The OC Art Blog was created in 2004 as a way to build community and promote the marginalized but dynamic Orange County art scene.

Photo LA is just around the corner and it is always quite an event with quite a crowd. Last Jan. I purchased a triptych by young German artist Loretta Lux from Yossi Milo Gallery. She does creepy/charming portraits of children. During my most recent trip to Europe her work seemed to be in all the Euro art mag's. It also looks like if you are into art as an investment it was a good buy, judging by her work's reception at the recent...

19 December, 2004 /

Because The Office will be participating in artLA in January 2005 I have been allotted a few VIP passes to the big event. In thanks to my loyal blog readers I would like to give one away. Here's the catch; The first loyal reader who lives in Orange County (it's an OC based blog...

17 December, 2004 /

Jessica over at Insurgent Muse was kind enough to forward me her Top Ten list so here it is. Be sure to check out her blog as there is always some interesting art related topics to be found there. 1. Tracy + the Plastics     There is this new movement out there that I like to call “post-punk electro feminist performance art.” Examples include Le Tigre, Chicks on Speed and Peaches. Blurring the lines between visual art and music, these women carry on the tradition...

16 December, 2004 /

While I'm thinking about about my next post go check out Tyler Green's Top Ten for 2004 here. ...

16 December, 2004 /

Well here's my Top Ten for 2004 in no particular order. As you can see I did a little traveling this year. These aren't easy to put together: 1. Orange County Museum of Art. We snatched Dennis Szakacs from the New Museum and it's been all uphill from there. They finished the remodel of the main building and opened the new media satellite the Orange Lounge in South Coast plaza and have a great line up of shows planned. National/International recognition is not far behind. 2. Francis...

14 December, 2004 /

This weekend The Office was visited by the Laguna Art Museum's Contemporary Collectors Council. I was able to give them a little background on how The Office came about and Adam Bryam one of the artists in the current show was there to answer any questions they had about the work. If you are interested in collecting art or just in the artistic process, collectors councils/organizations that are attached to institutions are a great way to get access that you may not be able to...

13 December, 2004 /

Rebecca Schoenkopf's review of Ulteriora at The Office can be found here. The Ulteriora boys were interviewed by NPR last weekend and will be featured on a new show on NPR highlighting arts and culture in Southern California. I'll keep you posted. It should air early Jan. 05. ...

09 December, 2004 /

Mark over at Rarified Air visits The Office and Gallery C and breaks it down here. And it would seem the Art Blog world is back on the subject of Thomas Kinkade. Jessica at Insurgent Muse discusses the "High Art vs. Low Art" debate here. And Carolyn over at Studio Notebook get's in the mix here. I'm sure all would be interested to know that OC held the first "serious" showing of Kinkade's work in a contemporary art space. All the information about the Jeffrey Valance curated show...

09 December, 2004 /

For those interested Walter Robinson breaks down Scope Miami here. As I understand it Scope is not coming back to LA so that makes artLA in January the only new/contemporary game in town. So be sure to come out and support it. ...

09 December, 2004 /

For a thorough wrap up of the happenings at Art Basel Miami Beach check out Tyler Green's latest here. So what does Miami have that Orange County doesn't?? Couldn't a successful contemporary art fair be held here, near our beautiful beaches and resorts?? Away from all the major art centers?? Hmmmm...

08 December, 2004 /

After a very nice lunch at the Gypsy Den in the Santa Ana Artists Village today I was able to catch Joe Diebes video installation at Grand Central. It's a combination of video and audio that is described as: In Joe Diebes' latest music driven installation work the audience is invited to wander through a labyrinthine arrangement of video projections that document the everyday behavior of the urban human specimen.  At rest:  people with blank stares standing on street corners, people smoking cigarettes outside of...

07 December, 2004 /

Nicole Davis reviews John Baldessari's show at Marian Goodman Gallery here. Baldessari is a big influence on my own work and his new "stack" pieces in this show are examples of work I wish I had done. Baldessari is the quintessential California artist and it's good to see him still pushing the envelope. Here is a Baldessari in my collection. ...

07 December, 2004 /

Due to unfortunate circumstances I found myself in Westwood on Saturday, so while I was there I had the opportunity to catch the Undiscovered Country show at The Hammer. Highlights for me included Luc Tuymans work. I was in London in Sept. and was able to catch his retrospective at the Tate and I walked out a little underwhelmed. After some mental digestion and seeing his work here at the Hammer in this context I now can see how Tuymans has served as a link...

06 December, 2004 /

Well we're headed towards the end of the year so that means it's Top Ten time in the art world. I hope to post a few top tens here before the end of the year. Let's start with ArtForum's which can be found here. ...

03 December, 2004 /

Because I'm a big fan and because I know a family member they send me free copies. I have to let everybody know about a can't miss event in North Orange County, otherwise known as Long Beach (hey...

02 December, 2004 /