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Category Archives: Contemporary Art

Openings: Jose Parla @ Cristina Grajales

AM was in attendance Saturday night for the opening of Jose Parla’s first NYC solo show, entitled Layered Days at Cristina Grajales. In addition to the caligraphic abstract paintings and watercolors for which Parla has earned his reputation as one of urban art’s most sought-after artists, the exhibition also included several beautiful ceramic works, made in collaboration with the Ichi-Yo Gama family-owned Bizen-yaki factory in Japan. There was also a wall-sized mixed-medium installation of paintings, drawings, photography and more. Parla himself was on hand for […]

It’s A New Day – will.i.am

A new celebration video for Obama came out recently by will.i.am from the Black Eyed Peas.  What’s interesting is that alot of the street art and iconic images from his campaign were incorporated from artists such as Shepard Fairey, Ron English, and even Josh Keyes (not sure why?).  Also stopped by Subliminal Projects last night to see the “Letters and Ligatures” show and chatted a little with Shepard Fairey and he told us that some of the video was filmed on the roof and around […]

Openings: Faile – Lost in Glimmering Shadows

At an abandoned school house in Vauxhall, UK last night, Faile and Lazarides held a special opening reception for their new show: Lost In Glimmering Shadows. There was much speculation and rumors regarding their new works which included Wood Palettes and Prayer Wheels. AM recently previewed some exclusive images for the coming show, but we never could imagine what the final product would be… Judging from the last night’s tremendous opening, it’s apparent that Faile brought the “heavy lumber” directly from New York and transformed this schoolhouse […]

Openings: Greg Simkins – It Wanders West

Ever let your imagination run wild? Well you wouldn’t have a choice at a Craola show and this one was a stunner. Last night, Greg “Craola” Simkins premiered Part II of his “It Wanders…” show and AM was on hand to catch the opening reception. A lively crowd quickly packed Gallery 1988 to see the sold-out show. Greg was on hand to meet and greet his numerous fans. Taking time to speak and catch up with his fans is something that Greg tries to do […]

Recap: Bonhams Contemporary Urban Art Panel

Last night, AM had the opportunity to attend a very special event held by Bonhams LA. A unique panel of speakers from different corners of the Urban art genre gathered to discuss the state of the Urban art market and the economics/dynamics of today’s art marketplace. This was a lively discussion moderated by Seth Carmichael of the Carmichael Gallery. Artists such as US based Shepard Fairey  and UK based Charming Baker mingled with Art Critic: Shana Dambrot, Film maker: Jon Reiss, and Cataloger @ Bonhams: […]

Openings: Kaws @ Gering & Lopez Gallery

Last night KAWS had a very special opening reception to kickoff his new exhibition at Gering & López Gallery in New York. This marks his highly anticipated return to the New York fine art scene. AM friend: Wendy from Nitrolicious was invited by Edison Chen to join the opening night festivities which included celebrities and industry notables such as: Haze, Edison Chen, Dr. Romanelli, Peter Wentz (Fall Out Boy) and Leo (Union). The works varied in medium and size including Acrylic on canvas, Fiberglass sculpture, […]

Ron English Abraham Obama Bust

Got an email this morning from Mindstyle about the release of Ron English’s Abraham Obama Bust. Along with Shepard Fairey’s work, the Obama x Abraham Lincoln remix by English would probably be one of the top two most iconic Obama images out there. There will be multiple colorways released with each one limited to 50. More info after the jump.

Openings: Ron English @ Shooting Gallery

Ron English’s show “The Secret History of KISS” (previewed) opened last weekend at the Shooting Gallery. He took the band’s trademark face paint and melded it with baroque era-styled paintings for an unexpected effect. It’s like he used a time machine, took Rembrandt hostage, and forced him to add the iconic makeup to his paintings. This show also reminded us as to how amazing and versatile Ron’s technical skills are. More photos after the jump.

Openings: Jim Houser & Richard Colman @ White Walls

Jim Houser and Richard Colman’s “Awful Mountain” (previewed) opened last night at White Walls in SF. As usual, Houser’s installations complemented his paintings perfectly. If only collectors could have him go to their houses and setup the pieces they own in a similar fashion. Colman had some large pieces that were quite eyecatching.  His work has some similarities to Dalek (we hear they are long-time friends with their first show in the scene being a two-person show at Merry Karnowsky years back) but seems more […]

Preview: Pour Me Some Smoke @ Carmichael Gallery

Next Thursday, Carmichael Gallery will open up a great group show featuring the works of Case, Charming Baker, Ian Strawn, Guy Denning, and TRXTR. The opening reception is Nov 6th from 8pm to Midnight. As previously reported: Charming will also be participating in the Bonhams Contemporary: Urban art discussion panel hosted by Seth Carmichael which includes AM friend Shepard Fairey! Time: November 6th, 8pm-Midnight Carmichael Gallery of Contemporary Art 1257 N. La Brea Avenue West Hollywood, CA 90038 More pics after the jump