Stories of the week: Jean-Michel Basquiat Untitled 1981 self-portrait to fetch a new auction record for the artist. Woman who scratched, punched, and urinated near a Clyfford Still painting bottomless is sentenced. Richard Phillips creates another film featuring Lindsay Lohan – to premiere at Art Basel. Erykah Badu not happy with artistic decisions made by The Flaming Lips. Drew Barrymore marries art dealer Will Kopelman in Southern California. Vice Magazine reviews Tyler Shields’ LA exhibition. The Birkin bag that he destroyed may have been a […]
Recently, the Merry Karnowsky gallery presented new artwork by Edward Walton Wilcox. Titled Though You Slay Me, the show featured a number of oil paintings which focused on Wilcox’s use of the chiaroscuro effect to create a series of gloomy portraits and environments. Also on display were a collection of sketches which incorporate his style and technique but in a different size and format. Perhaps the show’s main attraction however was a miniature sculpture of a windmill which kept with the same vision as the […]
This week, our Art Focus feature returns with a look at French painter Christophe Avella-Bagur and his Floating Souls series. The striking portraits comprise of what appear to be a bland outer layer which represents what the world expects from us, whereas the color and detailed version on the inside represents our true selves. Avella-Bagur has extensively exhibited in French museums and art centers, as well as European and Asian art fairs with a current show in New York at the Galerie Richard for those […]
Another high profile artist to visit Cuba during the 11th Havana Biennial (also see JR x Jose Parla) was the LA-based El Mac. Set up by Primary Flight out of Miami, the Cisneros-Fontanals Art Foundation (CIFO), and the UNEAC, (National Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba), putting up the piece put Mac under a lot of pressure for a variety of reasons. He finally settled on painting a local lady named Adis Naranjo who he hoped personified the average Cuban, representing her as powerful […]
Spanish street artist Escif was recently invited to Gaeta, Italy for the Memorie Urbane Festival where painted a mural entitled Angolo Di Riflessione or Angle of Reflection. The image may look familiar because just up the coast at Isola del Giglio in Tuscany, the Costa Concordia partially sank taking the lives of 32 passengers and crew, an incident which was tainted by the controversial actions of the captain. Other artists slated to work on walls include Agostino Iacurci, Sten + Lex, Teresa Orazio, and Anteprima […]
Tomorrow, June 9th (from 1-4 PM), Luke Chueh (interviewed) will be at the Gallery 1988 (Melrose location) signing his new book Bearing The Unbearable. Covering work from 2003-2009, the monograph is the first major publication from the LA-based artist known for his dark and humorous imagery featuring his cartoon-like characters including his infamous bear. Take a look at some photos we took of an advance copy down as well as a the full signing schedule and details down below. SATURDAY JUNE 9th, 2012 (1PM – 4PM) […]
A couple Saturdays ago, the Thinkspace Gallery in Culver City hosted the opening for Wild at Heart, a benefit show where some of the proceeds went towards Born Free USA. The group exhibition featured artists and their choice of endangered species to paint or work with leading to some great pieces being created. Co-curated by Amanda Erlanson and Andrew Hosner, the impressive lineup included Wayne White, Andrew Hem, Aron Wiesenfeld, Dabs Myla, Martin Wittfooth, Amy Sol, Aryz, Chet Zar, Esao Andrews, Frank Gonzales, Mary Iverson, Amy […]
On Tuesday night, Los Angeles showgoers got their midweek art fix at Stephen Webster when the City of Fire exhibition was unveiled. With pieces filling the walls from Cyrcle., Thomas Doyle, Ron English, James Jean, Kid Zoom, Dave Kinsey, MARS-1, Patrick Martinez, Pedro Matos, REVOK, Rostarr, Andrew Schoultz, SABER, Jeff Soto, Judith Supine, TrustoCorp, Mark Dean Veca, Nick Walker, and Adam Wallacavage as well as free-flowing drinks courtesy of Kanon Vodka, a good time was had by all. Arrested Motion had a great time putting the show together […]
This Saturday, the Shooting Gallery in San Francisco will be hosting a new body of work from Kevin Peterson. Entitled Prospective, the solo showing will feature the local painter’s juxtaposition of his characters (often innocent children) against urban backgrounds dealing with issues of isolation and uncertainty. Peterson’s statement about the show – “For this show, I continue to examine the varied journeys we take through life. It’s about growing up and living in a world that is broken. These paintings are about trauma, fear and […]
On June 16th, Patrick Martinez will be opening his latest solo show at the Known Gallery entitled Lovely Day. For this new body of work, the LA-based artist who initially made his name with his neon works that play on hip-hop themes will be focusing on two ideas. One will be the the juxtaposition of the beauty seen in the City of Angels with the evil things that happen there with the other being an exploration of the male psyche. Along with his sculptural work and […]
With the weather turning nicer, the Sheffiled-based Phlegm was able to get out and about painting a set of murals entitled Waterways. The whimsical pieces feature his signature characters and his continued exploration of the nautical theme, which was appropriate considering his placement. Looks like he also may have gotten a little wet based on the difficult locations he had to work in. Discuss Phlegm here.
After hitting up Belgium with his illustrative murals, Ericailcane returned to his home country to put in some more work. This newest piece was painted in Modena, Italy featuring one of his beloved animals hoarding a stash coins tied in a stranglehold around its neck while teetering on the edge of a cliff. Pretty insightful commentary on the financial health of Europe don’t you think? Look for more from Eric the Dog for the upcoming Fame Festival. Photo by Ms Larsen (via Unurth). Discuss Ericailcane […]
