CLARE Foundation

I installed the fundraiser for this foundation that assists recovering drug & alcohol people. Who knows, I may be in line at their door one day. If you can't make the show, take a look at the artwork, contact the curators, and you may be able to acquire some well priced art, and support a wonderful cause. Yes, that's right, Ed Ruscha, Billy Al Bengston, Peter Alexander, all have work in there...
good deals for the savvy people, in the know, connected...
http://www.artslant.com/la/events/show/105438-4th-annual-art-for-clare-2010

Veronika Kellndorfer

I love this German born artist, that shows her silk-screened prints on sheets of glass at the Christopher Grimes Gallery in Santa Monica. Check out her work, and bio, here:
http://cgrimes.com/index.php?option=com_artists&view=set&id=11
This work was installed in a beautiful contemporary home, in Malibu, overlooking the Pacific.
Oh, did I mention that all the walls were poured cement? Who do you call when you have priceless artwork, installed in tricky locations, in difficult substrates?
Yeah, baby, that's right; you call the LAartGUY, uh, huh!

Jacob Hoshimoto

This guy makes paintings he calls "Kites". When you look at them, that's really what they are. Small rice-paper panels strung between wood dowels, mounted in Lucite, offer the viewer the appearance of a minutely choreographed ballet of impossibly interwoven kites. These paintings are really a unique diversionary take on what a painting is, and can be. You can see more of his work at the Saatchi Gallery site here
http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/artists/jacob_hashimoto.htm
I'll be back at the same house to install a Paul Winstanley, sometime next week

John Lautner's Stevens House

http://www.kristinkilmerdesign.com/john_lautner_stevens_house.htm
Just a pleasure, and a privledge to install fine artwork at such a culturally significant residence. Lucky for me, the owner has 11 other "collectible" mid-century homes in the area, that probably need artwork installed

Miya Ando installation

I had the opportunity to install a polyptych of minimalist metallurgy, by Miya Ando..
I think she describes her work better than I could.

here is her artist statement and website. http://www.miyaando.com/

In my work, I create quiet, abstract, meditative environments with metal. Ultimately I am interested in the study of subtraction to the point of purity, simplicity and refinement.

I am Japanese and Russian, a descendant of Bizen swordmaker Ando Yoshiro Masakatsu and was raised among sword smiths-turned Buddhist priests in a Buddhist temple in Okayama, Japan. My spiritual, familial, and academic experiences deeply inform every aspect of my work.

LA Opera "The Ring" in photos

I had the delightful opportunity to light the new show at the Ruth Bachofner Gallery.
http://www.ruthbachofnergallery.com/Exhibits/exhibits.asp
Great photos of the actors and actress' performing in the currently showing opera. The photographs are by Monika Rittershaus.

Pollution paintings, I love 'em

The reason I live near the beach, and far from any main roads is this. Marie Jager is the artist
Pollution paintings. They have been done before, yet these are free of any contraints of those. Beautiful, even without the knowledge of the process, and yet ferocious in meaning.
http://ghebaly.com/

Jim McHugh at Yarger Fine art

Really great show of photo's from a great photographer. Jim's a 3rd generation angeleno, an avid boxer, and greatly admired by the entire art and architectural community for all his contributions to Los Angeles culture. A lot of wonderful, beautiful work, already properly framed. This show will be a sell out!

http://www.yargerfineart.com/main.html

This Thursday! LACE Auction

http://www.welcometolace.org/auction/lace-benefit-art-auction-2010/page/schedule-2/

This is it folks. This is the best of the best benefit auction. This is a fun party, and great art up for both silent, and live auction. Wonderful deals, lots of fun; I'll be there. Here's the Don Suggs work, I'll be bidding on....

Richard Hawkins at Richard Telles Fine Art

OK, so I finally figured out how to add images to my Blog. Everyone loves pictures, so here's one.
This is a pic of the sculptural work of Hawkins. The actual one that I'll be moving is almost 8 feet tall!! Pleas come to the Telles gallery to see if I was successful (I'm just kidding, Richards)

Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions (AKA: LACE)

It's spring auction-time! LACE, an LA landmark of art exhibition on the famous Hollywood Blvd. strip is having their annual fundraiser. You can buy fabulous contemporary art, and get a tax deduction (if anyone still needs those things). Me and my firm installed all the artwork for this auction (pro-bono, thank you) and it's a damn fine show! My favorites are the Carlee Fernandez string of stuffed parakeets (pictured) , and the Don Suggs painting (I might even be able to afford bidding on one of them).
http://www.welcometolace.org/auction/
I'll see you at the auction!!!!!

Auction time, Buy art NOW!

Spring is when the Blue Chip material hits the block. Picasso proved (once again) there is no shortage of cash for the important works coming to market. On Monday, Bonham & Butterfield held their springtime, contemporary art auction. There were quite a few works of interest to me. The Sandow Birk paintings went under 8, the Claire Falkenstein lots went for around 4. The 2 pieces that I saw run up were a nice sculpture by Guy Dill, estimated at 7-9 went in the low 30's, and a seminole work by Chas Bjorquez, "The words that Cut", estimated around 3, went into the 20's. A wonderful auction to set the stage for the anticipated LAMA auction, which just uploaded it's auction catalogue: http://www.lamodern.com/. I am looking forward to the Tierney Gearon lots! Coming in early June is the semi-annual Santa Monica Auction, http://www.smauctions.com/
My friend and mentor, Robert Berman unveils both the old Haring /Warhol stuff he's been trying to sell for 20 years, as well as a bounty of local California artists work, come to market as a result of the economy, divorce, or move to a smaller abode. Now is the time to buy art at unbelievable low prices. Just like real estate and the Dow industrials, prices are depressed, but rising. This is a very exciting time to be in the art market, as work is entering the market that has been in private hands for generations, and will probably be again, as institutional buyers are hoarding cash for operations right now. Buy, Buy, Buy!!

Bad Art, good art, and a movie

Liz McGrath at Patrick Painter garnishes an award for worst show viewed this week.
If you have to go and decide for yourself, go ahead, just don't blame me for your disappointment.
Really great show is up at Sam Freeman Gallery at Bergamot Station. Dustin Yellen is back with a bunch of new paintings that have to be experienced to understand and appreciate. Also worth seeing is a show at Richard Heller Gallery, Ernesto Caivano draws incongruously, but deftly. He draws you in to his tight little drawings until you are immersed in his little melancholic world. If you are still slumming around Bergamot, and you have a stomache for this sort of thing, go to the Robert Berman Gallery, showing paintings, drawings, and photographs of nudes from a wide variety of well known artists. Be ready to blush.
I saw the Banksy movie last night, and it was good, entertaining, and funny. I think a more accurate title would be "Banksy outs Mr. Brainwash as a poseur". Totally worth seeing as a catalyst to discussing the art market, and what it is, was, and has become.

Quiet and powerful

This week I have had the opportunity to consult on one of the foremost contemporary art collections, in the world. The 30,000 square foot home was completely filled with original works by Picasso (3 paintings!) John Chamberlain, Bob Raushenburg, Franz Kline, Ad Rhinehardt, Sol Lewitt, Robert Irwin, Ellsworth Kelly, Julian Schnabel, Sterling Ruby, Diane Arbus and the list goes on and on. It is a mindwarp to comprehend that each and every artwork being handled has the financial power within it to build a rocket, shelter a family, build a race car, etc. I feel this intrinsic value undeniablly, inextricably attached to the art, becames an additional energy to the artr, further propelling it through the market, almost stripping the work of it's original intended statement, and becoming a marker of sorts, to the collector; a gold ring, if you will.
Well I'm off to hand deliver an original Ed Ruscha painting to a collector in Newport Beach, and collect $100,000 in cash on the deal. Remember rule #1, no names.
Have fun today, stay out of trouble, and think good thoughts.

New Ritz-Carlton, art installed by

My company just installed the reception area, and lobby and public areas of this new addition to Los Angeles's fine hotel choices:
http://travel.latimes.com/daily-deal-blog/index.php/ritz-carlton-los-ang-6707/
Over this past year we were lucky to have installed the poolside decorative frames along the poolside of the SLS hotel in Beverly Hills:
http://www.starwoodhotels.com/luxury/property/overview/index.html?propertyID=3171
and we are still putting the finishing touches on the W hotel and condominium development in Hollywood:
http://www.whollywoodresidence.com/
Please remember that I can bring my team of professional art installers to your home or business, and provide you with the same level of service demanded by these fine establishments! Thank you for your referrals, too!

New shows & articles

The old Milo Gallery has conveniently become a marijuana dispensary, thus allowing me to enjoy the justin Beal show, next door at ACME. Saran wrapped mirrors with clear tubing protruding from the aforementioned saran.
http://www.acmelosangeles.com/artists/justin-beal/
Like Mike said, "It'll probably be on the cover of ARTFORUM next week.
I mis-read the opening schedule, and arrived to a shuttered gallery at Michael Kohn, which really diminished my great parking spot on Beverly Blvd. I persevered to Culver City where Corey Helford was dishing out the usual (yawn), but I was really fascinated by the work of Britton Tolliver, at Kinkead Contemporary. Really great and interesting paintings, well executed and original. Go!
http://www.kinkeadcontemporary.com/exhibitions/index.php
This last weeks New Yorker has a great article on Julie Mehretu (March 29, issue). Good article on a great, young, black, gay painter. Provided valuable insight into her work, and where she is coming from. Good read!

Art Installation Olympics

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/23/arts/design/23handlers.html?emc=eta1

I can not tell you all how proud I am

How did we get to Thursday?

When time flies, it's generally because you're busy.
I've had a good week work-wise, and life-wise.
Firstly, all hail some progress in the Government Health care reform!
I'm still moving the wealthy out of LA. This last one stayed in CA, though.
I De-installed the home in the Pacific Palisades (the Highlands) and moved them out to Indian Wells. Just 2 1/2 hours from LA, and a beautiful, clean air desert!
Tonight I'm going to see a photographer talk about her work at A&I photo lab, part of the Julia Dean workshop.
http://www.ssreg.com/juliadean/classes/classes.asp?courseid=9769&catid=2276
The talk, featuring Tierney Gearon, will bring technical advice, and personal reflection to her image making practices. Please join me, but refrain from direct eye contact. Thank you, and know if you see me, I am wearing my IRON MAN underwear.

Beautiful Saturday

Holy smokes is it gorgeous out there today, or what?
A little motorcycle gallery hopping today!
I'm first off to Santa Monica Airport to see the artist studios, and a couple gallery shows, all in one place at: http://www.santamonicaartstudios.com/
Then I'm going to check out a new gallery space (I'm so happy to see galleries opening, rather than closing!) also in Santa Monica, Jeanie Madsen Gallery, http://www.jeaniemadsengallery.com/
Then I'm taking my two beautiful dogs out for a nice long walk before going to tonights opening at Gallery 825, 7 billion billionaires. But honestly, what I'm really looking forward to, is the pizza at Vito's, across the street from the gallery. The pizza comes highly recommended by Shana Nys Drambot, a former NYer, so I am taking this seriously, and have heightened expectations (of course if they last more than four hours, I will see a doctor) I would love to go and see more art, but knowing that after a few good slices of pizza, and a few beers, I will want nothing more than my high thread count, and my pooches, all horizontal.

Slow week

I don't know if it's just me, but business seems to be taking off in spurts. One week I have over 90 hours of billing, the next, only 40. All the art fairs in NY may be slowing things down here, while my market shops in NY. There are several large projects that I estimated this week, so next week is looking pretty good. There's a collector moving from the Palisades to Indian Wells, and There is the set-up for west-week in west hollywood, I'll be at the PDC installing for Thomas Lavin showroom, www.thomaslavin.com
Thank the heavens for stellar designers like James Magni! His clients are keeping me busy, and with a look at his projects, it's no wonder. http://www.magnidesign.com/
I hope everyone had a fun and trouble free St. Patty's day, and nobody is too green today!

Can you hang art on glass?

That was the basic question I was to address at the office building on Wilshire Blvd.
"Why yes, of course." was my response.
The lobby of the building was sheathed with 12' panels of white glass, varying in width, from 36" - 43". Great idea to avoid the expense of re-painting the surfaces, and keeping them free of mold/bacteria, but uh, now how do we put up art?
By law, zoning law or something, all business building have to contain artwork equal to a small percentage of the buildings construction budget; and that african sculpture, shoved in the corner wasn't going to cut the mustard.
Long story short, I referred them to grip-lock systems:
http://www.griplocksystems.com/artsuspension/
You can see it live and in person at Anderson Gallery, in Beverly Hills:
http://andersongalleries.com/

New Artwork from Jennifer Celio

I've been busy, working hard, selling and servicing. My friend, Randi, tells me that "You cannot work in your business, and on your business at the same time." I have thought a lot about that statement, I see her point, but what's my choice?
Well I have rewarded my hard work by borrowing $500 from my girlfriend, and bought some (more) art. Dude, I'm going to pay her back; get real!
http://jennifercelio.com/
Wonderful work that I am excited to get up on my wall! And to think that I thought walls were to support ceilings at one time, hah!
Take note, this is one of those artists that is young, talented, and hard working. You will see her artwork in the future, so why not buy directly from the artist, rather than wait until a gallery sells her work at twice the price (and it will still be worth it!).
Today I will be working in the studio with another fine and talented artist, Bill Tunberg, Check out his artwork at his website:
http://williamtunberg.com/

Laddie John Dill

I love this artist, and his work.
http://www.laddiejohndill.com/
He usually mixes cement, glass and wood together to manufacture some of the heaviest artwork since marble! That means people can't lift it, nor move it, nor put it on the wall. That means work for me and my company! Today, Monday, March 7th, I was happy to get a call from the Housing Authority of Los Angeles. They purchased a building that came with a Laddie piece in the lobby, which is about to undergo a much needed renovation. They called Laddie; Laddie told them to call me. Did I say that I love this man? Well, five hundred dollars later, The Housing Authority has artwork in an office on 6th Street, that our hard working civil servants can enjoy and reflect on while working. For sure, productivity will increase, more people will be found affordable housing, employees will get raises, the stores in their respective neighborhoods will sell more goods, the GDP will rise, and all will be right with the world, because of a Laddie John Dill painting in a public building. WOW!

Saturday Night

Despite the current inclement weather, I'm braving the elements to venture forth to a few openings. The first of which will be the Merry Karnowsky Gallery, a timely show by Camille Rose Garcia Alice in Garcialand
http://www.mkgallery.com/index.php
next stop, provided I'm not soaked, nor sloshed, should be the rather unknown, Known Gallery. They have a "Freedom" show with many young and talented up-and-comers

http://www.knowngallery.com/.

I'm looking forward to checking out a Retna (no I in retna) at New Image Art, first saw him over at Robert Berman Gallery at Bergamot, he's in the Freedom show, has recently put out a publication with MAC, and has the material to put up a solo at NIA. That's a hard working artist!

http://newimageartgallery.com/shows/

If you're too lazy to venture out into the cold and wet, I certainly don't blame you. Take a minute to view this great little video, that's up for an award tomorrow. It's kind of like going out....

http://www.logorama-themovie.com/

Friday without traffic

Installed a canvas in Playa del Rey, from Sherman Gallery in Venice
(http://www.shermangallery.net/). I love installing huge canvas' in stairwells.
I don't even know if love is a strong enough word. Then on to assemble and install an IKEA artwork, and install it. The guy claimed that he didn't know that he had to assemble it. I'm like, "Dude, the only thing that IKEA makes, that you don't put together yourself, is like, a candle, or an extension cord." Guy's gotta get REAL.
He lived over on Sawtelle, near Giant Robot, so I went there and checked out their sweet art, ephemera and books. Bought myself a picture book of Barry McGee, Stephen Powers, and Todd James. I'm totally into the McGee installation sense, more than the sad head thing.
Got off the streets by 2:30. Made it home clean (phew!)

New Hi-Rise in Marina/Venice Beach

I got a chance to see inside the new residences, built out of the former office tower at Via Dolce and Washington Blvd. in Marina del Rey ( http://www.pierpointelife.com/).
Super sweet hand chiseled wood flooring, with custom metal banister work; 2 story 3/3 for $319 a foot. That translates to 2000 sq ft living space for under 800k. Sounds great if you're flush!
I installed the model, the designers did a really nice job of furnishing and accessorizing the place. I especially liked the pristine copy of an Art in America magazine from 1967, on the coffee table.

Beverly Hills Hotel

We are suspending artwork from the ceiling of the 22' high ballroom!
The Hotel is gorgeous old world Hollywood. It is the Essence magazine awards for the Hollywood leading ladies of Color. Sorry guys, invite only.

New Laguna Beach Gallery, Swenson Fine Art

Hey, Thanks for checking out my new artblog!
Yesterday I installed the inaugural show at Swenson Fine Art.
They are located in Laguna beach (yes, with an ocean view!) at 460 South Coast Highway.
Tell Laurie that David told you about the free wine
http://www.swensonfineart.com/