Mark Ryden Hypes La Luz de Jesus!

On Monday, LA WEEKLY ran an interview with Mark Ryden in which he discussed his new album cover for Tyler the Creator, and sent a little love our way with this comment:

Mark Ryden photographed by Liz Huston

"For the longest time La Luz de Jesus was the only gallery that showed this art," wrote Ryden. "Then there was Roq la Rue in Seattle. At a certain point the movement exploded and now there are 'pop surrealist' or 'lowbrow' galleries everywhere. It seems like there are dozens just in L.A. now. I do think it is still growing, but not at the explosive rate of the last decade."

The article's writer, Eva Recinos, also wrote:

Ryden has displayed at La Luz de Jesus, an alternative Los Angeles gallery known for showing artists with varied styles, usually in the vein of pop surrealism, which draws from popular culture. Like Ryden, many artists who showed in the space -- among them Shag, Matt Groening and Don Ed Hardy -- later reached considerable success. The gallery exposed their distinct styles to the art world and Ryden witnessed the trend grow beyond the gallery.

It's always great to be recognized for one's achievements!

Incidentally, Don Ed Hardy will be returning to La Luz de Jesus Gallery on Wednesday June 26th from 6-9PM to sign his autobiography, Wear Your Dreams: My Life in Tattoos.

Soft Candy was a Valentine's Day Hit!

Congratulations to Danni Shinya Luo (pictured, left) for selling over 50 of her Soft Candy illustrations –and there are still 10 days left for the rest of her gorgeous drawings to go! We've also got a mere handful of the signed and numbered bookplates (from an edition of only 100), so call me to reserve a book or a drawing. All of the artwork on display in this exhibition carries the additional provenance of appearing in a published art book.

SOFT CANDY: THE GIRLS OF DANNI SHINYA LUO
You'll never be able to buy Shinya's art for such low prices again.

Likewise regarding the paintings from last May's Chaotic Harmony exhibition (also published in Soft Candy & currently on exhibition in Europe). If interested in buying one of those, please call ASAP, as Italian collectors are sure to gobble them up, but La Luz de Jesus has right of first refusal!

This latest show has seen many, very prominent collectors add her work to their walls, so Shinya's drawings will soon be hanging next to paintings by Mark Ryden, Joe Coleman, Robert Williams and Shepard Fairey. This could be the tipping point for Miss Luo, whose private commission waiting list has recently expanded to six months. Commissions are available, however, so contact me to set something up.



We've also got the photostream posted for the opening night celebration of our February, First-Friday extravaganza: Matthew Bone, Soey Milk, Bonni Reid, and Christine Wu. Matthew and Bonni's work is featured in a program shot last week for the National Geographic Channel, and Christine's art is now in the hands of a rather well know Pirate of the Carribean. As the images reveal, there were a lot of movers and shakers in attendance, so check it out and then come down to see the shows (on display through February 26th). Pictured above is a shot of Soey Milk and I babysitting the bowl of heart-shaped Valentine's Day candy while the documentary crew from Comics Are Everywhere conducts an interview with Danni Shinya Luo at her Soft Candy signing.

Contact me (gallery director, Matt Kennedy) for purchases and information:
(323) 666-7667 or info@laluzdejesus.com

La Luz de Jesus 25, Part 2: Photo Blog

Oops! We did it again!

La Luz de Jesus 25, the groundbreaking, retrospective exhibition of all of the artists given feature exhibitions in the last quarter century continued last night (and tonight!). Here's an assortment of images from the Thursday night, artist-only mixer. It was like a combination class reunion and yearbook signing event that once again brought together three generations of Pop Surrealism's finest. Check out these images and come on down tonight to revel in the glow of the the final reception for this historic show.

La Luz de Jesus Gallery is located inside the Soap Plant / Wacko complex on the corner of Rodney, one block east of Vermont at 4633 Hollywood Blvd, LA, CA 90027. Call gallery director Matt Kennedy for art purchases: (323) 666-7667.

A Snow Yak Valentine

Mark Ryden & Marion Peck stayed and signed books until eight o'clock, as the Valentine's Day crowd lined-up around the corner on Rodney from Hollywood Blvd., half-way to Franklin. We saw pretty much every edition of each published book bearing the Ryden name, as Mark & Marion handed out chocolates to their fans and took occasional camera-phone pics to update their twitter accounts.

The first hundred or so folks got free, limited-edition lapel pins bearing Mark's Pink Lincoln and everyone got a free bookmark from Marion. I definitely ate more than my share of Russell Stover chocolates while updating the website with images from this coming Friday's Henry & Glenn Gang Bang art exhibition. Nobody does a holiday like the Rydens!

Thanks once again to Mark & Marion for the happiest Valentine's day on record! The crowd was incredibly enthusiastic and well-behaved, and it's safe to say that everybody had a wonderful time.

After having experienced Christmas and Valentine's Day with the Ryden's I can scarcely imagine what they've got in store for Easter...
:)

The King & Queen Shall Herald Cupid's Return!

You've probably seen our ad in the L.A. Weekly by now, but in case you haven't, Mark Ryden & Marion Peck will be holding a book signing on Monday, Valentine's Day from 5-7PM at La Luz de Jesus Gallery!

This is a first-come, first-serve dealio, so call and pre-order your books to be guaranteed a ticket to this event. You can bring your own items, but purchasers will be given preference in the line which is sure to wind around the block.

The Rules:
1. The line-up starts at 3PM
2. There is a three book limit.
3. All books must be signed to a specific reader.
4. Keep it brief.
5. Have fun.

The authors are only here for two hours, and we want to accommodate as many fans as possible, so we're enforcing a strict limit on the number of items you can get signed (three) and we want to keep the line moving, so don't get long winded when you get your turn with the King & Queen of Pop-Surrealism.

Tonight is the second Listening Party & Lecture with Charon's Pantheon architects Myron Conan Dyal and Jennifer Logan. The artists will meet and greet attendees from 6-7pm, and will be happy to sign your books during that time. At 7PM sharp a brief lecture will precede the performance of the complete audio transcendence, which is 70 minutes long. There will be no in-and-outs once the performance starts. If you need to leave in the middle, we ask that you do so quietly to respect the enjoyment of your fellow audience members, and bear in mind that you will not be allowed re-entry. So use the bathroom before the music starts. ;)

This Friday, February 18th, in honor of Henry Rollins 50th belated Birthday, La Luz de Jesus Gallery and those irreverent upstarts The Igloo Tornado will co-host the Henry and Glenn Gang Bang Art Show. Based around the hilarious comic book project, Henry & Glenn Forever, this exhibition contains new art from curators Tom Neely and Gin Stevens, as well as Coop, the Clayton Brothers, Johnny Ryan, Ed Luce, Eric Yahnker and Kaz, among others. Punk Rock cover bands Black Fag and Glenn will perform brief sets in the La Luz back patio. We've stocked up on copies of the book, which posits the timeless question: What if Henry and Glenn were more than just friends?


And with just under three weeks left until Artageddon, the Everything But the Kitschen Sync Annual Group Show volume 14 has been locked and loaded: the preview page is now live, and pre-sales are opened! Discover tomorrow's stars today and become a full-fledged patron to the arts for as little as a hundred bucks. There are over 225 pieces from over 120 artists. Paintings, drawings, sculpture, assemblage, functional, craft, musical instruments, silkscreens, art-dolls, dioramas and even lewd cross-stitching all share space in the most eagerly anticipated show of the year -now celebrating its fourteenth birthday and just as edgy as ever!

Head over to the Upcoming Exhibitions Calendar and check out some early posted previews, like Mark Gleason and Danni Shinya Luo's April comeback shows. We've also announced a few new additions to the coming schedule and highly recommend that you sign-up for the artist notification list of your choice.

Our New Art Lecture Series Begins Today!

Today we celebrate the end of an extraordinary pair of exhibitions by hosting two informative lectures. Steven Daily will illuminate the hidden symbols and secret handshakes that populate his dense expose of Masonic Conspiracies: Covenant.

Howard Hallis will relate the creative process and personal sacrifices that culminated in the completion of his thirteen-year and fifteen-feet-tall project The Picture of Everything.
4pm until 7pm on Saturday, January 29th.


This weekend is also the last chance to catch Tammi Otis' A Fertile Madness and Charles Binger's posthumous A Pulp Life. Two absolutely stunning collections that need to be seen.


Next Week we'll be opening an extraordinary collaboration of art and music as we unveil Charon's Pantheon by Myron Conan Dyal and Jennifer Logan. We've published a catalog of this exhibition with an audio CD of the music written specifically for the statues on display. This is an installation unlike any we've ever hosted before. There will be a lecture series on each Saturday in the month of February that will begin with a talk and continue with a live musical demonstration.


On Valentine's Day we'll be hosting a very special signing with Marion Peck and Mark Ryden. This will undoubtedly be very crowded and we anticipate a long line, so mark your calendars. You can call the Soap Plant / Wacko for details: (323) 663-0122.

The following Friday we'll hand the gallery keys over to The Igloo Tornado for an event so wonderfully bizarre that I'm hesitant to post the details. Suffice to say that will be a Henry & Glenn Forever themed evening, and there will be art and music.

February heats up, courtesy of La Luz de Jesus!