Pandemic or no pandemic, the show must go on. The art show that is. Shockboxx has been providing exciting new shows for by-appointment viewing in the gallery’s airy space, as well as offering virtual opening and closing events and artists’ talks since the pandemic first began. If establishing a community is more important to the art world than ever before, then this Hermosa Beach gallery is upholding that important mandate big time.
As we face a new wave of both viruses and restrictions, we would do well to visit gallerist Mike Collins’ “shockingly” good space in the South Bay whether virtually or with a visit IRL.
I am remiss in my coverage: I have seen two virtual and two live exhibitions here, and they have all been fantastic. Living in the Beach Cities myself, where there is a dearth of excellent art spaces (Torrance Art Museum aside), Shockboxx is all the more vital a space.
Let’s take a look around:
First up for me online this summer was a solo show by Brazillian-born, Hermosa Beach-local artist Drica Lobo, whose swooping, lush, brilliantly vibrant paintings were placed in a custom setting as awash with the sea and moon and female energy as you can get. The lovely, peaceful look of the exhibition was matched by a powerful sense of color and urgent motion.
It would be impossible to take in this truly gorgeous solo show without feeling as if you were swept up by the sea, enveloped by the aura of mermaids, magic, and moonlight — but in an entirely fresh and original way. Iconic local images were approached in gracious and brand new way, offering a new way of seeing familiar landscapes that rendered them as an entirely different world.
Transcendent use of color and light created a pattern that mesmerizes the viewer; Lobo’s lovely use of the gallery space made a visit a respite for pandemic-wearing souls and eyes.
Next up for me was the semi-response to Lobo’s astute, pastel-driven, meditative aura: the rowdy, darker, prankster-laden visuals of the all-male group show Swordfight. Described more as a distaff companion to the all-female artists of the gallery’s earlier Powerhouse show, it nonetheless was a wonderful counterpoint to Lobo’s solo as well.
Here there was a rich counter-play of images that expressed a wonderful energy, one that was also tinged with angst, anger, fun, and an edge of frustration infused with hope.
Terrific curation and a great conversation between artworks fueled a show both fast and furious – for an adrenaline boost to the eye and the spirit that was not without its darker, introspective moments.
Following the passionate Swordfight came the group open show, 2021? – an overflowing feast of art, with a wide range of mediums, perceptions, and textures.
As inclusive as it was cutting edge, there were not only a broad selection of tastes and palettes, but a sense of connection and intimacy between the works and viewers. Some group shows seem haphazardly curated, but not this one: works were positioned to truly interact – from Aimee Mandala’s giant boot to MUKA’s fabulous teddy bear.
Glancing from side to side or traversing back to front in the gallery space, it had an immersive, museum-quality aesthetic that actually took viewers on a journey from the more realism driven to the more fanciful and back again – as if the exhibit itself represented time spent in our own heads, planning for the future, regretting the past, working through the ongoing roadblocks of the present. In short, the ultimate group show for pandemic times.
Like a palette cleanser if you will, the current Shockboxx exhibition, Minimalism, is just that – subtle and suspended, allowing the windows and doors of the mind to open and travel through these powerfully limited landscapes.
Mimialism will close physically this coming weekend, but you can continue to view works online.
But here’s the thing: whatever is next on the walls at Shockboxx, go get electrified by it – whether you’re Zooming in or stopping by after a brisk walk on the beach, you can bet that this gallery will get you plugged in.
The gallery is located at 636 Cypress Ave. in Hermosa Beach; visit online at Shockboxprojects.com
Genie Davis; photos: Genie Davis, and courtesy of Shockboxx/exhibiting artists. Note: Featured image is by Alison Corteen