Jonathan LeVine Gallery’s Summer Group Show, Cluster, features work by established artists who have previously shown at the gallery, alongside emerging talent making their JLG debut. Each has been allocated space to display clusters of work, a concept that can be approached in many unique ways, and which grants each artist the opportunity to show the full range of their aesthetic.
Equilibrium Rites Image Courtesy of James Stark Photography
Every year, 80 billion honeybees are trucked into California’s Central Valley to pollinate nearly one million acres of almonds trees. This past February was history’s greatest gathering of honeybees, coming at a time when hive populations are facing 44% yearly die-off rates and the state copes with drought. During this mass pollination event, a crew of six women costumed in gold performed a five day 100 mile walk through the desert, interviewing farmers and beekeepers along the way. Part performance art, part ritual, part activism, Equilibrium Rites seeks to raise public awareness of this ecological crossroads to instigate healing and inspire creative response to crisis.
Beginning on Saturday, August 6th, Project Director Meesha Goldberg will exhibit a series of evocative visionary oil paintings based on the ritual walk in an exhibition also entitled Equilibrium Rites at LA’s The Hive Gallery. Also on display will be photographs documenting the performance, taken by renowned punk photographer James Stark, along with a short documentary on the experience, and a display of artifacts by Joanna Brook.
Running concurrently with Goldberg’s solo show will be a bee-themed group show entitled Honey and Venom, which she curated along with gallery director Nathan Cartwright. Participating artists include: Peca, Katelan Foisy, K Lenore Siner, Lana Gentry, Elizabeth Shupe, Kaylee Holz, Theodore Holdt, Inge Vandormael, Liv Rainey-Smith, Kamina Kapow, M de Vena, Denise Bledsoe, Nyahzul Blanco, Evgeniya Golik, Ivonne Escoto, Alex Quintero, Mark Brunner, Joon Alvarado, William J.Dunn, Amanda Sage, Steven “Wireboss” Darden, Nathan Cartwright, Ricardo Ales, and Donna Zoell.
A percentage of all art sales will go towards the establishment of a bee sanctuary in Hawaii, directed by San Francisco bee activist Patricia Algara, who participated in the Equilibrium Rites performance. For more information on the Equilibrium Rites project you can visit This Link.
Equilibrium Rites and Honey and Venom will be on Exhibit through August 26th, 2016, with an Opening Reception that is Free to the Public on Saturday, August 6th, from 8 – 11:00 PM, at The Hive Gallery and Studios, Located at 729 South Spring Street in LA.
Installation View: Sculptures by Adam Parker Smith (All Photos By Gail)
One of our favorite Chelsea venues, the Mike Weiss Gallery, is currently hosting a group show called Objects and Everyday Goods, which features new works by artists that we were first introduced to at Mike Weiss — such as Cameron Gray and Tom Fruin — both of whom make art that is just insane, as well as some new favorites and a few artists we’ve not seen before. It’s fun to discover new art at Mike Weiss Gallery! Let’s take a peak at this eclectic show!
Tom Fruin Break Time 2 and Break Time 1
If you know the work of Tom Fruin you will instantly recognize these pieces as his. Fruin creates colorful “stained glass” mosaic structures — such as his famous Watertowers — out of panels that look like the above. He is a genius. This exhibit also has examples of Fruin’s Drug Bag Quilts series and other metal work.
Break Time 3
Adam Parker Smith, Ex
Just in time for Valentine’s Day, sculptor Adam Parker Smith has created a very narrative series of his crazy, mixed media structures that include everyday objects like small festive cakes, floral wreaths and balloons. This one, seriously, I just love it. LOVE IT!
Bold as Love
You might recognize Parker Smith’s very visually engaging works from when we last saw him on the Bowery as part of the Not a Painting group show at The Hole. It is good to see him in a nice place like Mike Weiss!
Hit or Miss
Any art that includes Cake, I automatically dig it. Cake Art!
(Far Right) Michael Zelehoski, Incomplete Cube Series, (Center Foreground) Liao Yibai, Zhulong Dragon, (Rear Background) Cameron Gray, Must Have for Summer
Are you wondering if Liao Yibai’s sculpture of an oversize bike chain, Zhulong Dragon is the BFD of the show? Yes, yes it is. It’s amazing.
Big, Shiny, Beautiful.
Cameron Gray, Our Unoffical Mascot for Fall
Last time we saw Cameron Gray, he had transformed the Mike Weiss Gallery into a fully immersive, psychedelic acid trip/fun house with his fantastic Gymnasty exhibit, which we went to about six times. That was lots of fun. Who knew Cameron could make realist paintings like these, which I think must be inspired by ready-to-wear fashion catalogs. Really nice.
Cameron Gray, Denim Done Right
Bes sure to add a day-brightening stop at Mike Weiss Gallery to your next Saturday art crawl!
Objects and Everyday Goods will be on Exhibit Through March 26th, 2016 at Mike Weiss Gallery, Located at 520 West 24th Street in the Chelsea Gallery District.
Save the Date: Stephen Romano Gallery is very honored to be presenting the group exhibition Saint Bowie, opening March 2, 2016, with a reception from 5 – 9 PM. Saint Bowie will be comprised of artist-made devotional mementos, Ex Votos, Santos, Spirit Photos and other reliquaries which mourn the loss of the Starman, and also serve as a means by which to commune with Bowie on the other side.
Saint Bowie will feature art by some of our very favorite artists including Sas and Colin Christian, Nyazhul Blanco and Lori Field, among many others, listed below.
Roud Speed Racer By Sean Sullivan (Layer Cake) (All Photos By Gail)
NYC’s premier East Village Street Art Gallery, Dorian Grey, kicks off the new year with a vibrant group show featuring three artists who have already established their brand in the realms of Street Art, Illustration, Clothing Design and beyond. New Spiritfills the intimate gallery space with recent works and a special series of collaboration paintings between artists John Paul O’Grodnick (JPO), Sean Sullivan (Layer Cake) and Mike Mozart (MiMo).
Mimo, Celebrate New York
As soon as I saw the work above I was all, “Oh look, Alec Monopoly,” referring to the LA-based street artist whose stenciled likenesses of the Monopoly Man are just everywhere. Only, it’s notAlec Monopoly; it’s Mike Mozart (aka MiMo), who “collaborated” with Alec Monopoly for years until he got tired of that shenanigans and decided to come out of the shadows and take credit where credit is due. Good for him.
Mr. Monopoly on the Wall Street Cross
Many of MiMo’s works are created on vintage Monopoly Game Boards with his original painted designs and elements of collage — very cool! The show also includes collaborations between MiMo and JPO, whose art we will get to in just one minute.
Sean Sullivan (aka Layer Cake) creates mixed media paintings that include iconic cartoon characters and other characters pulled from TV or period magazines, such as Speed Racer, Pink Panther and Popeye.
Sullivan’s canvases are deep with texture, built up with layers of vintage comic book pages, creating a substrate of eye catching collages that are then completed with his trade mark stencil compositions.
Astro Boy By Sean Sullivan (Layer Cake)
Soda Pop, Layer Cake with Joe Mac (Mixed Media Collage on Dodge Hemi Challenger Hood)
Installation View: Art By JPO
Rounding out the talented trio, we have the colorful abstracts of JPO, AKA John Paul O’Grodnick. I was surprised and pleased to learn from reading a bit about this artist that not only is he influenced by a love of music (Jazz in particular), and artists Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat, but that he also practices meditation and feels that his artistic inspiration is channeled. Very cool.
Fibonacci’s Spiral by JPO
I absolutely love his color palette.
Catch Me if You Can
Take Your Time
Find Out More about New Spirit, and upcoming exhibits at the Dorian Grey Gallery, at This Link.
