By Patty Tedesco
Artist Harrison Love finds inspiration everywhere. He grew up traveling around the world frequenting local galleries. “Santa Monica has an abundance of talent,” said Love, who will be exhibiting his work in a solo show at the Upper West Restaurant in Santa Monica.
One does not often think “restaurant” when it comes to art, but Upper West has been exhibiting a rotating series of art shows since it first opened. Love found out about the local hot spot and soon added it to his list of favorite eateries. Love continued, “I found it to be a very nice experience to be able to sit in front of a few pieces of art for an extended period of time. It was then when I realized I wanted my work to be on these walls.”
Love’s exhibition will feature sixteen works from different series. His Calligraffiti combines traditional calligraphy and American graffiti styles. He will also exhibit original illustrations from his upcoming book, “The Hidden Way,” which he has been preparing to option for publishing. The book is about Shamanic Amazonian myth and folklore and can be purchased online via his website.
“I often work in different series. For example, I have a completely different visual art style for depicting my dreams. Every form of art is a different style of communication, and I utilize several to have different conversations within my work,” said Love. “Each painting presents a different question with several solutions, but the only way for me to ascertain the answer is to approach it openly by accepting a different method of approach.”
Love was raised by artistic parents and said his family could not have been more supportive of his art. “When I was a child, and my family lived in Brussels, my family would travel to Europe together and visit as many museums and cultural sites as we could,” said the artist. “Of course at that age, I was often trying to drag them through the Louvre with a child’s impatience…unable to absorb it all.”
He added that museums became a kind of church to him, and he continued to frequent the museum throughout his youth. To this day, his parents continue to support his work…purchasing some of his newest paintings for their homes before he even had a chance to exhibit them. “Mom and Dad always get first dibs,” said Love.
The artist has created murals for Google, the City of Detroit, and for the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. His work has been shown around the world, and a good portion of his art is currently in the collection of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art Artist’s Gallery.
The opening reception for Harrison Love’s new exhibition takes place on Sunday, Nov. 19, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. The artist will be in attendance.
Everyone invited to attend this free event at the Upper West Restaurant, 3321 Pico Boulevard, Santa Monica 90404. For more information head to HarrisonLove.com or theupperwest.com.
