Posts Tagged ‘Crewest Gallery’

Ø    Stuck in customs… Crewest Gallery in downtown LA has just opened their exhibit of Iranian artists, but as a result of remaining turmoil due to the election uproar, the artists’ biographical information and even artwork has been extremely difficult to obtain.  Now a painting of a group of men against a green background remains in Iran as officials refuse to allow a work that depicts Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s oppression to be shown.  Green has become the color that symbolizes political oppression in the country.  (LA Times)

Ø    More cuts… The UBS Art Gallery in Manhattan, run by the Swiss bank, will be closing at the end of October in an effort to save money.  This comes as less than stellar news considering how often UBS has financially supported international arts organizations.  (ArtINFO)

Ø    Glenn Beck stirs the pot… Glenn Beck, of FoxNews fame, has ignited controversy with his “9/12 Project” poster design.  Earlier this month, Beck went on one of his typical rants speaking out against the “communist” artwork and design at Rockefeller Center.  Then, he released a poster for his taxpayer march in Washington DC with three, red thrusting fists superimposed on the US Capitol reminiscent of posters created in the early 1900s used by the Industrial Workers of the World union and then used in the 60s by both feminist and anti-war movements.  (LA Times; Culture Monster)

Ø    Off to the races… With September comes a fresh new start for the art world.  A new season has begun: last night LA’s galleries were open till all hours offering food and drink (mostly from our city’s famed trucks) in honor of a new round of exhibits and artists to discover.  The Irving Penn exhibit at the Getty, for example, will be one for the books.  The Daily Beast’s “Art Beast” is getting excited about the Juergen Teller exhibit at Lehmann Maupin in NYC and Xavier Veilhan’s conceptual art installation at Versailles in France.  (Daily Beast)

Ø    On the hunt… Detectives in Los Angeles are searching for ten paintings by Andy Warhol that went missing from the private home of collector Richard L. Weisman.  The paintings include images of famous athletes including OJ Simpson, Chris Evert, and Jack Nicklaus, which were commissioned by Weisman and called the “Athlete Series.”  He’d tried selling the pieces as a group in 2007 for $28 million, but no luck.  He just happens to be related to Norton Simon himself – quel controversy! (NY Times)

To those who are shocked to hear there is a subway system in downtown LA running to Koreatown, Hollywood, and Pasadena (not an urban legend — I swear!), I have news for you: there was an even older rail system that Angelenos once knew about and didn’t mind riding. The Red Car flourished for a time then ceased operation in the ‘60s as Angelenos turned from public transportation and towards the freeway (we really didn’t know what we were getting ourselves into). The remnants of the Red Car laid in decay, but it was never left behind.

One standout locale of the abandoned Red Car route was the Belmont Tunnel.  Completely off the radar for most of those crossing the intersection of Beverly Blvd. and Glendale Blvd. in the Westlake neighborhood, thousands of graf artists flocked to the Belmont Tunnel, which is said to be the birthplace of Los Angeles graffiti art.

Those outside the street art world may fondly remember it in the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Under The Bridge music video.  Graffiti artists remember the Belmont Tunnel as the place to be seen, where skills were honed, artistic competition reigned, and Los Angeles was put on the map in the international graffiti world.

Downtown’s Crewest Gallery pays tribute to this mecca to which so many came, sprayed, and few conquered: The Belmont Tunnel – now a real estate development.

The Legendary Belmont Tunnel closes June 27 with a closing reception 6 – 9pm at Crewest Gallery (110 Winston St., LA, CA 90013)