NEW YORK, NY.- Rehs Contemporary Galleries, Inc., a New York art gallery representing academically trained artists, is heading to Los Angeles for the upcoming LA Art Show.
The LA Art Show, now in its 24th year, has seen a dramatic transformation from its early days where just fourteen galleries welcomed a mere 250 visitors to the Pasadena Civic Auditorium… though, there has been one thing to remain unchanged – the presence of a family owned gallery from New York, Rehs Galleries. Today the fair, which has been heralded as one of the driving forces behind the city’s “Art Month,” offers 200,000 square feet of exhibition space to 120 diverse galleries from around the world – it is estimated that more than 20,000 works of art will be displayed at the upcoming event (January 23-27th).
Rehs, one of the founding members of the fair, has been a first-hand witness to the tremendous growth and evolution of the Los Angeles art market since the mid-90s. Initially featuring a selection of 19th Century European paintings, Rehs has fully embraced the changing scene as its offerings now run the gamut including 19th Century European and American, Impressionist & Modern, as well as Contemporary works of art.
Rehs Contemporary, which works to promote emerging and established contemporary artists, is prominently placed at the center of this year’s fair with a selection of work that is surely not to be missed. Select highlights include fresh canvases straight from the studio of Hammond, an emerging graffiti artist with a classical arts training, along with some of the first works in a new series by up-and-comer Beth Sistrunk.
Hammond, who oftentimes takes an autobiographical approach to his work, will unveil a group of colorfully bold and intriguing paintings. His seemingly chaotic compositions are brimming with symbolism and are typically crafted around narratives that explore hardships which allow viewers to deeply connect with the work. Most notably, the long and narrow Toxic delves into the artist’s tumultuous relationship with Cincinnati, where he currently resides. Apart from subtly crafting the word “TOXIC” across the work, Hammond addresses all that is toxic about the city along with the loss of his mother and his grandmother, the loss of his home, and heartbreak… each instance personified through a NyQuil tablet, a nod to Proctor and Gamble who is headquartered in Cincinnati.
Beth Sistrunk will have a selection from her Zero Calorie Series on display. Earlier this year, Sistrunk began exploring playful imagery to address themes of overindulgence, temptation, and forbidden fruit. The resulting compositions are vibrant and enticing, teasing our senses and desires. With the ever-present dichotomy of our society, half of us guzzling sodas and the other half hopping on the next fad-diet bandwagon, this alluring series satiates anyone without affecting their waistline.
Along with Hammond and Sistrunk, Rehs will be showcasing more than 100 works that span a period of nearly 200 years. Together with the range of galleries participating in this year’s fair, there is certainly something that will enthrall each and every visitor.
