It’s art week in LA, which means that the art world’s usual ebb and flow has kicked into overdrive, and all the normal rhythms have been traded into something more akin to New York: art fair, opening, another opening, dinner, after party, repeat. At the main fair, Frieze LA, the energy is high this year, but risks are low. Sculptures appear smaller in scale—but it is the largest that catches the most traction, namely John Baldessari’s Camel (Albino) Contemplating Needle (Large), 2013, looming over 8 feet tall at Sprüth Magers.
While 303 Gallery’s stellar solo presentation of Alicja Kwade’s work is all encompassing: her signature stone sphere is lodged in the middle of a classic white plastic chair as if it had a planetary ring, another marble orb sticks out in a shiny black tote bag, a confounding clock ticks frenetically, and a shelf hosts delightful collection of bronze apples with multiple stems, as well as both an orange and a banana peel suspended in the air. At Matthew Marks, a hand-engraved and -cast terracotta mask (Social Security) by Marisol from 1975 stands out among the noise. For her solo booth with Carvalho, Elise Peroi’s delicate and thoughtful pastel-hued tapestries appear at once on the verge of unraveling and becoming. Sharif Farrag’s ceramics at Jeffrey Deitch are a standout. And Roberto Benavidez’s whimsical rodent piñata hangs delightful at Perrotin.
At their best, the figurative paintings at Frieze are tender and narrative: Company Gallery’s darkly romantic portraits by Sergio Miguel, Adam Alessi’s brooding editorial characters at Hoffman Donohue’s booth, a set of moody, enigmatic paintings by Paul P. at Maureen Paley, Nicodim’s suite of Devin B. Johnson’s dreamlike scenes from a bygone era (accompanied by Isabelle Albuquerque’s metal flowers). There is also strong pieces from Louis Fratino at David Zwirner, Michelle Uckotter at Matthew Brown, Dabin Ahn at Francois Ghebaly, and striking golden works by Yoshitaka Amano and Mathieu Malouf at Lomex.
Over at Felix at the Hollywood Roosevelt in Hollywood, there is plenty of art to see inbetween lounging poolside. Megan Mulrooney's group presentation is a highlight: In Meghann Stephenson's still life, a plate piled with tomatoes casts a stark and satisfying contrast against a black backdrop, with small vintage silver binoculars resting on the side of the table. Nearby is a cinematic close-up of a couple kissing by RF Alvarez, and in the bathroom, a perfectly placed sepia-toned painting of a sink by TJ Rinoski. Giovanni’s Room's solo presentation is not to miss, nestled in a shaded corner outside, Kyle De Llotto's minimal, earthy paintings are narratively rich. Then there are strong selections from Polina Barskaya and Emily Rose Wright at Harkawik, Channing Hansen's rainbow woven labyrinth Marc Selwyn Fine Art, and Raina Lee's painterly ceramic wall works at Stroll Garden.
Also at Felix, Ethan James Green’s New York Life Gallery has a similarly stacked lineup of new and historic works, with striking portraits by both Sam Penn and Steven Cuffie (who also is featured in an archive exhibition organized by New York Life Gallery at Gallery 6), an effervescent sketch by Drake Carr, and a subliminal green painting by Soren Hope. At Dimin there are Michelle Im's ceramic figures and paintings by Kelli Vance, Emily Coan, and Willie Stewart. Gallery Playlist's selection of Jisook Jung’s simple clay figures are playful and animated.
Nearby Frieze in Santa Monica, Post-Fair returns for a second year with a strong selection of presentations, the best lighting and interior to boot, and a selection of curated vintage and used books by Untitled Love. Twelve of George Sherman's glazed stoneware sculptures stand army-like in a large cluster near the wall at Marta Gallery's station. At Harlesden High Street's two-person presentation, everyday objects and symbols are rich with personal meaning in the works of both Paul Flores and Antonio Lechuga. Standouts include Tenki Hiramatsu's paintings at Gallery Castle, Rieko Otake wooden sculptures at Tomio Koyama Gallery, Max Popov’s assemblages (including two light boxes) at Gordon Robichaux, P.P.O.W.'s presentation of new studies by Phoebe Helander, and Anton Kern Gallery's solo booth with ceramicist Francis Upritchard.
Elsewhere, new fairs join the week’s itinerary. There’s the Indianapolis-founded Butter Fine Art Fair's LA debut in Inglewood. The artist-centric fair platforms the Black community both local and international—in lieu of galleries, each artist has their own section, and receives all the proceeds of each sale. Highlights include paintings by Fulton Leroy Washington, evocative abstract work by Cornelius Tulloch, a soft landscape by Nya Serano, colorful, textured wall pieces by April Bey, collages by Kaima Marie Akarue, and a large-scale cement-and-copper mask by Zulu Heru. While in Echo Park, Enzo, an art fair dedicated to New York-based galleries, makes its entrance with strong showings of Tim Crowle's pseudo-posters at Bank; Kris Lemsalu's bizarre anthropomorphic stone-and-metal sculptures alongside Sasha Brodsky's paintings of city life at Margot Samel; Tommy Xie's surrealist scenes and Lyric Shen’s fragmented compositions at Silke Linder. Downtown, the photography fair Show LA takes over the Reef across 16,000 square feet: There’s work by Awol Erizku with Webber, Martin Parr with Rose gallery and Rocket gallery, and a booth by CalArts dedicated to graduating Photo and Media MFA students, among others.
Then there are the group shows: "99CENT,” curated by Barry McGee and the Hole is a must-see for its ambition as well as the sheer number of LA-based artists and the various mediums and installations at play in the former bargain store; A 26-person show by Authorized Dealer (all artists are connected by an ongoing group chat); a one-night show by Grupo Ñ at Bar Latino, featuring Eileen Myles, Ryan Preciado, and Hedi El Kholti among others. And that’s only the tip of the iceberg. There’s Lizzie Fitch and Ryan Trecartin at Morán Morán, Paul McCarthy at Journal, Luc Tuymans and Raymond Saunders at David Zwirner, David Salle at Sprüth Magers, Leiko Ikemura at Lisson, Milton Avery at Karma, Alma Berrow at Megan Mulrooney, and Hayv Kahraman at Vielmetter. It’s an exciting time for art in Los Angeles, and it's infectious—but what matters most is that the momentum carries into the next week, and the next.
