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February 1, 2013

Highlights From Art Los Angeles Contemporary 2013 - Part 1


Art Los Angeles Contemporary opened on an uncharacteristically rainy day last weekend in Santa Monica.  The weather actually added a nice feel to Jon Pylypchuk's installation - a group of giant, haggard, anthropomorphic cigarette butts that stood in protest outside the fair's entrance at the Barker Hangar.

Things were drier inside, where an attractive medley of contemporary art had been hauled in by galleries from around the world.  Los Angeles was well represented and for part one of this two-part post we'll take a look specifically at what the LA folks had to offer in terms of painting.

Paintings by Brian Sharp via Acme

Acme had dibs on the first booth just inside the fair's entrance and they were showing a nice selection of paintings by Los Angeles based artists.  Things were off to a good start.

Iva Gueorguieva, Kneeling Warrior, 2012, acrylic, hand painted collage, and oil on linen, 55 x 40in via Acme

Painting by Caitlin Lonegan via Acme

Ace Gallery set up shop on the opposite side of the Barker Hangar, but they also had a nice selection of paintings on view by Angelino artists.  Among them were some colorful pieces by the Date Farmers and this large oil painting by Justin Bower.

Justin Bower, Circumvention, 2012, oil on canvas, 7 x 6ft via Ace Gallery

The Date Farmers, Super Chango Sureshot, 2013, mixed media on panel, 6 x 4ft via Ace Gallery

Mihai Nicodim Gallery had work by the talented painters Justin Mortimer and Serban Savu on view, as well as an attractive painting by Raymonde Beraud, who is currently a student at the Royal College of Art in London.

Painting by Justin Mortimer via Mihai Nicodim Gallery

Painting by Serban Savu via Mihai Nicodim Gallery

Raymonde Beraud, Wood-Green, oil on canvas, 2012, 38 x 48cm via Mihai Nicodim Gallery

Anat Ebgi and Esther Kim Varet of Various Small Fires presented Fil Rouge in their shared booth space, a show curated by Lucie Fontain.  The color "red" was part of the theme and the booth was papered with red-dot wallpaper that made it look like they had sold a lot of art.  There were some nice, small paintings on wood by Joe Reihsen and work by Amir Nikravan that I'm sure aroused a great deal of curriousity regarding his process.

Paintings by Joe Reihsen via Anat Ebgi

Painting by Amir Nikravan via Various Small Fires

Painting by Amir Nikravan, detail

Steve Turner Contemporary had a very inviting booth featuring work by Parker Ito, Pablo Rasgado and Jemima Wyman.  Two of Ito's paintings - made with automotive paint and modeling paste - were installed to hang from beams above the corners of the booth.  According to the press release:
They were made in tandem - each matches the other stroke for stroke.  As they were created simultaneously, each being a model for the other, they call into question the notion of "original" and "copy."

Work by Parker Ito via Steve Turner Contemporary

Painting by Jemima Wyman via Steve Turner Contemporary

Painting by Jemima Wyman, detail

For a look at what galleries outside of Los Angeles had to offer at this year's Art Los Angeles Contemporary, tune in next time to part two.

(Image at top: Installation shot of Jon Pylypchuk's It's not you, it's me, I will always love you dear)

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