Kulture Kreator: An Interview with Craig Stecyk

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Kulture Kreator: An Interview with Craig Stecyk

I’m not going to lie, from the moment I was asked to interview Craig Stecyk about curating Kustom Kulture II, I started to freak the hell out. Oh, I put on a calm front—‘Sure. Yeah, I’ll do it.” But once I hung up the phone, I was seized by a mild neurotic meltdown. There is the…

High Five: C.A.V.E. Gallery Celebrates Their Fifth Anniversary

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High Five: C.A.V.E. Gallery Celebrates Their Fifth Anniversary

  As soon as I was asked to cover “High Five”, the fifth anniversary group show at C.A.V.E. Gallery, I started asking myself some questions.  Like, what is it that sets C.A.V.E. apart from its peers? Why is it consistently one of my favorite places to see art? There were some easy answers, sure; Patrick…

Intellectual Property to Debut New Prints at Venice Art Walk!

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Intellectual Property to Debut New Prints at Venice Art Walk!

Daniel Rolnik and Ryan McIntosh are dangerous enough on their own, but now that they are combining their tireless forces, we should all tremble. Art world domination is close at hand. Oh sure, they seem all cute, and nice, and friendly but think about it. How could anybody work as hard and fast as these…

Gag Me With A Toon 5 at WWA Gallery!

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Gag Me With A Toon 5 at WWA Gallery!

  If you think WWA Gallery is preying on your easiest emotions with their fifth annual “Gag Me With A Toon” exhibit, well, you’re absolutely right. This is a very specific vein they are tapping. The first dramatic connection many of us have with art is through cartoons, comic strips, comic books. and for Generation…

Craola Mania at Merry Karnowsky!

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Craola Mania at Merry Karnowsky!

  “RSVP Mandatory” on the invite should have tipped me off that this might be treacherous. The line around the block should have sent me retreating. During the half-hour wait to get into Greg “Craola” Simkins‘ opening at Merry Karnowsky, a car stopped in the middle of La Brea, the driver yelled “Is that the…

Sweet Dreams Are Made Of This: Eye Candy at WWA Gallery

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Sweet Dreams Are Made Of This: Eye Candy at WWA Gallery

  It’s a can’t lose proposition really. “Eye Candy,” that’s the title of the latest group exhibition at WWA Gallery. It’s a wide open theme, leaving an infinite panorama of options for the eleven artists featured to throw themselves into. Some of the artists, like Gabe Larson and Aaron Jasinski, clearly reveled in the opportunity to stray…

Training Wheels: “Art Collector Starter Kit” at Corey Helford Gallery

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Training Wheels: “Art Collector Starter Kit” at Corey Helford Gallery

  It’s a shrewd move really, and one I’m sure a lot of galleries will be emulating. Corey Helford Gallery asked their stable of top tier artists to create 12″ x 12″ pieces for “Art Collector Starter Kit” (which opened Saturday). This allowed the artists and gallery to set the prices within the realm of possibility for…

Brave New Worlds: “Futurology” and Heidi Taillifer at Copro Gallery

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Brave New Worlds: “Futurology” and Heidi Taillifer at Copro Gallery

Considering we live in an age of digital footprints, cyber-surveillance, and  iron domes, I’m surprised that I don’t see more paranoid art. I see a lot of sad bunnies and suicidal bears, but I reckon that has more to do with our inner-child, lost youth, and other icky therapeutic garbage than anything dealing with Orwellian…

Art Is Voyeurism: A Report from Santa Monica Airport Artwalk

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Art Is Voyeurism: A Report from Santa Monica Airport Artwalk

There are artists far more fearless and tolerant than I. This was made harshly apparent to me on Saturday at the 7th annual Santa Monica Airport Artwalk. It’s one thing to share close studio quarters with other (potentially more talented) artists in converted airplane hangars. I imagine that can breed fruitful inspiration, and healthy competition,…

Animal Style: A Conversation with JAW Cooper

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Animal Style: A Conversation with JAW Cooper

  JAW Cooper doesn’t know this, but she often wakes me up. She gets me out of bed. You see, I have very troubled sleep and most mornings my eyes open before the alarm sounds. In those drowsy moments, when my body isn’t quite motivated to propel itself off the mattress yet, I end up…

Sleepwalking Along the Dotted Line: JoKa at C.A.V.E. Gallery

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Sleepwalking Along the Dotted Line: JoKa at C.A.V.E. Gallery

  JoKa is definitely up to something. I wouldn’t go so far as to say that he has nefarious intent, but he’s certainly lurking in our dreamworld, observing our lust and our fears, ready to pounce on the first chimera he finds. Well, I’ve been observing JoKa too. He’s an artist that seized my attention…