28 Nov Saturday in Chinatown
Ran up to Downtown LA yesterday to shoot some photo’s with George and Adam, the two artists in the Ulteriora show. It seems NPR is going to tag along with them next weekend on one of their explorations and do an audio piece. I’ll keep you posted.
After we walked the dirty streets of LA, I talked them in to heading over to Chinatown to catch a few shows before the openings that night.
Please somebody help me understand this. The last time I was in Chinatown, at a gallery that will remain nameless (pictured), I asked for a price of a piece and never ended up getting it and eventually left after waiting fifteen minutes. I buy art. I may not look like I buy art, but I buy art. This visit wasn’t much different. It would seem that gallerists try really hard not to sell you art. Is that the rub?? If they make it harder for you to buy it you’ll want it more?? Please help me. Because I run The Office down here in the OC, I am now wondering if I need to just start ignoring people and sales will double.
Anyway, there were a couple of exceptions, 4-F was one. I had an opportunity to meet Brienne who runs the place and she was very nice and had one of the better shows up that day.
A couple of other highlights were the Jon Pylypchuk and Adrian Williams show at China Art Objects (although I don’t think I have ever seen anyone working here all the times I’ve been there) and the Matthew Greene (pictured) show at Peres Projects looked very good. We didn’t get in because they were doing an installation of some sort.
It was good to see that Chinatown had put together a map of all the local galleries and good eateries. With competition from Wilshire, Covina and now Gallery Row it seems they are attempting to get a little more organized. Now they just need to start coordinating their openings again.
George
Posted at 00:05h, 29 NovemberIsn’t that what the art scene in any town is essentially about? It magnifies human nature into inclusion and exclusion. Joy is seemingly not meant to be a part of gallery visits unless you’re the one providing it.
I can only imagine that an observant outsider unfamiliar w/ what goes on in “art” gallerys would see a highly ritualized act occurring over and over again between the knower and known, between knowledge and those who pretend to hold it, between prestige and those who can only temporarily bestow it.
Tyler Green
Posted at 08:14h, 29 NovemberIMHO, Chinatown is the most interesting, vibrant gallery district in America. Seriously.
And 4-F is great, but like SO F*ING MANY of the Chinatown spaces they can’t keep their website up-to-date or functional to save their lives. I mean, is an artist bio so hard to have/post?
Chris
Posted at 08:54h, 29 NovemberI agree Tyler. Chinatown has an energy you won’t find anywhere else in LA. It’s interesting to watch the growing pains. Have fun in Miami.