Taxidermy Class

Last night we opened our 3rd Biennial Taxidermy Show. The first and second were sponsored by the Minnesota Association of Rogue Taxidermists, and curated by Robert Marbury. These seminal exhibitions helped to change the perception of the art form and elevate the work from "crafty hobby" to fine art. This year Robert was completely occupied with putting together The Rogue's Guide to Taxidermy book but we got his blessing to go it alone and curate our own show. Still involved are several members of the original M.A.R.T. collective (and when the book is published we will absolutely be hosting a signing party), and veteran attendees will recognize some familiar names alongside a few people who are making their gallery debut.



As a sort of show-within-a-show, we've chosen to highlight the work of Ave Rose, who we've exhibited in several group shows and at least one feature exhibition. Bestiary of the Automata is solo show worth of pieces (17 total), most of which are motorized or otherwise utilize movement as part of their presentation. Check here for a video.



Today being Saturday, May 3rd, in less than an hour we'll start the Live Taxidermy Demo! Three of our artists will be working together to make a wonderful, chimerical creation live before your eyes! It's a bit of a process and we're setting aside three hours for observers. Call the gallery with information requests or to make a purchase. (323)666-7667.

More info here: http://laluzdejesus.com/the-3rd-biennial-taxidermy-show/http://laluzdejesus.com/the-3rd-biennial-taxidermy-show/

Mechanical Butterflies in Motion!

Ave Rose's Watchbot City has been getting a lot of attention, but unless you've seen her magnificent Butterflyport in person, it's difficult to understand exactly how much more the motion enriches these delicate sculptures. The butterflies are real, by the way, and the antique gear mechanisms were acquired on a recent trip to the Philippines. The film above (shot by Treiops Treyfid) will be quite illuminating to those too far away to travel to La Luz de Jesus Gallery and witness in person the exquisite miniscule metropolis.

Extended by Popular Demand: Disasterland!

Drunk on Love 2

 We generally open our shows on the first Friday of each month and end them on the last Sunday, but the overwhelming popularity of José Rodolfo Loaiza Ontiveros' latest exhibition Disasterland has necessitated that we extend to the first Sunday of next month!

By now you probably know that his Drunk Snow White image (above) is at the center of the Twihard break-up between Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson. A scorned wife upon hearing of Stewart's affair with her husband tweeted the image just about a week before Disasterland opened. We were quickly flooded with press requests and international sales (and Perez Hilton hyped us –twice!), and now there are only a handful of pieces not yet sold . But if you think Rodolfo is in the only reason to rush in and check out the show, you'll be very pleasantly surprised by the steampunky exhibitions in Gallery II.

Christopher Bales

Ave Rose

 Christopher Bales sold three pieces in a single day last week to different buyers from his current feature in a show that highlights the jury winners form this year's Laluzapalooza. That tallies four displayed pieces sold over all, and while it's a common sentiment that the images on the site don't do justice to the works in person, his really is a collection that must be seen. The works are three dimensional collages with delicate and antique components. All are wall-hanging and quite beautiful.

Ave Rose is another of the jury winners whose work is on display, and her creations are so layered, intricate and complex that  we had to showcase multiple angle photos that still don't do justice to the movement of her mechanized butterflies that recall Fritz Lang's Metropolis by way of Victorian entomology. She recently gave a presentation of her work for a few lucky patrons on Thursday evening, explaining that she warmed to the idea of incorporating insects into her watchbot world after coming across a video of ChouChou, the Japanese electric butterfly –and taking it to the next logical (and slightly gothic) extreme. Her battery powered display stands allow 360° views, but her hand-cranked butterfly wing flappers really have to be seen to be believed.


Click Mort sold a great many of his pieces before the exhibition opened, allowing more pieces to be brought and displayed in their stead. His remixed novelty sculptures reveal a basic creepiness inherent in all table-top nostalgia pieces –but with a true surrealist perspective.

Many of Anthony Purcell's Victorian-style portraits look normal enough until you walk past them, and you realize the sausage pocket watch chains or miniature eyeballs adorning the frames. But even when the twist is as obvious as spaghetti exploding from a hole in the head, the technicality of his brush work keeps you lingering.

Byung's military animals, D.W. Marino's culture bombs, Heather O'Shaughnessy's beeswax reliefs, and Richard Meyer's perplexed pets all carry an element of awesome that demands a second look, too.

And they'll all be on display until September 2nd, so now you've no reason to miss them.