Showing posts with label Phil Santos. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Phil Santos. Show all posts

Saturday, August 15, 2015

A Cure For The Summertime Blues



I assume this dusty, little corner of the internet is usually visited by artists, and/or friends. Some of whom have asked why I stopped writing, and if I'll ever get back to doing that again. I don't really have an answer for that yet. The reasons for my recent silence here are many, and some are complicated. Ask me, next time you see me. Maybe I'll tell you.

In the meantime, as summer 2015 comes to a close, Los Angeles is awash in art events. I feel compelled to tell you about four of them (full disclosure, I'm in 3 of them). All of which are happening this weekend. First up, is "The Late, Late Show" , a special Mike Street solo show at Beyond Baroque, opening tonight at 4pm. This  show will feature a plethora of Felliniesque "Italian film stills" that Mike has created over the course of many years. Mr. Street is a staple of the Los Angeles art scene, and one of the kindest humans you will ever meet.

After "The Late, Late Show", you should head over to Santa Monica to see "Girl Scouts and Adventure Guides" at the Daniel Rolnik Gallery. It will be a celebration of summer, camp, cookies, exploration and general irreverence. The opening is from 7 - 11pm tonight.

Tomorrow is the closing event of "Spectrum Gestalt 2" at bG Gallery Bergamot Station. This is a massive group show where every piece of art  is grouped together in order of color. You might think that would be an assault on your eyeballs, but it ends up being a soothing visual experience that you'd be hard pressed to find anywhere outside of nature. Closing event starts at 2pm on Sunday.

Lastly, is "Faux Show: Social Realism" at Balconi Coffee Purveyors in West Los Angeles. Curated by Kio Griffith, this is part of a series of shows where contemporary artists get a chance to offer their take on the classics. Think of it as "cover songs" in paint. This time around, the show features the two artists I named "Best New Artists" in my 2014, Valerie Pobjoy and Phil Santos. It will also include my homage to Dorothea Lange's iconic "Migrant Mother" photograph. I have a deep, personal connection to that photograph, and I hope that comes through in my piece. The opening for this one is 7pm Sunday.

At any rate, my bias aside, these are four wonderful shows for you to attend this weekend, You're welcome!

Click on the links above for specifics and logistics.

Spanish Girl by Valerie Pobjoy

Monsanto Meets American Gothic by Phil Santos

Dust by KrossD

You Are What You Eat by KrossD

Thursday, November 13, 2014

Art Pick of the Month: Wish List at Gabba Gallery


So, you always wanted an original Septerhed painting, an Alex Schaefer nude, or a Jennifer Korsen heart in your collection, but thought you couldn't afford it? I have good news for you. Gabba Gallery has your back! Wish List is a massive group show featuring over 65 great artists, and the kicker is that nothing in the show will cost more than $1,000. Much of the work will be selling far below that cap. Which is perfect for you because Christmas is coming and Uncle Skeeter would really love a Max Neutra bunny, right? Well guess what? Max has about twenty of 'em in this show (plus a couple foxes). Aunt Martha, the cat lover? Check out the Nicole Bruckman painting (below). In addition to Septerhed, and Korsen, many other well known street artists have work in the show, like ThrashbirdCANTSTOPGOODBOY, Hero,and Moncho 1929. John Park is in the show! Aaron Nagel! There's work by one of the best assemblage artists in Los Angeles, Jaime Becker.  There's a fantastic collab by Phobik and Gabba owner Jason Ostro. What I'm saying is this is a fully loaded, star-studded show and it's ALL affordable! Let me give you one hot tip though (two actually), Valerie Pobjoy and Phil Santos are amazing young artists whose brushstroke mastery holds echoes of John Singer Sargent and Edward Hopper. Yes, they are THAT good, and I'm sure their work be selling for tens of thousands of dollars in short time. Trust me, you don't want to miss out on these two. Under $1K? Run, don't walk to this show. You even get to take it home with you on the spot! It's cash and carry, with a constant rotation. See the full artist line-up on the flyer below.

Wish List opens Saturday, November 15, 2014
Artist reception 7pm -11pm

Gabba Gallery
3126 Beverly Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90057


Stronger by Septerhed


Twisted by Septerhed


Rollin' by Septerhed

Phobik and Jason Ostro collaboration.

Nude Woman by Alex Schaefer


Jennifer Korsen


Jennifer Korsen


Brittany by Aaron Nagel

A Max Neutra bunny in it's natural habitat.

3 Guys by Valerie Pobjoy


Ariel and Buddy by Valerie Pobjoy


Jack by Valerie Pobjoy


Ruben by Valerie Pobjoy


Seven Grand by Phil Santos


Winky & Blinky by Nicole Bruckman


Was there ever a cat so clever by Nicole Bruckman


Zelda & Link (age 2) by Nicole Bruckman


Puppy Love by L. Croskey


Prince Feng by Essi Zimm


The Golden Prince by Essi Zimm


Sleepasaurus by Sarah Stieber


The line-up!
Post Opening Update 11/16/2014

Wow! That was a stellar show. I'm truly honored to have been a part of it. Hats off to Jason Ostro and Phil Santos for curating such a diverse and talented bunch of artists. There had to be over 200 people at the opening (causing me a low level panic attack). Some friends I haven't seen in nearly 30 years came out!

One of the best things about Wish List is that it will remain fresh for the duration it's run. Cash and carry ensures that a constant rotation of art will be happening. I saw Jason pulling sold pieces off the wall, handing them off to staff for wrapping, and running to the back to select the replacement piece. Seeing a Valerie Pobjoy stunner be hung was a particular pleasure.

I wanted to share some of my favorites from the show, by Thrashbird and Dave McDowell, plus a few new discoveries (Sarah Stieber, Amy Davis) I made along the way...

detail of a piece by Thrashbird
Another Thrashbird (detail)

"Sheep Eats Wolf" by Thrashbird

"Bong Baby" by Dave McDowell

"Power Couple" by Sarah Stieber

"Rose" by Amy Smith

"Untitled #7" by Gunner Fox & Nate Otto
"Inside Megan" by Erik Flores

White and Gold Flower by Jaime Becker

White Caramel Flower by Jaime Becker

Circle Up Flower by Jaime Becker

Captured by Phobik
Marilyn's Desire by Teachr
What Will You Leave Behind? by Jennifer Korsen
Hero
The Blind Fold by Anyes Galleani
Squish by Liz Peterson
Amy Smith
Day Running by Hero

My dear friend Atticus came by for a VIP pre-show viewing of my piece "Orange Crush (With Eyeliner)".



Big thanks to Marcos Saldana for the great Atticus pics!

FYI, "Wish List" will have a second opening on December 13.