Guided by the energy of the growing full moon, we began our gallery excursion this weekend on Friday evening at the opening of Dark Fantasy, at UTA Artist Space.  Located in the heart of Beverly Hills and established in 2016, the hyped exhibition space is one I have wanted to check out for some time.  Curated by gallery director Ashlee Harrison, Dark Fantasy showcased a substantial array of artists selected from the Carpenters Workshop Gallery’s program featuring, Virgil Abloh, Atelier Van Lieshout, Maarten Baas, Aldo Bakker, Sebastian Brajkovic, Fernando and Humberto Campana, Nacho Carbonell, Wendell Castle, Vincenzo De Cotiis, Ingrid Donat, Vincent Dubourg, Najla El Zein, Kendell Geers, Steven Haulenbeek, Anton Hendrik Denys, Kostas Lambridis, Mathieu Lehanneur, Frederik Molenschot, Rick Owens, Random International, Robert Stadler, Studio Drift, Charles Trevelyan, and Verhoeven Twins.

Crowd outside UTA Artist Space.

Verhoeven Twins, “Still Wonder (SO W 2)” at UTA Artist Space.

Needless to say, this hearty hybrid of notable artists attracted a crowd.  Our arrival to UTA immediately confirmed this notion as the entrance was packed with an impressive congregation of swanky gallery-goers, spilling out of the gallery doors and onto the sidewalk.  As we made our way through the throng of people, which continued into the exhibit, we experienced over 50 sculptural works and functional objects. The masterful craft of each artist was blatantly apparent and works contained elements both natural and synthetic in an unexpected mixture of material and form.  Centralized on the theme of “Archeofuturism” and spanning from whimsical to technical, each piece evoked unique response in their combination of references to both past and future. Some works such as Robert Stadler’s, form “Spherical Bomb Armchair” constructed out of upholstered leather, resembled home furniture.  It’s “couch-like” presence resulted in a questionably inviting seat in the bustling crowd. As desirable as a seat on a sofa seemed, we resisted, but it remained enticing never the less.  Other works were more definitively interactive such as “You Fade To Light” by Random International. The light-activated sculpture complete with custom motion tracking software resulted in the wall hanging piece to light up in conjunction with the movement of viewers.

UTA Artist Space installation view.

Overall, the crowd was lively and invigorated by each other as much as the work. One man even approached us and invited us to an impromptu vacation to Oaxaca, one that we declined as we had only just met and my friend’s wedding also happens to fall on that weekend.  All in all, the show’s display of art, design, and architecture exceeded expectation. The uncontainable energy remained beyond the gallery walls as we ventured into the beautiful evening illuminated by the glowing moon, stimulated and happy we partook.

Lesley Jackson, “Rapture every morning, every evening” at Kate’s Little Angel.

In contrast to the hustling opening of UTA, I ended my weekend at the intimate opening of people moving through things and things that make people move at Kate’s Little Angel.  The renovated garage into exhibition space exists in the backyard of Kate Eringer’s home and is one I frequent for its sense of community and showcasing of brilliant art. The current exhibition curated by Ethan Tate, features work by Jordan Barse, Milano Chow, Bailey Connolly, Amy Garofano, Cherisse Gray, Lesley Jackson, Ethan Tate and Madeline Kuzak. 

Kater Eringer and curator Ethan Tate.

The poetic exhibition consisted of various materials and forms such as wall sculptures, installations, paintings, and drawings. As a whole, the exhibition centralized around the notion of structure and how forms collapse and adapt as we move through them. Variation in scale and medium of the work allowed for an improvisational migration throughout the space, and manifested in an individual experience with each work.

Milano Chow, “Corner” at Kate’s Little Angel.

As I moved throughout the space, I was thrilled by the powerful free-flowing conversation I found with each piece. An introspective dialogue from one to the next guided my exploration, granting structure, but also flexibility. After internal conversation within the walls of the gallery, I transitioned outside where several of the works proceeded to exist on the exterior of the gallery walls.

Ethan R. Tate, “Rural Slumping I” at Kate’s Little Angel.

The expansion of the gallery structure itself, also pertained to the observation of space and barriers within the intrinsic experience in my mind. Upon exiting the space and into the intimate setting of Eringer’s yard, conversation circulated and barriers unseen in the context of a more traditional gallery space, ceased to exist.  Tate’s curation creating a fluid flow of conversation from internal to external. The glorious sunshine accompanying the show resulted in an afternoon of basking in conversation circulating the beauty of art and space and a comforting closeness in collective experience.