Art Pick of the Month: "Two Johns and a Whore"

Let me tell you a story. I first met Lisa Derrick outside Copro Gallery. She was coming out, I was heading in. Lisa was standing with a couple friends of mine. She was very animated and railing about a particular painting in the show that she found utterly abhorrent. Lisa was clearly very angry about it, and sure enough, when I went in to investigate, there was this large painting of a big-eyed (natch) pre-teen girl apparently suffocating on a pair of panties that had been wrapped around her face. It was truly odious. It was the kind of art that has only one play; agitation. I ended up seeing some decent art elsewhere that night at Bergamot Station, but what remains memorable for me is that first impression of  Lisa Derrick. She was/is fervent, boisterous, agitated, and staunchly passionate about art.  I liked her right away.

Lisa has been my editor at Cartwheel for over a year now (and gawd knows I need one). We've argued about punk rock timelines. She's scolded me on my incorrect use of, and penchant for ellipsis (it's a Lester Bangs thing). She's been a great sounding board. More than anything, she's been a friend. She's always come through whenever I asked her for anything. She's even stopped me from taking a job that would have placed me within the jaws of Scientology. She's true.

So...(wink) while I've ranted here recently about how stagnant art in L.A. seemed to be last year, 2014 is kicking off with all sorts of bloody promise! Saturday night at Coagula, "Two Johns and a Whore" opens in Chinatown. The jumping off point thematically will be the world's oldest profession and it features the work of John Fleck, John Roecker (get it?), Anthony Ausgang, Orianna Small, Stacy Lande, Jane Cantillon, Anthony Ausgang, Louie Metz and Mimi Universe, just to name a few. I could tell you another story about how drop dead gorgeous the work of Stacy Lande is, and how fucking cool she was when I reached out to her for advice over a decade ago, but I'll restrain myself. The biggest catalyst for you to get up off your ass and see this show is that it has been curated by, yep, Lisa Derrick. Beyond Firedoglake, Huffington Post, Larry Flynt, Sacred History, and all of her other accomplishments, Lisa is a fierce advocate for the arts. More than that, she doesn't fuck around, she doesn't mince words and you can bet if she put this together, it's gonna be something special. So I urge you...GO!

"Two Johns and a Whore" opens January 11, 2014 - 7pm
runs through January 25, 2014
Coagula Curatorial
974 Chung King Road, Los Angeles CA 90012

John Roecker work mid-installation

John Roecker work on paper

John Roecker piece awaiting the hang.

"DSL" by Orianna Small (don't act like you don't know)

John Roecker work on canvas

Top photo: "Three Figure Study" by Louie Metz
All photos courtesy of Lisa Derrick

3 Works of Art That Didn't Suck in 2013

So, do you want the good news or the bad news first? Bad it is.

Art in 2013 was largely a dismal, maggoty pile of banal bullshit. Across the board, it was a dank sulfurous cloud of awful. Music? Pitchfork, Stereogum, and ack, Rolling Stone all compiled "Best of 2013" lists placing Vampire Weekend, Kanye, and Daft Punk as high water marks. A bloody nadir if ever I saw one. Cinema? The most acclaimed movies of recent years have left me yawning (and longing for John Waters' early work).

But it was in the visual arts that things got well and truly wretched. All the promise that the rise (and fusion) of lowbrow, pop surrealism, & street art held has been co-opted and boiled down to tchotchkes and sneakers. I know some of you, and for the most part I like you, but this Keane obsession must stop...and the bunnies...and that gawdam suicidal bear! I swear I've seen that fucking bear in nearly every high profile "urban" art gallery in Los Angeles. Dude, I'm glad you've found a way to make a living but do you have anything else to say? Anything at all?

Things weren't any better in the upper echelons either. "High Art" consisted of the usual oblique, esoteric nose-thumbing, or lamp shows. I stopped writing about art here because the only things compelling me to do so were venom and sadness. You have to do better. I do too. I know I'm not exempt.

Here's the good news though...when the walls are so crowded with repugnant garbage, the great stuff jumps out at you fast. I really wish this list was longer, but here are my three favorite works of art from 2013:

3) "American Nightmare" by Jason Andrew Hite

I'm not a huge fan of "preachy" art. I say this with tongue firmly in cheek. I make my fair share of preachy art. It matters how you do it though. No one goes to a gallery to be scolded. When I walked into Copro back in March and saw this piece, it was like hearing "California Uber Alles" for the first time. I was shaken to my core. I immediately grabbed Greg Escalante and said "Who made this?!" Greg, if you're reading, this may be the best thing you showed all year.


2) "I Don't Sing" by Brandi Read

Here's what I know about Brandi Read:

1) She seized my attention with a series of paintings of caryatids in April.
2) She's struggled harder than an artist of her caliber should have to, just to provide for her daughter.
3) That's her daughter in the above painting.

I don't want to even mention the gallery where this showed. The theme was just ridiculous. Google "Put A Bird On It" and you'll be amazed at how many galleries took Portlandia's satirical skit as a literal suggestion.
Brandi's response is everything I want art to be.


1) " a young Bessie Smith" by Hudson Marquez

Fine, call me a cheat. I do not care. This piece has been seen by very few people. It's never been exhibited in a gallery. It's in my home, I see it everyday. There are a number of reasons why I love this piece so much, but what it really boils down to is that I have immense affection for both Hudson and Bessie. Great art can be as simple as that...or this:

I have more good news, 2013 ends tomorrow and good riddance.

2014 is already showing quite a bit of promise though. I've had a sneek peek at a frighteningly good piece that Matjames Metson will show at the Fowler.

Also, on Jan 11th, "Two Johns and a Whore" opens at Coagula Curatorial. That show is curated by Lisa Derrick. I don't expect Lisa to show bunnies...or pull any punches.

So, Happy New Year! Give me something to write about.