From the Streets to the Walls: The Godfather of Graffiti – Seen – at Fabien Castanier Gallery
In his first solo U.S. show in eight years at Fabien Castanier Gallery, the legendary graffiti artist Seen, gives us a peak into an experimental series of abstract paintings produced while living in Paris from 2007 to 2012.
A Model Studio Visit with J. Michael Walker
When artist J. Michael Walker and I first met it was at my house, about three years ago. I had seen his exhibition All the Saints of the City of the Angels, and through the modern miracle of Facebook, we had mutual friends, would hit “like” on each others posts, and then started commenting back…
Laluzapalooza Preview: Mark Edward and his Magical Devices
Laluzapalooza is one of my favorite art shows of the year: Over a hundred artists from all over the world exhibiting so much amazing art, plus the opening is one of the best parties ever. While looking at–okay drooling over–all the art I don’t have room for in my house, a name leapt out, one…
Shepard Fairey Finishes “Make Art, Not War” Mural in Silver Lake
Last night after dark and this morning I went down to see more of Shepard Fairey’s “Make Art, Not War” mural on the side of Baller Hardware and then later this after this afternoon watched the final touches as the team form Baller Hardware took down the scaffolding and Shephard began his detail work. Fairey…
“Make Art, Not War” Shepard Fairey Paints Town Red
For the next two days, artist Shepard Fairey and crew are turning a blank wall at Baller Hardware on Tracy and Hyperion into a mural, a (hopefully) permanent piece of statement art reading MAKE ART, NOT WAR Fairey is friends with Baller’s owners and buys supplies there which is how the mural came about. (Baller…
CARTWHEEL Review: “Mitch O’Connell, The World’s Best Artist”
It takes a lotta guts–and a certain amount of glory–to call yourself “the world’s best artist” even with your tongue firmly planted in your cheek–or someone else’s. But Mitch O’Connell’s gloriously good-natured, candy-colored art is just so much fun to well, wallow in, that during many hours spent immersed in O’Connell’s career-spanning tome “Mitch O’Connell,…
CARTWHEEL Interview: Corey Hagberg in his Rockford, Ill. Studio
When 33-year-old artist Corey Hagberg was four years old, he watched his dad draw super heroes and fighter planes with a mechanical pencil and equated the scents of lead and erasers with magical abilities to stop time. Two years later, at a garage sale, I remember coming across this skateboard with some of the most…
Ian Ross “Hyperorganic” Opening at PROJECT GALLERY
Bay Area artist Ian Ross opened his PROJECT GALLERY show, “Hyperorganic” February 16th, exposing Los Angeles to his spontaneous creative method and embrace of nature. Known for his live painting–he’s painted live murals in high tech offices for companies like Facebook, Google, Vendini, Alphaboost, AdRoll and Zimride–Ross’s passionate connection to nature comes through in his…
XEROX: 1965-1966 Barbara T. Smith at The Box
In 1965 Barbara T. Smith approached Gemini GEL in Los Angeles to propose a lithography project and was rejected by them (they were busy with famous New York artists at the time), so she decided to take printmaking technology, as it was available at the time, into her own hands. It was a stroke of pure…
“Under Construction” Transforms Abandoned Downtown Building into Artistic Playground
Some time last month, I posted a photo of myself on Instagram holding three spray paint cans with the caption #help. I’ve held onto the cans for quite some time now and used them probably once so I wanted to see if anyone could possibly save me–and my cans–from this sad state. Street artist Eyeone…
“Lust Letters” Celebrates Sex and Text at Coagula
“Lust Letters,” Coagula Curatorial‘s sweet and smutty Valentine to Los Angeles opened Saturday night just as crowds were leaving the confetti covered streets of Chinatown, post-Year of the Snake Gong Hey Fot Choy parade. Tim Youd’s wall of retyped prose from Anais Nin’s erotica hung across from Bruce Richards’ poignant odes to love. Gaijin Fujita’s…