Thursday, October 30, 2008

SORRY FOR THE LACK OF POSTS!!

... obsessed with upcoming election. ...spending all hours reading political blogs. ... not eating ...not sleeping.

... sometimes look at pretty pictures

... like these

A7A891B1-C10D-47F9-8CA3-3CD21C46A780.jpg
Audrey Kawasaki

E3DFFF1C-CCDB-44C8-9000-3706AB70A8CB.jpg
Amy Sol

D0E3571A-0772-42D4-AA1F-B53582CB35DA.jpg
Brian Viveros

2CAA88D4-D7D2-4EFD-913F-98C36AB53820.jpg
Catherine Brooks

34A3893F-8BE3-4B3C-A322-8DCDF9045CEC.jpg
Nomi Chi

48CCF77D-133D-4F7F-9432-CE1AA1F6F536.jpg
Stella Im Hultberg


... the drawing room... at thinkspace ... curated by Audrey Kawasaki ... Friday, Nov. 7th

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Tiffany Bozic Does it Again

5C5BA436-8218-4D6A-9234-4856A7008C1F.jpg

Tiffany Bozic's new show Symmetrical Balance opened last night at San Francisco's Fecal Face Dot Gallery, and every indication is that it is another remarkable exhibition from Ms. Bozic. Art blog my love for you is a stampede of horses has a nice post about it here.

Tiffany Bozic's Symmetrical Balance at Fecal Face Dot Gallery

Friday, October 24, 2008

Lola - The Wondermental

lola2.jpg

Corey Helford Gallery brings us another great show -- this time by SoCal native artist Lola. Her new solo show, "The Wondermental", is ripe with her signature surreal, darkly playful images, and opens Saturday (October 25th) and is described just so:

...an enchanting visual adventure about a young boy’s journey into the unknown. Exploring themes of innocence, self-discovery and independence, Lola’s carefully-tendered tableaus reveal life’s unexpected treasures and charming mysteries. For the exhibition, Lola paints from a deeper color palette than before, blending delicate imagery with surrealism to create a series of twenty two acrylic-on-panel works. Each painting represents a unique piece of the puzzle in “The Wondermental’s” magical narrative.

Caveat: Lola's rich paintings need to be seen in person to truly appreciate their beauty. So get your ass over Corey Helford in Culver City and get some wondermental for yourself.

lola1.jpg

Lola's "The Wondermental" at Corey Helford Gallery

Lola's Official Website

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Sketch for Change - Art for Obama

DB4CA6E9-1A89-4617-8B7F-704268B7AD1F.jpg
Jeff Soto

Okay, this blog is not supposed to be political. Sure, we are passionate partisans when it comes to politics. But when it comes to art, we don't believe in blue paint, we don't believe in red paint, we believe in red, white and blue paint (and every other color of paint).

Having said (written) that, we at PopDrawer will be plum tickled to post an "Art for McCain" event somewhere in a red state, if one exists, and if the art is halfway decent. Barring that unlikelihood, we will limit ourselves to the fantastic art for Obama events that have been occurring left, right and center. So here's the latest (and one of the greatest).

Ana Bagayan and Ara Devejian have created Sketch for Change - Art for Obama, an online event in which 21 World-Class Artists created a Sketch for Change to benefit Barack Obama. The sketches are currently on auction on eBay and will be closing sometime on Saturday, October 25th. All proceeds raised will benefit Barack Obama's Campaign for Change.

So who's participating? Check out this superstar list! Gary Baseman, Tim Biskup, Jeff Soto, Glenn Barr, Daniel Peacock, Shag, Dave Cooper, Ana Bagayan & Ara Devejian (natch), Amanda Visell, James Jean, Bob Dob, Gris Grimly, Brandi Milne, Thomas Han, Joe Ledbetter, Lola, Luke Chueh, Mark Murphy, Julita Januszewska, and Nathan Spoor. (Phew, my link finger is tired).

In addition, anyone is invited to submit a sketch for a group art show that we will put together in uber-battleground state Nevada the weekend before the election. (More info to come). Currently the sketches are running between $31 and $480, but the prices are bound to rise quickly. You should bid, too! Don't you want to be part of history? These are no mere talking points!

P.S. Scattered in this entry are links to our favorite political sites on all sides of the ideological spectrum. Take a look -- no matter your political stripe, these are sure to intrigue.

269DED4C-8EB2-4503-BF8A-9AD9FDD82802.jpg
Gary Baseman

8EED07E6-4AA3-4772-9D5B-7A59C46BB54F.jpg
Tim Biskup

E15B486B-0125-40F0-8DE8-2A3F38292E50.jpg
Ana Bagayan and Ara Devejian

Sketch for Change - Art for Obama

Tears of the Crocodile

2E7B40E4-9162-4C32-9AF6-EAA46BF57543.jpg

PopDrawer fave Liz McGrath opens her latest show at Iguapop Gallery in Barcelona tomorrow, Thursday, October 23rd. Entitled "Tears of a Crocodile" it is another stunning compendium of Liz's beautiful, scary, freaky, goth-romantic sculptures and shadow box tableaus.

Just in time for Halloween. Take a look at the preview. And enjoy.

32AFDDE2-3CE6-4E2B-A96C-A93B92D74B32.jpg

"Tears of the Crocodile" by Liz McGrath at Iguapop Gallery

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

The Art of Kevin Scalzo

C044481D-8D94-46A4-A696-CE5B09320507.jpg

About five years ago, I bought a painting by artist Kevin Scalzo at an auction. It has a proud place on my dining room wall, and it always elicits appreciative comments from friends. Since then I have been watching for Mr. Scalzo to have a solo show so I could send these friends to buy a piece for themselves. I now have that opportunity, as Kevin Scalzo has his first L.A. solo show opening this Friday, October 24th!

"Recent Paintings and Drawings" opens this Friday at Secret Headquarters in L.A. with a wealth of Kevin Scalzo magic. "Recent Paintings and Drawings" is a collection of, um, recent paintings and drawings by Mr. Scalzo. For the preview of the show, take a look at Mr. Scalzo's flicker stream. To purchase artwork contact SHQ at (323) 666-2228 or email at shq@thesecretheadquarters.com.

Hope to see you at the Secret Headquarters show. But in case you miss it, you can see more of Mr. Scalzo's fantastic work at his blog.

442C2DB9-2B41-4E6D-9752-03B93C5BAA51.jpg

Preview of "Recent Paintings and Drawings" by Kevin Scalzo

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Free Original Art

A8895F13-2F58-424A-BE61-54627A8EC896.jpg

Can't let this one pass by. Amy Crehore is having a sale at her website, and any order of prints or Uke T-shirts from now until Halloween will include a (small) signed original drawing! Now that's a Halloween treat.

Amy Crehore Sale

We are humbled

7145B3C6-74B9-4AB6-8201-446D9192D9D9.jpg
Jeff Soto's studio on Arrested Motion


Sometime last month, a new art blog called "Arrested Motion" popped up on the web. And we have been hooked ever since. AM follows many of PopDrawer's favorite artists, but has been posting regularly (almost obsessively) and has been posting great images and text.

In particular, check out AM's coverage of art-geek-orgy Baby Tattooville, an amazing annual event about which we wrote but did not attend. But AM attended, and got some great shots.

Check AM daily. There's always something worth seeing.

Arrested Motion Art Blog

Pencil me in

Saudi Women of London tiny.gif
Kirsten Ulve

What if humble pencil were the only medium available to artists, if color and texture simply disappeared from the art world? It might be a very bleak world indeed. But Gallery Hanahou in New York has posed that question to a group of talented artists and gotten results that prove the above assumption flatly false.

"Spread the Lead," Gallery Hanahou's new show opening tonight, October 16th (from 6-8 PM), collects a group of artists that includes Kirsten Ulve, Apak, and Kenzo Minami, among others, with works done only in graphite. And as an added bonus, each work will be sold with the pencil that the artist used to create the work. But the show is tonight, so get the lead out! (Ugh).

2C67958A-C978-4F32-94D9-0166252CD9F7.jpg
Apak

Spread the Lead at Gallery Hanahou

Friday, October 10, 2008

New Bwana Spoons Print TODAY!

42E74EC8-7664-43BC-B616-612759277697.jpg

It's almost Halloween! That means two things. 1) Bwana Spoons has a new Halloween-style print being released today, and 2) malls will be putting up Christmas decorations this weekend. And in one of those perfect confluences, Bwana's new print would make a great Christmas present.

"The Great Pocket Globby Pumpkin Tree" will be released at Noon Pacific Time today (Friday, Oct. 10th) at Bwana's site. There will also be 10 custom pocket globby for sale first to SARS members earlier in the morning, and then what's left will go to the public at noon as well. The customs will include one tiny globby painting as well (a section of the bigger great globby pumpkin tree piece).

The Great Pocket Globby Pumpkin Tree Print

Free Kill Pixie Merchandise!

killpixie_burbank_front.jpg

If you live in SoCal, get yourself to Burbank at 4 PM today (Friday, October 10th) to get some awesome swag. At the Vans Store at the Burbank Town Center, you can snag a limited edition Vans / Kill Pixie collaboration t-shirt if you're one of the first 50 to show.

Plus awesome street/fine artist Kill Pixie who has been popping up everywhere these days will be doing live art. Can't beat that with a stick.

Kill Pixie's Official Site

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Tim Biskup's Operating System

6083349D-B47B-4BAC-8455-C5EBAF78D0E8.jpg

Better than Windows Vista (what isn't?) and more aesthetically-pleasing than Mac's Leopard is Tim Biskup's new operating system - O/S. Actually, this O/S is Tim's new show at Paris gallery Addict Galerie. The exhibition opens October 11th, and is a bold new move for Tim wherein each piece is actually an intricate system of painting and pedestal. The paintings are each packed into crate which when reassembled becomes the pedestal itself.

From the gallery: These "systems", as the artist calls them, constitute a fusion of Biskup's aesthetic style and his conceptual theories. The pieces are intended to represent the interconnection between art itself and the peripheral elements that allow it to exist. As a metaphor, the "systems" ask the question of weather [sic] the peripheral elements actually add to or distract from the the artwork being presented.

Included in the show is the previously announced 30-color serigraph "Tree of Life." The print will be available for purchase Friday, October 10th, 12 Noon, Pacific Time, is HUGE at 36" x 26", comes in a edition of 100, and goes for $600.

D1D609AA-2E39-4151-A666-1EBE4CAEB44B.jpg

Tim Biskup's O/S at Addicte Galerie

Monday, October 6, 2008

Joe Ryckebosch at my love for you is a stampede of horses

0125CCF6-90C5-4010-9E97-79C0F93AF99A.jpg

Meighan at my love for you makes another fantastic discovery at Etsy. His name is Joe Ryckebosch, and although we can't pronounce his name we are already big fans.

From my love: Joe uses 95% recycled materials found at thrift stores, yard sales and scrap yards in his work. his combination of colored tape, old magazine images and photographs are brilliantly placed... Joe says this about his work:

"i want the viewer to see these familiar and not so familiar images in a different manner. i try to leave the focal point of the image intact, while adding colors and patterns that could have always been there, but just never seen until now.


And now that we've done a citation within a citation, we can shut down the blog forever. Good-bye.

AD1B5DC3-0581-4831-94EB-0AF100747BB9.jpg

Joe Ryckebosch at my love for you...

Joe Ryckebosch's Etsy Store

Sunday, October 5, 2008

Under Fluorescent Light

9E836653-B256-4474-B4AD-D271AAD7F208.jpg

Showing now at Los Angeles' GR2 Gallery through the middle of October is a fascinating show featuring the work of artist Masakatsu Sashie. Mr. Sashie, an artist and designer from Kanazawa, Japan is professor of art at Kanazawa College of Art, and began his career as a participant in Takashi Murakami's GEISAI exhibitions (wherein Mr. Murakami showcases rising artists whom he wants to promote).

Masakatsu Sashie's works are often called "orb paintings" since he paints details from his youth as very detailed, compact spheres. Hailing from Kanazawa, Japan, his art captures the scope of his youthful activities and the orbs often represent memories that fade away from the world.

Unfortunately all of the works on display at GR2 are already sold, but keep on eye on Mr. Sashie for your chance to own one of his still affordable pieces in the future.

E1AAC89F-957E-496B-AB91-6B7BFEC310C7.jpg

Masakatsu Sashie's "Under Fluorescent Light" at GR2

Friday, October 3, 2008

Two, Two, Two Artists in One

AE165AFE-5E4B-4B8B-B4F9-38AE1A4CE265.jpg
Charlotte Walton + Fawn Gehweiler at Grass Hut

There are so many amazing shows this weekend we feel terrible that we aren't covering each one. We will do what we can, but here is a quick rundown of the general awesomeness on display:

Nathan Ota and Joel Nakamura at La Luz

Joshua Petker at Corey Helford Gallery

Park Life Group Show at Subliminal Projects (featuring Jordan Crane, Shepard and Amanda Fairey, Mel Kadel, Luke Ramsey, Florencio Zavala, and dozens more)


And maybe the coolest of all, Hut on an Island, the collaborative group show at Grass Hut Gallery. Once again, Bwana and Scrappers at Grass Hut have knocked it out o the park with another original show. According to Grass Hut:

This whole show was an experiment. We wanted to see what would happen when a bunch of artists who didn’t know each other collaborated on art together. Some amazing work came for it. Half of the artists are from Islands Fold and the other half is from Grass Hut.

Here's the Grass Hut and Islands Fold artists we teamed up:
Spencer Hibert + Marco Zamora, Johnathan R. Storm + Dawn Riddle, Luke Ramsey + Jill Bliss, Zeesy Powers + Scrappers, Ben Jacques + Le Merde, Irana Douer + Betsy Walton, Bwana Spoons + Theo Ellsworth, Charlotte Walton + Fawn Gehweiler, Oliver Hibert + Owen Plummer, Maseman + Arbito, Shawn Wolfe + Kinoko, Howie Tsui + Apak


The pieces are available now. Affordable and unique, they are all must-buys.

5BF457E7-C85B-40D8-83C4-C412DECF9640.jpg
Nathan Ota at La Luz

00233A4E-33DB-45CE-86F6-421C0BE923AF.jpg
Joshua Petker at Corey Helford

Hut on an Island at Grass Hut Gallery