Vhils In Venice

While art browsing all along the Abbot Kinney Blvd. area in Venice (CA), we were blessed by the visage of a street work by Vhils (Alexandre Farto). It was a large woman's face etched into the side of a brick wall, I think it was on the side of Post No Bills Gallery. On close inspection, it looked like a layer of plaster had been applied and the image was created by chipping away the plaster, in some areas down to the brick. In other areas just down to raw cement and some form of paint or dye was dripped and smeared on it as well. It is a wonderful art attack and when I checked out his website, I was astounded by all the crumbling, faded and beauteous faces of humanity Alexandre (or Vhils) has created all over the world. 

Please check them out for yourself here -  LINK, you will be glad you did.

Best of Cave Gallery & "Street Art" Exhibit - Abbot Kinney, Venice, Ca

Dropped in to check-out Cave Gallery in Venice (CA) on our travels and were able to see the opening of the current "Street Art Saved My Life Show". ( It's up thru Sept. 4th) Lots of nice rough and ready art in the show and on the back walls as well. Here are some of our favorites, plus some detail shots for all you detail-oriented artists out there.

Front, street view of sculpture assemblage by, NohJColey

Back, NohJColey

Back detail, NohJColey

This great piece by NohJColey (above) was in the window and grabbed our attention with it's expressive gesture and weathered found-wood components.  Apparently the artist chains the components around street poles to create the finished sculpture.

The next pick (above) was a mixed media piece by Chris Stain,  really beckoning, titled "Give 'Em Hell".

Hoodys Kissing, Dan Witz

Detail, Dan Witz

This "Hoodys Kissing" piece by Dan Witz was the top pick of the current exhibit. Daring and emotive with a twisted feel of gay monks doing it. Dan's figurative works are all wonderful and this was no exception.

Another really fantastic piece - "Past, Present, Future" by El Sol 25.  (above)

The next picks were all from the gallery's current consignment inventory and were hung about in back or along the stairs. There were many stupendous works here, "stealing the show" so to speak. First up is "Give Me New Love, Where Did My Tree Go?" (below) by Josh Hart - just wonderful!

And a work by Paul Chatem, "The Disillusionist" (below). Paul's works really have to be seen in person, they have a carnival feel with his own signature color palette,  painted on cut-out pieces of wood. Such depth, dimension and detail are way to hard to capture in a flat foto.

Paul Chatem

Detail, Paul Chatem

Not sure who the artist is (or the title) on the piece below, but we loved it nonetheless. Drop an email if you know and we will credit it.

Unknown

Loved this stylish, red-headed and original critter by Megz Majewski, "Sunbathing At Sea" (below).

The masterpieces (in our humble opinion) of all the art we viewed at Cave were the two below, by the artist, Macsorro. These two just floored us with their surreal and imaginative imagery. Wow!

Pheramone by Macsorro

The Dissipation of Our Childhood Dreams by Macsorro