Est. 1992
Film Director Roberto Oregel sent me a link to the trailer for his documentary on Los Angeles painter Alfredo De Batuc. Mexican-born ADB was already a local legend when he was struck with Guillame-Barre Syndrome. This caused him the loss of the use of his hands. For years he went without making any art… but … Read more
After several long international flights and a night in Japan, I arrived. The afternoon light was soft. At first, I thought everything was blurred through the aeroplane window. But it looked the same when I stepped outside. Shadows melted into the landscape. Colours seemed at once more vivid and more nuanced. Even the tarmacked air … Read more
Dear Mr. Gleason, I was disappointed to read your recent review of Bradford Salamon’s work at the Hilbert Museum (LINK HERE). We rely on people such as yourself for thoughtful criticism of art in southern California galleries and museums. This review, unfortunately, was nothing more than an irresponsible series of cheap shots culminating in your … Read more
We went to see the poppies. We stopped by the museum. There were some shows there we wanted to see but we had made the drive to Lancaster to see the poppies. They only bloom for like five weeks. The shows were up for seven or eight weeks but it was getting close to their … Read more
The art collector said, “Look, there’s Barry Humphries. You should get a photo.” I followed his eyes and saw the man best known as Dame Edna Everage. He was discretely browsing paintings at the fine art auction preview, catalogue in hand. I remembered his other character – the obscene Sir Les Patterson, Australian Cultural Attaché … Read more
The Hilbert Museum is the place you go if you want to see traditional art. Their curatorial program most reminded me of the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento on a much smaller scale… ahh, but not for long, as the Hilbert is expanding from it’s current “glorified gallery” size of 7,500 square feet to 22,000 … Read more
ART REVIEW AS SHORT STORY Twice in my life I had visited Glendale Community College and twice in my life I had vowed to never go there again. Both times I had wonderful experiences with the art. The first time was a solo show by Brian Ruppel some time in the 1990s. Maybe one day … Read more
In a few months it will be five years since I returned to Sydney to rebuild my life as an artist. Before leaving Brisbane I rented a room in a boarding house via WhatsApp. I packed the art materials I had left in a few boxes, along with some clothes and books, and sent them … Read more
Life in recent years has been about increasing family time, appreciation, and resurgence. Americans in general, have had the time to reflect on many of the things we deem important to our everyday survival. As a second generation El Salvadoran, Elmer Guevara merges the journey of his family to the United States with his path … Read more
ART REVIEW AS SHORT STORY We drove up Fairfax for the sole purpose of turning right onto Wilshire. The Craft and Folk Art Museum, I still call it that, they changed their name to Craft Contemporary but old habits don’t die, the point being it is on the right side of the street. The traffic … Read more