Craig Krull Gallery at Bergamot Station this weekend presents its latest show featuring the art of Dan McCleary, Javier Carrillo, and Emmanuel Galvez.
An opening reception will be held this Saturday, March 9 from 4-6 pm for the exhibition, which runs through April 13.
McCleary brings the formal sensibilities of Piero della Francesca to the everyday moments of life in Los Angeles.
A native of Southern California, McCleary notes that Los Angeles “feels weightless and devoid of formal rituals.”
“It has no center,” McCleary said. “Its inhabitants find their own center through daily rituals like driving shopping, eating out, and seeing movies.”
Although his paintings depict people in seemingly mundane situations, these moments are constructed with the care and grace of an artist with keen observation skills and an awareness of the subtle interaction of form and color.
All of the work in this exhibition was painted from life, using sets built in his studio.
The new work includes a painting entitled “Manicure,” which preserves a fleeting moment of quiet intimacy between two women that would
otherwise go unnoticed.
In addition to his artistic practice, McCleary is the founder of Art Division, an after-school arts program for young adults in the Rampart District of Los Angeles.
Among the several talented artists involved in this new program, Craig Krull Gallery will also present the work of Carrillo and Galvez.
A former student, Carrillo now runs the printmaking program at Art Division.
He notes that his paintings depict close friends, family members, and his own life experiences.
The images take the form of the playing cards used in a Latin American game of chance, which is similar to Bingo, entitled La Lotería.
“I grew up with the game and loved playing it,” Carrillo said. “Each painting has its own story based on struggles encountered when crossing the border.”
Like his mentor McCleary, Galvez paints his subjects from life.
His small still-lifes entitled “Pan Dulce,” depict the unique color, textures, and shapes of traditional Mexican bakery goods.
“I grew up eating them… each bread has a different story… I also discovered that the baking techniques were originally learned from the French,” Galvez said.
His cookies, breads, and cakes sit on solid colored backgrounds complete with delicately painted crumbs. He is now an instructor at Heart of Los Angeles, an after-school program for underserved and at-risk youth.
A gallery talk featuring the three artists is scheduled for Saturday, March 16 at 10:30 am at the gallery.
The gallery is located at 2525 Michigan Ave. B3 (Bergamot Station), Santa Monica.
The hours are Tuesday through Friday from 10 am to 5:30 pm and Saturdays from 11 am to 5:30 pm.
For more information, call 310.828.6410 or visit www.craigkrullgallery.com.
