FIVE Must-See Works from Art Los Angeles Contemporary
Considering the strength of this year’s edition of Art Los Angeles Contemporary, the following selection is only the tip of the iceberg. Enjoy a preview of five artworks on my radar, those you will surely spot when you visit the fair this week. Of course, if and when you see me at the Artsy booth, please do say hi!
Ben Buswell, When the Cathedrals Were White, 2013, at Upfor Gallery
On the heels of Ben Buswell’s solo exhibition at Upfor Gallery, “We Live Only Through Ourselves,” which closed last weekend in Portland, Buswell brings a work from the show to Art Los Angeles Contemporary. When the Cathedrals Were White recalls a pup tent and invites you to step in, lie down, and ponder the passage of time. It’s worth mentioning that in 2011, Buswell received a Career Opportunity Grant from The Oregon Art Commission and Ford Family Foundation.
Joe Reihsen, Perfect Bone Structure, 2013, at Anat Ebgi
During the Untitled fair this past December in Miami Beach, Anat Ebgi had a solo booth of some of the largest paintings Joe Reihsen had ever conceived. Reihsen loads Perfect Bone Structure with paint and orders it vaguely with tiered slabs that are the most perfect shades of blue. He lives and works in Los Angeles, and often employs neon pastels in his gestural works created through smear and squeegee techniques; a real painter’s painter.
Matt Keegan, Black and Blue Alphabet, 2013, at Altman Siegel
Look for Matt Keegan at his upcoming exhibition at Galeria Pedro Cera in Lisbon later this year—or in the collections of the Guggenheim, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Whitney. On view with San Francisco’s Altman Siegel, Black and Blue Alphabet is a strong example of his recent work from the series “Alphabet Soup.” Using various mediums, Keegan investigates the relationship between language, image, and color.
Santiago Sierra, Veterans Afghanistan MCA, 2013, at Team Gallery
Currently on view in a retrospective at The Falckenberg Collection in Hamburg, Madrid-based artist Santiago Sierra has been one of Spain’s most well known international artists since he arrived on the scene at the Venice Biennale in 2003. In his most recent series, “Veterans,” from Team Gallery, Sierra stages black and white photographs of life-size soldiers in uniform, facing corners, recalling childhood punishment.
Sterling Ruby, BC (4700), 2013, at Foxy Production
“Sterling Ruby is one of the most interesting artists to emerge in this century,” Roberta Smith of The New York Times declared in 2008. The Los Angeles-based artist, who will participate in the Whitney Biennial in March, enjoys working in a process of accumulation—and BC (4700) is no exception. The canvas, spattered with bleach, recalls the reeds of grass in a Warholian Flowers screen, then adhered with various strips of fabric comprised of different weights and textures, bringing a little color and more depth to the composition.
