In a quest for inspiration, ignite your imagination with a new creative mindset and join Thinkspace Projects this weekend, Saturday, November 16th, for the opening reception of exhibitions by BLIC, ‘City Dwellers’ (Gallery I), Olga Esther, ‘A Little Rock & Roll, Princesses’ (Gallery II), Dustin Myers, ‘Bizarre Buddies’ (Gallery III) as well as a special showcase of miniature works from graffiti artist Cache.
With such dynamic and thought-provoking narratives, these collections promise to be a feast for the senses and an opportunity to explore the diverse expressions of the individual artist in a space that truly celebrates the power of art and community.
It’s that wonderful time of year so if you need the perfect gift for that perfect someone – or just need a burst of inspiration, Thinkspace Projects also offers a full schedule of events, interviews, and much more to keep you and your creative needs fully immersed. Be sure to follow their blog Sour Harvest to stay updated on all the artsy things you love! With just a few clicks, you can browse through an extensive selection of art. Take a moment and visit Thinkspace Projects’ online store to view all available inventory, created by talented artists from around the world!
Thinkspace Projects Presents
Blic | Olga Esther | Dustin Myers | Cache
Opening Reception: Saturday, November 16, 2024 | 6-10pm
Exhibition Dates: November 16 – December 14, 2024
Be sure to come hungry, the gallery will have @5cazuelas serving amazing tacos + @bluenovala will be bring you homemade ice cream bars + madbarista with coffee, tea + Thinkspacwe Projects has an open bar + GoopMassta’s Night Market featuring vintage finds from @tallcan4mayor & artist booths. Additionally, @ari.bean.things @chompton_ @bbeachbboyzz & @alipancho + outdoor murals & installations. What more could you possibly ask for?!
Exhibition Dates: August 24 – September 14, 2024
Thinkspace Projects
4207 W. Jefferson Blvd. | 4217 W. Jefferson Blvd. | Los Angeles, CA 90016
#310.558.3375 | Tues. – Sat. Noon to 6PM
thinkspaceprojects.com
For all inquiries please contact the gallery via email at contact@thinkspaceprojects.com
Search their hashtags: #thinkspaceprojects #thinkspacegallery #thinkspacefamily
About the Thinkspace Projects //
Thinkspace Projects was founded in 2005; now in LA’s burgeoning West Adams District, the gallery has garnered an international reputation as one of the most active and productive exponents of the New Contemporary Art Movement. Maintaining its founding commitment to the promotion and support of its artists, Thinkspace Projects has steadily expanded its roster and diversified its projects, creating collaborative and institutional opportunities all over the world. Founded in the spirit of forging recognition for young, emerging, and lesser-known talents, the gallery is now home to artists from all over the world, ranging from the emerging, mid-career, and established.
The New Contemporary Art Movement, not unlike its earlier 20th Century counterparts like Surrealism, Dada, or Fauvism, ultimately materialized in search of new forms, content, and expressions that cited rather than disavowed the individual and the social. The earliest incarnations of the Movement, refusing the paradigmatic disinterest of “Art” as an inaccessible garrison of ‘high culture’, championed figuration, surrealism, representation, pop culture, and the subcultural.
By incorporating the ‘lowbrow,’ accessible, and even profane, an exciting and irreverent art movement grew in defiance of the mandated renunciations of “high” art. Emerging on the West Coast in the 90’s partly as a response to the rabid ‘conceptual-turn’ then championed on the East Coasts, the Movement steadily created its own platforms, publications, and spaces for the dissemination of its imagery and ideas.
BLIC, ‘City Dwellers’ (Gallery I)
“The Burghers of Manila | An introduction to the City Dwellers by Blic”
by Jeetendra Marcelline, Bangkok/Vientiane, 2024
A young man stepping out of the train, carrying a bundle of hand painted clothes to sell at the bargain bazaar, loses a slipper in the melee. He removes the other and walks barefoot, side-stepping run-off from crates and walls. Pauses for the gong at the Church Plaza, crosses himself and moves on- bewildered, anxious and hoping for miracles. Shadows providing paths, beneath concrete barks, among the confused Hustle.
The City Dwellers is another significant milestone in Blic’s march to delve deep into the psyche of urban angst and celebration-observing fleeting moments and everyday people in City Life. To illustrate an endearing perspective of the daunting city and its inhabitants. Understanding that, whilst the sidewalks may not always be paved with gold, depicting chance with the 8 Ball Humand, we are not alone in our struggles.
Blic’s feet are firmly rooted in his natural habitat, the urban jungle. Humands, the artist’s trademark icon for oddity, and exceptional humans, pervades, and is a poignant metaphor for resilience – adapting to, and sometimes, reshaping their environment, in their own image, to earn a livelihood.
Blic’s unique style has matured into a wonderfully delicate and tactile rhythm, evolving into a certain mojo, in the visual and audible trajectory. Humands in Chinatown and Dry Market provide a sense of place and a cacophony associated with specific geographies. By juxtaposing Humands onto ASL sign language parameters, the artist communicates in silence, and encourages the viewer to hear with the mind.
The attention to detail demonstrates the boundless layers of skill and his ability to draw the physical and meta-physical. From the Humand Repair Mechanic, fixing the material, to Rise, where the motivation outside of the frame is soulfully portrayed by Humands ascending from the underpass into light. Blic seamlessly combines the tangible and intangible with Humands in the Park rejuvenating before a monument set amidst trees.
The artist uses angles and bokeh with confidence and technical perfection. Examples are continuum in Hustle with diagonals and subliminal utensils backdrop in Humand Cook.
In 1880, Rodin sculptured The Burghers of Calais. The masterpiece depicts the moment when, in the 14th Century, besieged by King Edward III of England, six city dwellers surrendered for execution in return for the city’s safety. They survived. However, their selfless act is a reminder of everyday martyrs, willing to sacrifice their lives for a higher cause.
Like Rodin’s sculpture, The City Dwellers, transcending above the strife and clutter of the megapolis, is a poem to the spirit of belief and perseverance, characterized by Blic and his country of origin. A zeitgeist, populated with many recognizable symbols of the times, with the human condition at its heart.
It is dusk. Having sold some clothes, he has money left only for the train ride. The Humand Street Vendor agrees to be paid the following day for the food. On the sidewalk, teeming with Humands, the young man scampers to the station. To return, more assured. To find a way to continue- his journey, a direction home.
About the artist //
Blic Pinas, also known as BLIC, is a prolific street artist from the Philippines. He is known for his signature motif of a personified hand, which he uses as a tool for universal communication.
BLIC draws inspiration from his urban landscape and his artworks are characterized by his playful and lively touch. He is a founding member of Cavity Collective, a local community for street artists based in Cavite.
OLGA ESTHER, ‘A Little Rock & Roll, Princesses’ (Gallery II)
“A Little Rock & Roll, Princesses” is Olga Esther’s second solo show with our gallery and features seven new paintings alongside eight new works on paper that depict her quintessential “princesses” as beautiful, eye-patch adorned, pink haired, punk rock attitude embracing rebels that are here to fight racism and promote self love.
Olga Esther’s princesses exude their iconic regality with timeless splendor. Confrontational yet serene expressions grace her sitters faces through the artists penchant for powerful portraits. Do not let their youthful appearance fool you. There is a timelessness and wisdom present in their eyes with a spark of rebellion. A deep appreciation towards nature and all living things is a theme found throughout Olga’s work that is further amplified by her sitters gentle, harmonic symbiosis within their environment.
The artist has always found her inspiration from books and animals. The surrealistic intermingling of portraiture and fairytales remind us of our dreams as children and the power they still hold.
About the artist //
Olga Esther was born in 1975 in Valencia, Spain, just when Franco’s dictatorship was in its final stage. Her parents were activists of the anti-fascist movement, defenders of liberties and social justice, an aspect that has had a great influence on their way of understanding life and also art. She is a graduate of fine arts from Polytechnic University of Valencia, she is the recipient of two art scholarships in Prague and Mexico.
She also holds a master‘s degree in video games. Now, she lives and works in Valencia. Olga Esther paints princesses who don’t want to be princesses, birds who cry blood, toads who kill themselves because they are ignored. She uses princess symbolism to talk about gender and feminism. She paints the invisible ones, the little-forgotten girls, those little nobodies in this world, but above all, all those who although are still nobody, do not have anyone
DUSTIN MYERS, ‘Bizarre Buddies’ (Gallery III)
In “Bizarre Buddies,” the playful bond between colorful characters and their quirky pets takes center stage. Each painting captures the fun and silliness of these unique connections, inviting viewers to appreciate the charm in their differences. With bold colors and a touch of humor, the work sparks joy and a sense of belonging, reminding us that distinctive traits can create the most memorable relationships.
“I’ve been working on this series for the last year and so so happy to be finished and to be able to share it with everyone. I’ve experimented a lot with my technique and feel I’ve come to a balance with blending classical oil painting with a more modern aesthetic. I’ve also had a lot of fun with repurposing vintage frames to match each of the paintings. Paintings are made to see in person, so you should come check them out at the opening next Saturday night.” – Dustin Myers
About the artist //
Dustin Myers was born and raised in Southern California, and has been following his passion for painting for his entire life. He has been drawing and painting since he was a boy and spent a lot of time at his family’s auto body shop where he developed an appreciation for color and paint. Myers spends most of his time painting, and the rest of the time he enjoys teaching and cooking. His paintings blend his many interests which include mythology, philosophy, and religion.
’Cache’s Chicken Coop of Eccentric Ideas’ (Dog House Gallery)
Cache’s ‘Chicken Coop of Eccentric Ideas’ showcases the artist’s new found love for creating small scale dioramas and placing them around some of his favorite spots in the City of Angels. This special showcase in our Dog House Gallery marks the first time the reclusive creative has made any of his miniature sculptures available for the pubic to obtain. We’re so excited to be hosting this special collection he’s put together. Don’t miss this!
About the artist//
Cache is a Los Angeles based graffiti artist hailing from Guatemala City, Guatemala. His murals have been popping up wall by wall for over two decades. He is most known for his vibrant chubby chickens And geometrical patterns, which have become icons in the Los Angeles cityscape. His career has been influenced by such writers as Carlos Castañeda, who describes humans as being “trapped in human chicken coops”. Cache’s works range from simple, whimsical designs to collaborative murals and community-oriented pieces.
A common focus for Cache is reviving neglected areas of the city and replacing institutionalized colors with his vibrant murals, as well as questioning the effects of corporate logos and consumer branding. He has exhibited in Romania, Mexico, the United States, and Guatemala. His work has been included in the Getty Research Institute’s L.A. Liber Amicorum graffiti blackbook project, Dreams Deferred at the Chinese American Museum in Los Angeles, Migracion y Revolucion hosted by the National Institute of Anthropology and History in Mexico City, and was invited to do a live painting for Roger Waters’ Pink Floyd The Wall Concert in Bucharest.
Cache has done art installations at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival and has created artworks for Audiotistic, Nocturnal Wonderland and other events. Cache grew up the epicenter of graffiti art in Los Angeles, the infamous Belmont Tunnel, where he witnessed the older masters of the graffiti world create masterpieces that inspired him to develop his skills.
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