The New Traditionalists: Nicola Verlato and Vonn Sumner at Merry Karnowsky Gallery
I would like to put to death the use of the term “low brow.” If only I had that kind of power. It’s a phrase not only overused but one, much like “No Wave,” which has no real meaning and, more often than not, does a disservice to that which it is meant to describe.…
Jennifer J. Jelenski’s High Wire Act
There exists an approach to art criticism among patrons that is annoyingly pervasive. You’ll hear it everywhere, from the tiny lowbrow gallery to the highest-minded Modern Art museum. I remember overhearing it at the Norton Simon when I was 7, and I thought it was a pretty stupid thing to say then. It goes like…
Public Works Opening at LALA Arts
No matter your opinion on the form, street art undoubtedly continues to shake up the art world. Plenty of gallery and museum shows have been paying close attention to street art’s forerunners and the impact of their art on everyone from unsuspecting passersby to established art critics. One of street art’s biggest supporters, Daniel Lahoda,…
Dirty Laundry at Thinkspace Gallery
A good piece of art will obviously show off the artist’s chops but a great one will communicate a vision that leaves an impression. On opening night of Thinkspace Gallery’s “Dirty Laundry” show this past Saturday, Adam Caldwell and Brett Amory’s differing aesthetic styles collided and left visitors’ minds reeling. What exactly does the…
I Got Big Balls at Griffith Park
You can easily find art in museums, galleries and the streets, but how about a golf course? Ghettogloss founder Fiora Boes made it happen, using an LA golf course to house the talent of 100 artists from various backgrounds. On a warm summer night, Griffith Park’s Wilson Harding Golf Course displayed the work of…
The Garage at AR4T Gallery
The Garage at AR4T Gallery: Laguna Beach, Aug. 2-25, 2012 – Coming off the heels of a existential femininity show last month, the timing could not have been better to swing the pendulum the other way at AR4T Gallery and introduce a machismo-fueled, oily rag-devoted, ode to the realm of man: The Garage. Seattle artist…
Matjames Metson: “Method Attic” at Coagula Curatorial
Alright, I don’t know any other way to do this. I’m going to have to make this personal. Bear with me for a moment, I’m about to open up to you folks. You see, I have this bizarre little quirk. I have many actually, but for the purposes of this review, let’s pretend it’s just…
Matjames Metson “Method Attic” at Coagula Curatorial
Matjames Metson’s first solo show in Los Angeles, “Method Attic” at Coagula Curatorial, showcases over 120 pieces of the artist’s assemblage. Cindy Schwartzstein collects Matjames’ works, which are seeped in the mysterious underground river of America, built from discards and detritus. In other words, Matjames Metson makes really beautiful, profound and moving works of art…
Lovely Day Opening at Known Gallery
Patrick Martinez, a diverse young artist, is known for his lush colorful paintings and portraits set in the Los Angeles streets, his neon works that play on hip-hop themes, his sculptures and his limited-edition objects. For “Lovely Day,” he revisits the Los Angeles landscape. “It’s crazy to me that I wake up to beautiful days…
Art Blooms in the DTLA Arts District!
This past weekend’s BloomfestLA was another fitting tribute to the late Joel Bloom, a DTLA fixture and proprietor of Blooms General Store until he passed on July 13, 2007. Bloom was a community activist who improved safety, lobbied for bus service, better street lighting, and eventually helped win the Arts District designation. The corner of…
“Dude, Monsters!” Opening at Think Tank Gallery
The idea that even those who don’t have a defined place within society and the greater art world can find a home together within their unique worldviews. Society has long had a habit of dividing itself into smaller subcultures, and with zines, the internet, and alternative art spaces, these subcultures have had the opportunity to…