Seen: Hi-Fructose 5th Anniversary Show @ Copro

Copro presented the Hi-Fructose 5th Anniversary group show to a packed house on Saturday evening (3.13).   Given Hi-Fructose’s position as one of the leading pop surrealism magazines, it’s not surprising that their anniversary shows are always eagerly anticipated and have over the years delivered.  Maybe it’s because the show is fresh in our minds, but this latest installment feels like one of the strongest yet.

Headlined by a bumper crop of excellent paintings from some of the scene’s top painters including Ron English, Craola, Audrey Kawasaki, Amy Sol, Martin Wittfooth as well as in-your-face sculptures by Colin Christian, Scott Musgrove, Harma Heikens, and Kris Kuksi,  standout pieces seemed to be the norm.  We’re also happy to report that the show seems to have sold quite well.

Speaking of sculptures, Scott Musgrove’s large  5-foot Prairie Boxer bronze sculpture is a highlight piece  made all that more impressive by the fact that it was sculpted by Scott himself.  The large/short pair of creatures have an undeniable life and presence.  So it’s a shame that very few show goers were able to appreciate the piece due to the poor viewing conditions.  There was no direct light on the piece and as a result it languished in relative darkness (the pictures after the jump were shot with  high iso or flash).  Disappointing.

Make no mistake though, Hi-Fructose’s 5th Anniversary exhibition is an excellent group show with very strong work.  If you missed it, definitely set some time aside to drop by Copro to check it out before it closes on April 3rd.  For artwork availability, please check the official show preview.

Copro Gallery
Bergamot Station
7525 Michigan Ave T5
Santa Monica, CA 90404
310.829.2156