Malcolm Stuart is at the forefront of the contemporary airbrush revolution, in which artists are breaking free the medium once reserved for boardwalks and bar mitzvahs into fresh works of fine art and bold fashion statements. When Malcolm isn’t flying all over the country to do live painting events, [read more...]]]>

Malcolm Stuart is at the forefront of the contemporary airbrush revolution, in which artists are breaking free the medium once reserved for boardwalks and bar mitzvahs into fresh works of fine art and bold fashion statements. When Malcolm isn’t flying all over the country to do live painting events, he’s busy in his studio working on one of a kind outfits that have been rocked by pop superstars like Katy Perry and Ke$ha at countless sold out concerts. And to top it all off with a cherry on top, not only is Malcolm Stuart an awesome artist, but he’s also a hula hoop master as well.

Daniel Rolnik: How did you learn how to airbrush?

Malcolm Stuart: Something neat about airbrush art is that it’s not taught in schools – the way it’s passed along is through the classic apprenticeship format. And I’m very fortunate and lucky because I learnt from Noel Degroff – a master of the medium.

DR: Isn’t airbrush complex because of how you have to mix the paints and everything?

MS: If you use water-based paint then it’s actually really easy because you don’t need to mix the colors at all – which is one of the things I miss about traditional painting. If you’re using urethanes [aka candies] it gets complicated because you have a lot more chemistry going on , but I don’t use that stuff because it’s really toxic.

Malcolm painting a commission for AOL

DR: What’s the hardest thing about airbrushing?

MS: The hardest thing about airbrushing is keeping control of your lines, since you have nothing to rest your arm on. You have to lock your muscles and learn how to be able to keep yourself from wobbling around while still being fluid. If you’re doing it right, you feel the lock take place all the way from your feet to the tip of your fingers. And in the beginning it feels like your hand is going to fall off, but after a while you develop an airbrush muscle.

DR: Whoa! Where is it?

MS: It’s this one strand on your forearm that connects to your pointer finger.

DR: Don’t you also have to control a bunch of variables with your finger on the airbrush?

MS: Only if you’re using what’s called a dual action airbrush – which everyone uses nowadays because you can alter the paint and the air flow. But back in the 80’s artists only had single action airbrushes that didn’t allow for any variations – making them very similar to a can of graffiti spray paint.

Malcolm painted this huge pair of boobs as a set piece for a performance by Narcissister

DR: How did you find the artist you apprenticed for?

MS: I was living in Brooklyn and my roommate said you should talk to my friend, he’s an airbrush artist and is always looking for people to train. So I did.

DR: Were you even looking to learn how to airbrush?

MS: There was some precedence in my life because my wife, Bec Stupak, was doing a video shoot where she wanted to have airbrush art. So, she got a few airbrushes meant for body paint and we were like whoa these things are crazy!

DR: What kind of airbrush do you use now?

MS: I use an Iwata Elcipse HP-BCS.

Collaboration w/ Gerlan Jeans‘ Spring/Summer 2012 Collection “Mall Witch”

DR: How do you usually work with textiles that are eventually turned into clothes?

MS: I hand paint them and then give them to designers.

Nicki Minaj’s dress painted by Malcolm Stuart, styled by The Blonds, and designed by SpandexMan

DR: Which designers have you collaborated with?

MS: I’ve painted dresses for Katy Perry and Nikki Minaj through a collaboration I did with the New York designers The Blonds. I’ve also worked a lot with  SpandexMan, who has a hilarious website that you have to check out, as well as Dee and Ricky, Gerlan Jeans, and Peggy Noland.

Collaboration w/ Dee and Ricky for their restaurant “Dee & Ricky’s Home Cooking” in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn

DR: How long did it take you to get comfortable with an airbrush?

MS: It took me about 8 months to get competent and the first thing I did when I was, was to do t-shirts at Bar and Bat Mitzvahs – it was like my boot camp. It was hellacious and underpaid, but really awesome training.

DR: Was your style of art like before picking up the airbrush?

MS: One of the things that’s changed for me was that I ended up in this whole other market of doing airbrush art in the mall and using imagery that was cartoony and flat like SpongeBob, Elmo, and Mickey Mouse. All of a sudden I was really confronted with cartoon forms, whereas before I was more into rendering reality.

DR: What do you like most about cartoon imagery?

MS: Speed – because the animators have to work extremely fast to get through everything. And with the speed comes choices of simplification and having to leave information out. Also, cartoon hands are actually more complicated than most people think, because you still have to imagine a bone structure underneath everything – they’re not just balloons.

—

MALCOLM STUART: http://www.malcolmstuart.com/

Daniel Payavis works on a bunch of cool series at the same time in his studio in downtown Los Angeles. For example, he has huge canvasses featuring hundreds of painted faces layered on top of one another that’s next to a completely different body of work where he’s [read more...]]]>

Daniel Payavis works on a bunch of cool series at the same time in his studio in downtown Los Angeles. For example, he has huge canvasses featuring hundreds of painted faces layered on top of one another that’s next to a completely different body of work where he’s made digital prints of images manipulated on flatbed scanners. Daniel received his MFA from The University of Texas at Austin, where in addition to focusing on his practice he was also able to teach himself the precise art of frame making. It’s really awesome to see Daniel’s work in person, especially when you can see his huge canvasses juxtaposed next to his smaller studies.

Please note that some of the works pictures below are still in the process of being finished…

—

DANIEL PAYAVIS: danielpayavis@gmail.com

Daniel Lane had to build several of his own tools to help him create his work – including a styrofoam cutter that incorporates a flashlight’s electronic circuity. He just recently received his MFA from The University of Austin, TX and so some of his larger canvasses [read more...]]]>

Daniel Lane had to build several of his own tools to help him create his work – including a styrofoam cutter that incorporates a flashlight’s electronic circuity. He just recently received his MFA from The University of Austin, TX and so some of his larger canvasses were rolled up to accommodate the 1,300 mile move to Los Angeles. However, when he unrolled them, a bright life of space was revealed featuring visions of the future. Daniel is fascinated by a certain shade of green which he has been using in a recent piece where he is recreating the look of a vinyl sign on canvass. And I’m really psyched to see the plastic pop-out piece of a satellite dish when it’s complete.

Please note that some of the works pictures below are still in the process of being finished…

—
DANIEL LANE: http://Boduse.blogspot.com/

Tucked away in the land of Burbank is one of the most unique art spots in Southern California – Hyaena Gallery, where its founder Bill Shafer has curated an eclectic assortment of everything he likes – from meticulously hand carved gourds to hundreds of humorously shocking paintings. Hyaena Gallery makes a limited [read more...]]]>

Tucked away in the land of Burbank is one of the most unique art spots in Southern California – Hyaena Gallery, where its founder Bill Shafer has curated an eclectic assortment of everything he likes – from meticulously hand carved gourds to hundreds of humorously shocking paintings. Hyaena Gallery makes a limited edition poster for every show that’s always priced affordably, so even if you can’t take home an original you’re not left empty handed. And if that’s enough for you, they even have an art vending machine, where for $5 you can get a print, drawing, or who-knows-what from the mysterious contraption. A handful of the work is made by master prop makers who have helped to create some of the most memorable characters in cinematic history and FYI on any given night you might bump into the creator of The Oblongs cartoon or even one of your favorite directors – I mean it is only a stone’s throw from all the movie studios. They currently have their end of the year group show up in the space entitled “Kill Your Idols II.” and below are some pics of the room.

—
Hyaena Gallery – http://www.hyaenagallery.com/

RAID Projects is an awesome not-for-profit gallery and artist-in-residency space at The Brewery in downtown Los Angeles. I first heard about their impressive operation when I went to the Co/Lab event in October – which Jason Ramos, the director of Raid Projects, actually helped put together. I [read more...]]]>

RAID Projects is an awesome not-for-profit gallery and artist-in-residency space at The Brewery in downtown Los Angeles. I first heard about their impressive operation when I went to the Co/Lab event in October – which Jason Ramos, the director of Raid Projects, actually helped put together. I went to interview Jason and Carrie MclLwain (asst. director) at RAID Projects while the Imposters exhibit was still up – which was so cool that I now see it everyday on my phone. If RAID Projects was a living person, it would be every artists’ best friend.

Note: Jason and Carrie’s voices have been combined to form certain RAID Projects responses

Daniel Rolnik: How did RAID Projects start?

RAID Projects: Max Presneill founded RAID Projects in 1998 as an alternative exhibition initiative and then he expanded it into to include an international artist-in-residency program. But, at a certain point Max was ready to move on to other things and so he asked me if I would take it over – to which I replied yes. After a few months I brought my longtime friend Carrie McIlwain on board to help me run the place and we’ve been doing great.

Photos of installation “Adrift in A Glass Bottom Boat” [Sept. 2011]

DR: How long do artists participate in the residency program?

RP: They usually live with us for 3-6 months. It’s tough for international artists to stay longer than that because it requires them to get an additional work visa.

DR: Did you help put Co/Lab together?

RP: Yeah, but it was put together by another group named ARTRA Curatorial, which is comprised of myself [Jason Ramos], Max Presneill, and Colton Stenke.

Photo of Naomi Buckley’s installation at RAID Projects by Matt Wardell

DR: What was Co/Lab all about?

RP: All the exhibitors at Co/Lab were mostly artist-run and alternative spaces like ours. We had been working on it independently and then Art Platform came along and we found a way to connect the two, so we did.

DR: What does it mean to be an alternative gallery?

RP: We act as an alternative to the standard commercial gallery. We don’t actively try to sell the art because we want to give artists the freedom to create non-commercial work. Don’t get me wrong though – if someone wants to buy a piece, we’ll help sell it to them, we just want to create a platform free from that concern.

Photos of MUC’s “Self Help Karaoke” installation and performance

DR: Then how do you keep RAID open if you don’t sell the art?

RP: RAID is funded through the residents, who all have to pay rent. We also rent out studio space on the first floor, so it’s sort of self-funded.

DR: Are you competitive with the other alternative galleries in Los Angeles?

RP: On the contrary, we’re actually trying to encourage participation. That’s what Co/Lab was sort of about – we wanted all these spaces to meet each other and realize that we’re all in this one big situation together.

Photo of Stretching Destillment installation at RAID Projects by Try-Har-Der

DR: What’s been one of the most memorable exhibits for you at RAID Projects?

RP: “Self-Help Karaoke” by the art collective known as MUC. They built a self-help library with all these funky books from the 60’s and 70’s, like How To Dress For Success and Wild Woman/Passive Man. Each book had a number written in it that correlated to a song in a karaoke machine. So, if you picked up a book, you were sort of obligated to sing its corresponding song. It’s interesting because at the beginning of the night people were really shy, but by the end everyone was getting really into it. It seemed to be a cathartic experience for the participants. Another memorable event was a panel discussion here with Zak Smith, Geoff Tuck, Tulsa Kinney [Artillery Magazine] and myself, which was great. It was like a town hall meeting where we had all these concerned artists talking about why there is no more good art writing in LA. I felt like a city councilman – not to mention, we made the mic stands out of action figures!

DR: What future events do you have planned for the gallery?

RP: ARTRA’s putting together an exchange between the alternative galleries here in America with the ones in Berlin, Germany, and RAID Projects will be a part of that.

Photos of Jennifer Sullivan’s installation “It’s A Process”

DR: So you’re contacting all the galleries out there?

RP: Carrie spends a lot of time over there, so she’s been building a lot of the connections face to face, along with connections already established by Max.

DR: Is there a theme you’ve noticed that’s different between LA artists and artists from Berlin?

RP: A trend I [Carrie] have noticed is a general levity in the LA scene. Artworks grounded in absurdity and using humor as a medium. I don’t think that is an appropriate generalization of all of LA art as much as a point of high contrast between the two cities. Maybe LA can afford this lighter attitude because we have fantastic weather.

Exterior photos of RAD Projects

DR: What I really like about RAID Projects is that none of the pieces are crowded, is that a conscious decision?

RP: It’s important to us to give space to each work. I mean the whole world is full of constant visual stimulation and we want to create a space where you can focus in on everything and see the whole presentation of it.

DR: What do you look for in artists who want to participate in the residency program?

RP: One of the first things we look at is whether or not they’ve followed the application procedures on RAID Project’s website. Whenever I see that they’ve done that, it ensures me more that they will know what it’s like here. It also really comforts me if the artist has references – even an instructor who can say hey, this person is awesome is great. The thing I love most about potential applicants though, is when they actually visit RAID Projects in person before they apply – which is good advice for any residency program that artists want to apply to.

Photos of the installation “Esta loco, pero no es pendejo” by Matt Wardell

DR: How do the artists who come from out of the country support themselves while they’re here?

RP: They usually are more than well funded by their government, which is something that’s very difficult to come by in the United States.

DR: Have any of the artists in the resident program become art stars?

RP: A lot of them have been included in museum shows and found representation since staying with us, which is really cool.
—
ANSWERS by: RAID Projects
QUESTIONS by: Daniel Rolnik
—
JASON RAMOS: jasonramos.com/
CARRIE McILwain: http://carriemcilwain.tumblr.com/
MAX PRESNEILL: http://www.maxpresneill.com/

The grad students at UCLA put on quite an impressive display for their open studio show and there isn’t a doubt in my mind that many of them will soon be taking over the fine art world by full force [that is, if they haven't started to already]. As [read more...]]]>

The grad students at UCLA put on quite an impressive display for their open studio show and there isn’t a doubt in my mind that many of them will soon be taking over the fine art world by full force [that is, if they haven't started to already]. As I navigated around the maze-like corridors of the MFA building in Culver City, I found myself stumbling into all sorts of wonderful rooms that showcased not just the artists’ work, but also their character. From entire walls painted to look like fireplaces to William Kaminski’s awesome homemade green screen – everywhere you looked was floor to ceiling creativity and ingenuity. I heard from my good friend James Dean that one student even started going around the entire facility licking the walls as an act of performance art. Unfortunately, I didn’t see this event go down or I would’ve captured it on camera, but my initial thought was that he felt the art was just so delicious he had to taste a little bit for himself.

Video by William Kaminski

Hallway at UCLA’s facility

Painting by Jonathan Apgar

Sculpture by Kathleen Ryan

Painting by Michael Kelly

Video by Owen Kyyd

Sculpture by Veronique d’Entremont

Mixed-Media Sculpture by Sarah Cromarty

—
UCLA: http://www.art.ucla.edu/
—
STUDENTS…

TIMO FAHLER: http://timofahler.wordpress.com/
GERARDO MONTERRUBIO: http://www.gerardomonterrubio.com/
KATHLEEN RYAN: http://kathleen-ryan.com/
DAVID WHITAKER: http://davidwhitakerart.com/
MARINA PINSKY: http://www.marinapinsky.com/
MARTEN ELDER: http://martenelder.com/
A’ALIA BROWN: http://aaliamarilynbrown.com/
DAVID ZUTTERMEISTER: http://davidzuttermeister.com/
JANNA IRELAND: http://jannaireland.com/main
MASOOD KAMANDY: http://masoodkamandy.com/
WILLIAM KAMINSKI: http://www.williamkaminski.com/
KATIE SINNOTT: http://katiesinnott.com/home.html
LUCAS BLALOCK: http://lucasblalock.com/
RYAN KELLY & BRENNAN GERARD: http://www.movingtheater.org/artists
EJ HILL: http://ejhill.info/
LEON BENN: http://www.leonbenn.com/
OWEN KYYD: http://owenkydd.com/
MIKE KELLY: www.michaeljohnkelly.com
SEAN RASPET: http://www.seanraspet.org/
RAGEN MOSS: http://ragenmoss.com/
VERONIQUE D’ENTREMONT: http://babel.massart.edu/~veronique/
ROXANE FARHAT: http://www.roxyfarhat.com
JANE HUGENTOBER: http://janehugentober.com/
LILLY ALDRIEDGE: http://www.lilly-aldriedge.com/
SARAH DOUGHERTY: http://www.roomportraits.com/Portrait.htm
ERIN MORRISON: http://www.erinmorrison.com/
THEODORA ALLEN: http://www.theodoraallen.com/
BECKY KOLSRUD: http://www.rebeccakolsrud.com/
CHRISTINE WANG: http://www.christinetienwang.com/
KIM YE: http://www.kimye.com/
LAEH GLENN
MATHIEW GREENFIELD
HANS KUZMICH
SARAH CROMARTY
JONATHAN APGAR
DYLAN HURST
SEAN BOYLE
TEJPAL AJJI
DEVIN KENNY
SHOSHI KANOKOHATA
EMILY SUDD
—
More photos available here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/danielrolnik/sets/72157628399401207/

I first saw Tami Demaree’s work at Art Platform in LA and felt such an awesome force of positive energy coming from it, that I immediately sent her an email about doing an interview. A few days later we met at La Cienegas Projects, a massive gallery space that [read more...]]]>

I first saw Tami Demaree’s work at Art Platform in LA and felt such an awesome force of positive energy coming from it, that I immediately sent her an email about doing an interview. A few days later we met at La Cienegas Projects, a massive gallery space that was originally her and her husband’s personal studio. As we talked, I grew to admire Tami Demaree’s work even more than I had already, since I learnt about all the stories behind her series – which involved the love between Paul Guaguin and his Tahitian mistress as well as some more interesting twists that you will read about below. Tami Demaree received her BFA from UCLA and her MFA from Otis.

Daniel Rolnik: What materials are your tiki sculptures made from?

Tami Demaree: The tikis are made out of shells, feathers, driftwood, and other mediums I find around me. Then I use glue and nails to put them together. If a piece is really small, like the shells I use for eyes, I’ll carve into the wood a little bit before I glue them in.

DR: Is there a particular beach you collect all the shells and driftwood from?

TD: There’s one in Crystal Cove that I go to in Los Angeles and I’ll also gather a bunch of shells when I visit family in Hawaii. Some are even from the craft store, but they’re all mixed together so you can’t tell.

DR: Did you grow up on Hawaii?

TD: My family is from the Big Island, but I grew up in Orange County. When I graduated, my parents moved back to Hawaii and since I have a baby now, we go there quite often.

DR: Have you noticed a change in your work since becoming a mother?

TD: It’s actually helped me to slow down my process so I can flesh out ideas more, and this body of work is a lot stronger because of it. I can separate my personal life from the artwork, but I have put my son in a couple of my paintings instead of just using some random image from Google.

DR: Did he like the piece?

TD: He’s been surrounded by artwork his entire life, so he doesn’t pay attention to a lot of it. The one piece of art that he’s really responded to was one of Marnie Weber’s giant circus bears that we have in our living room. He was scared of it for a while, but now that he’s used to it he says hi and introduces it to people. It’s his friend. He also loves his dad’s work cause it has trains moving around in it.

DR: What is your current body of work about?

TD: It’s following this sort of fake biography where I’m re-mythologizing the ideas of the Hawaiian Islands and tiki culture. But, I’m dealing with it the same way Temple of Doom filtered India – so it’s more of a pop version of seeing it through new eyes, rather than in the traditional Orientalism sense…I do something different for every show. For instance, the specific historical element of Paul Gauguin that was in my last body of work is now gone and has been replaced by a fictional story about a tribe of savage women living in the jungle.

DR: How did Paul Gauguin play into the work?

TD: I had this theory that Gauguin made his best paintings while he was in Tahiti with his mistress, Tehemana. So, everything at my last show revolved around Paul Gauguin’s brief time in Tahiti and the theories and myths he created there. I used his book Noa Noa as the starting point and the show ended up being a lot about love because she was his true muse. The exhibition was titled Noa Noa, Yes Yes.

DR: What kind of pieces did you make for it?

TD: I made a bunch of Tahitian tiki collages with palm fronds that went all around their frames, as well as a lot of large scale woodblock prints – since Gauguin made most of his when he was on the island. A lot of the pieces also featured historical images of Gauguin – like his house and photographs of the women he painted. I also had a full-scale recreation of Gauguins grave in the middle of the room.

DR: How long did it take you to make the work for that show?

TD: I spent about a year researching the project, without creating very much. And then I made everything about three months before the exhibit. Even with the short time frame, I ended up creating way too much work to choose from when I installed the show and had to edit it down.

DR: Where did you find the historical images of Gauguin?

TD: I bought tons of postcards and found really old books that were collected about Tahiti on eBay.

DR: I noticed that you made postcards for the opening, do you always make small items to give away?

TD: I just like having something that people can take home with them to remember my show by. The postcards were more like a souvenier. I’ve also made zines to give away at shows too.

DR: What was in one of the zines?

TD: My work used be really based on word play, so in I incorporated a lot of that into the pink zine I made called A Little Something To Remember Me By Because I Sorta Still Love You. For the art, I used drawings I liked from my sketchbook that never turned into actual pieces of artwork.

DR: Is that how your book Love Sentence come about?

TD: Love Sentence was actually part of a project that my husband Steven Hull, myself, Annie Buckley and Jon Sueda did, where we published 24 books at the same time. We took over 400-framed drawings with us and toured the project to museums, galleries, and stores all around the world over a two year period.

DR: Whoa! That must have been incredible…

TD: It was, especially since each book is by a different author, artist, and designer.

—
Answers by: Tami Demaree
Questions by: Daniel Rolnik
—
Photos by Daniel Rolnik, Tami Demaree, Steven Wolf Fine Arts, Emily CM Anderson, and HEADLANDS
—
UPCOMING SHOWS

When: T.B.A in November
Where: Las Cienegas Projects [2045 S. La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90034]
Time: 7pm-10pm
What: This is the final show at LCP’s current location, so don’t miss it!

CURIO is Anne Faith Nicholls’ incredible studio/gallery in Venice, California. The space is open to the public during the weekend and features an eclectic mix of original artwork and antiques. In addition to being a phenomenal painter, Anne Faith Nicholls has an excellent eye for picking out interesting items [read more...]]]>

CURIO is Anne Faith Nicholls’ incredible studio/gallery in Venice, California. The space is open to the public during the weekend and features an eclectic mix of original artwork and antiques. In addition to being a phenomenal painter, Anne Faith Nicholls has an excellent eye for picking out interesting items from all over the world, including, but not limited to, taxidermy, furniture, and root beer bottles that seem to blend effortlessly into her distinct aesthetic. I highly recommend you visit CURIO in person, since it’s not anything like the typical gallery experience you’re used to – it’s more intimate, personal, and just plain better.

Daniel Rolnik: When did you open CURIO?

Anne Faith Nicholls: November of last year, so we’re having our one-year anniversary party coming up.

DR: Was it initially meant to be a gallery as well as your studio space?

AFN: The intention was always to showcase my collection in an experiential way for collectors. I use CURIO as my personal studio Monday-Wednesday and then open it to the public for viewings Thursday-Saturday. It’s proven to be a great place to have art shows and receptions – they’re really fun, we have a liqueur sponsor and everything.

DR: Are you concerned with selling the work in the gallery?

AFN: Absolutely. This is my business; I’ve been selling art for 10 years.

DR: How did you start selling your art?

AFN: I started off selling my own work through galleries and just by the virtue of being an artist I got a job working with some really amazing antique shops on La Cienega Blvd. So during my early days in Los Angeles I got a taste of selling some historically important art (like Bert Stern’s archive of Marylyn Monroe pictures) to a large celebrity clientelle as well as learning the process of collecting. I also went to business school before I went to art school, so that’s very much in my blood.

Oh The Cages We Wear by Anne Faith Nicholls ©2011, with shoes and book for size reference

DR: How long did you go to business school for?

AFN: I went for two years studying business economics and then transferred to the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. I started selling my work in downtown Seattle when I was 20 and it was selling so well that I was making all my money for books and even enough to go to Hawaii for spring break. I was like I can do this, I need to pursue art as my main profession.

DR: Did it just happened randomly?

AFN: No, I was always an artist. I was painting and showing work to galleries when I was really young. My first show was in a coffee shop an then my first break was at the Key Club in the VIP room. Liz McGrath, an amazing artist, introduced me to the owner, who also turned out to be the brother of the owner of a prominent Los Angeles gallery. He bought my first piece and then it just snowballed from there. I was given solo shows at Billy Shire’s La Luz De Jesus Gallery in Los Angeles and then The Shooting Gallery in San Francisco, and I just went to all the openings and schmoozed with people.

Outside during a CURIO reception

DR: Do you get a lot of walk-ins to the gallery?

AFN: Yeah. I’m only open to the public Thursday through Saturday, but everyday that I’m open I get the weirdest mixed-bag of people. It goes from German tourists to crazy Venice Beach characters. One thing I know that I didn’t do wrong is opening CURIO in Venice [CA]. People here are just the raddest people in the world. They all love art and are really interested in keeping the neo-bohemian spirit alive.

DR: And you can breathe, since it’s not filled with smog like downtown…

AFN: Exactly. I can even walk to the beach from the gallery! Things have definitely changed in my life since I’ve moved out of downtown Los Angeles. I was just kind of done with high traffic zones.

Art by Johan Andersson, Gold Animal Hybrid Sculpture by Molly Schulps, and antique grizzly bear, circa 1955.

DR: Do the walk-ins lead to sales?

AFN: I just sold a 14 karat gold Animal Hybrid sculptures by Molly Schulps to a lady who walked in off the street. It’s all about getting that opportunity to talk to people. I believe that you don’t have to sell good art – you just have to put good art in front of good collectors and make them feel comfortable. That’s why I like working here – people can see what goes into the art making process.

DR: Why did you decide that Thursday through Saturday would be the days that you are open to the public?

AFN: I figured those were the most popular days for people to be walking around. If I could, I would be open everyday of the week, but there’s only one of me. I have an assistant that comes in named Leo, but I’m still a small business and I’m very much the kind of person who loves the way Europeans approach work – tiny shops that specialize in one thing and close when they need to…I know that’s really frustrating to consumers sometimes, but I’m very accessible. I live up the street and my number is on the door.

Anne at her desk. Art and installation by Jacob Arden McClure for his SCOUT solo exhibition.

DR: Do you curate the shows at CURIO?

AFN: Everything is hand picked by me and I don’t put anything in here that I don’t 100% believe in. A lot of people come in asking me to show their work, but I very rarely do that because I really only like working with people that I trust and am blown away by.

DR: What mediums do you show in the gallery?

AFN: Everything really, we have even had a really cool video art show. I love antiques; it runs in my family. My husband and I really like to take shopping trips to search for interesting pieces which we showcase in the gallery, but the focus is still on art for sure.

1920′s Glass Lamps with exposed filament bulbs, taxidermy American Ring Neck Pheasant, 1950′s.

DR: Where do you find yourself travelling to the most and what are some awesome antiques you have at CURIO right now?

AFN: San Francisco, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Paris, Florida, and the wine countryside of Northern California. We just bought a set of theatre seats from a Masonic Temple that was built in the 1920′s. They are the same seats that the Masonic members sat in during their weird rituals. Some of the lighting at CURIO is from Holland and we even went to Amsterdam to collect some nautical parts. Collecting memories is a really big part of my life. I’m also kind of obsessive about seeing my favorite paintings from history books in real life. I go through my history books and check off each one that I’ve seen.

DR: What is one of the most extreme adventures you’ve been on to see a painting in person?

AFN: We went form Paris to The Hague, where the War Crimes Court is, just to see The Girl With The Pearl Earing by Vermeer at the Mauritshuis Gallery. We drove hundreds of miles to see the painting and it was so freaking worth it. It’s pretty small, but just to see Vermeer’s brush strokes in person was incredible, especially since the color never comes out right in pictures. You could tell it was the real deal, I mean I’m pretty sure the Mona Lisa at the Louvre is a fake.

One exhibition’s worth of “dead brushes” in sealed antique copper top jar. Antique miniature mircorscope circa 1920, and Brownie cameras.

DR: What are you reading now?

AFN: An Object of Beauty by Steve Martin, The Medici Conspiracy, The Forest Lover by Susan Vreeland, The Art Lover, The Life of Peggy Guggenheim – to name a few. I prefer art-related books, particularly about scandals, historical fiction, or racy erotica haha. I’m really into reading about art heists and scandals at the moment. I like the stories about this scam that’s going around where people claim to have discovered a NEW Picasso that the public has never seen before, but it’s really some other artist who takes all of Picasso’s attributes and styles and creates a new work.

DR: Do you let the artists decide on their pricing at CURIO?

AFN: I know my clientele and I know what the market can bear, so I try to coach artists and let them know what’s realistic. We definitely have art here for everyone though – from seasoned collectors to those who just want to take a little something different back home.

Art by Anne Faith Nicholls, bench by Design Intervention

DR: Since you are both an artist and gallery owner, do you think the 50/50 split is fair?

AFN: Yes, I definitely earn my keep. In the past with other galleries I didn’t always think that was true, which is why I went into business for myself. And, since I have been on both sides of it, I work really hard to make sure everything is fair for everyone.

DR: Did other galleries rip you off?

AFN: It was more so that they weren’t doing their fair share. Sometimes they would even make the mistake of thinking that they could own me, or make critical decisions about what I did and didn’t do…I also definitely know that a few spaces have paintings of mine that they say are in their gallery, but have actually sold a few months ago and it’s time they pay up.

Photos by Austin Irving, Paddy Wilkens, and Tod Brilliant, furniture by Design Intervention, antique tufted leather mustard wingback chair and  vintage fan

Red Flags by Anne Faith Nicholls
-A Guide to Protecting Yourself From Shady Galleries-

1. Make sure the gallery’s website is good, if they don’t have a good website and it’s not dialed in, then what’s the point.

2. If you have an icky feeling by the way someone is talking to you or treating you, then call that out right away. Especially as a girl dealing with a lot of male gallery owners, there’s a lot of attitude and pomp that comes through in this industry.

3. If there’s a lot of surface bullshit, like excessive name dropping and false promises that’s a red flag.

4. If it’s too good to be true, it probably is.

5. They better have booze at the shows, if they don’t it’s a deal breaker

Antique porcelain hand light and art by Anne Faith Nicholls

DR: What are your main strategies for promoting CURIO?

AFN: I do extensive online marketing and have a really good girl who has her Masters Degree in social media outreach who helps me out with that…I hate facebook, but I think it’s a necessary evil and it’s definitely been an excellent marketing tool for me. It’s also always good to be published in various books and magazine. For instance, I was just published in a book that showcased my work which has helped to get people to the gallery.I’ve also done advertising in print magazines like Juxtapoz and Debacle.

DR: Print vs. Social Media – does one work better than another?

AFN: This has been a really interesting experiment. I used to do postcards for every show, but for the last few openings I’ve stopped doing that and just stuck to social media and online marketing. The result was as good if not better.

Photos by Tod Brilliant, antique pulley pendant lamps with caged bulbs, hand made “presidio” doll house circa 1940, from san francisco

DR: Do you have a strategy in regards to where you place the art in the gallery?

AFN: Have you seen the film (Untitled)? It’s the best art movie I’ve ever seen. The whole thing in that movie is the front room vs. the back room of a gallery. It’s so weird because collectors always come in here and see the art up on the walls, but then want to buy the piece that’s behind my desk on the floor. They want to see what’s in the back room and I’m always intrigued by that too. There’s a whole psychology behind that and I think every piece in here helps to compliment it.

DR: Are San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York still the main spots for dealing art?

AFN: I think so. I sell a lot of my work in London too, the art market is good there and their money is still better than ours. But as far as in America, I have really good luck in Monterey, which is random. I haven’t been to Austin [TX] yet, but I’ve been selling a lot of work there and it seems to be developing into a really cool scene. I sell some work in the Hamptons [NY] during the summer, but I think LA is where it’s at [because] it provides opportunities to segway into other industries. I’ve been hired to work on films doing set backdrops, which I never would’ve gotten in San Francisco…I even did styling for a little while with Macys for their Lingerie catalog. I’ve had so many random jobs.

Art and installation by Jacob Arden McClure for his SCOUT solo exhibition.

DR: What has been your most random job?

AFN: When I was 15 I used to go with my little girlfriends and gas boats at the dock in bikinis. I was also an assistant to a horseshoe maker and worked exclusively with Clydesdale horses, which are huge. My job was to pick the shit out of their hooves, but I like the smell of horse shit, so I thought it was great.

DR: Why do the shows at CURIO last longer than a month?

AFN: I like having the art up for a while and If you come to the openings you’ll see why I don’t do it once a month. There’s actually care and thought that goes into it. When it comes to my approach to business, it’s not about selling the work, it’s about finding a great piece of art and simply putting it in front an educated and awesome collector.

—
Answers by: ANNE FAITH NICHOLLS
Questions by: DANIEL ROLNIK
—
CURIO BY ANNE FAITH NICHOLLS: http://CURIOBYAFN.COM
—
UPCOMING EVENTS @ CURIO

When: November 5th
What: CURIO’s 1-year anniversary party – [Featuring a new body of original works by Anne Faith Nicholls]
What Time: 7pm-10pm
Where: CURIO [324 Sunset Avenue, Venice, CA 90291]

When: December 3rd
What: CURIO’s Annual Gift Show – [Featuring artful and affordable gifts]
What Time: 7pm-10pm
Where: CURIO [324 Sunset Avenue, Venice, CA 90291]

Marylene Camacho turned her friend’s studio into an installation piece for The Brewery Art Walk. The work was exploring the ongoing war and depicted the struggles of American soldiers. If you look closely at the camouflage of the soldier’s uniforms and the patterns on the wall, you will notice [read more...]]]>

Marylene Camacho turned her friend’s studio into an installation piece for The Brewery Art Walk. The work was exploring the ongoing war and depicted the struggles of American soldiers. If you look closely at the camouflage of the soldier’s uniforms and the patterns on the wall, you will notice that they are made out of small army-men stencils stacked on top of each other.

—

BREWERY ART WALK: http://breweryartwalk.com/

MARYLENE CAMACHO: http://marylenecamacho.com/

John Zarcone had his series of painting featuring the words IMAGES and TEXTE in his studio at The Brewery Art Walk. And the piece that struck me the most was a rock n’ roll mash up [see photo above]. John told me that the bass player is Kim Gordon [read more...]]]>

John Zarcone had his series of painting featuring the words IMAGES and TEXTE in his studio at The Brewery Art Walk. And the piece that struck me the most was a rock n’ roll mash up [see photo above]. John told me that the bass player is Kim Gordon from Sonic Youth, but the guitar player isn’t Thurston Moore – it’s actually Stephan Malkamus from Pavement. [Coincidentally, just moments ago SPIN Magazine posted an article about how Gordon and Moore have broken up after haven been together for over 27 years].  Zarcone’s work is bold!

—

BREWERY ART WALK: http://breweryartwalk.com/

JOHN ZARCONE: http://www.johnzarcone.com/john_zarcone_home.html

SPIN MAGAZINE ARTICLE: http://www.spin.com/articles/kim-gordon-and-thurston-moore-announce-split