Menu
The New Contemporary Art Magazine

Helen Bayly Brings the Party at Lopo Gallery

While teachers and parents attempt to teach children otherwise before they reach adolescence, the glamourous lifestyle of the young, urban socialite certainly is alluring — there are always parties to attend, substances to experiment with and friends to meet. Helen Bayly's new solo show, "Lust for Life," which opened at Lopo Gallery last Saturday, examines this push-and-pull relationship between the pressure to stay on the straight-and-narrow and the temptation of hedonism. Read more after the jump!

While teachers and parents attempt to teach children otherwise before they reach adolescence, the glamourous lifestyle of the young, urban socialite certainly is alluring — there are always parties to attend, substances to experiment with and friends to meet. Helen Bayly’s new solo show, “Lust for Life,” which opened at Lopo Gallery last Saturday, examines this push-and-pull relationship between the pressure to stay on the straight-and-narrow and the temptation of hedonism. Read more after the jump!

With her sharp wit and even sharper precision in drawing the human figure with pen-and-ink, Bayly created a humorous series that puts a contemporary spin on Renaissance-era portraits of virgins romantically splayed out on sunny meadows and martyrs in meditation.A native of Santa Cruz, where party culture is rampant, Bayly says witnessing the destructiveness of excess inspired the concept behind this show. The drawings serve both as a criticism of the idealization of youth culture in the media and a humorous reflection on a carefree time in one’s life. With their massive scale (one of the drawings is mural-sized and was completed over a period of six months) and painstakingly detailed backgrounds, Bayly’s work is almost as indulgent to look at as her subject matter. Check out some photos from the opening night. 

Helen Bayly

Meta
Topics
Share
Facebook
Reddit
Pinterest
Email
Related Articles
We live in strange times and artists Michael Kerbow and Mike Davis both have something in common: they use surrealism and time travel to address modern and existential issues. Click above to read the Hi-Fructose exclusive interviews with painters Mike Davis and Michael Kerbow about their respective solo showings.
Artist and animation director Joe Vaux paints what he likes. His personal work is teeming with impish demons. His cheerful hellscapes are populated with lost souls, sharp toothed monstrosities, and swarms of wrong-doers. And yet, there’s an innocence to all of this. Click to read the Hi-Fructose exclusive interview with Joe Vaux.
Vibrant and bold, Oscar Joyo’s latest body of work which was exhibited at Thinkspace Projects in Los Angeles, vibrates the retina; while delving into his childhood memories childhood in Malawi and themes of Afrofuturism.
Something interesting happens when when artists like Alan and Carolynda Macdonald, who have the painting fundamentals mastered, decide to subvert expectations and perplex a viewers expectations conceptually. Click to read the Hi-Fructose exclusive interview.

Subscribe to the Hi-Fructose Mailing List