September 2 – 24 at TAG Gallery, the gallery presents a series of exhibitions examining photography, painting, sculpture, ceramics, and the impact of light.
The September program brings together personal and documentary photography, large-scale photographic work, figurative sculpture, landscapes inspired by the Cornish coast, contemporary oil painting, Pop Art, and ceramic sculpture. The exhibitions range from Joe Doherty’s decades-long photographic record of his brother Johnny to Lee Cooper’s exploration of scale and photographic presentation, Kathryn Pitt’s interpretations of wild swimming and landscape, and Emil Rutenberg’s continuing examination of the human condition through sculpture.
Also featured are Finding the Light, a group exhibition of eleven oil painters from The Collymore Oil Painters Atelier; works by BLKLit, Amit Cohen, and Noah Hass-Cohen; and LIGHT, a TAG Artists exhibition in the Sky Gallery exploring light across mediums and interpretations.
EXHIBITION DATES: Wednesday, September 2 – Thursday, September 24, 2026
OPENING RECEPTION: Saturday, September 12, 5 – 8 PM
ARTISTS TALK: Sunday, September 20, 1 – 3 PM
The Johnny Chronicles: An Anthology of Love and Absurdity
When Johnny was born the doctor and the priest advised my parents to leave him at the hospital, destined for an institution. My parents ignored that advice, which was a blessing for John and for us.
I began taking photographs at age 13, and Johnny was one of my few eager subjects. Five years younger than me, photography became a bonding activity for us, where he would pose for me if I let him get behind the camera too. As my photography progressed from beginner to early professional, I kept photographing Johnny and his world.
The schools he attended, family events, the Special Olympics, and our staged encounters were all documented. On occasion my images were compared to those made by Diane Arbus. She photographed people with Downs living in an institution from 1969 – 1971. These were Johnny’s contemporaries. It is the kind of place he would have lived if my parents followed their priest’s advice.
Arbus’ subjects appear isolated, at a distance, foreign. They are The Other. Arbus did not show the fullness of the lives she photographed, and how very different they were from her. Johnny and his friends were rarely angry, unfazed by failure, and lacked neuroses or anxiety. They always had a good time, and they were very loving. Johnny taught us empathy, and expanded our ambitions beyond the confines of our social and religious inheritance.
That is what the photographs in The Johnny Chronicles are about. His was a life lived in full.
JOE DOHERTY
Joe Doherty is a photographer and lifelong Angeleno. He began making photographs in 1972 when he was 13 years old, and was heavily influenced by the work published in Life Magazine and its contemporaries. By 1981 he was shooting full-time for overseas magazines and local clients, and was first published in TIME in 1983.
In 1988, with a son on the way, he stopped photography and went to college. He earned a PhD in political science from UCLA, where he became the Director of the Empirical Research Group at the UCLA School of Law.
He retired from UCLA in 2016 in order to pursue photography full-time again. During COVID he dove into his film archives from the 1970s and 1980s and emerged with “The Johnny Chronicles: An Anthology of Love and Absurdity.” It is a book of photographs of his brother Johnny that explores the influence he had on his siblings and his community.
@Gallery Scale
This catalog presents the 18 pieces in my upcoming solo show @TAG September 2-25, 2026. I chose this as a title over “More Love Songs” for a couple of reasons. Critic Shana Nys Dambrot summarized most of my show last year in the Lazarus Gallery saying, “Every generation must write love songs.” I took it as an off-handed compliment – my romanticized entrants into a crowded field. I thought of my pieces of as exemplars in my search for beauty. Beauty and romance are intertwined as are romance and love. I have a room in Cádiz and in Santa Monica that is for family- photo love songs. The rest of our apartment walls in Spain are adorned with visual love songs from my point of view. A small subset of those images was featured in my Lazarus Gallery show @TAG in May of 2025.
For my first major solo show (Opening Reception on September 12, 2026) in the large North Gallery @TAG I chose to upscale my works, which are usually sized for home walls and home viewing, to command the space on larger gallery walls. Since I am my own printmaker and deeply enjoy the challenge of archival printing, I accepted the 17” width limitations of my Epson SCP5370. I reviewed my archive for images that could become compelling diptychs or triptychs, where there were natural clusters of images forming a grouping, or where central images could be augmented by supporting images. I tried to jointly optimize having each part of the overall stand on its own and having the combination be at least as compelling as the solo version. Looking through my archive from a different point of view was a pleasure.
LEE COOPER
Lee Cooper has returned to the visual arts after a hiatus of 50 years. He joined the UCLA faculty in 1969 in a highly quantitative area that anticipated the big-data era of today. Around 1974, he became a member of Workshop I.E., a cooperative artists studio on Main Street in Santa Monica, doing limited-edition prints, co-owned the Cooper Gallery on Robertson, served as Director of the UCLA Management in the Arts Program, and was the Co-Founder and first President of the Association of Arts Administration Educators. Cooper co-authored “The Arts in the Economic Life of the City,” published by the American Council for the Arts. By 1979, Cooper shifted full focus to his primary academic agenda.
Photography has been a lifelong interest and activity for Cooper. With an archive of images spanning decades, he returned to printmaking in the Summer of 2022. Master printer, Eric Joseph, guided Cooper’s return to printmaking with the new digital technologies. Aside from printmaking, Cooper has recently been elected to the Board of the Los Angeles Ballet and selected as a Full Member of TAG – The Artists Gallery.
Wild Swimming, Wild Landscapes
The Wonders of Wild Swimming
Cold plunges are the ‘new’ thing – ice cold baths that you lower yourself into for a minute or two to boost health and mood. Yet wild swimming, be it in oceans, rivers or lakes, come rain or come shine has happened for millennia, everywhere. The benefits have always been understood. It can be a time of quiet meditation or an activity that fosters camaraderie, all in the great outdoors.
I have always loved swimming in the open air, feeling the elements wrapping around you in a visceral sense. It makes you feel alive, as if you have become part of nature, instead of trampling on top of it. In my paintings I wanted to capture that sense of quiet or unbridled joy. Whatever it might mean to you, let nature heal and put on your swim suits, a swimming cap or woolly hat and take the plunge.
The Wonders of Wild Landscapes
The landscapes are all interpretations from photos I have taken in Cornwall, England. A place I visit every year and which has one of the best coastlines in the world, made better by the fact you can walk the entire coastline (as you can all around the UK) and therefor can take in the awe inspiring views. When the sun shines, the colors of the sky, land and sea are vibrant. You cannot outdo Mother Nature so I wanted to interpret that intensity by re-imagining the colors of the landscape to a point that they are raucous and brilliant but still resemble the shape and contours of this edge of the world.
KATHRYN PITT
Kathryn Pitt is a UK born artist that now lives and works in Los Angeles.
A figurative and non-representational, mostly 2D artist, Kathryn has been involved with and featured in many exhibitions in California, throughout the US and overseas, whilst teaching art to children within her studio and as a docent at the Getty Museum.
Kathryn has had five solo shows over the past seven years, the last in 2025 at TAG gallery in Los Angeles and has curated several shows, the last being in 2023 entitled ‘Hiding the unnecessary’ in Downtown LA. Kathryn had an honorable mention for her painting ‘Red View’ at the juried show ‘Bold Expressions’ at Northern California Arts, Sacramento and best ‘In Printing’ for her artwork, Red, White and Blue in the show Made in the USA juried by Edward Goldman in 2024.
Not Fade Away… The Sixth Sequel
This show represents Emil Rutenberg’s perception of the human spirit through sculpture. The work strives to depict man’s plight and condition in this world, often at odds with his environment … and then , from time to time, in harmony. His condition , whether circumstantial or by virtue of existential causes, is almost always directly or indirectly, self imposed.
Rutenberg’s work is defined by structural integrity, expressive depth and a timeless yet contemporary sensibility. His pieces convey both vulnerability and strength – organic in form, contemplative in spirit and deeply human at their core.
His work seeks to portray the condition and struggle of man, often in conflict with his environment—and at times, in fleeting moments, in harmony with it. Rutenberg presents the human condition as one shaped by both circumstance and existential reality, yet almost always as something directly or indirectly self-imposed.
EMIL RUTENBERG
Emil Rutenberg, is a Los Angeles-based artist born in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. He maintains studios in both Inglewood, California, and Woodstock, Cape Town, and exhibits his work internationally.
His sculptures, paintings, and sketches are held in private collections around the world, reflecting his growing recognition among national and international collectors. Rutenberg is represented by The Artist Gallery (TAG) in Los Angeles and has held ten successful solo exhibitions across Southern California and Cape Town, including notable shows at Bruce Lurie Gallery and Young Blood Gallery.
Rutenberg’s artistic path began as a university pre-med student in South Africa, where he studied human anatomy – a foundation that continues to inform his precise and expressive treatment of human form. After moving to Los Angeles in 1983, he launched an eponymous fashion label. As a celebrated designer, his award winning clothing lines were known for silhouettes that complemented the human body.
In 1992, Rutenberg transitioned to fine art, studying figure drawing and painting under Joe Blaustein at UCLA Extension.
This led him to discover his “major passion” – sculpting the human figure. He trained with acclaimed sculptors including Brian Booth Craig and Eudald de Juana, and further honed his craft through workshops in Rome, Cape Town, Navata (Barcelona), and Los Angeles, with instructors Tanya Regir and Adam Mantano. Over time, he developed a personal sculptural language rooted in anatomy, emotional resonance and movement.
In 2025 he was awarded Certificate of Excellence in Sculpture at TAG Gallery’s national juried show the LA OPEN. In 2026 he was awarded 1st Place at the national juried exhibition Made in the USA: Breath of Freedom presented by TAG Gallery.
Finding the Light
Light is what painters chase. It is the element that transforms an ordinary subject into something worth looking at twice, and it is the thread that connects every painting in this exhibition.
Finding the Light presents new work by eleven emerging oil painters, each with a distinct voice and a distinct body of work. Their subjects range across landscapes, seascapes, still life, and the observed world. What they share is an attention to color, texture, and the quality of light that gives oil painting its particular depth and presence.
These works were developed within The Collymore Oil Painters Atelier, a Los Angeles-based mentorship program grounded in the foundational principles of oil painting. The Atelier’s approach balances rigorous technical training with a deep respect for the individual voice of each artist. The paintings in this exhibition reflect both: a command of craft and an authenticity that is entirely each artist’s own.
THE COLLYMORE OIL PAINTERS ATELIER
The Collymore Oil Painters Atelier is a Los Angeles-based mentorship program in oil painting founded by Valerie Collymore, recipient of the Award of Distinction at the 22nd Annual National Juried Exhibition of the American Impressionist Society. The Atelier offers intensive, cycle-based instruction grounded in the foundational principles of oil painting — composition, values, color, and brushwork — and how all of these work together to capture light and story. Equal importance is placed on the development of each artist’s individual voice. Students work in oil on linen and canvas, building technical fluency alongside a personal body of work. The Atelier’s approach is rigorous, personal, and rooted in the belief that serious painting can be learned at any stage of an artist’s life. Finding the Light is the Atelier’s first group exhibition at TAG Gallery.
Soda and Snacks
As far as I can see, the world of Pop Art is wide open for social and political revolution: Basquiat, Goya, Kara Walker, Picasso. One man’s Guernica can be another man’s guillotine. All of Soda and Snacks is just a syringe. Soda and Snacks is ground zero. I want people to look at what they see, really look. I want people to have agency. BLKLit
BLKLIT
In Another Country, through the voice of the preacher sermonizing over the dead Rufus, a suicide victim, James Baldwin spoke profoundly:
And I tell you something else, don’t none of you forget it: I know a lot of people done took their own lives and they’re walking up and down the streets today and some of them is preaching the gospel and some is sitting in the seats of the mighty. Now, you remember that. If the world wasn’t so full of dead folks maybe those of us that’s trying to live wouldn’t have to suffer so bad.
Americana Cookie Jar Icons: Ceramic
“Cookie jars are, after all, a form of Pop Art in themselves.” — Wally Amos, founder of Famous Amos Cookies
I am a ceramic sculptor. My bear cookie jars are about the size of a small child. Every bear is brightly glazed, every head lifts off, and every sculpture is still a real, functional cookie jar. Each bear holds an iconic symbol—a heart, a peace sign, an apple, and others—inviting viewers to create their own meaning. There are white, brown and black bears, I was inspired by Pop artists Andy Warhol, who collected vintage cookie jars, and Claes Oldenburg, who enlarged everyday objects into sculpture.
I wanted to do the same by oversizing the cookie jar itself. I also liked the challenge of creating a large, sturdy ceramic object that remains functional, complete with a removable top and a working container. Although they are made from ceramic, I wanted my bears to feel cuddly and soft. Like the original cookie jars that inspired them, they are both decorative and functional, reminding us that ordinary objects can carry powerful memories. Cookie jars once sat on the kitchen counters of many homes, filled with homemade cookies and carrying the smell of baking and the comfort of family. They were both decorative and functional, becoming part of everyday life and lasting memories. I hope my cookie jars invite viewers to bring their own experiences, memories, and meanings to each piece.
AMIT COHEN
I am a ceramic artist who creates hand-built large sculptures and functional pottery. I am a retired contractor and spend most of my days working with clay. Building has always been part of who I am, and I enjoy applying those problem-solving skills to ceramics. I especially like the challenge of building larger forms in clay. As pieces grow in size, the clay becomes heavier and more difficult to control. I have to manage its softness and fluidity while preventing walls from collapsing, cracking, or warping as the clay dries and is fired. Every large piece requires careful planning, patience, and constant problem solving from start to finish.I also enjoy exploring the many surfaces, textures, and glazes that clay offers. Each firing brings an element of surprise, making every piece unique. My sculptural interests include designing and building complex pedestal forms, exploring the human figure, and creating larger-than-life Pop Art sculptures that combine sculpture with function. Whether I am making a Pop Art larger than life cookie jar or a functional vessel, I enjoy pushing clay beyond what people expect while celebrating its beauty, strength, and endless possibilities.
Eyes on the World
My sculptures are a reflection of mine and others’ sorrow and grief. I try to bring forward stories of suffering to “Not Forget”, and to bring attention to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict war atrocities. My sculpture “Lamentations” is an homage to Mahmoud Hammad, a Palestinian father in Gaza City. He spent over 200 days meticulously sifting through the ruins of his destroyed home using a simple shovel and a sieve to recover the bone fragments of his pregnant wife and children. I also hope to showcase “Larger than Life” in memory of Vivian Silver. She was a prominent Canadian-Israeli peace and women’s rights activist who dedicated her life to building a shared society between Arabs and Jews, and was instrumental in helping transport Gazan cancer patients to Israeli hospitals. She was murdered by Hamas militants during the October 7, 2023, attacks on her home in Kibbutz Be’eri. I may also showcase the story of another peacebuilder, Awdah Hathaleen, an English teacher from the West Bank village of Umm al-Khair.
He was shot and killed by an Israeli settler in July 2025. If these pieces wont be ready I have others. But I wanted to share these narratives in my statement. So we remember.
NOAH HASS- COHEN
I juggle my time between my ceramic work and my teaching as a professor. As a professor of marriage and family therapy and as a psychologist, my focus is on the suffering created by crisis, disasters, and trauma. This focus has also taken over my ceramic work, where as a woman I try to process personal grief over the 1,005 days of war since October 22, 2023, and the enduring Israeli- Palestinian conflict and injustice. It is a committed labor that is often difficult to do—both emotionally and pragmatically. While I have a degree in fine arts, my ceramic hand-building skills are limited as I began ceramic sculpting recently. One of my pieces has just blown into pieces in the kiln. I am a beginner.
TAG Artists present LIGHT
Presented in The SKY GALLERY at TAG
LIGHT is an open-themed exhibition inviting artists in all mediums to explore the many dimensions of light—as illuminating and obscuring, natural and artificial, fleeting and enduring, intimate and expansive. Whether understood literally, symbolically, emotionally, spiritually, or conceptually, light offers endless possibilities for interpretation. From radiance and shadow to reflection, transformation, and revelation, artists are invited to explore the ways light shapes what we see, feel, and understand.
EXHIBITION DATES: September 2 -24
OPENING RECEPTION: Saturday, September 12 from 5 – 8pm
