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Art Spotting: Gallery (P)reviews
by Andie Villafañe
Robert Berman Gallery
“Vagos y Reinas” is the first gallery show by collaborating artists and muralists Mac and Retna. Each has a distinct style and technique of their own that complements the other. Mac is known for his photorealist portraits with spray paint, Retna for his abstract embellishments and calligraphic brushwork. Their process begins with the selection of an image, either one they’ve photographed themselves or pulled from a library. Once Mac completes the portrait, Retna adorns it with vignettes reminiscent of the Art Nouveau style, merged with motifs inspired by Byzantine designs. The title of the show translates to “vagrants and queens,” a reference to their street-infused style of celestial depictions of women that bring to mind the works of Alphonse Mucha and Gustav Klimt. The most prominent paintings in the show are “Gracias a la Vida” and “El Veterano.” The two 11 × 11 ft canvases hang side by side, occupying an entire wall. The first portrays the softness of a divine woman, the latter the ruggedness of a Chicano gangster – a nod to the streets, where their murals reside. The exhibit also showcases individual works by each artist. On view are Mac’s exquisite portraits on canvas, and Retna’s floor-to-ceiling sculptural installation of his calligraphic font, made from paper and polystyrene. Coinciding with the show is the release of “Alianza,” a 96-page hardcover book that documents their partnership. In just five years, Mac and Retna have collaborated on more than 20 murals, gaining attention and applause in Los Angeles and several cities around the world. You can spot one of their achievements on the east side of La Brea, between 3rd and 4th streets.
Robert Berman Gallery exhibits mid-career and established artists working in all mediums. Founded in 1979, the gallery was one of the first at Bergamot Station.
On view until Oct 17. Tue-Sat: 11am-6pm.
2525 Michigan Ave # C2
Santa Monica 90404
(310) 315-9506.
www.robertbermangallery.com
Art Share Gallery
“End of the Line – Ten Years of Hatchets” showcases 70 works by artist provocateur Richard Ankrom. Cast in resin, the “hatchets” measure 15” high x 5” wide x 1” deep. Each tells a story of sentimentality and nostalgia. The transparent forms are embedded with a variety of pills and kitsch items such as silk flowers, smiley faces, feathers and bird figurines. Originally, Ankrom exclusively laced the shape with plastic roses and real candies to reflect his affection for a special someone. Once the romance ended, the sadness kicked in, and so did the antidepressants. Emulating his actions, he began adding medications into the mix. He found that some pills caused a chemical reaction within the resin. This created protrusions that added character to the hatchet’s form – an apparent analogy between the artist and his art. Since 2000, Richard has cast around 175 hatchets that comment on his own issues, along with current trends in society. The discourse shifted from Ankrom’s quest for beauty, illustrated with flower petals suspended in blades, to the controversy of popping a pill to make it all better.
Art Share Gallery, curated by Martha De Perez and Enrique Lopez, is a non-profit organization that shapes lives through art, education and community action.
Closing reception: Oct. 9. 7-11pm.
On view until Oct 10. Mon – Fri: 12 – 7pm. Sat: 9am – 2pm.
801 E 4th Place, Los Angeles 90013
(213) 687-4278.
www.artsharela.org
Fahey/Klein Gallery
“A Shadow Falls” is a selection of works by renowned photographer Nick Brandt. The photographs on view are part of an ongoing project to memorialize the vanishing natural grandeur of East Africa. Brandt’s panoramas of animals and landscapes combine majestic backdrops with a portraitist’s approach to animals. Each image documents magnificent beauty and serenity on the verge of extinction. A herd of elephants on the move, a cheetah and her cubs standing guard, and giraffes with their elongated necks embracing are some of the creatures that Brandt’s lens delicately captures. Thirty large-scale prints span two rooms, giving the viewer a sense of what it feels like to be surrounded by regal wildlife. Like all of Brandt’s projects, creating awareness is his driving force. “A Shadow Falls” continues his project of information and conservation. Brandt shoots with film in close proximity, using a Pentax 6×7 camera to convey an epic vision of awe-inspiring moments. Every photograph is a memento of what is quickly disappearing. It is Brandt’s belief that knowing what there is to save, encourages us to make a commitment to act.
Fahey/Klein Gallery exhibits vintage and contemporary fine art photography with intent to enhance appreciation of the medium.
On view until Oct 17. Tue – Sat: 10am – 6pm.
148 N. La Brea, Los Angeles 90036
(323) 934-2250
www.faheykleingallery.com
C4 Contemporary Gallery
“Drawing Machines” is an exhibit of drawings, photographs, lithographs and maquettes by Canadian artist Alan Storey. In the last 20 years, Storey has developed a series of devices that record traces of human activity within a specific environment. The works on view are a documentation of these random movements, created by people, weather and other objects. “Handle with Care” is a shipping container that traveled from Vancouver to L.A. It contained a moveable carriage that held a specially designed pen used by NASA. Within the context of the moving vehicle, the box itself became a passive drawing machine. The vibrations, acceleration and braking of the truck were inked within the inside of the container. The resulting marks support Storey’s philosophy that his works of art engage the viewer into exploring the content and its relationship to its surrounding sites. In “Device for Drawing the Movements of a Ballerina,” a stylus pen in the dancer’s hair tracked her motions across the stage during several evenings of performance. Another drawing of many that Storey manifests using chance as a normal operating parameter.
C4 Contemporary presents visceral and resonant works that engage the viewer personally, culturally and intellectually.
On view until Oct 24. Tues – Sun: 12 – 8pm
5647 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood 90028
(323) 462-1600
www.c4gallery.com
Sam Lee Gallery
“Still & Still Moving” features six large-scale watercolors by multidisciplinary, Brooklyn-based artist Chris Doyle. The paintings are of individual unmade beds from Doyle’s different hotel stays as a traveling, commissioned artist. Each work displays dramatic variations of color, with a superb handle on chiaroscuro and drapery reminiscent of those employed in old master paintings. The artist places the viewer at the edge of the bed with each slightly larger-than-life painting that measures close to 47 × 68 inches. The disheveled sheets may be interpreted as introspective and erotic. The forms may be seen as feminine or phallic. The narrative is open to questions. Was the bed occupied by just one person? Or lovers? The show’s title is borrowed from a line in T.S. Elliot’s “Four Quartets” that suggests a transient state. “Still & Still Moving” observes the passage of time, remarking on an undeniable presence that was once there. For Doyle, the hotel room is an extension of his studio, and the bed a place of passion and a port of refuge for his lyrical and philosophical investigations.
Sam Lee Gallery expands on its approach to exhibiting contemporary art by launching its second gallery space at Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood.
On view until Nov 28. Mon – Fri: 12 – 5 pm
8687 Melrose Ave, Ste B267, W. Hollywood 90069
(323) 788-3535
www.samleegallery.com
-AV
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