Robert Williams. Brute Waste (This An Irresistable Impulse To Leave No Sanctum Unspoiled)
2009. Acrylic enamel auto paint on fiber glass with steel armature.
102″ x 42″ x 48″

Robert Williams’s new body of work, “Conceptual Realism in the Service of the Hypothetical” includes paintings, prints and,  for the first time, sculptures. Known as an “artist’s artist,” Mr. Williams’ work travels from the underground comic world of the sixties, through the founding of the popular art magazine, Juxtapoz, to his current body of work exploring the next step into abstract thought. This show travels from Tony Shafrazi Gallery where it originated.

Robert Williams / Conceptual Realism in the Service of the Hypothetical
Opening: Saturday, February 20th (6-9 PM)
CSUN Art Galleries
18111 Nordhoff Street
Northridge, CA, 91330-8299
Mon – Sat Noon – 4pm, Thurs Noon – 8pm
Closed Sundays and Holidays.
818.677 .2226

Street artist Mark Jenkins opened his Meaning is Overrated solo this past Thursday @ Carmichael Gallery.  Riffing on the human form, Jenkins offered several intriguing sculptures created entirely with tape.  From the surreal including Spokes (female/bicycle hybrid) and a fur covered man urinating on a hydrant to the subtle man in a hoodie without a face, the show challenges initial perceptions.   The inclusion of a clear see-through miniature carousel horse serves to introduce new collectors and fans to Jenkins’s unusual choice of medium. Click through for opening reception pics.

Mark Jenkins / Meaning is Overrated
Carmichael Gallery of Contemporary Art
1257 N. La Brea Avenue
West Hollywood, CA 9003
323.969.0600

More Images + Info »

Colin Christian creates amazing sculptures often of his subject of choice, sultry futuristic women.  For his upcoming joint show in February with his wife Sas Christian at Opera Gallery, Colin is working on what we’re guessing is his largest head sculpture to date.  We’re definitely looking forward to seeing more.

More Images + Info »

A show of new work by the unstoppable Kiel Johnson opened Saturday at the Mark Moore Gallery  in Bergamot Station.  Johnson’s cardboard sculptures and beautifully detailed drawings are  guaranteed to put you in an excellent mood. Check em out!

More Images + Info »

“Publish or Perish,” work by Kiel Johnson, opens this Saturday evening at Mark Moore Gallery  at Bergamot Station and runs until Nov. 14. Check out this awesome time lapse video of Johnson building a twin-lens reflex camera out of cardboard, hot glue and tape!

David B. Smith Gallery is proud to present Words Fail Me, a solo exhibition of new work by artist
Mike Stilkey. This series, featuring abstract figurative paintings and mixed-media sculptures, will be on display from September 18, 2009 through October 10, 2009.

Utilizing a mix of ink, colored pencil, paint and lacquer, Mike Stilkey’s work features a melancholic and at times whimsical cast of characters, with an aesthetic reminiscent of Weimer-era German expressionism. Inhabiting an ambiguous environment, his subjects convey a lingering sense of loss and longing. Stilkey reaches beyond the formal confines of painting and drawing, using such materials as record covers, book pages and book covers to create the spaces in which his characters exist. The artist’s work melds the visual world with the literal. Examining the limitations and interchangeability of the communicative process, Stilkey’s work reinvents the canvas to push boundaries between words, visual art and music.

David B Smith Gallery
Words Fail Me
new work from Mike Stilkey
September 18th, 2009 from 7 PM to 10 PM.

More Images + Info »

“Ultrasonic IV: Fresh Perspectives” at the Mark Moore Gallery in Bergamot Station features a diverse look at up-and-coming artists working in a variety of mediums, including video, sculpture, and photography. Josh Azzarella, Mario Ybarra Jr., Tim Barber, Matthew McGuinness and Walter Martin & Paloma Munoz offer intriguing work.

More Images + Info »

Yoskay Yamamoto presented a new body of work exploring the duality of connection and disconnection for last night’s opening of his Hello and Goodbye solo @ LeBasse Projects in Culver City. Through thirteen  new paintings including several large pieces including his largest piece to-date, the 4’x9’ Departure and Arrival, Yoskay explores the cyclic nature of  personal relationships and the role distance plays in the strength of connections.

Showing his well-rounded nature as an artist, Yoskay also returned to some sculptural work including a large floor to ceiling installation featuring suspended creature elements made of sculpey layered around foam core shapes. He also created several intricate wall-mounted compartment-style pieces which featured a mixture of mini paintings and tiny sculptures.

The response from the public to Yoskay’s new work was quite strong beginning with a line in front of the gallery a full two hours before opening in anticipation of the “Do You Mind if I Stay for a Bit?”  print which sold out quickly.  A steady stream of collectors and fans visited the gallery throughout the night to get a first-hand look at Yoskay’s newest work – really the best way to view it.  Hello and Goodbye runs through  May 28th – plenty of time to catch it if you’re in SoCal.

LeBasse Projects
6023 Washington Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90232
310.558.0220

More Images + Info »

Thinkspace presented three separate solo openings this past Friday (5.8) including Louisville artist Kathleen Lolley’s …Away from the Things of Man in the main room featuring warm and charming depictions of an animal-centric world.   As we previewed the other day, Lolley took on the challenge of painting a wall mural in the front window area.  The final result is quite nice – a woman with her head in the clouds surround by a flock of black birds suspended from the ceiling.

Her animal society unfolds with  numerous depictions of everyday life including numerous travel pieces from birds to carriages.  In addition to paintings, Lolley offered several wood  bird sculptures including the 5ft Wood Owl with light-up eyes.   On a slightly smaller scale, there were also four other bird sculptures in clever wood bird houses.

Check Thinkspace’s official show page to browse the available pieces.

Thinkspace Art Gallery
4210 Santa Monica Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90029
323.913.3375

More Images + Info »

LA artist Tim Biskup will release a brand-new bronze sculpture of his beloved Pollard character sometime in June.  The new Bronze Pollard stands 7” tall, is limited to 44 stamped/initialed pieces, and comes with a signed COA.  The excellent piece is available for pre-order for a limited time at the early-bird price of $600 (retail is $800).

More Images + Info »

Jessica Joslin unveiled the newest additions to her sculpture menagerie for this past Saturday’s opening of her Clockwork Circus solo @ Billy Shire Fine Arts in Culver City. Joslin’s animal sculptures combine multiple mediums including skeletal remains, metal work, fabric and leather elements.  The  mix of whimsy and wonder  proved compelling to gallery goers, many of whom waited while others got a close-up look or shot a picture or two of their favorites.

The importance of strong sculptural work is driven in part by the relative lack of it in this exciting hybrid art scene that we cover on Dailydujour.  Joslin’s birds, monkeys, dogs and more fit comfortably within the movement’s focus on character-driven, figurative work.  The pervasive sense of humor and playfulness distinguishes the work from sculptural work that falls outside of the movement.

The work sparks the imagination by mixing realistic elements (skulls and bones) with fantastic man-made elements (metal limbs, spines, etc.).  Their fanciful costumes serve as our entry point into the creature’s alternate reality.   The power and possibility of 3D are clearly on display here. Clock Circus runs through February 7th, 2009.

Billy Shire Fine Arts
5790 Washinton Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90232
323.297.0600

More Images + Info »

The wildly imaginative and witty UK artist  Wilfrid Wood has done his part to lighten people’s spirits with two large sculptures in Melbourne and Sydney dedicated to victims of “summer madness”.  Apparently commissioned by Nestle’s Frosty Fruits, the two send-ups of summer sun rituals were designed by Wood and sculpted by Josh Young.  Yes, it’s a commercial tie-in, but Wilfrid Wood’s art on public display is a good thing in our book.

[Seen over at Hi-Fructose’s blog]

More Images + Info »

Michelle Valigura opened Creation Mutation, her first solo, on October 25th @ M Modern in Palm Springs.   As the show’s title suggests, Michelle presented a menagerie of mutated animals (and one siamese barbershop duo) done as wood sculpture. From the large tiger to the alligator, the whimsical pieces proved to be irresistible  with the majority of the pieces selling via preview and during the opening night. While the show officially closes today, contact the gallery for availability about a few remaining pieces.

M Modern
2500 N. Palm Canyon Dr.
Palm Springs, CA 92262
760.416.3611

More Images + Info »