Laluzapalooza Closes This Weekend!

This weekend we'll be wrapping up the 28th annual group show. It's the most concise collection of works from multiple artists that we've shown in a long time. This in no way denigrates the stellar work we've presented in past Laluzapalooza or Kitschen Sync exhibitions–to the contrary, it showcases the heights that this year's group managed to reach.

Incredibly, some of the best work is still available:

From painterly neo-classics by A.S. Ashley, Chris Leib and Christopher Ulrich to modern pop art masterpieces by José Rodolfo Loaiza Ontiveros and album art remixes by Graham Moore, there are still museum worthy pieces to be had.

We've already decided on a few of the artists we'll be bringing back in August to showcase in the gallery adjacent to our annual Ontiveros show:

                     

Katherine Brannock
Frank Forte
Jinx
Allison "Hueman" Torneros

We'll be adding a name or two soon, and we know that Christopher Bales and Michelle Bickford will be featuring again in the next year, too. This weekend will be the last opportunity to see all these works in context with each other, so make a point to come and see the show. CBS recently highlighted La Luz de Jesus Gallery in a report on the best places to buy affordable art, and so a relatively quiet middle-of-the-month gave way to a burst of sales this week–as smart patrons become aware of how much quality work is still ripe for inexpensive plucking. 

One of my favorite discoveries in this jurying process was Rose Freymuth-Frazier, who studied with Odd Nerdrum. While I had been previously unaware of her, she routinely sells-out in her native New York. The online jpeg really doesn't do justice to Rose's brushwork, which conveys her high pedigree and training. I've been predicting that the unironic unicorn is due for a comeback, and this painting could easily be the herald.

Fishfry with the Purple Gang & Vogue Italia

Fish Fry 7: Click for Line-up

Tomorrow night is the last Thursday of the month. You know what that means: BILLY'S THURSDAY NIGHT FISH FRY!

You've not heard of this?
On the last Thursday of each month, Southern California's axis of underground pop culture, Wacko / La Luz de Jesus Gallery, hosts "Billy's Thursday Night Fish Fry & Community Social." The monthly event presents a diverse multi-media mixed-bag variety show of music, spoken word, unusual performance and more, putting a spotlight on several generations of Los Angeles performers. Billy Shire calls the night a "21st century salon" and aims to re-connect the local creative community with a free, two plus hour "in the round" show, with the performers in the center of the gallery. The Fish Fry promises short revolving acoustic based musical sets, poetry, odd pairings of performers and much more. The show is open to all ages and there is NO cover charge!

Click below the image (top left) for this month's line-up, starring The Purple Gang (featuring members of Tex & the Horseheads, The DIs, The Hangmen, Kix, Thelonious Monster, The Joneses & Rhino Bucket) and a special live painting event with Van Saro!

While you may not instantly connect La Luz de Jesus Gallery with haute couture (no matter how much money I spend on custom sneakers), we've managed to follow our April coverage in Elle Magazine with an August feature in Italian Vogue!  In the column, Vogue Curvy, Irene Tamagnone singled out "Loaiza'a Curvy Snow White" (pictured right), further adding, "Rodolfo Loaiza plays with the imaginary of the cartoons, at it amazes us thanks to a Snow-White character with a curvy body."

While highlighting Loaiza'a After The Loving from last year's La Luz de Jesus 25 Exhibition (and featured in the anniversary catalog of the same name), the article went on to discuss the Disasterland exhibition and the online version had a gallery and links back the La Luz de Jesus website. Congrats, Rodolfo!

If you can't get enough of the live music events at La Luz de Jesus, you absolutely must not miss the Negativland "Our Favorite Things" opening reception which will feature an incredibly rare performance by the band to kick off a career retrospective of their subversive art projects. It took almost two years to set up this gig, and the fact that Neon Park and Chick Strand will be the other headliners (in Gallery II) for the prestigious September slot makes this an evening for the ages. There will be more special events connected to these exhibitions that we'll be announcing throughout the month, so check back to our Events page often.

Are you ready for Disasterland?

The photo at left was taken last night in the back gallery around 9PM. The walls are now all completely arranged and ready for the heavy foot traffic we're expecting tomorrow night.

Rodolfo Loaiza has been covered by Huffington Post, AOL Music, Univision, and about 200+ other media outlets since his Drunk on Love 2 (below) was tweeted by Liberty Ross to Kristen Stewart as a retaliation for the latter's affair with the former's husband, director Rupert Sanders.

Then Lady Gaga's Little Monsters ran images of Rodolfo's Magic Meat Dress painting, and that got picked up by seemingly every remaining media outlet that already hopped on the Loaiza fame wagon.

Well rest assured that there are still many surprises to come! The painter has a very special concept for his exhibition tomorrow night and those who miss it will be kicking themselves blue when they see the feeds on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!

That doesn't even address the incredible roster of talent in the very steampunk themed second gallery. The mechanical butterflies in Ave Rose's intricate sculptures are sure to garner as much attention as the meme-heavy attractions in the front room –and the costume she's got planned is simply not to be missed. I could go on at length about the work by Click Mort, Heather O'Shaughnessy, D. W. Marino, Byung, Richard Meyer, Christopher Bales and Anthony Purcell, but I'll let their work speak for itself.

The opening reception begins at 8PM, closes at 11PM, and I can't urge strongly enough that would-be attendees get here early. The parking situation is going to be out of control. Bite the bullet and valet at the local restaurants or carpool or take the very convenient public transportation system (we're half a block from the major Hollywood and Vermont bus artery, and one and a half blocks from the Sunset and Vermont metro stop on the Redline). Ride your bike or walk, but do not miss this show which is without hyperbole, the best show you'll see this summer.