Nothing like a real, three-dimensional, 1969 Volkswagen Baja Bug covered in gray primer, parked on the sidewalk and being worked on, to draw attention to an art show in a lounge in the Rainbow District. The Gemini bar, to be specific, and the artist? Bluma Schlagentweit, who takes portraits of old VWs, dents and scars included, and combines them with hand-drawn elements.
City of Lost Art is the name of an artists' collective managed and promoted effectively by Chrystal Luna, with whom I spoke at the opening on August 13th. She explained that this is the first art show at the Gemini, although they had informally exhibited the work of two artists earlier. The show was commissioned by Art On Central (whom I couldn't find on the web).
Context is everything, and in this instance it should be considered that this space is hosting its first art show, through another gallery, of an artists' collective - without a theme.
From my notes: Todd Frain had several graphic, colorful pieces, notably "Random Bus Race", complete with what seemed to be Ben-Day dots. Vonn Riger's juxtaposing of cute furry animals and instruments of death and destruction, specially a sinister rabbit, titled "Eat Your Young". Mike Goodwine's pensive female figure titled "The Morning After". Ally Brightwell's humorous, light-hearted, spontaneous-feeling "Bad Hair" series about entropy and coiffures. Bean Apple's Dia De Los Muertos-themed "No Sleep For The Rested", and Van Beehner's pungent-colored, iconic graphic "Vespa".
Congratulations to Chrystal Luna and the folks at Gemini Lounge, notably proprietors Angela Gross and Jodi Alphonso for a (re)commendable first effort, and for opening up their voluminous wall space to art.
--- Luis
Ps. The Gemini Lounge is a bar with a diverse clientele in the Rainbow District, that opened in June 2009, at 2315 Central Ave.
No comments:
Post a Comment