Hello everybody!
I’m Matt Kennedy, the director of La Luz de Jesus Gallery. Some of you O.G. scenesters may remember me from back in the golden age of lowbrow when I was the manager at Billy Shire’s original Melrose location where I worked alongside gallery director Alix Sloan (and actually hired artists like Aaron Smith and Christian Clayton as gallery personnel) until 1995, when Billy Shire relocated the whole Soap Plant / Wacko operation to Los Feliz, and I entered the entertainment business.

I did a lot of acting, a bit of recording, a healthy amount of producing, and ran a few video labels that earned me the type of Geek street-cred that I’d always longed for. I even moled myself into the studio system and somehow managed to keep aware of the emerging and established  talent in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Tokyo, London and elsewhere. As a patron I probably kept a few of the smaller galleries in business, and consider myself fortunate to have been presented with an opportunity to return to my roots in the Shire Empire and reacquaint myself with the artists whose careers were launched in those heady days of the early to mid 90s.

Back in May, I was presented with the opportunity to become a columnist here on Daily Dujour, and after nine months of waiting, I’ve finally been given my login info …and just in time for the 4 person exhibition that opens this Friday at La Luz de Jesus:

Danni Shinya Luo, Kim Scott, Miran Kim, Transmission Atelier

This is the first show that I’ve assembled completely on my own. When I first stepped back into the position as gallery director, the majority of the 2009 schedule was in place. As sometimes happens, there were a few re-schudules (and one rather public dropped show) that allowed me to bring some new talent to La Luz de Jesus and Billy Shire Fine Arts. I’m proud to have been the person that brought Christopher Ulrich and Myron Conan Dyal to BSFA, and to have given first shows to Jessica Dalva and Misato Otake at La Luz de Jesus. But mostly the position was one of a clerical/sales nature; managing the artists’ deadlines, contacting buyers, overseeing publicity and booking the ads. As I approach the close of my first year back, the role is much more of a balance between gallery director and show curator. I booked this Friday’s show back in July, and the joy of watching it open is difficult to express in words -least of all words that serve as an introduction.

Having seen the work in this show, I couldn’t be prouder of Shinya, Miran, Kim and Jim (aka Transmission Atelier).

With the consolidation of BSFA back into La Luz de Jesus, I feel like I’m finally getting a chance to do what I do best, and that’s to take the years of experience I have (marketing niche media) and steer it into the heart of my greatest passion -art. I’ve been overseeing a complete redesign of the La Luz de Jesus website, I’ve set up Artofficial: the official La Luz de Jesus Gallery Art Blog, and most recently launched a La Luz de Jesus Art YouTube page. The first video I’ve produced for the new blog and YouTube page is a studio visit with Danni Shinya Luo. It’s something of a trailer for her Spiritual Deficiencies exhibit, which opens this Friday alongside Miran Kim’s Uncomplicated Treats, Kim Scott’s Peep Holes and Magic Boxes, and Transmission Atelier’s If the Shadows Could March.
We’ve got a new beverage sponsor, NAKHON, and we’re expecting a special visit from a very special catering truck, too. We know how to throw a party around here and I encourage you all to come on down.

I also had my friend Jennifer do a Studio Visit with Karen Miso Hsiao, whose The Cold Returns show will be closing at CHG this Saturday. It’s a great show and I encourage you to check it out while you still can. If the link doesn’t work, you can access her video on the La Luz de Jesus Art YouTube page.

See you this weekend in the flesh, and back here next Wednesday!

Artist Pearl C. Hsiung will be participating in a group show for Arte Contemporaneo – ARCO Madrid 29 International Contemporary Art Fair, which runs from February 17th – 21st in Madrid, Spain. I stopped through Pearl’s studio to take a peek at some painting before they were shipped off. So here’s a nice glimpse of her workspace and work as she’s wrapping up for this international group show, which will feature up to 60 artists.

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Yesterday we dropped in for a LIVE streaming studio visit with artist and DD contributor Joe Ledbetter to talk about his new book, a European Tour and to check out where he does al his painting and toy design. If you missed the live broadcast you can now catch up here: http://dailydujour.com/ddtv/

The video is on a LOOP, but you can click into the On-Demand section and view both parts.

If you’ve been reading Joe Ledbetter’s guest blog here at Dailydujour you know that he’s been working hard on his upcoming Death and Taxes solo which opens on Saturday, June 6th @ Copro Gallery in Santa Monica.   Since we’re always looking to bring you closer to the action, we recently visited Joe at his brand-new studio space in downtown LA to get a look at several completed pieces as well several more in progress.

Upon entering the studio, we noticed that Joe had hung all of  his completed pieces on the large main wall of the studio.  He explained that this allowed him to get a good sense of how the show pieces were progressing collectively and also served as a way to think about how they should be hung in the gallery.  The new studio is paying dividends already as this is the first time he’s had the space to do this.

While several of the new paintings address the trying times we face, others offer an escape into a world ruled by Mr. Bunny and his compatriots.  A few pieces caught our eyes in terms of the approach including a mixed-media piece as well as a pair  of  ying-yang style paintings.  Since there are about two weeks until the show opening, we’re going to let our preview efforts unfold over time.  Enjoy this first of several looks at both Joe’s studio and his new Death and Taxes paintings.

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

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