Cut The World Until It Fits On The Back Of Your Hand:
Sarah Cale
Eli Langer
Marvin Luvualu Antonio
Alex Morrison
Jon Sasaki
Back now from LA where we showed Marcel van Eeden’s new drawings at a fair. Several compliments about the stand and about the work, good press, made enough sales, and some new connections with other gallerists that I admire. Andre Pinces lives in Los Feliz and lent me a motorcycle, thank you Andre, and when I wasn’t at the fair I headed for the canyons to carve some turns, and also to some of the galleries I respect although I didn’t have much time. I read about Ana Pravacki’s Stealing Shadows show at 1301PE: her way of thinking about her work impressed me, about how we have to move away from a Koonsian-Costco view to a thinner, more sustainable view, but elegant sustainable, not furry sustainable, but in the end I didn’t think the show was completely persuasive but I applaud the idea. The gallery is in that cluster with Acme out front and above 1301 is another small gallery I hadn’t heard of. Just when I left Ana’s show the small gallery gallerist was arriving and said hello. He looked like he wished that I would go upstairs to see his space but I didn’t. Exactly at the same time I was thinking what it would be like having a gallery in LA when I don’t really know anyone. As I was putting my helmet on I looked up and the small gallery gallerist was looking out his window down at me in the parking lot, with resignation I thought but maybe it was just the reflection. I rode along Wilshire thinking I should have seen that city-wide, suitably sprawling Pacific Standard Time show, and the Lawren Harris show that had just closed. Then I got cut off by someone turning left, which always happens on motorcycles. I made it to David Kordansky and thought the Evan Holloway sculptures were great and I read the smart press release and again mentally rhapsodized about what a fine architectural compound the gallery has, the succulents greeting you, all very civilized. I rode out to Night Gallery to see the David Korty paintings before the show closed because I liked them on instagram and wished I could afford one and I had new clients that could and in fact they liked them too but they complained about the crushing exchange rate, who could blame them. Last time I was at Night Gallery was with Alex Morrison in the summer who was showing next door at Francois Ghebaly along with Tiziana la Melia and Walter Scott, a great show. On that visit Alex and I decided to do something together. The David Korty paintings looked even better in the flesh and I imagined having a nice, sunny desert house with one of them greeting me in the foyer in the morning. Then I rode over to WildingCran to see Anthony and he pointed to the building across the street where Soho House is building another outpost, so now the rents are soaring. Anthony used to be an actor so he moved to LA and because he was an actor he was working in a restaurant and there he met Liz Taylor’s granddaughter and now they are a solid couple running their gallery. We talked about Noah Davis, with whom he was scheduled to have a solo in November and then Noah died. I wished I could have met him. I rode back to Santa Monica in the dark, splitting lanes going 70mph on the freeway thinking this is risky. When I got back to Toronto it was a pleasure to come back to the gallery and flip on the lights and see the On Kawara show just as I’d left it. I thought about some wag on twitter who has @OffKawara and tweets every day “I Am Still Dead.” The next day Eli came over to look at the space again and we talked about LA where he lived for many years. He said it was a nice time back then, he said “we had the place to ourselves” meaning artists, creatives. Eli and Alex have known each other a long time and I’m looking forward to seeing their work together. While I was away Sarah Cale’s show of recent paintings opened at the Varley Art Gallery and I felt like a bad gallerist that I couldn’t be there. We kept back a few paintings that the Varley curator wanted so that we could include them here. Sarah and Jon used to show with JB, as everyone knows, and after that gallery closed they have come here. I hope to do well by them. Jon seems to delight in the absurd, in chance, in the unforeseen outcomes of teamwork especially in the humour nested within the labours of Sisyphus. And the works are often as touching as they are conceptually wry. Like the video he will show here. Marvin sent me an email last year asking to meet Mr. Roenisch then retracted it right away. So I was naturally intrigued and went to the studio and was convinced on the spot. Cut The World is an exhibition of five artists, some of whom are showing here for the first time. Each of them will subsequently have a solo. Alex came up with the show title, borrowed from Dinosaur Jr., after categorically shooting down mine. He also made the flyer. He will be here from Brussels, partly to check out the space for his solo in the spring. Luis Mora will be at the opening shooting your portrait in a corner if you want. Daniel Faria is opening next door too. It would be nice to have a fire and not get busted for it. And to see all of you.
