Pressing Matters

Found two articles on the Internet about G1988:LA that I dig.



First is the coverage of Kathie and Brandt's current exhibit at the Examiner.com. You can read that by CLICKING HERE, but more importantly you can stop by G1988:LA still to see this awe-inspiring exhibit.

And then, there's nothing like foreign coverage.



If you speak Portuguese, check out the coverage on this Brazilian site for our Masters of the Universe show by CLICKING HERE.

Also, I hear we're in WIRED magazine this month, so I'll follow up on that immediately.

Wait here.

Jensen
G1988:LA

Beautiful Week

As we close our first week of "Living Between Worlds," we're so excited to have a such an incredible show to look at everyday. If you haven't taken a look at the whole show, you're just not as smart as you think you are. BUT, you can fix that by CLICKING HERE. An absolutely stunning show from Kathie Olivas and Brandt Peters.

And here are some pictures from the opening reception, mostly of the band "The Peculiar Pretzelmen," who put on quite the show for attendees.







And here are some pictures of Kathie and Brandt's installations from the show, which are art pieces all themselves.



That one also lights up with tons of colors at night...









You've got until the 23rd to see this show live at G1988:LA, so stop by and say hello.

Jensen
G1988:LA

The Worlds

We're getting closer to the opening of the Kathie Olivas/Brandt Peters show here at G1988:LA, and since we've kept everyone in the dark about what you might see if you come by the opening reception Friday night, 6-10 PM, it's time for a little blog sneak peek. This show is incredible and really comes across as a field trip to the worlds that both of these artists live in. So many elements, I figured I'd give you a feel of each...



Collaboration painting from Kathie and Brandt. I'm not always a fan of collaboration pieces, but Kathie and Brandt really meld their styles together so well. So complimentary to each other, and a cool way to get one piece from two of your favorite artists.



Here's a custom Skelve created for the show. This one is called "Muerte." We have a large group of these customized toys in the show, and each one is better than the next. Like the birth order of the Jackson family. Sort of.



Classic Kathie sculpture. LOVE this one.



One of the many "Pull Toys" in the show, it's an incredible wood cut out on wheels. SO DOPE.

Anyway, that's all you get. You'll have to come by the opening reception, where both Kathie and Brandt will be in attendance, to see more. This Friday night, 7-10 PM, take the field trip with us.

Jensen
G1988:LA

Knock Out and Batting Practice

Finding preview pictures in your inbox from Kathie Olivas and Brandt Peters is like find a hundred dollar bill in old jean pockets. It's a mitzvah as my people (I'm half) would say. And today, the email was awesome. We got two previews for their show "Living Between Worlds," which opens on April 2nd, in a rare G1988:LA Friday night opening. And here they are...



One of the many actual Kathie and Brandt collaborations - and the start of many "Pull Toys" you'll see in the show. These have me smiling!



And one of the many, many, many custom Skelves in the show, this one is from the Man, Brandt Peters.

Kathie and Brandt will be here in Los Angeles and are creating their largest installation to date, all to go with the new artwork. Exciting to say the least

Interested in previewing the artwork? Email us at gallery1988@aol.com and make sure to put "PREVIEW LIST" as the subject.

Jensen
G1988:LA

KO & BP

New website up and running, we here at Gallery1988:LA are so amped for our next show "Living Between Worlds," featuring the artwork of Kathie Olivas and Brandt Peters. If you've ever seen a Kathie and Brandt collaboration piece, you know how incredible this show is going to be. Insiders say to look for a ton of custom toys and sculptures in this exhibit, which is most likely music to many of your ears. The show opens Friday, April 2 with a reception from 6-10 PM, where both artists will be in attendance! Kathie and Brandt have been giving some studio tease pics on their Twitter account, so we figured we'd share some with you.













This show is going to be beautiful! Mark down Aoril 2nd now as you will not want to be left out of these worlds.

Jensen
G1988:LA

Kidnapping Kathie

G1988 homies Jenny Mollen and Jason Biggs debuted their 10 minute film, "Kidnapping Caitlynn," on FunnyOrDie today and making a cameo is a painting by none other than Kathie Olivas...

It's even a bit of a plot point, which is awesome. Between this and her husband Brandt Peters having a piece from his last G1988: LA show, "Cackle Factory," on this week's "House" - they are definitely going Hollywood. Anyone got a screen cap of that for us? All I know is that the piece is seen in Kal Penn's room, and the press for this week's episode has been nuts (Kumar leaves show to join Obama's staff seems like a story from The Onion). Anyone wanna screen cap?

Anyway, check out Jenny and Jason's awesome short by CLICKING HERE. And vote Funny. Or we find you. And kidnap you.

Jensen

G1988: LA

I Get By

THANKS TO EVERYONE who came out last night to the opening reception of "Cackle Factory," and we want to personally thank Brandt Peters for putting together such an impressive collection for his debut LA solo show. I've always felt such a strong connection to Brandt and seeing him put so much effort into this, really just reaffirms my love for the man (no on Prop 8). And related, thanks to his wife, Kathie Olivas, for her help and her contributions to the show, as the collaborations were BIG hits last night.

For those who haven't seen the show, and don't live in LA, you can check it all out by CLICKING HERE. But if you do live in LA, we highly suggest stopping by the gallery. Maybe after your weekly stop at the Hot Wings spot across the street. I C U.

Also, small note about last night. It all felt very positive. I could argue that every show feels positive, but I'd kind of be lying. There were so many incredible artists there - Sas & Colin Christian (who flew in to LA for like 6 hours to be there and support), Nathan Spoor, Lola, Jenny Mollen, Travis Louie, Greg Simkins, Ruel Pascual, Misha, and more I'm sure I forgot right now. But they all were such a strong community last night. Even Dan May called during the show to say he wished he could be there. I think as time goes on, and we hit the 5-10 year mark of this scene (meaning the 25-35 year old artists not painting motorcycles) finally getting traditional art galleries to show this work - it will all work itself out and competition amongst everyone will seem so stupid. Everyone is finding their groove and everyone seems so happy about it.

Jensen
G1988: LA

HEY....

...I thought we weren't previewing these, but I've seen them on a few message boards, so although I'm late to the party, here are two of the breath-taking collaborations between Brandt Peters and Kathie Olivas that will be in "Cackle Factory," opening Tuesday in LA..





And still more collabs to see on Tuesday night!

Jensen
G1988: LA

5 with Brandt (plus 1)

So, we're entering the last week of "Under The Influence: Beastie Boys" which is sad on one hand (closing one of my favorite exhibitions of all time), but exciting on the other, as we'll be days away from opening "Cackle Factory," Florida artist Brandt Peters' debut Los Angeles solo show (Feb. 3). Brandt has quickly become one of our genre's most talked about, and visible, artists, not only selling out his paintings all over the US (most recently ringing in success at Opera Gallery in NY), but also becoming one of the vinyl toy world's all-stars (as him and wife Kathie Olivas basically did signings at every possible Comic-Con booth). As we prep for his solo, we asked Brandt to take place in our occasional blog feature where the artist picks out 5 paintings, from the beginning of time to just minutes ago, that are influencing him/her right now, citing the reasons. Brandt raised it a level, but for a good reason, as number 6 is obviously a pretty serious influence. Take it away, Mr. Peters.

------

Jensen wanted me to throw together some artists that have inspired the direction of my current body of work - which may shed a lot of light on my voice...



1) Francisco de Goya / "Burial of the Sardine"
Lately I have been obsessed with Francisco de Goya - To me... the first modern painter... In the piece I picked - BURIAL OF THE SARDINE - heavy carnival atmosphere - the frenzy, He-goats, the mad, giants, devils, the fates, abandoned children - everyone's represented, the gang's all here. His depictions of life at the time in Spain have pushed me to capture our world now and coincidentally the gang's still here - after hundreds and hundreds of years - all though the costuming is different Goya's work still seems fresh and daring... on a lighter side - I love carnivals, the surreal, costuming, the reign of religion, and gypsy life and its an excellent source.



2) Ernesto Garcia Cabral / Las Interesadas (Movie Poster)
'Chango' as Ernesto went by was the first artist for me, where I was profoundly moved by an artists drawing style... and the direction and action of line and form... For some... Al Hirschfeld captured the movement and action of line - but what was always missing was the allure - something sexy - and Cabral, just does it for me. A top caricaturist and commercial Illustrator from Mexico.



3) Phil Hale / "Chicken Placebo Generator"
A contemporary American figurative painter who resides in London - his work is known:... for depictions of slightly surreal scenes with strange characters performing various physical feats, usually in a confrontation of some sort. He seems to take keen interest in tension and emphasis of angular and dynamic aspects of the figure, almost always incorporating slight anatomical distortions to great effect. (from Wikipedia - best description yet...) His sense and confidence in the action and expression of a brush stroke, lighting and textures - is emotionally charging to me... and he loves robots.



4) T. S. Sullivant
An unfamiliar name but Considered the father of cartooning... There is a term called Kawaii - which translates to "cute" in Japanese... For many the "deformer" type rescaling of body proportions... big heads and eyes, tiny bodies, big feet are steeped in Japanese culture... Sanrio/Hello Kitty, etc - which is prevalent in all toys and pop imagery today... for me it started with the genius of the turn of the century American cartoonist, Sullivant who's work you could have found on the mastheads of William Randolph Hearst's comic pages as well as Life Magazine.... (*** and for the "biters" out there - respect this guys work from a distance - the second you start copying Sullivant's character and design is the moment that the entire animation industry will be on to you - he is much respected and revered... lets keep it that way.) An extraordinary character designer!



5) Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez - Diego Velázquez / "Doña Mariana"
A model for the realist and impressionist painters, Diego Velázquez's brushwork was the source of inspiration for many including Picasso, Dali and Bacon...



6) Kathie Olivas / "Bitten"
I started out questioning if I should include Kathie in here, because many might consider it pandering or playing it a little too close... however, without any formal training personally, Kathie has been and is my teacher in many ways and I want to celebrate that. Her never-ending hunger for knowledge and inspiration, the challenge she brings to my craft every day to push my improvement and class of artistry... her sense of color and palette, texture and expression are really the daily motions that help keep me centered and focused on my craft. I am forever indebted and grateful. An artist in a class above the rest.

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To see where these influences lead Brandt, make sure to mark February 3rd on your calenders for the opening reception of "Cackle Factory" and stay tuned on this blog for more sneak previews to come.

Jensen
G1988: LA

Poster Postings

It takes a lot for me to geek out. I'm not easily impressed in other words. But Crazy 4 Cult is the one show a year where every entry just makes me wanna scream in joy. Like when Kathie Olivas posted this genius teaser on message boards depicting the creepy twins from The Shining -



INSANELY GOOD. And now I'm geeked out. Just like that. Maybe it is easier than I thought.

But the one thing I can say I've been geeked out on since the idea was tossed around is Andrew Wilson's Crazy 4 Cult 2 poster. Andrew is a 1988 frequent contributer, and artist at Rockstar Games San Diego, who put in over 130 man hours to create this beauty, which puts hundreds of cult icons, done in his classic Post It Pets, in a line waiting to enter the highly anticipated art show. This is so cool, I'm not even sure the blog can do it justice. It's 39 1/2 x 12 inches and amazing. And only $35! A steal. And these will first be available at Crazy 4 Cult 2 on August 22nd. Here is a large pic, and some details...









SO PERFECT. The detail is bonkers. You can even see last year's cult poster hanging in there. And yes, we will be doing a contest to see who can name all of the references...

You HAVE TO pick one of these up.

Jensen
G1988: LA

Con Jawn

It's a-coming! It's right around the corner, kids. It's San Diego Comic-Con! And it begins this coming Wednesday!

I'll actually be out in SD representing 1988 all week, but this time as an artist liaison for the Mattel company. Following up on our partnered show "TOYS" which opened in April 2008, we'll be displaying many of the customized vans and a few pieces of artwork from that show, this time at the Mattel Hot Wheels booth. And together with Mattel, we've lined up 3 limited print releases and signings with artists that you won't want to miss.



First up we have husband and wife Tampa residents Kathie Olivas and Brandt Peters releasing a new giclee print of "Leadfoot" on Friday, the 25th, at 3 PM. They will also be on hand signing products for you, celebrating their involvement with Hot Wheels' 40th anniversary and the numerous products being made from this actual piece. These prints (from the image you see on the postcard) will be limited to 190 and will be $100 each.

Next up...Ken Garduno will be releasing a print of his piece, "Imagine," and participating in a signing, on Saturday, the 26th, at 11 AM. I couldn't find a great scan of the piece, so you'll have to live with this:



That print will be $65 and limited to 220.

And lastly...



Greg Simkins, a.k.a. "Craola," will be releasing a new print from a piece he created for Hot Wheels and their 40th anniversary celebration (which you see on the postcard above, and soon on shirts) on Saturday, the 26th, at 2 PM. Better line up for this one. The print is limited to only 110 and is $125 each.

Remember, you're also competing with Hot Wheels fans on these.

Come to the Mattel booth and support one of the first moves by a mainstream toy company to include artist and gallery participation at Comic Con, as they do see how important our crowd is. Who knows? Maybe a Greg Simkins designed He-Man toy isn't as far off as you think....

In totally unrelated news, congratulation to 1988 frequenter Allison Torneros!



Allison just left for New York to be a part of MTV's Engine Room, a TV show debuting soon pinning different countries against each other in design and illustration competitions, all in hopes of winning $400,000 and tons of related products. She's one of four people on Team North America, chosen from 1000's of portfolios, so it's kind of a big deal. Wish her luck (not so much in the contest, but in surviving being that close to host Suchin Pak).

And lastly, if you're in the SF area tonight, I highly suggest you make it out to G1988: SF, as "Strangely Mannered," which opens tonight, is hands-down the best show we've had there. Joe Vaux, Brandt Peters, Travis Louie and Scott Schiedly really contributed some of their best work yet to this 4-person exhibition. 7-10 PM tonight, stop on by - you can even say hello to artists Joe Vaux and Travis Louie since they made the trip to N. California.

Have a great weekend ya'll. It's our last chance before the smell of nerd takes over our lives.

Jensen
G1988: LA

Saturday Night Fever

I think it's because I've been in the Melrose gallery watching this new exhibit come together in an incredible awesome way for the past few days - but I couldn't feel better about 1988 right now. The Stella show opened last night in SF to a great crowd and response, plowing through original art, and forcing Katie to spend 3 straight hours on just returning print inquiry emails today. While in LA, we're in the go-home weekend for our Mattel-sponsored shin-dig, "TOYS!" - and just finished a gallery installation (from that team that brought you the Cheshire Cat pink fur madness last year) that is going to make you freak out and have flashbacks to when you read books only because Levar Burton suggested them to you on Reading Rainbow. You know what? I don't want to spoil most of the art, but here are some very detailed, and out of context, pictures of parts of the gallery installation. It's like FAO Schwartz up in this bitch.







Yes, that's a Hit Stix. Yes, that's orange Hot Wheels tracks looped around the space. And yes, that's a Teddy Ruxpin (and for those with super eyes, yes, that's a My Buddy and Popple). That's just little parts keep in mind. And yes, it opens this Tuesday night, April 1st, 7-10 PM at our Los Angeles gallery. Come early, I'll be the one sweating. You'll be the one having fun.

Remember, this show will feature dozens of customized Hot Wheels VW Vans, which you've previewed on this blog quite a few times, but it also has almost 100 paintings, all influenced by ANY childhood toy. One of them by Mark Brown, was previewed on our recent email blast, then posted on Juxtapoz.com (not too shabby, considering that is Mark's FIRST GALLERY EXHIBITED PAINTING EVER). So here's some more peeks at paintings (including the Mark Brown I used capital letters about), and two vans that went that extra mile...

Brandon Sopinsky



Scott Scheidly



Mark Brown



Kathie Olivas & Brandt Peters (p.s. INSANE)



Noferin



Le Merde



What do I have to do make sure you know how dope this show is going to be? Let's put it this way. If CNN (the channel, not the dismantled 1990's NY rap duo) is covering it, so should you.

And in unrelated news, we're very excited to announce that 1988 is adding a new talent to its list of represented artists (the first new addition in over a year).



The machine we call Angry Woebots (and the government called Aaron Martin) has joined the 1988 family. You've already seen the Hawaii native in numerous group shows at both locations (and will see him this Tuesday in "TOYS!" and in the same capacity throughout 2008), and now we'll be growing into more focused shows and promotion, both in LA and SF in 2009, and then solos to quickly follow! We literally couldn't be more excited, especially with some plans in the works to create some great product as well. We're honored that he will be calling us home in California next year, and we're stoked to say, "We're in the panda business." Mahalo, Aaron.

Jensen
G1988: LA