Last Rites Gallery recently moved into a new location on W 38th St in New York City, and for their inaugural show in the space, they hosted an exhibition that hearkens back to the gallery’s roots and while acknowledging its evolution. For their current exhibition, “Last Rites,” owner Paul Booth and director Erika Berkowitz asked 40 artists to interpret the gallery’s namesake. Some of the works, like Chris Haas’s haunting bone sculptures and Xiao Qing Ding’s mixed-media work on paper, focus on the physicality of death with their chilling portrayals of decomposition. Other artists like Gerard Di-Maccio and Hannah Yata presented surreal paintings with a much lighter mood, portraying the last rites before death as a sort of induction into another realm, or even a glorious rebirth. Take a look at the work in the show and some opening night photos by Paola Duran.

Curated by Jon Beinart of beinArt Collective and Publishing, “beinArt Collective 2013” is a group show that revels in the macabre. The participating artists, including Chet Zar, Christian Rex van Minnen, Sam Wolfe Connelly, Kikyz 1313, Kris Lewis, Erik Thor Sandberg and Caitlin Hackett, all have a dark edge to their work that is manifested in different ways. Christian Rex van Minnen’s work is visceral and grotesque, playing on his viewers’ gag reflexes, while Chet Zar’s subject matter is outright diabolical and Erik Thor Sandberg’s mythological narratives have a brutal quality. “BeinArt Collective” opens at Copro Gallery in Santa Monica on November 9. Take a look at a sneak peek of the show after the jump.

In celebration of the forthcoming art anthology BLAB World 3, Copro Gallery is hosting a group exhibition curated by the book’s editor, Monte Beauchamp. “BLABSHOW 2013 Group Art Exhibition,” which opens September 14 and runs through November 5, offers a delicious sampling of work from a diverse roster of artists with a penchant for humor and absurdism. From Peter Ferguson’s maritime fantasies to John Brophy’s hand-painted interpretations of digital effects to Yoko d’Holbachie’s candy-colored characters, the works in the show invite the imagination to come out and play. Read more after the jump.

In 1989, Douglas Nason purchased a Robert Williams serigraph from Greg Escalante. From this moment, a friendship blossomed and the two started Copro Nason Fine Art Publishing in 1993. After curating group shows at various venues, Copro Gallery found a permanent home in 1999 and is now a hallmark of the Los Angeles gallery scene today. Curator and gallery director Gary Pressman (whom we recently interviewed for our ongoing “Gallery Spotlight” feature) joined the team in 2002, and the gallery has continued to show important artists such as Mark Ryden, Travis Louie, David Choe, Luke Chueh, Chet Zar, Audrey Kawasaki and Dan Quintana as well as introducing fresh talent to the art world. Though Douglas Nason left the gallery in 2008, Copro Gallery has continued its mission of showcasing boundary-pushing works of art. This Saturday, August 17, Copro Gallery celebrates its 20th Anniversary with a huge group show with an extensive roster of artists. See our preview of the show after the jump!