Four solo shows are about to take on 2019 and give the new year an exciting spin at Gabba Gallery on Saturday January 12th. From the luminous black and white noir photographs of Stephen Levey, to the assemblage work of Jennifer Verge, to iconic pop art from Nina Palomba and Pastey Whyte, this looks to be a vibrant visual event.
With Nini’s Weenies, pop art and street photography fuse in a colorful solo exhibition from Nina Palomba. Referencing Japanese pop culture and American roots, we see the true inspiration – of all things – in a hot dog, as well as Americana, such as fast cars and pin-up girls. The artist worked in Tokyo to combine classic American images with Japanese style for an entirely new look at our own nostalgia and Japanese culture.
In After, photographic artist Stephen Levey uses his deep love for the city of Los Angeles — and his iPhone — to create rich and warm black and white images. The unique beauty of his work, both in and of itself, and in the ways in which Levey surpasses the boundaries of digital phone-camera capabilities show breathtaking depth. The works here are noir-like in resonance, whether capturing DTLA or the detritus held in desert enclaves. The exhibition’s title refers to the way in which viewers may well see the world – and LA itself – “after” viewing this rewarding collection.
According to Levey, “After is the largest solo show I’ve done to date, it consists of 31 images and contains some of my personal favorites. There are quite a few images in this show that have never been seen by the general public previously or made available for sale. I regularly hold a number of images back to be released at a later point as limited edition prints or to be made available to my private collectors. I made the decision to release a small number of these images for this show.”
He adds “The theme of the show is based on the fact that a number of my favorite images all have something in common; the images represent items or places which have reached the end of their usefulness, appear abandoned or have been simply destroyed by time… hence the show title.” Why black and white? “I believe it best reprsents how I felt when taking the image, which was the total lack of life in these places/things.” Despite his words, the images themselves take on a quiet, elegaic life of their own.
Jennifer Verge’s solo turn, Naked Truth uses an industrial pop style that includes assemblage, verbiage, and mixed media with smart urban flair. Using power tools, she merges found and recycled objects into her work, for a rustic look that contrasts and compliments her own uplifting text. Meditative and textured, the images are contemplative in form and message.
It’s sunny-side up for Verge, who loves life and vigorously shows it, saying her inspiration comes from people who truly “live the hell out of life.” Adventure, rusty romance, and cutting-edge style shape the basis of her work here.
And then there is Pastey White, whose Hand Painted Pop borrows its title from a 90s-era MOCA exhibition, but is highly original in execution. Then Chicago-based, Whyte was inspired to create his own hand-painted images, based on media and content from museum pamphlets, ticket stubs, vintage ads and social images, as well as drawings and writings created by his daughter.
Whyte’s result is entirely personal yet relatable – and offers a story-telling narrative about today in America, and what that means to those of us living here.
In fact, each in its own way, the four solo exhibitions on view at Gabba all represent life in America, life in Los Angeles, life shaped through a movingly intimate lens that widens each viewers point of view to a new perspective.
It’s the perfect way to start the new year, fusing the ultimate in artistic self-expression with a fond devotion for and insight into the passions, follies, dreams, and desires of American life. The exhibition runs through February 2nd.
Gabba Gallery 3126 Beverly Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90057
(323) 604-4186
https://www.gabbagallery.com
- Genie Davis; photos provided by Gabba Gallery