Event Coverage: “Creators of Culture” at LA Art Show 2017

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Walking through the LA Art Show, taking in not only the painting, prints and sculpture, but the food, drink, costume, performance and music- one really can’t deny that Los Angeles plays a key role in not only mirroring, but creating culture in our world.

The LA Art Show this year, compared to last year’s- and definitely in relation to Miami Basel which I recently returned from- felt refreshingly intimate. It seemed possible to take in a decent amount of the work without returning multiple days.

The event consisted of a range of elements on top of visual art- but all were done so nicely as to be art forms in their own right! There were plentiful bars, sometimes under futuristic-looking structures, and a spacious zone devoted to edible samplings- from gourmet deviled eggs to jumbo hot dogs to Jamaican coffee!

Fred Tieken- Coagula Curatorial

Harland Miller– Who Cares Wins and Hard As Fuck

Yi Hwan Kwon- CMAY Gallery

The Culver Hotel Lounge mixed the air with relaxed yet upbeat live jazz.

The people in attendance were the art as much as the gallery pieces- and some may have been both! There was a sort of wandering, painted performance art group- but without having had the chance to speak with them, I can’t say whether this was connected to a gallery or was an independently organized contribution! Meticulously constructed outfits were the subject of documentation. Murals were generated under the gaze of spectators!

Jules Muck

There was all manner of expressive and fanciful sculpture sprouting up along the periphery and occasionally interior spots within the grid of galleries.

Lee Shamel “Scepter of the Crystal Frame” at Copro Gallery 

Damien Hirst x Lalique– Love Is All You Need

It was delightful to see so much impressive work from a large quantity of Los Angeles and southern California galleries- as one would expect here in L.A.- compared to the more mixed presence from around the world in Miami’s Art Fairs. There was certainly a wonderful array of international galleries represented here as well- France, Spain, Austria, Japan, and United Arab Emirates, to name a few!
In addition, there were galleries in town from around the states- San Diego, Santa Fe, New Orleans, New York and Miami.

Brian Bent- Artists Republic Gallery

Michael McCall- Timothy Yarger fine Arts

Mel Bochner- Masterworks Fine Art

Larry Rivers – Homage to Picasso, 1974

Despite this pleasing blend, some of my favorite work- perhaps some of the most boldly colorful, playful and free-spirited- WAS sited in Los Angeles galleries, both prominent and previously unknown to me: from the Ace Gallery to AC Gallery; Coagula Curatorial to Cmay Gallery; Timothy Yager Fine Arts to PYO Gallery.

Liz McGrath/Brian Poor– Damn Ohmeter

Kim Nampyo- PYO Gallery

Lee Jaewook- PYO Gallery

NUNCA and Retna- Art All Ways

Luca Valentini- Sconci Art Gallery

Reinhard Gorner- K+Y Gallery

Be sure to visit and not only see, but hear, drink and taste this curation of Los Angeles itself. It’s a tour of myriad worlds, and a reminder of why you’re proud to be an Angleno!

More details on the LA Art Show that runs through Sunday January 15th, can be found on our Cartwheel Art Preview and on the LA Art Show website.

Top Photo: Ruth Pastine- Ace Gallery

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