Rise of the Underground
New work from Jeremy Fish
Mark Moore Gallery
5790 Washington Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90232

On Saturday we drove down from San Francisco to drop off some art. Luckily for us Jeremy Fish was opening a new show in Culver City that same evening. After getting to Mel Kadel & Travis Millard's place at 6:30, we got in their truck and drove through LA's nutty Saturday night traffic to catch the last 20 minutes of the opening.

After a Tecate and speaking with a couple people, the owner yelled "everyone out" at 8pm as he had dinner plans to make. Quickly made our way about the gallery checking out the art before being booted out the door. Bummer we didn't get to spend more time with the great work.

Overview

Work by Jeremy Fish

Mr. Fish

Gavin Heslet is wrapping up the new season of The Creative Lives.

NYC based Matt Mignanelli (pics from his '10 show here in SF at Medicine) emailed over some images from the group show Cast, Tint, Shade, Glow he's in with Palma Blank, Susan Lisbin, Leigh Ruple, and Susanna Starr at the non-profit space, Mikhail Zakin Gallery, located about 10 min from NYC in Demarest, NJ. The show runs through November 19th.

The old battle axe and I headed out to Culver City to check out WWA gallery's latest two-person show featuring David Chung’s Smells Better Than it Tastesand Ben Kehoe’s The Endless Frontier which opened Saturday, October 14th. Los Angeles based artist, David Chung's works ranged from ink brush moleskin works to colorfully cute and humorous paintings, all of which worked well along side Pittsburgh-based painter, Ben Kehoe's subtly absurd and darkly humored paintings, filled with texture and color washes, focused on pioneers and frontiersmen of the new world and old west that the wonders and terrors they faced.

David Chung, affectionately known as The Chung, lives in Los Angeles yet works out of some dark, strange corner of the human imagination that the rest of us generally knows to stay away from. His artwork, filled with humor and awkwardness, is a sort of catharsis for the moments of humiliation which inevitably stain all of our lives. Working as both an illustrator and a fine artist, Chung has shown in galleries all over Los Angeles and has had works featured at Miami’s Art Basel. As an illustrator he has worked for clients such as Nickelodeon, Disney, NPR, Nesquik, Kellogg’s, Six Flags, Mattel, Kraft, Metro Times and G4TV.

The Virgin Shrympee Ramen Noodle Soup by David Chung.

Work by Ben Kehoe

Robert, his daughter Lola, and I headed out to Culver City to check out the group show, The Future Is Not What It Used To Be, curated by artist Mike Stilkey, which opened at LeBasse Projects October 7th. Artists in the show included Kelsey Brookes, Brian Dettmer, Katrin Fridriks, Jim Houser, Dave Kinsey, Ryan McLennan, Cleon Peterson, Dena Schuckit, Aaron Smith, Tara Tucker, Mario Wagner and Mike Stilkey.

Curated by Mike Stilkey
The Future Is Not What It Used To Be
October 8 -November 5, 2011
LeBasse Projects
6023 Washington Blvd. Culver City, CA 90232

Mike Stilkey in front of his giant book sculpture.

I'm always traveling around with Tiffany and Dave and Phil. Friends that are your neighbors are always good company.

I really dig the paintings by Kelsey Brookes. I've never gotten to view one in person, so seeing this was pretty rad.

My buddy Dave, an avid surfer and starting up his own surf shop FinSurfShop, took me along to check out The Surfing Essay, a collection of photographs by Anthony Friedkin, which opened at DRKRM Gallery, September 17th. Documenting Surfing culture of Southern California from the middle of the 1960's to the 1970's, Friedkin, a native Southern Californian and avid surfer himself, shares these collection of these personal photographs, documenting his life as a surfer, his love of the ocean as well as his connection to other surfer's, their girlfriends, and the life and times.

The Surfing Essay
Photographs by Anthony Friedkin
September 17 - October 29, 2011
www.drkrmgallery.com
727 S. Spring Street
Los Angeles, CA 90014

Much of these photographs were taken during the Dog Town era, but he had began taking photos as a kid and processing his own pictures at 11 years of age.

Phil shows his Natas tattoo next to Friedkin's photograph of Natas.

The good old days.

Creativity Explored is a nonprofit visual arts center where artists with developmental disabilities create, exhibit, and sell art. We love the place and the work they display is always unique and interesting.

Last Thursday we swung through for their latest featuring clay sculptures by multiple Creativity Explored artists. The back space featured a wide range of work as well. Great place if you're a fan of folk art. Also a great place to buy holiday gifts as well. Interesting creative original works for cheap... And you get to feel good about yourself for supporting a good SF resource.

This guy had a whole collection of celebrities.

So hard NOT taking this guy home with us.

Afterwards we swung through Ever Gold for their opening of Lucas Soi's new works.

Mostly 2
+Tim Kerr, Jim Houser, Merrilee Challiss, Chrissy Piper and maybe, just maybe, Dan Higgs
@Domy Books
913 E Cesar Chavez, Austin, TX 78702
Exhibition runs September 17 - October 20, 2011
BACKROOM GALLERY: William Gaynor and Conner O'Leary

The best game in town, Domy Books, once gain brought another stellar show to Austin, TX. A collaborative show between Tim Kerr and Jim Houser. The show was about being friends being friendly to one another. What an unpretentious concept right? Imagine that. Chrissy Piper, Merrilee Challiss, and long time partner in crime, Dan Higgs were invited by ringmaster, Tim Kerr, to participate. -Manik Nakra

I first discovered Jim Houser's work here on Fecal Face but finally got to see it in the flesh. He absolutely KILLED IT. This wooden shingle piece was my favorite. My buddies and I geeked out over his line work. In case this whole being a badass artist thing doesnt pan out, Jim could always be one of those people who write text on a grain of rice at the mall.

Tim and Jim's installation

Always tons of great limited edition books, toys, and zines at Domy. And they are constantly getting new stuff. Book People is a nationally known bookstore in Austin. Always at the top of National Best Bookstore lists. They dont even have the exclusives that Domy gets its hands on.

The Haunted
@Home Room
September 23 - 2011

Some shots of The Haunted, an interdisciplinary exploration of terror, the inaugural installation at Home Room, a new gallery / venue in Los Angeles. An interactive installation set up by some of the same artists who created TETRICIDE last year. Amy Darling who shoots for LA Record sent over these photos.

Checking out Clark Walter's animatronic "Go Fuck Yourself Defense"

"Hours" by Jessica Dalva

In front of the exterior mural by Champoy Hate

"Evelyn, circa 1940 with mysterious figure" by Allison Peck

'Sink or Swim' a Benefit for Sharks and Oceans at Spoke Art Gallery

(Words from PangeaSeed) In the spirit of ocean conservation the Japan-based non-profit organization, PangeaSeed, in collaboration with Spoke Art, is pleased to announce our inaugural transcontinental art exhibition, Sink or Swim, featuring original works from 30 internationally renowned artists such as Dave Kinsey, Josh Keyes, Dan May, Jim Phillips, Jeff Soto and many more. This gathering of widely acclaimed artists from around the globe will address one the biggest threats facing the health of world’s oceans today – the rapid and mass depletion of sharks.

PangeaSeed is a Tokyo-based grassroots organization dedicated to educating and raising international awareness on the plight of sharks. Through volunteer activism and various mediums including art, music, film, and photography, PangeaSeed aims to create an open dialog with the global community to develop an understanding of the need to preserve and protect sharks and their habitat.

Sink or Swim is not only a reference to the cruel practice of finning but also a reference to our relationship with the oceans as a whole. As human activity is causing sea levels to rise and coral reefs to die, we see fish stocks rapidly disappearing. The global population must change course if we want future generations to experience the sea as we have. We are living at a crucial time in terms of sustaining the oceans. We may sink and fail, or we may find a way to succeed and swim.

Tre' holding up a beautiful print from Josh Keyes.

In short, Sink or Swim is an SOS to the world that these issues facing the oceans need attention now more than ever. Following the success of Sink or Swim in Tokyo this past July, San Francisco is next in line to host this unique exhibition. Sink or Swim pays homage to the shark, this most important and beautiful of creatures, while critiquing their demise and offering hope for their future.

Dave Kinsey

Style of Eye
Stencil works by Casey Gray
@White Walls
October 1, 2011 - October 29, 2011

Stencil and spray paint works. This SF based artist got his MFA in Painting from the San Francisco Art Institute in 2010. We checked out his opening last Saturday.

FF's Kid Yellow swung through Casey's studio before his show opened at White Walls last Saturday. More photos below of the visit and from his opening.