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Art Spotting: Gallery (P)reviews
by Andie Villafañe
Tarryn Teresa Gallery
Tarryn Teresa Gallery exhibits art in all media, with a mission to recognize artists who challenge the viewer on both conceptual and aesthetic levels. "Three Thousand Troubled Threads" is a series of site-specific installations by Austin-based, Chinese artist Beili Liu. "Lure #1" offers a visual interpretation of the red thread of fate. In Chinese legend, the gods tie an invisible red string around the ankles of those destined to be soul mates and will one day wed. The thread may tangle or fray, but will never break. Liu plays with the implications of this myth. She crafts spools of red thread into thousands of coils, pairing each with a "soul mate." Each hangs individually from a 25-foot ceiling to hover inches from the floor, collectively appearing as a pond of red coils. Viewers are invited to walk around the installation to discover the pairs. "Origin" is a 7.5 ft wide wall installation made up of hundreds of rolls of spirit money. In Chinese tradition, symbolic money is burnt as an offering to the ancestors and spirits in the afterworld. Rolls of orange, red, gold and silver papers are arranged in a circle. Half of these are charred, invoking a connection of the present and afterlife, and the union of the male and female as a complete whole. "Tie•Untie" is a video installation of hands untangling a pool of red thread in water. Projected onto an amassment of white yarn on the floor, fingers delicately lift and pull the floating strings in a process of seeking and resolving – until the ends of the thread are found and tied into a knot.
On view until Feb 27. Mon-Fri 11am-5pm, Sat 11am – 4pm. 1820 Industrial St. #230, downtown Los Angeles, 90021. (213) 627-5100.
http://www.tarrynteresagallery.com
Julie Rico Gallery
Julie Rico Gallery exhibits contemporary art by emerging, mid-career and established artists. "Recent Works" is an exhibition of 22 new paintings by internationally acclaimed artist Richard Godfrey. The series resumes his explorations into aspects of light and its relationship to spatial perception. In the tradition of light-and-space art, Godfrey continues to address modern and traditional concerns with painting by using innovative materials. He applies oil paint on white translucent sheets of plastic to create abstract works infused with color, depth, texture and movement. His compositions evoke a cosmological quality that inspired him to title his creations after star constellations. These large and small scale pieces are a tribute to how he understands the essence of painting as a visual and universal language. An Arts District veteran of downtown Los Angeles, Godfrey has been an intrinsic part of the contemporary art scene in Southern California for more than twenty-five years.
On view until Feb 14. Mon-Wed: 11:00am-4:00pm, Thu-Sat: 11:00am-7:00pm. 118 5th Street. Enter via Must Bar or Weeneez (500 S. Spring St.) (213) 817-6002.
http://www.juliericogallery.com
Craig Krull Gallery
Craig Krull Gallery exhibits photo-based media and paintings with an emphasis on works that explore new processes and techniques. "Painting Over" is a selection of photographs by Nancy Monk that she paints over using geometric shapes. Her brushwork covers up sections of portraits, still lifes and landscapes with imagery characterized by ornamentation and design. Working intuitively, Monk paints hundreds of dots, dashes, circles and squares to show what she sees is "already there." She incorporates elements from the original image to bring a new composition to the surface. Many of the forms result in trees or flowers with a style reminiscent of Aboriginal art and the gold patterns of Gustav Klimt. Acrylic, ink, gold-leaf, gesso, fabric, and buttons are some of the materials she pulled together to create 70 works. Ranging in sizes as small as 6×8 inches to paintings as large as 2×4 feet, each piece leads into the next, guiding the viewer through the artist’s visual explorations. This is Monk’s fifth showing at Craig Krull.
On view until Feb. 21. Tues – Fri: 10am -5:30pm, Sat 11am – 5:30pm. 2525 Michigan Avenue, Building B-3 at Bergamot Station in Santa Monica. (310) 828-6410.
www.artnet.com/ckrull.html
Found Gallery
Found Gallery showcases emerging talent, with a focus on exhibiting artists who have not yet shown in Southern California. "Oil on Water" is the latest series of oil paintings by expedition artist Danielle Eubank. Sailing on replicas of ancient vessels, Danielle travels the world with the goal of capturing the essence of light and water with oil on canvas. She paints streams, channels, ponds, rivers or seas, and the varying qualities of moving water. She uses reflections to approach the subject of light, combining colors to coalesce into composite hues. She considers the forms of ripples, or the lines of receding waves to create depth through layers of paint. In finding the tipping point between the conceptual and tangible, it is change that Eubank paints – as honestly as she sees it. Her compositions sway between abstraction and representation, bringing about a memorable image that unravels with time. On view are selected waterscapes from her journeys through Indonesia, the Mediterranean, the North American West Coast and Africa.
On view until Feb. 22. Sat + Sun 1-5pm. 1903 Hyperion Ave. Los Angeles 90027. (323)669-1247.
http://www.foundla.com
Phyllis Stein Art
Phyllis Stein Art supports local talent by developing internship programs and sponsoring artists in residence. "America" is a series of landscapes by Deborah Martin, painted from Polaroids taken on a road trip through the South. Along the main route, Martin took photos of houses and businesses just outside of small towns. These areas were void of people or any sort of movement, leaving Martin wondering what happened to the town and its inhabitants. What was once considered America’s "heartland" appears abandoned. Mastering a style best described as American Realism, Martin does a superb job of capturing an eerie and compelling feeling through painting dilapidated and abandoned structures. The works ask us to reexamine our compulsion to disregard what isn’t readily recognized as beautiful, while suggesting we consider our own imperfections. After focusing on abstract works on paper and fine art photography for the past 20 years, "America" is Martin’s first solo exhibition of oil paintings.
Artist reception: Thursday, Feb. 12, 7 – 10 pm. On view until March 7. Tues – Sat, 11am – 6pm. 207 West 5th Street in the Spring Arts Tower, downtown Los Angeles. (213) 622.6012.
http://www.phyllissteinart.com
-AV
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