Self-taught LA artist Jodi Bonassi may just have created a master work with her “Chungking Alley” – a mural on canvas that depicts the LA Art Scene.
Now on display in the heart of Chung King Alley itself, in the backroom at Coagula Curatorial, artists, curators, regular gallery goers – they’re all here in a truly awesome piece that has elements that are reminiscent of Henri Rosseau in its cavalcade of art.
Described as an upbeat artist who creates sweetly detailed, slightly surreal drawings of iconic LA locations, children, and other human beings, Bonassi is considered an outsider artist, but one whose sophistication and warmth grows with each piece.
Bonassi notes “Chungking Alley” represents “the path we have all chosen. The painting did not come out of an idea but more as a reflection of the LA art scene and the people who chose to be a part of it. The painting was begun in December 2015.”
Oil on canvas, the piece would be a perfect adjunct to a museum collection or for a private buyer. Just about everyone who “is” anyone in the LA art scene is a part of this painting, whose richness requires repeated viewings to truly appreciate its complexity, detail, and profoundly inclusive sweetness.
“The composition is created right onto the canvas. People who have touched my life in some way, who hung out, and were in the art scene ended up in the painting. This is a painting about the art community, and how we all play together. The basketballs on the floor in the foreground represent the striving to be a part of this team. I am self taught and have exhibited in galleries and I have been published in different publications since 1991. I’ve always drawn and painted, and this is the only way that I can relate to the world. My work stems from a desire to understand people and document my experiences through drawing and painting,” the artist explains.
