole: Artists Respond to a Paranormal Land Event Occurring in Radiospace” curated by LA Weekly’s Doug Harvey and featuring works from Reverend Ethan Acres, Tim Armstrong, David B., Jimmy Chertkow, Sarah Cromarty, Albert Cuellar, Christian Cummings, Georgeanne Deen, Mark Dutcher, Gregg Gibbs, James Hayward, John Higham, Elliott Hundley, Marie Johnston, Paul Laffoley, Nate Lowman, Michael C. McMillen, Avigail Moss, Gary Panter, M.A. Peers, Mary Pongratz, Victoria Reynolds, Steve Roden, Ross Rudel, Connie Samaras, Charles Schneider, April Schwas, Jim Shaw, Nathan Spoor, Linda Stark, Craig Stecyk, Don Suggs, The Center for Land Use Interpretation, The Firesign Theatre, Dani Tull, Jeffrey Vallance, Marnie Weber, Cathy Ward, Chris Wilder, Eric Wright, and Brenna Youngblood
(On view through October 19th)
http://www.grandcentralartcenter.com/

Sat, Sept. 6th 7-11PM
Flock Shop
943 N. Broadway, #103 in Los Angeles
“Technical Difficulties” featuring new works and live painting action from Stuter, Phoneticontrol, Matt Linares and Ganyan + live performances from Bluey Key Coretet & Grainshifter
www.myspace.com/tekdif
http://flockshopla.com/

Sat, Sept. 6th 7-10PM
Han Cholo
1549 Echo Park Ave in Los Angeles / 213.482.9180
“Savage Stomach Pains” featuring new works from Smear
http://www.hancholo.com/
www.myspace.com/smearone

Sat, Sept. 6th 5-7PM
Richard Heller Gallery
2525 Michigan Ave, Space B-5A at Bergamot Station in Santa Monica / 310.453.9191
“(Like Life, But A) Simplified Version” with new works from Jason Jagel + a book release for “73 Sunshine” – Jagel’s new 208 page monograph accompanied by a 10” vinyl record featuring three jazz tunes from Madlib
(On view through Oct. 4th)
http://www.richardhellergallery.com/

Sat, Sept. 6th 8PM-12:30AM ($8 admission / $5 in erotic costume)
The Hive Gallery and Studios
729 S. Spring St. in downtown Los Angeles
Monthly group show with featured artists Jason Hernandez, NC Winters, Michael Alvarez, Matt Dickson and Billy Dyson plus a huge group show of erotic themed works from a cast of folks including Clive Barker / Brad Miller / Jehan Choo / Michael Pukac / Nick Wildermuth / Dion Macellari / Alex Feliciano / Mike Bilz / Yuki Miyazaki / K.Y. Park / Mike Lewis / Rob Tokarz / Shannon O'Connor / Dustin Myers / LD Grant / Megan Elizabeth Ford / Anthony G.Hurd / Shay / Terry Kim / Natalie Repp / Bryan Collins / Ken Dougherty / Rick Strieck / Marlon McWilliams / Henry F. Cram / Linda Alvarez / Marianne Williams / Catherine Brooks / Zoetica Ebb / Delphia / Laura Diamond / Chantal Menard / Cristina McAllister / Tony Koehl / Henry F. Cram / Ching Ching Cheng / and many more
(On view through Sept. 28th)
http://www.thehivegallery.com/

Sat, Sept. 6th 7-10PM
Kinsey / DesForges
6009 Washington Blvd. In Culver City / 310.837.1989
“Together Forever” featuring new works from Ian Francis
(On view through Oct. 4th)
http://www.kinseydesforges.com/

Sat, Sept. 6th 7-10PM
Melt Gallery @ Meltdown Comics
7522 Sunset Blvd in Los Angeles / 323.851.7223
“The Curious Unseen” – A celebration of the extrinsic, peculiar and obscure featuring works from Jason Levesque, Kevin Earl Taylor, Chandler Wood, Erika Moen, Sandra Leong, Helle Jorgensen, Andrew Klein and others
(On view through Sept. 20th)
http://www.meltcomics.com/

Sat, Sept. 6th 6-10PM
Orange County Center For Contemporary Art
117 N Sycamore. Santa Ana / 714.667.1517
“Animal Magnetism” juried group show with Mat Gleason (editor and publisher of Coagula Art Journal)
http://www.occca.org/

Sat, Sept. 6th 7-10PM
Project:
8545 W. Washington Blvd in Culver City / 310.558.0200
"Fresh Faces" show featuring Nimit Malavia, Yuta Onoda, Martha Chan and Dominique Fung
http://www.projectgalleryla.com/

Sat, Sept. 6th 6-8PM
Roberts and Tilton
5801 Washington Blvd in Culver City / 323.549.0223
“Macrocosm” group show celebrating the opening of their new location in Culver City with new works from Barry McGee, Andrew Schoultz, Ed Templeton, Matt Lienes, Kehinde Wiley, Ai Yamaguchi, Becca Mann and many more
(On view through Oct. 4th)
http://www.robertsandtilton.com/

Sat, Sept. 6th 7-10PM
SCION Installation L.A.
3521 Helms Ave in Culver City / 310.815.8840
“The Art Of Music” curated by ill-Studio (France)
www.scion.com/space

Sat, Sept. 6th 6-8PM
Taylor De Cordoba
2660 S La Cienega Blvd in Los Angeles (right next to the Culver City area) / 310.559.9156“More Country Questions” featuring new works from Kyle Field
(On view through Oct. 25th)
http://taylordecordoba.com/

Whew... get out there, gonna be an epic weekend for art in LA!!!

Thinkspace to attend Art Basel as part of GenArt's Vanguard fair...

Excited to announce that we will be taking part in GenArt's Vanguard New Contemporary Art Fair this December in Miami, FL during Art Basel.

More details on our lineup for the show and add'l fair details to be posted soon.

Look forward to seeing many of you down in Miami!

Newness from Dave MacDowell...

Dave MacDowell continues to kill it after turning many a head at the recent Crazy 4 Cult 2 show with the beauty pictured above, "Burn Hollywood Burn". This will be on hand soon, so speak up if you are lovin' it as much as we are.

SO amped for his solo with us this coming spring. More details and sneak peeks in the coming months on that action.

And if that wasn't enough to get you excited, take a gander at his piece for a "Wizard Of Oz" themed show coming up later this year (see below).

Follow the man here: http://www.flickr.com/people/sacamoto2003

.ISM "Sk8ology" auction closing soon...

The ISM: SK8OLOGY charity online auction is OPEN FOR BIDDING. Please help the cause by placing a bid on your favorite one-of-a-kind, rare skate deck and share with your friends and family.

To view pictures from the opening reception please visit: http://www.ismcommunity.org/

The show is now traveling to San Diego for the Action Sports Retailer (ASR) trade show and then Florida for the Surf Expo.

We know the whole skate deck show theme is pretty much played out, but the amazing roster of talent that signed on to support this cause is what really makes everything worth checking out. A number of Thinkspace regulars are included in the show, including the beauty above from Brian Viveros (look for a solo show from Viveros in our project room come 2010).

All proceeds go to support Now That You Know, a non-profit that gives girls from developing countries a “secure environment for learning and growth.”

15 days and counting until the auction closes.

Check out all the works in the on-line auction here:
Sk8ology Auction

More FUTURA news surfaces...

From the fine folks over at SuperTouchArt:

Presented by Krunk, Futura’s “Strategic Synchronicity” show, his first ever LA solo exhibition will open on Thursday September 18th for a limited four-day run before closing its doors on Sunday September 21st. While the exact location of the downtown LA venue remains top secret (keep an eye on ST for the exclusive reveal in coming days), the tour-de-force show represents the originator’s return to form with a staggering body of new work every bit as stunning as his 1980s aerosol masterpieces. When questioned about his choice of a West Coast venue for this landmark show, Futura explains, “LA was an obvious destination for me to showcase this collection. The city has so many incredible creatives who I consider as friends and whose work I respect enormously, it’s about time I hit LA, particularly with this collection. Above all, I’m looking forward to having some fun presenting and creating this new work in the city.” Keeping the full range of his fanbase in mind, Futura has created an array of paintings and drawings with prices starting at $1,500 and ranging up to $100,000K+. Ever the technology fiend, the artist has embraced new mediums and techniques in executing these new paintings, which have been realized on canvases, stretched onto aluminum (in order to prevent warping due to environmental factors), and are oftentimes accompanied by specifically devised music scores and short film trials. When asked how this new body of work relates to his epic, earlier paintings, Futura said, “I consider this collection my best work yet. When I started on it I could feel myself about to explode. After all these years of development, it reflects my growth and evolution. I want this work considered on its merits, and in that sense, I’m going right back to the beginning.”

As this event draws closer, I'm sure word will be spreading in a big way, but we're amped for this show and we'll be sure to pass along anything we hear on it here too.

Check out a nice interview with Futura here: http://www.kopenhagen.dk/interviews/interviews/interview_med_futura_2000/

More info, images and videos here: http://madkrunk.com/krunk_futura.html

And at http://www.supertouchart.com/

Hi Fructose Vol. 9 sneak peek...

We're excited to announce that Vol. 9 of HI FRUCTOSE will feature in-depth interviews with both Stella Im Hultberg and Ekundayo. Look for Vol. 9 to drop 1st week of October.

Thanks to Annie and Atta for the preview images!

www.hifructose.com

Last week of "Raveled"...

This coming Thursday and Friday are the last days to catch "Raveled" from Stella Im Hultberg as well as "Waterways" from Allison Sommers and "Against The Grain" from Dennis Hayes IV.

Come on through, we'll be open 1PM-6PM both days. Then we'll be closed until Fri, Sept. 12th when we re-open for Lesley Reppeteaux' "Tumbling" along with "Sunnyside-Yard" from Zach Johnsen and Paul Barnes' "Come Wander With Me" in our project room.

An interview with Paul Barnes...

An interview with Paul Barnes

1. Please give us a lil’ background info on yourself. Where were you born and raised?
I was born in the Highlands of Scotland to Scottish/Italian parents. We moved to the city when I was 4 for a few years, then back again to the countryside until I left home for art school at 18. After graduating, my wife and I headed to Edinburgh for about 10 years. We are now back in the place I grew up, raising a family.

2. If I came to your area, what would we do/where would you take me?
It’s really beautiful around these parts, so I guess we would enjoy some sightseeing. If you were into it, we could climb a couple of hills…there’s quite a few here, some have pretty cool monuments on the top, like towers and pyramids. I’d take you to a haunted castle down the road and later we’d go for a tour around the ancient stone circles and monoliths in the surrounding area. I hope you like old things! If you are a whisky drinker, I’d take you to one of the famous distilleries in north Scotland.

In the evenings we’d go and catch a band or two play in the city, which has an exciting scene going on. There’s a really amazing venue which is in a tunnel beneath the city streets, we’d definitely head there for sure. You’re welcome here anytime! Please come.

3. What are your thoughts on art school?
Overall, I feel that if someone is going to be a great painter, they’ll do it whether they go to school or not. But art school is great in terms of the time and structure it gives you to learn the foundations in whatever field. I also think socially, to be part of a creative group of peers/friends, is very important to the learning process, whether that’s in or out of art school.

4. What’s your earliest memory of art or creating art?
I remember when I was 5, my mother left my father and we went to live in the attic of my grandparents’ house. It was a big old house and they rented out the rooms. One of the lodgers was a Scandinavian girl who was an art student and she inspired and encouraged my grandmother to start painting, at 70 years old. I was intrigued by all the tubes of oil paint, palettes, and brushes around the place and loved watching them paint, always wishing I could have a go! They used to take me to the art school degree shows and tell me that one day I would go there to study.

I remember being amazed by the books in my grandparents’ bookcase….books on folklore, mythology, UFOs, nature, spirituality and magic. I used to draw all my favourite things from them, like giants, witches, castles, E.T.s, all the weird and wonderful creatures. Then when I was about 9 I got given a copy of ‘The Hamlyn Book of Horror’ and the following years were spent copying millions of vampires, werewolves and zombies.

5. When are you most productive/when do you normally work on art?
As I’ve always worked from the living room couch at home, I’ve had to wait until the family go to bed before I can set up the paints and stuff, so I’d work from around 9pm till 5am. It was an insane way of working, but I think I’m a bit nocturnal by nature anyway which is lucky. It sucked in the winter time as you’d see about 2 hours daylight a day and sometimes I would swear I was coming down with rickets.

I got a studio about 6 months ago! Where I can go and work during the day! It’s a whole new experience, it‘s amazing. But I still think I’m at my most creative at night, so I develop ideas and draw for a few hours in the evenings.

6. Tell us something about yourself that someone would never guess in their wildest dreams.
I have green fingers! I love gardening, it’s kind of like a form of meditation to me. Getting down in the ground, up real close to the earth, it’s wildlife, insects and plant life all doing their thing gives me good vibes and makes me feel at peace.

7. Are you reading anything right now?
I don’t get too much time to read these days, if I do it’s usually bedtime stories for my children.
But recently I did get the book ‘Into The Wild’, the story of Christopher McCandless, so hope to read that soon.

8. What’s your favourite color and why?
I like mostly warm colors, probably as it’s so damn cold here in Scotland!……Blood red….yum!
9. Do you listen to music while painting? If so, do you have a current favourite that inspires?
Yeah, always. Music is of huge importance to my creativity, a lot of the time it motivates me to paint. I like anything! Folk, grindcore, punk, electronic, metal….. lots of things to suit any kind of mood while I’m painting. The last couple of weeks I’ve been digging out old 80’s punk/grunge classics, stuff like Mudhoney, Sonic Youth, Big Black, L7, Butthole Surfers, etc. The energy in this music makes me feel like I can take on the world when I’m actually totally worn out! I feel like I’m 16 again.

10. If you had to explain your work to a stranger, how would you do it?
Ooooh, difficult one. I always find this hard when put in this situation. But recently, thanks to myspace, I’ve been enjoying hearing people describe my work as being like fairytales, creepy and evil but friendly and innocent at the same time. So I guess that’s the kind of words I’d use to describe it these days.
11. Talk a lil’ bit about the general idea/vibe behind your new series of works for ‘Come Wander With Me’.
I’ve been digging up and re-introducing creatures I’ve not drawn for a long time. Developing their characters and how they might interact with each other when I come to make larger scale pieces. I’m also always trying to get my work to have an 'old' feel about it, so I’ve been developing that further too.

12. Favourite artist (living or dead) and what makes them special to you?
My son! The art he creates is very precious to me. We bounce ideas off each other…I’ll do a drawing and he’ll copy it or vice versa. I feel lucky to share such an insight into the way a child looks at the world, I love the innocence and truth in the art of children. If they’re drawing a mutilated zombie or such like, it still looks endearing, friendly and playful, I love that!
My other favourite artist (out of many!) is Hieronymus Bosch. His work is a fascinating insight into the mind and imagination of someone who lived 500 years ago and I love the extremes of beauty, humor and horror in his paintings. They inspire me no end.

13. What are you doing right after this interview?
There’s a music festival going on in the field over the wall of our back garden! I can hear Bad Manners playing ‘My Girl Lollipop’, so I’m gonna run across and have a bounce along with the crowd!

To see more of Barnes' work check out: http://www.paul-barnes.com/

And add him as a friend here: http://www.myspace.com/paulbarnes

Paul Barnes
Come Wander With Me
Select new works on the salon wall in our project room
Opening Reception: Fri, Sept. 12th 7-11PM

Recommended openings to catch this weekend...

Recommended openings to catch this weekend...

Sat, Aug. 30th 9:30PM-1AM ($8 Admission, $5 Walking Art)
The Firehouse (710. S. Santa Fe Ave. in downtown LA / 310.397.2244 - NEW LOCATION!!!)
Cannibal Flower: The 8th Anniversary Show (come on out and help us all celebrate!)
(One-night only special event)
http://www.cannibalflower.com/

Sat, Aug. 30th 8-11PM
Merry Karnowsky Gallery
170 South La Brea in Los Angeles / 323.933.4408
“Whistling Past the Graveyard” new works from Mercedes Helnwein hosted by Jason Lee
(On view through Sept. 20th)
http://www.mkgallery.com/

Sat, August 30th 8-11PM
Solid Gallery One
334 N. Fairfax Ave in Los Angeles / 323.939.3003
New works from Axis – grand opening at new location
(On view through Oct. 5th)
http://www.solidgalleryone.com/

Sat, August 30th 7-11PM
Koos Art Center
540 E. Broadway in Long Beach / 562.491.7584
United CAT artist collective with featured artists Paul Torres and Clinton Neuhaus and new works also on view from Nathan Cartwright, Mickey ME, Nick Wildermuth, Ted von Heiland, Jeremy Cross, Anna Chung, Craig “Skibs” Barker, Cam Rackam, Delphia, Walt Hall and David Cook
http://www.koos.org/
www.myspace.com/unitedcat

East Of Eden exhibit nears...

The huge multi-gallery exhibit EAST OF EDEN is fast approaching.

East Of Eden will take place at the Los Angeles Municipal Gallery

Located at 4800 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles 90027

Friday, September 19th
12:00 Doors open

7:00 Artist Preview

Saturday, September 20th
12:00 Doors open

7:00 MOCA Contemporaries members only artist tour

8pm-1am multigallery party

Sunday, September 21st
12:00 Closing Reception

http://www.edenexhibition.com/

FUTURA to rock LA on Sept. 18th... details soon!

Graffiti legend FUTURA has been hard at work creating a huge new body of work that is said to be a return to the incredible work he became so well known for at the peak of his gallery career in the '80s.

The secret exhibit is called “Strategic Synchronicity" and is set to launch in Los Angeles on September 18th at a soon to be announced location. More details should be dropping soon.

For more info, watch a killer video over at: http://www.madkrunk.com/

KEEP YOUR EYES peeled for more info on this sure to be legendary show!!! SuperTouchArt.com will be posting sneak peeks and an interview with the man soon... can't wait!