Campus Circle article on hip LA galleries...

"(Thinkspace is) one of the best spaces for viewing artistic works." - Campus Circle

THE Magazine covers Jeaneen Carlino...

"All of the artist's various interests - Mexican motifs, Indian miniature painting, textile designs, and graphic patterns - fluidly come together, fully harmonized in the blend of both organic and geometric design." - THE Magazine

Jeaneen Carlino "Moments of Bliss"

On view through Oct. 31st in our project room

'Red Forest' opening night...

'Red Forest' opened last night to a packed house... above are shots of the finished front room install/mural area...

The evening's artists (l-r): Jeaneen Carlino, Ekundayo, Johnny "KMNDZ" Rodriguez, and Michael Alvarez

Below are a series of shots of the finished interior before the crush of the opening night crowd invaded...

By 7:30PM we were packed and it never let up till way past midnight. What a night! Huge props to Ekundayo and KMNDZ for delivering what many in attendance claimed to be "the show of the year", from gallery owners to collectors to regular patrons alike, all were praising the show throughout the eve. We're honored to be hosting this show, but all the praise most definitly should be geared towards the artists as they poured their hearts into this show and it shows.

Tons of additional opening night action posted here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/thinkspace/sets/72157607945862375/

Some great opening night shots have also already been posted over here by our good friend Gino, check 'em out: http://www.flickr.com/photos/joukar/sets/72157607929212374/

Some great works still available, view them here: http://www.sourharvest.com/thinkspace/2008/redforest/works.php

There's also some great lil' street gems still available (see below) when we left last night at 2AM... look about our block...

Watch for more news to be posted over the coming month...

Red Forest opens tonight!!!

Enter the Red Forest tonight - Fri, Oct. 10th 7-11PM

thinkspace

View the works from the show at the below link:
http://www.sourharvest.com/thinkspace/2008/redforest/works.php

Be sure to arrive early, as there are numerous smaller works not featured on the digital preview, that are meant to be lil' discoveries for those attending the opening in person.

Ekundayo and KMNDZ have been pretty much living in our gallery since this past Sunday... please come enjoy the fruits of their labor and congratulate them on one of the strongest exhibits we've been fortunate enough to host.

Damon Soule in NYC / debut LA solo upcoming in '10...

Portland resident and New York City native Damon Soule will be having his 1st NYC solo show this coming Saturday at the Joshua Liner Gallery (formerly Lineage Gallery in Philadelphia). We so wish we could be there to check out his new works, as he has just hit it out of the park in so many ways.

Damon Soule

Amused Loon

October 11 - November 15, 2008 @ Joshua Liner (NYC)

To check out all the works in his NYC solo show, check out the below link:

http://joshualinergallery.com/soule_selectedworks.html#assets/

Check out an interview FecalFace.com just did with Soule here:

http://www.fecalface.com/SF/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1284

And stay up to date with Soule via his amazing blog at:

http://soule23.tumblr.com/

OH... and get ready for Soule's debut LA solo show with us (thinkspace) come spring 2010. So excited for this... going to be tough to wait, but with the 2009 we've got lined up, it will be a fun ride as we go into 2010. In the meantime, keep an eye out for another collaborative book project from Soule with Mars-1, Oliver Vernon, and others (the same collective of artists that brought you 'Convergence' and '4').

Recommended openings to catch this weekend...

Recommended openings to catch this weekend...

Fri, Oct. 10th 7-11PM
thinkspace
4210 Santa Monica Blvd in Los Angeles / 323.913.3375
“Red Forest” featuring new works and an installation from Ekundayo and Johnny “KMNDZ” Rodriguez + “Moments Of Bliss” featuring new works from Jeaneen Carlino & select new works also on view from Michael Alvarez in our project room
(Both exhibits on view through Oct. 31st)
http://www.thinkspacegallery.com/

Sat, Oct. 11th @ 7PM
BOXeight
1446 East Washington Blvd in Los Angeles
“Native Sons” featuring new works from Sage Vaughn - curated by Galerie Bertrand & Gruner
(On view through Oct. 15th)

Sat, Oct. 11th 7-10PM
Cerasoli : LeBasse Gallery
8530-B Washington Blvd in Culver City / 310.558.0911
“Blender” inaugural exhibition with works in gallery 1 from Vincent Hui, Melissa Haslam, Ryuichi Ogino, Deth P. Sun and Mari Inukai plus in gallery 2 new works from Jennifer Davis and Suzanne Sattler
(On view through Nov. 1st)
http://www.cerasoli-lebasse.com/

Sat, Oct. 11th 10PM-2AM (free all night)
Club Ultraluxx @ The Mountain
473 Gin Ling Way in Los Angeles
“Honey Time with The Hive” featuring 11 live painters from the The Hive Studios
http://www.thehivegallery.com/

Sat, Oct. 11th 8-11:30PM
Copro Nason Gallery
2525 Michigan Ave, Space T-5 at Bergamot Station in Santa Monica / 310.398.2643
“Day of the Dead” featuring new drawings from Laurie Lipton in gallery 1 + “Fun Size Frights” from Dave Burke in gallery 2 + “Immaculate Deception” from Jimmy Pickering in gallery 3
(On view through Nov. 1st)
http://www.copronason.com/

Sat, Oct. 11th 7-10PM
DDR Projects
1532 East Broadway in Long Beach / 562.590.9030
“Blackwater Opera” featuring new works from dear earthling
(On view through Nov. 4th)
http://www.ddrprojects.com/

Sat, Oct. 11th 6-9PM
Kinsey / DesForges
6009 Washington Blvd. In Culver City / 310.837.1989
New works from Lisa Solberg
(On view through Nov. 8th)
http://www.kinseydesforges.com/

Sat, Oct. 11th 6-10PM
Lab 101
8539 Washington Blvd. in Culver City / 310.945.5974
“Shy Fireworks” featuring new small works from Ferris Plock & Kelly Tunstall
(On view through Nov. 1st)
http://www.thelab101.com/

Sat, Oct. 11th 6-9PM
La Luz De Jesus Gallery
4633 Hollywood Blvd. in Los Angeles / 323.666.7667
“Standing In Two Circles: The Collected Works of Boyd Rice” – book release, signing and exhibition
http://www.laluzdejesus.com/

Sat, Oct. 11th 5-7PM
Ben Maltz Gallery @ OTIS College
“Phantasmoria” featuring a massive installation from Mark Dean Veca (’85 alumni) - do NOT miss this show if you can, it's going to be amazing (see teaser image above courtesy of SuperTouchArt.com)
(On view through Dec. 6th)
http://www.otis.edu/

Sat, Oct. 11th 6-8PM
Roberts and Tilton
6150 Wilshire Blvd in Los Angeles / 323.549.0223
“Flowers As They Are In The Field (Hana Wa No Ni Aruyouni)” – new works from Ai Yamaguchi
(On view through Nov. 8th)
http://www.robertsandtilton.com/

Sat, Oct. 11th 7-10PM
Billy Shire Fine Arts
5790 Washington Blvd. In Los Angeles / 323.297.0600
“Paradise and Wildlife” featuring new works from Miriam Wosk + new works from Tim Tate also on view
(On view through Nov. 8th)
http://www.billyshirefinearts.com/

Sat, Oct. 11th 8-11PM
Solid Gallery One
334 N. Fairfax Ave in Los Angeles / 323.939.3003
“Delirium” featuring new works from 13:11 (aka Bill McEvoy)
(On view through Nov. 16th)
http://www.solidgalleryone.com/

Sat, Oct. 11th 7-10PM
Zero One Gallery
530 South Hewitt Street (Barker Block, Suite 141) in Los Angeles / 213.689.0101
New works and prints from Mear One plus the release of Mear One’s new DVD
http://www.01gallery.com/

The transformation continues... Red Forest nears...

KMNDZ and Ekundayo have been living at the gallery pretty much since Sunday afternoon and are down there pulling an all-nighter again tonight. Transforming the gallery from the ground up, so much going on... below is a candid shot of Johnny and Jeaneen both putting the finishing touches on a piece from earlier this evening...

Meanwhile, upfront in the entry area, Ekundayo is busy laying down the foundation for what will be an absolutely awe inspiring mural to great our patrons as they enter the gallery...

So much still to come... they are sleeping at the gallery, just going off on the place.

Flavorpill.net have named it the art event of this Friday in LA...

"Hot off the success of their individual Thinkspace exhibitions, Ekundayo and Johnny "KMNDZ" Rodriguez join forces for their first-ever collaborative collection at their favorite Silver Lake gallery. Named for the "most radioactive place on Earth," Ekundayo and Rodriguez's Red Forest features paintings that focus on man and his many vices, comparing the effects of nuclear power plants to the effects of drugs, alcohol, and general debauchery." - Ashley Tibbits (FLAVORPILL.NET)

Look for add'l sneak peeks to be posted tomorrow on:
http://www.vinylpulse.com/
http://www.arrestedmotion.com/
http://www.dailydujour.com/

Don't miss this show. I can't say much more than that.

"Red Forest" progress...

To say that the Dayo and Johnny are transforming the gallery is an understatement.

So much going on, it's a lil' factory... get ready and get by early, as there will be many small works we're saving back for opening night... more info soon.

Look for additional sneak peeks to be posted on www.hifructose.com, http://www.arrestedmotion.com/ and http://www.vinylpulse.com over the coming days.

Red Forest

Ekundayo & KMNDZ

Fri, Oct. 10th 7-11PM

Coming this December...

An interview with Michael Alvarez

An interview with Michael Alvarez

1) Please talk a lil' bit about the general idea/vibe behind your new series of works for Assholism.
There are assholish influences through out the paintings that are being implemented either through the actions of the subject matter, on the subject matter through outside forces(society, other people, anxiety, random things) beyond their control, through myself for the way I expressed the particular situation, or through the viewer for the possible perception of the instance. The general vibe is that sh*t happens, live with it, roll with it, and either grow from it or get caught up it in.

When I use the word assh*le, I use it loosely, so it has various degrees to it, because there are so many things that can constitute what an assh*le is (other than the literal), because it is subjective. Some paintings are serious, some are less, and some are just situations that I find awkward or funny. I'm kind of an awkward dude and I like to laugh, so it's what I relate too. It's crazy too because those type of situations usually make for the best stories later on in life. I really just tried to capture these specific moments in my life. I guess its the stuff that stands out in my mind the most, because I think alot about sociology and human behavior.

2) Whatʼs your earliest memory involving art or creating art?
I've got documentation of one of my earliest memories on my website. It's a picture of me and my sister drawing on the walls of our house (see image below). Back then the subject matter was mostly He-Man, Popeye, Ninja Turtles, and Michael Jackson.

3) When are you most productive / when do you normally work on art?
I am normally most productive when I know I have no other obligations to take care of, and I can really zone out. Certain times of the year I get really tired at night, so I primarily work during the daytime. Sometimes I can get really in the zone and work all night, but if I do then I'll take a few breaks to watch some South Park.

4) Tell us a bit about your new day job working with kids and how that may be starting to influence your art, since family and friends play a major role in many of your works.
It's awesome, I've only been doing it for a month and so far it's been a blast. I got hooked up through my friend Asylm with this organzation called The Heart Project. It's this organization that has many different types of art classes that are offered to inner-city teens. They're very fun, and are doing some awesome work. It is very inspiring because these youths have this crazy energy that I find very inspiring. As I grow older, that quality is something I want to preserve. I am a firm believer in balance, and as I get older and more rational, I always want to have that side that is more spontaneous and down to wild out. Life would be boring for me otherwise. Major props to Asylm, The Heart Project, Stephen the workshop coordinator, and all the students at La Familia.

5) Tell us something about yourself that someone would never guess in their wildest dreams.
I like Michael McDonald and Christopher Cross. Especially when they collaborated on the song "Ride Like the Wind".

6) Are you reading anything right now?
Tori Spelling's new book sTori Telling.

7) Do you listen to music while creating? If so, do you have a current favorite that inspires?
I listen to music nonstop while working. I share a studio with Ekundayo and we are always searching for new music, and the rotation is constantly changing. The music that stays in the rotation most are The 13th Floor Elevators, Roky Erickson, Ween, Ghostface Killa, The Wu, Roxy Music, Bad Brains, Beatles, Rolling Stones, The Jim Carroll Band, Joe Jackson, Desmond Dekker, Om, Os Mutantes and St. Vincent when it's time to go to sleep. Also when Dayo's got his ipod at the studio, I always have to listen to Nastradoomus. It's Nas' vocals over MF Doom's beats. It's the shit. Also, almost everynight I gotta have my Art LaBoe Killer Oldies.

8) If you had to explain your work to a stranger, how would you do so?
I guess somewhat figurative with a little bit of exaggeration and abstraction in certain areas. Pretty grimey. I use photo reference because I love pictures and how they capture moments. I also add things and change things due to spontaneous impulse. The content and emotion of my paintings are all across the spectrum because I like to base them on events that stand out in my mind, issues I can't get out of my mind, or things I find intriguing or funny.

9) Favorite artist (living or dead) and what makes them special to you?
There are too many that really inspire me so I'm drawing a blank right now, but I just read an interview with Barron Storey that I thought was awesome. When I was going to Art Center I was fortunate enough to hear him speak twice, and thought it was amazing. I'm very inspired by people who are very passionate about what they do, don't give a shit what people think, stay themselves the whole way through, and are down to kick out a little substance. This dude is prolific too, he must have brought like 80 sketchbooks for our class to check out. Thanks to Kent Williams, who is another great artist, we were able to hear him speak.

10) What have you got coming up in terms of shows and projects after this show?
I will be showing at Art Basel/Gen Art Vanguard with Thinkspace, which I am really stoked on. I will be participating in a tribute show to the Beastie Boys in January at Gallery 1988. I also have a piece featured in a book that was just released on the L.A river. The book is called The Ulysses Guide to the Los Angeles River which features the history, biology, stories, graffiti (spots, landmarks, buff marks), hobo monikers, and artwork inspired by the river. The artwork is awesome, and also features some never before seen Chaz Bajorquez stuff. Check more out on it at http://www.uglarbook.com/. Otherwise I just gotta keep grinding.
11) What are you doing right after this interview?
Chillin. Surfing the web, and my girlfriend is watching the VH1 top 100 best hip hop songs of all time.

Michael Alvarez
Assholism
Oct. 10th - Oct. 31st in our project room

Check out more at: http://www.michaelalvarezart.com/

Beyond Baby Tattooville @ RAM (opening night)...

This past Saturday night we headed out to Riverside to take in the opening for the Beyond Baby Tattooville exhibition taking place during Baby Tattooville weekend at the historic Mission Inn. Before we got to Riverside, we made the treck down to Laguna to take in In The Land Of Retinal Delights one more time. Sadly, no photos were allowed, despite being one of the galleries helping to present the event. Regardless, was a pleasure to view without a packed house and the accomapnying exhibition catalog of the event will be ready by early November the bookstore informed us and provide us all with several photos of the exhibition and works within.

Upon arriving at the Riverside Art Museum we were greeted by the one and only Shag (see his epic new work below - one part of a gigantic tripdych that graced the back wall of the exhibition hall) who provided the week's limited editon name bages for all Baby Tattooville attendees and Mark Murphy of Murphy Design who created a really nice lil' booklet for all those that attended the getaway...

Hannah Aitchison of LA Ink was on hand for the opening, seen chating above with Billy Shire...

Brandi Milne thrilled fans of the getaway weekend with very nice lil' drawings created on antique matchbooks. Her two new works which were featured on a lil' set of walls in the middle of the exhibit (see pic below) were snapped up quickly by attendees of Baby Tattooville and this weekend really helped broaden her appeal with collectors in a big way. Brandi is pictured above with my wife Shawn. Looking super forward to Brandi's upcoming solo with us this spring...

International man of mystery Tim Biskup exhibited an amazing piece somewhat reminiscent of the works on view at his current European solo show (see above). Speaking of Mr. Biskup, word was things got a lil' outta hand on Friday night during the Baby Tattooville getaway and... well, see the man below on crutches showing us love (flanked by Amanda Visell, Joe Ledbetter and Jack from Vinyl Pulse / Daily DuJour)...

Shown above is the collector trifecta of Tanley Wong, Marcus Lo and Hung-Hei Yung - super cool to get to see 'em all together and if you get a chance, be sure to check out Hung-Hei and Tan's new venture - http://www.arrestedmotion.com/ - yet another great source for art happenings to bookmark on your browser...

A couple of our favorites from the show... Gris Grimley (above) and James Jean's epic new one below...

And by far the show stopper (for us) was the below piece from Michael Whelen (click on for high res image - this has to be seen blown up to really appreciate it fully). A name many attending the weekend were not very familiar with, but I've a feeling many now have him on their must have list.