Everything You Need To Know This Week On L.A.'s Art Scene

Hey all! Another week, another list of happenings and news of art-related subjects that mostly have to do with the greater Los Angeles area. If you haven't been yet, check out some of the galleries that had openings last week because I did, and it was awesome. If you already have? Congrats! You are ahead of the game and I have a whole new list of things that you should be checking out now. Shall we begin? -

Miracle Mile

-Marc Selwyn is hosting an opening for Ben Durham's show Text Portraits which are portraits drawn, but instead of the traditional strokes, he uses text. You can almost see here in this detail but I suspect a bunch of us will show up on Saturday night, magnifying glasses in hand to pour over the details.

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-Last weekend to see Blinky Palermo and William Eggleston at LACMA. Get on this!

-Also on Saturday night, Clark | Oshin is having their opening for the exhibition I Love You But I've Chosen Rock which is a series of portraits taken by Olaf Heine over the last twenty years. The name alone should get you through the door, the photographs will keep you there.

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Downtown

-drkrm is having a super sexy and maybe even risqué photo exhibition called Sexhibtionists open the Saturday night. The photographs are by James Stiles and no matter where your moral compass lies, there is no denying the beauty of these photos.

-MOCA still has some of the permanent collection showing at the Grand Avenue location and I am tempted to make a pit stop there this weekend to soak in the grand masters of contemporary. You have to get a little Rothko in every once in a while to satisfy that fix, you know?

Santa Monica

-Craig Krull Gallery is opening a group exhibition on Saturday night including a favorite Stephen Aldrich's series Time Traveler. This will be at the top of my list if I when I make it to the west side.

-Christopher Grimes is also opening a show on Saturday night that seems to be documentary photographs by Richard T. Walker? I can't tell and therefore am SUPER intrigued to know the story behind them.

Richard T. Walker photo via

*Reminder*

PhotoLA/ArtLA starts this Sunday in Santa Monica and the LA Art Show starts next week downtown. These are great opportunities to see art from around the country/world and also a nice salve for our Art Basel separation wounds. Get your tickets and go often!

**NEWS!!**

1. Andrea Bowers, who I once had the immense pleasure of corresponding with in regards to her withdrawal from this awful poorly named group show, has been arrested in the process of trying to protest the cutting down of trees in Arcadia. Go get 'em Andrea! [Culture Monster]

2. Dennis Hopper's estate went to Christie's and realized $40 million. Not too shabby, or unexpected considering he hung out with all those artists in their heyday. However, his would have been ex-wife is trying to say that some of the works are hers and holding everything up. Wonder how it will turn out. [M&G]

3. Some people in Europe are saying that Dan Flavin is not art and therefore would incur steeper taxes for importing or exporting the pieces. Luckily everyone is up in arms about it otherwise I would be nervous about a slippery slope of precedent! [TAN]

4. MoMA has acquired the censored Wojnarowicz video piece, whose censorship from the Smithsonian has really divided the art world. Proud of you, MoMA. [Hyperallergic]

5. All this controversy swirling around Palin for using the term "blood libel" incorrectly led LAT Art Critic Christopher Knight to start a discussion about the use of blood libel in art. Life imitates art and all that jazz. [LAT]

[Olaf Heine flyer via; Ben Durham portrait detail via; Blinky Palermo image via; James Stiles photo via; Stephen Aldrich image via; Dan Flavin installation photo via]