Menu
The New Contemporary Art Magazine
Last Saturday marked a milestone for Copro Gallery in Los Angeles which has played host to the "BLAB!" show for ten years. We have covered the show throughout its run, originally created by the Blab World anthology creator and art director, Monte Beauchamp, known for his varied interests in art. Several of Blab World's contributors have appeared in the pages of Hi-Fructose as well, most recently Robert Williams (HF Vol. 36) and Daniel Clowes in our next issue. With this year's exhibit honoring the release of the next anthology comes a new crop of artists reflecting Blab's ever-growing taste.
Coinciding with the opening of "BLAB!" at Copro Gallery last Saturday was Yoko d'Holbachie's "Genesis of Girls". Over the course of her career, featured in Vol. 6 in 2007, d'Holbachie has created candy colored paintings inspired by the stories of time. One of her greatest inspirations is traditional Japanese folklore and legends. Her characters are non-human and androgynous with a feminine touch, found in her symbols of butterflies and birds representing fertility. Her latest solo show is a reimagining and exploration of the origin of girls from various cultures.
In its 9th year, the "BLAB!" group show comes to Copro Gallery in Santa Monica once again, featuring a selection of works by some well-known creators in the New Contemporary gallery scene. From Joe Sorren's soft, storybook-like works to Ryan Heshka's satirical, pulp-inspired scenes and Travis Lampe's maniacal cartoon characters, the artists cover a broad range of styles that stem from the low brow and Pop Surrealist movements. Curated by art director, designer and editor Monte Beauchamp, the exhibition coincides with release of his third art anthology, BLAB World 3, which features the work of the aforementioned artists and many more. The exhibition opens on September 13 alongside Yoko d'Holbachie's solo show "Genesis of Girls." Take a look at our preview of both shows below.
On Saturday, Copro Gallery pulled back the curtains for "Suggestivism: Chronology" (previewed here), curated by Nathan Spoor. This is the fifth installment of "Suggestivism", Spoor's moniker for fantastical, figurative work that 'suggests' to be more than it seems. In the 1890s, art historian Sadakichi Hartmann defined it in his writings as a style “of poetic mysticism and psychological intensity.” Spoor chose 42 contemporary artists whose work shares a surreal, poetic-like quality, such as Aron Wiesenfeld, Chet Zar, Nicoletta Ceccolli, Dan May, Hsiao-Ron Cheng, Naoto Hattori, Charlie Immer, Gregory Jacobsen, Sarah Joncas, and more.