Other Voices Other Rooms

Other Voices, other rooms, you know, to expand your horizons.

Sam Durant's light box (2008) at the Hammer..

We've been having some absolutely gorgeous winter weather here in SoCal so I think we should get out for a little field trip, don't you? 

Portuguese Point: very near Steve Shriver's place.

Listen, I've got just the thing. Steve Shriver invited me down to his place on the Palos Verdes peninsula so let's motor. WOW, what a place! He lives and works in what was meant to be the caretakers' house for very ambitious estate that was never built. The whole setting, grounds and buildings is some kind of location scout's dream, it's all so cinematic. Steve has completely steeped himself in classical painting and the fine results speak for themselves. I especially like some recent work he's done with ink washes. 

Original elevations of what was meant to be the Villa where Steve Shriver lives and works.

Like me Steve is a hoarder of digital (reference)  imagery.

Egg and dart and so forth.

Ink wash rendering. See also the photo above.

Steve Shriver, artist and distant relative of Maria.

Ok, we've got to move on now.

Llyn Foulkes , the younger.

Early period Llyn Foulkes.

There's the Llyn Foulkes show at the Hammer Museum and I'm taking you to the opening. If you know your Hollywood by face you can fill me because I'm not that well versed. A Hammer opening is the kind of event that draws the artistically inclined smart set of the 'industry'. There's Harvey Weinstein on his way out and  I just brushed by Jack Black. But we're not here for them!

Slightly past early period Foulkes.

These were even larger than they look here. The Rock series.

Hairdids. Who wore it best?

The bloody heads series, and not in the British sense.

Dramatic installation: an entire room for one painting.

  

Mix media with mummified cat.

Later period Llyn Foulkes.

What the heck? That's Llyn Foulkes for ya.

  
Let's look at Llyn's work shall we? I've been a fan since the late 70s. When I first saw a Llyn Folkes painting I thought: here's the fresh American answer to Francis Bacon. I started with the bloody heads but the Hammer show fills in the earlier successes, the rocks for instance. And of course there's plenty of the later 3D work. Fascinating.

They always put something really interesting in The Vault.  Here it's Enrico David. What a nut!

Now one last thing before we leave the Hammer. We'll just duck into the Vault Gallery. Whoops, what the? It's all the work of one artist named Enrico David. A little disturbing, maybe, but playful and inventive. Another one to watch. What have you seen lately?