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

Kendall Messick’s Burnt Offerings

Messick's "Impermanence" and “Conflagration” photographs are documents of charred beauty. After his house burned down, Messick chose to portray the beauty that is inherent in all things, even destruction. His photographs of his burned-down home and beloved and now charred objects represent what the title says - impermanence.

Some images courtesy of Rebekah Jacob Gallery

Messick's Website Link

(Originally posted in the Eclectix  "BURN" Issue, August 2011,

 along with the permanent online exhibit of fire-related art, LINK HERE.)

Drew Burnham at Bau-xi Gallery

Bau-xi Gallery is located across the street from the AGO in Toronto and we checked it out with visiting there. The current exhibit were works by Canadian artist Drew Burnham, all large wilderness,  landscapes. Generally, I like landscapes - what's not to like? However, they can be boring and empty, lacking interest or spice.  Drew's works were not lacking anything - vivid in color and contrast, fluid in composition - exciting kinetic lines of wild scenes. They had an almost hallucinogenic feel, staring at them it felt like someone had slipped you some magic mushrooms. Trippy leaves, deep flowing shadows and psychedelic colors vibrate the eye, reminding one of Henri Rousseau's "The Dream". Beautiful works that make you want to hike inside them along with Alice in Wonderland.

Playing Dead in Kensington Market, Toronto

Really nice Miles Davis mural on a corner shop

After walking all around the "hip" part of Queens Street West in wilting, hot humidity- we got brave and hiked up to the Kensington Market area of town. 

After some iced coffee we were ready to peruse all the fun little stores, vintage shops and arty places. A more colorful and gritty part of town, with a lot of street art and bright colors.

Stopped into Black Market, a huge place full of vintage clothes, great fluffy prom dresses and costume wear.

Harry Potter wear at Black Market Vintage shop

Up the street was Play Dead, the most interesting and artful shop we found. Street art style paintings, hand painted tees and jackets, lots of dark, skull apparel with some humor thrown in. Art on rough hewn wood and other found objects, gothic clothes and Mary portraits.

Play Dead exterior

Play Dead skull art

Play Dead art

Play Dead art

My favorite piece in the shop was a line up of aerosol cans in an old crate. Covered with Campbells soup labels, ala Warhol - they would have made a great tee shirt for the more hip tourists or the locals wanting to show a little homegirl pride. Alas, none were to be found or I would be sporting one right now.

David Mach’s Match Head Art

Using tens of thousands of matchsticks, David Mach creates detailed models of animals, symbols or historical figures.

David, from Scotland, has a passion for art and matchsticks, so he decided to combine them and create unique masterpieces. Using a clay mold he creates a plastic or fiberglass model of whatever he wants to create, and then begins the process of sticking matchsticks on it, one at a time. Most of his creations are made with tens of thousands of colored-tip matchsticks, imported from Japan, and take months to complete and only a second to burn!

David's Website

(Originally posted on the Eclectix homepage "BURN" Issue, August 2011,

 along with the permanent online exhibit of fire-related art, LINK HERE.)

Herakut in Culver City

On our travels around Southern California in early August, we spotted these great murals by Herakut. They were wrapping the corner of a vacant building in Culver City (maybe Washington Blvd.?)  So glad to spot these, they made the day so much happier with their art! Love the emotive and drippy works by this duo, hope it gets to stay.... maybe a great spot for an art supply store?

Herakut Website