Copro Nason's Print Offerings -- New from Lola and Luke Chueh

Copro Nason Galleryin Santa Monica always has a few good prints on hand, and they've just added a few more great pieces, two by Luke Chueh and one by Lola. For something different (and more authentic looking), the giclees are printed on wood and varnished. The Lola print is also framed.

Lola's print, "Sir Francis the Explorer found a most Peculiar Hole" is 19" x 23" framed, comes in a limited run of 30, and is $350. The two Luke Chueh prints are "Possessed Revisited," which is 18" x 24" and $450, and "Balloon-Head", which is 27" x 21.5" and $475. Both are editions of 50. Apparently the Chueh prints have been available for a bit longer and are almost sold out. Hurry if you want yours.



Lola and Luke Chueh prints from Copro Nason Gallery

Don't miss...!

While this weekend is chock full of fantastic openings -- Glenn Barr at Billy Shire Fine Arts, Amy Sol at Thinkspace, Sylvia Ji at White Walls, it's also the last weekend you can see the masterwork of Takashi Murakami at Blum + Poe in Culver City. If you can't go in person, here are some images from the show.

(What exactly is a "chock" anyway? The dictionary says something about the block that holds a plane still -- you know, that thing with which Indy pummeled the muscle-headed mechanic in the only Indiana Jones movie that we pretend exists -- but why would something be full of blocks that hold airplanes still?)



Takashi Murakami at Blum & Poe

The Haunting Portraits of Sylvia Ji

Sylvia Ji paints beautiful women. She paints their faces, their bodies. And somehow, she also seems to paint their souls. Forgive us if we sound pretentious, but when we look into the eyes of a Slyvia Ji portrait, it seems as if we can see beyond the eyes, into the heart, and get just a glimpse of what the subject is thinking or feeling. And sometimes, the eyes are the only part of the woman's face we can see, since much of her work features women with faces painted like ornate skeletons, evoking Mexican Day of the Dead celebrations. And the eyes entrance us.

Ms. Ji's newest show goes up at the White Walls Gallery in San Francisco, this Saturday, June 14th, reception from 7 PM to 11 PM. A good deal of the work is already sold, but go to White Walls' website for a chance to snap up one of the remaining paintings. Luckily, you can also purchase a Sylvia Ji print at the art print, an online retailer. Go here for Ms. Ji's work. The prints are giclees, are 14" x 14", and go for $145.



Sylvia Ji's Official Site

Sylvia Ji's New Show at White Walls

What Exactly are Micro Bops? - UPDATE: POPDRAWER DISCOUNT!!

Everybody loves actor Richard Edson. The unmistakable sad eyes and crushed nose draw stares when he strolls around an L.A. gallery, appreciating the work on the walls. You'd know him instantly if you saw him, and you'd instantly remember all his performances that blew you away. Thick-headed but lovable Vito in Do the Right Thing. The joy-riding garage attendant who takes off in Cameron's car in Ferris Bueller's Day Off. His remarkable first film appearance as Eddie in Stranger Than Paradise. And, like, 80 other TV and film roles. Well it turns out there's even more to love about Richard Edson. In addition to being a fantastic actor, he's a fantastic photographer as well!

Next Thursday, June 19th, will mark the East Coast debut of Edson's show "Beyond the Valley of the Micro Bops, at Jackie's Backroom Gallery in Silver Spring, MD. The show is a series of richly-hued, narrow-focus macro-lens shots of toys. (I'm guessing these are the titular micro bops?). Whatever they're called, they're lovely. The prints are 36" x 24" and available for purchase (they are $1500 each, but see below for a special discount!). Go HERE to see the online gallery and choose your poison.

POPDRAWER SPECIAL!! Mention the "PopDrawer Discount" and you will get a special discount available to PopDrawer readers!!

Wait, did you know Mr. Edson was also a founding member of Sonic Youth?!




Richard Edson's Beyond the Valley of the Micro Bops

Amy Sol at Thinkspace

Friday the 13th will be lucky for anyone who has the chance to get on down to Thinkspace Gallery in LA to see Amy Sol's new show, Karmic Magic. (Of course, you could always check out the show online, but then you wouldn't get to meet Ms. Sol and see her beautiful work in person).

Amy Sol is one of the fastest rising stars in art today, and there's no question as to why. Her images, mostly painted in soft pastels on panels of wood, are lyrical and ethereal. In the words of the show website, "Imaginary furry animals and floral patterns emerge from the grains found on the panels of wood that line the walls of Amy Sol's Las Vegas studio. They become companions to the breathtakingly soft and sweet female characters that inhabit her work." Couldn't have said it better ourselves.

Her work has been rising rapidly in price due to her growing popularity, so buy a piece, or a print, before it's too late.



Amy Sol's Official Site

Karmic Magic at Thinkspace

New Print from Ana Bagayan, Plus Originals Available!

Ana Bagayan has a new print available, and if you like it you'd better get it fast. They don't last long. "Head in the Clouds" (pictured above) is a giclee in a tiny edition of 30, is 9" x 8", and goes for $45. You can purchase it here.

Meanwhile, Ana is also offering original paintings and sketches for purchase on her site, a rare treat, since you don't have to get on a waiting list at one of her usually sold out shows. What's available now is here, but keep checking back -- you never know when something new will pop up.

The Store at Ana Bagayan's Site

Impossible art to get... Get-able!

Where can you buy Seonna Hong and Souther Salazar art? Pretty impossible to find, with both of their waiting lists a mile long. And Seonna does very few shows (her last was all the way in Japan!)

I'll tell you where. Grass Hut Gallery! Right now! Grass Hut's weekend show "Yosemite Studio" is up now, and there are still some painting available by Seonna Hong, Souther Salazar, Martha Rich, Ester Pearl Watson, and Mark Todd. (That's right, an original Seonna Hong painting. And all you have to do is click "Add To Cart.")



Yosemite Studio at Grass Hut Gallery

New Amy Crehore Print

Happy Birthday, Amy Crehore! And for her birthday, she's giving US something. Her new print, "The Creature" with a special offer. The print is 8 1/2" x 8 1/2" and is a limited run of 50 for just $50, and two customers chosen at random will receive a small original drawing signed by Amy. All prints will come in archival sleeves with two postcards and a certificate of authenticity. (This is one of PopDrawer's favorite Amy Crehore paintings, and the original is owned by artist/Boing Boing creator Mark Frauenfelder).

Purchase "The Creature"

Special PopDrawer Discount at Artcotic!

Readers of PopDrawer get a 20% discount on all Artcotic products for the entire month of June! It's a short month, so get your ass in gear! Go to Arctotic.com, buy some swag, and enter "popdrawer" in the discount box at checkout.

And don't say we never gave you anything.

(Read our glowing review of Artcotic's t-shirts.)



Artcotic.com Store

More Coverage of the Niagara VS. Vans Event

Nikki over at the Vans blog has a great post about the event from last week with some nice pics. The entire blog is fun reading. Go enjoy.

Off the Wall -- The Vans Blog

Glenn Barr -- One Foot in the Past, One in the Future

Regular PopDrawer readers already know how obsessed we are with Glenn Barr. It's just like any other healthy obsession -- just when you think you're out, they pull you back in. Not that we were ever "out" of this obsession, but while we waited for new work from Glenn, we settled into a kind of relaxed fixation. And then we saw the work from his new show, appropriately titled "New Work," at Billy Shire Fine Arts, and we were pulled back in again.

The show, which opens June 14th (reception from 7-10 PM), displays an interesting dichotomy in Glenn's work -- a dichotomy between the past and the future. His new work displays on the one hand his post-apocalyptic myths of heaven and hell, angels and demons, flying creatures and flying vehicles, and on the other hand his lounge-era portraits of stolen moments, typically from the lives of women, which feel very real, as opposed to the fantastical visions of the future. He's painting the past and the future, side by side.

Ironically, his futuristic images are more a part of his past work, while of late he seems to be dabbling more in the works that hearken to the past. So his past is the future and his future is the past. Either way, they work beautifully together. Here's a little preview...



Glenn Barr's New Works at Billy Shire Fine Arts

Glenn Barr's Official Site

More Wallpaper...

PopDrawer seems to be obsessed with wallpaper this week. First it was Mark Mothersbaugh, now it's designer Mark Giglio. The wallpaper, called "Handprint," is available in three colorways, and is also available as a poster. Everything is printed with water or soy-based inks on recyclable paper. It will available soon at Mr. Giglio's website penpencilstencil.com.

Handprint wallpaper at penpencilstencil.com

Art for Your FLOR

There have always been a lot of reasons to carpet your floor with FLOR, the Illinois rug designer that celebrates the DIY ethic in all of us. What floor sells is 20-inch tiles of carpet, in a multitude of patterns and colors and textures that can be easily adhered to any hard surface to create a floor rug or wall-to-wall carpet. It's relatively cheap, very easy, a breeze to clean, and actually kind of fun. We did it in our house a few years ago and are still giddy with the results.

But now FLOR has added another great reason to decorate with their tiles. They now have a line of tiles based on designs by the late great artist/designer Alexander Girard. Girard is one of the most well-known textile designers of mid-century modern, having worked with Herman Miller and designed the interior for the famed La Fonda del Sol restaurant in New York City in 1956. Now the La Fonda designs have been turned into carpet tiles, and they would brighten up any boring floor. They sell in sets of six different pieces and go for $159.99. Can't wait to update our rug with these.



Alexander Girard at FLOR

Ted Zourntos and Jason Gringler at Sloan Fine Art

Ted Zourntos

Sloan Fine Art opens another great show this Wednesday, June 11 (reception is from 7 to 9). The work of Ted Zourntos is the attraction in the main gallery, while Jason Gringler shows in the project room. Mr. Zourntos paints what he refers to as "intuitive landscapes," representing more a psychological plane than an entirely physical one. The paintings appear as images that have been abstracted beyond recognition, but somehow still leave the viewer with the sense of place, but place "born of imagination" not necessarily of memory or observation, according to the artist.

Mr. Gringler takes the definition of Mixed Media to a new level. His works are made of multiple layers of mirror, spray paint, tape and Plexiglas, all fused together to create an abstract, tactile work that "exposes [the artist] while drawing the his audience into endless personal reflection."

Both of these shows run though July 12th, but much of the work at Sloan Fine Art sells out early, so you'll want to contact them quickly if you're interested in buying a piece.


Jason Gringler

Ted Zourntos - "Outward is Inward" at Sloan Fine Art

Jason Gringler at Sloan Fine Art

SHOW REPORT - Niagara VS. Vans at Billy Shire Fine Arts

PopDrawer readers had a great time at the opening night of the two-night exhibition of Niagara's work and Vans' new Niagara shoes at Billy Shire Fine Arts. About 30 of Niagara's iconic paintings graced the walls, while the crowd gawked at the shoes in lucite cases, wishing they were in the gift bags. No such luck, but every attendee did receive a Niagara t-shirt and a multi-disc set of Destroy All Monsters CDs.

One of the crowd favorites were these hard-shell clutches designed by Niagara with "secret" compartments hidden in the backs. Here you can see the pistol hidden in one purse, and a hypodermic with a lethal dose of poison in another.



Niagara was in attendance, as well as fellow artist/rock star Liz McGrath, who told me that her band Miss Derringer is opening for Blondie (!) on their new tour. The art luminaries were out in force, including Gary Baseman, Robert Williams, Natalia Fabia, Bob Dob, and actor/artist Richard Edson.

I believe a few paintings are still available. Go here to see which might not yet be sold.


Niagara and friend



Niagara Show at Billy Shire Fine Arts

Mark Mothersbaugh Wallpaper? - UPDATE!

UPDATE - 11/17/08

Mark Mothersbaugh wallpaper is available exclusively at DesignerWallcoverings.com and WAGWalls.com

ORIGINAL POST:

Boing Boing has this story from the LA Weekly about a new line of wallpaper designed by Mark Mothersbaugh. It's pretty de-vo-licious.

Mark Mothersbaugh Wallpaper at Boing Boing

Last Chance to Attend Invite-Only Event

Just a reminder: Tonight, Friday June 6th is the private, VIP Niagara event from 7-10 PM at Billy Shire Fine Arts Gallery in Culver City, CA. The event is celebrating the collaboration between Niagara and Vans Shoes.

Want to go? Email your RSVP (and bring some guests!) to Adriana at Vans and mention PopDrawer in the email.

Come for the art and shoes, stay for the music and drinks. It's a one time, can't miss event. Hope to see you there!

Billy Shire Fine Arts
5790 Washington Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90232
Phone: 323-297-0600

Fantastic Show at Project:Gallery

Edwin Ushiro

Project:Gallery in Culver City, CA ha a wonderful new show up entitled "Insider Trading" that was curated specifically for last weekend's Culver City Art Walk. It includes a number of Project:Gallery's stable of regulars. Luckily, you don't have to Culver City to see it, or purchase the artwork - the show is up on their website now. And it's a doozy. Yoskay Yamamoto, Nate Frizell, Tessar Lo, Rebecca Artemesia Urias, Scott Belcastro, Edwin Ushiro, Ryuichi Ogino, and more. The pieces range from approximately $1000 to $5000, and seem well worth the money. These artists are the next stars of the Modern Art world.


Nate Frizzell

"Insider Trading" at Project:Gallery

Art Made by a Steamroller?

Amy Crehore's blog Little Hokum Rag has a very cool link to some prints made by steamroller by students at a French art university. Until now we didn't know what kinds of prints steamrollers left behind. (Sorry...)

Steamroller Prints at Little Hokum Rag

Adam Flores Interview at Sketchypad

Mike at Sketchypad.com has a nice interview with wild architectural artist Adam Flores.



Adam Flore Interview at Sketchypad

Adam Flores' Flicker Stream

Scott Morse -- Busy, Busy, Busy

Six or seven years ago... or maybe seven or eight -- who keeps track -- I was wandering around the Comic-con in San Diego looking to fins some great new property to buy to adapt as a script. I had just finished writing a comic book adaptation of a little-known Dark Horse book for Universal Studios, and I was eager to find my next project. And then I stumbled upon Mendenhall Gallery's booth, and found Mark Ryden's work for the first time. It was a revelation for me. Over the course of the day, I would meet Gary Baseman, Tim Biskup, and Bwana Spoons, and an obsession was born.

But I wasn't looking for any of them. The one man I was looking for was Scott Morse. I had read his ethereal, other-worldly comic Soulwind and been blown away (pun completely intended) by the stellar writing and the stunning art. I must have gone back to the booth where I had heard he would be five times, but he was never there. But fate was on my side, as I found him at a friend's booth the last day of the con. An I have been following his work ever since. And man, is he busy.

His day job involves plying his artistry at Pixar, while he continues to put out numerous books and fine art. Just a small sampling of his work includes Red Window (a comic series), Magic Pickle (a book series for Scholastic), a new hardcover series called Tiger!Tiger!Tiger!, and work for a fine art show in France. Scott has a great blog where you can keep up with his gorgeous work.



Scott Morse's Blog

OBEY Shepard Fairey and Buy His New Print

Shepard Fairey's Subliminal Projects Gallery releases a brand spanking new OBEY print this Saturday, and it's a beaut. It's the Rock the Casbah in red, and it's a CHEAP $45. But there are a few catches. First, you have to be in L.A. to get it -- it's only available at the gallery. Second, it's credit card only. Third (and this is our favorite), eBayers beware -- OBEY is making some policies to try to prevent flipping on eBay. So eBayer flippers stay away.

Rock the Casbah in red

OBEY Giant site

Vinyl Car Stickers at Sketchypad

Sketchypad has a very cool post today about Infectious.com, a brand new company that creates vinyl stickers for your car by well-known artists. And Mike at Sketchypad has even secured a discount for Sketchypad readers. Can't beat that.

Sketchypad.com

EXCLUSIVE: PopDrawer Invites You to a VIP Event -- Niagara VS. Vans!

If you are a PopDrawer reader (well, you're... uh, reading this, so...), you are invited to a private, VIP Niagara event happening this Friday, June 6th, from 7-10 PM at Billy Shire Fine Arts Gallery in Culver City, CA. The event is celebrating the collaboration between Niagara and Vans Shoes.

World-renowned Niagara (famous for both her noirish femme-fatales, and for her founding and fronting of legendary punk band Destroy All Monsters) has lent her iconic images to six new kicks from Vans Vault, four slip-ons and two high-top lace-ups. So this Friday, Vans is celebrating their wisdom in choosing Niagara to be the first female artist whose images will grace shoes from the Vans Vault line, by hosting a party and private showing about 30 Niagara originals at Billy Shire Fine Arts, available for purchase. If you're interested in purchasing, please email Annie at Billy Shire Fine Arts for the link to the preview website.

Want to go? Email your RSVP (and bring some guests!) to Adriana at Vans and mention PopDrawer in the email.

Come for the art and shoes, stay for the music and drinks. It's a one time, can't miss event. Hope to see you there!

Billy Shire Fine Arts
5790 Washington Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90232
Phone: 323-297-0600





Niagara's Official Website

Amy Ruppel Works Too Hard

We know this because she (Amy Ruppel, that is) has two, count 'em, TWO shows opening this Thursday in Portland. The first is at Grassy Knoll Gallery, and Amy will be showing not only her paintings, but also some wooden houses, and something new -- hand block printed fabric. Amy was a printmaking major in college, so it makes sense that she'd try this direction. Can't wait to see the result.

Second (or rather tied for first, since the opening occurs at the same time, from 6-9 PM), Amy will be at Tender Loving Empire showing her "Small and Cheap" show, which features oversized, expensive art. Ha, had you going there for a second, didn't we? Or not. Anyway, in this small show, Amy will have 6 small detailed wax paintings in this one, shaped like houses." See them below.

Enjoy and buy!



Amy Ruppel

Who Needs Groceries Alert - Tim Biskup Items Now For Sale

Items from Tim Biskup's kick-ass show "The Artist in You" are now available at his online store Flopdoodle and at the website for the Jonathan Levine Gallery. First is the book/catalog from "The Artist in You," available for only $20 from Floopdoodle.com, and every copy purchased from Tim will be personally signed by him. The second item is the print "Asylum #4", available from Jonathan Levine Gallery. The large serigraph (24x36) contains over 70 colors, is an edition of just 100, and is going for $1200.

By the way, the entire show is now available for viewing here. It's astounding.



"The Artist in You" Book

Asylum #4 Serigraph

Pop Surrealism on Film - New Brow, the Movie

Mike at Sketchypad reports on a special preview showing of the new documentary about the lowbrow movement called New Brow. The list of artists featured in the film is a who's who of Pop Surrealism: Mark Ryden, Robert Williams, Gary Baseman, Tim Biskup, Glenn Barr, Camille Rose Garcia, Shephard Fairey, Shag, Mars-1, Todd Schorr, Isabell Samaras, and more.

If you live in the Monterey, CA area, you can see it on June 27th. An art show joins the screening. If you go, let us know!

New Brow at Sketchypad

Yosemite Studio Opens at Grass Hut

Seonna Hong

Yosemite Studio Opens at Grass Hut... Do any of those words fit together? What the *&%$# does it mean?

Let's look at the individual parts. Yosemite -- National park located in Central California. Studio -- Many definitions, here meaning working location for artist or group of artists. Opens -- Many definitions, here meaning begins, or possible sporting events. Hut -- Structure where Gilligan lived. Grass -- Place for splendor.

Unfortunately, that was no help.

Thankfully, when we go to artist Bwana Spoons' Grass Hut Gallery website, we discover that the Yosemite Studio is the place where five phenomenal artists ply their trade. Seonna Hong, Souther Salazar, Esther Pearl Watson, and Mark Todd. And these "Yosemite Studiomates" have a new show opening at our favorite Portland Gallery on June 6th.

Get ready for some awesome gorgeousity. Here's a preview...

Post more when we get it!


Souther Salazar

Yosemite Studio at Grass Hut

New Print by Travis P.

Travis P.

Hard Pressed Studios in Los Angeles has released a new print by Travis P. entitled Peace 47. The serigraph is an edition of $100, and was originally included in the LA vs. WAR event, a show featuring LA artists displaying pieces for peace and against war, and is available at Yo! Depot.

Hard Pressed Studios also offers a number of other prints on their website, including some incredible bold graphics work by Japanese artist Yuri Shimojo. These are $200 and are in editions of 50.


Yuri Shimojo

Peace 47 by Travis P

Hard Pressed Studios