Giant Artists COLLECTION, a multimedia group exhibition
Friday, December 2, 2011 from 7-10 PM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
LOS ANGELES, CA — Giant Artists, a Los Angeles-based agency representing photographers, art directors, illustrators, designers, filmmakers, makeup artists, and stylists, in partnership with THIS Los Angeles, is pleased to announce the upcoming exhibition entitled, Giant Artists COLLECTION. The exhibition, curated by Giant founder, Jen Jenkins and artist representative, Eleni Peters, will feature a range of recent works of various mediums by artists on Giant’s roster, and coincides with the release of the agency’s new anthology of the same title.
Opening Reception: Friday, December 2nd. 7-10pm.
Participating artists include:
Aaron Ruell, Blake E. Marquis, David Black, Graphic Therapy, Emily Shur, Glynis Selina Arban, Jeremy & Claire Weiss, Jess Holzworth, Keren Richter, Lauren Dukoff, Michael Schmelling, RJ Shaughnessy, Peter Sutherland, and Todd Cole.
Click here to read more »
New Paintings & Sculptures
October 14th – November 4th, 2011
Opening Reception: October 14th, 7-10pm
After party at The Little Cave – DJs include: Tim Biskup, MFG, Paul Tao & ERIC WAREHEIM!
THIS los angeles, 5906 N. Figueroa st. LA, CA 90042
Tim Biskup‘s new collection of paintings looks strangely familiar. Maybe
it’s the unavoidable Biskup-ness of his color palate or the uncomfortable,
slightly “off” expressions of his characters. Whatever it is, it is
intentional. This exhibition was carefully planned out from the very
beginning of it’s conception. Something that skews dramatically from
Biskup’s improvisational past. It’s not like he hasn’t put a lot of thought
into his shows (His last NYC show was accompanied by a 60 page book of
text.). The difference here is the level of focus. The show is almost
entirely made up of large scale paintings in the artist’s polygonal style.
To add another layer of unity, the subjects are a series of small mask-like
heads. These are not the carefully produced characters that make up his vast
array of vinyl figures, but small, roughy hewn, crudely painted things that
the artist sculpted himself. The twist comes from the expert craft and
expansive scale of the paintings. To see those spontaneous lumps turned into
carefully composed geometric images with months of meticulous paint
application going into their creation is quite surreal. The original
sculptures will be displayed (and sold) along with the paintings. Thus the
title of the show. But the title also refers to the growth that Tim Biskup
has gone through over the last 10 years. Both in his work and in his life.
It seemed at one point that we would never see characters popping up in his
work again, but now he’s gone back to his roots to re-examine and re-invent
his past. What he’s come up with is a refined, elegant and mature version of
his former state.
Tim Biskup (b. Santa Monica, CA. 1967- ) was born and raised in Southern California where he lives and works to this day. From his early years going to punk rock shows and Disneyland in equal parts he was more concerned with his own aesthetic vision than with fitting in. His rejection of a traditional art education (He left Otis in 1988 after two tumultuous years) is further evidence of his commitment to his unique path. He pursued his technical training through years of work in the illustration, animation and graphic design industries. When he finally reached out into the fine art world, it was not through any gallery, but by creating his own series of live art auctions (The Burning Brush Art Auctions, 1999-2002), a novel move that launched not only his own career as a fine artist, but the careers of several other previously unknown painters. What has followed are a string of sold-out (and nearly sold-out) gallery exhibitions and inclusion in several high-profile museum shows throughout the world. Long recognized for his complex color and design theories and a decidedly populist aesthetic, Biskup has amassed a cadre of loyal fans and collectors, propelled further by his steady output of limited edition prints, vinyl figures, books, records and other objects. With recent forays into the writing of theoretical text, and performance art he seems determined to remind his audience that he has a lot on his mind. His theories and actions are at times light-hearted and even funny, but can tend toward nihilism, anarchy and revolutionary idealism, matching the visual intensity of his paintings, sculptures and prints.
BORDERS THIS los angeles, 5906 N. Figueroa st. LA, CA 90042 Thurs. 7-10pm
Noah Kalina, Emily Shur, and Noe Montes all deal with the ideas of borders in the photography they’ll be showing this month at THIS.
Noah Kalina deals with the border between still and video, performance art and photography. He uses the traditional border of a still photo with the camera on a tripod and incorporates a story with movement inside that frame. Each video is 1 shot and no editing; a friend lying on a couch as another friends rides around her in circles; Noah doing pushups in his new studio; a young couple holding hands, knee deep in the ocean staring straight at the camera, still for 1 minute.
http://blog.noahkalina.com
Emily Shur is showing pieces from her “Nature Calls” series, which are photos of cellphone tower trees in their environment. These scenes blur the line between nature, business, the need for communication, and the need to feel as if we are surrounded by nature in the built environment.
www.emilyshur.com
Noe Montes photographed objects around his parents home in Yuma Arizona and scenes in El Paso Texas while visiting these areas which he grew up in and around. These objects represent the border between the hopes and dreams of a new object and the reality of it being discarded or sat on a shelf unnoticed for years. Seemingly mundane, an old boom box on a couch, a broken touchtone telephone, and a statue of a horse head on a shelf, these are the same things he returns to each time he visits, which bring back the memories of home and family for better or for worse before he moved away.
www.noemontes.com
The ACE Hotel approached us a couple months back about wanting to start some projects. Here’s the first… This Friday night we bring our “These Friends” style show to the Ace Hotel in NYC. Hope you can make it out. 20 West 29th St. 8-11PM.
If you believe a fringe Christian radio group, then you’ve got a little more than 24 hours to either party it up, or repent for your sins. Because according to the “Family Radio” network, 6 p.m. Saturday, May 21st, will be when the “rapture” begins and the end of days begins.
So come out to our one night opening tonight and stock up on what you might or might not need tomorrow.
If you missed it, then you won’t understand. Terri and Gary. Crazy Band. Constant consultations. More pictures here and here, courtesy of Claudia Chandler.
