tessar lo & nate frizzell

Members of team project look to dominate another group show...



...as part of G1988's "Cover Band" show check out Tessar Lo's cover of Radiohead's ok computer.

While Nate Frizzell has been channeling his inner car customizer. Infectious Car Art just added Nate to their list of vinyl car designs.

Lazarides in NY

Steve-o Lazarides brings his gallery roster to NY for a show titled "Outsiders" this weekend. Now, by my standard its tough to be an "outsider" when the artists are selling at Sotheby's and selling $100k plus paintings...

Either way it looks to be a great show with the likes of Faile, JR, Micallef, Ian Francis, David Choe, Conor Harrington and many more.



Some of the artists like JR, Choe and Harrington left their marks across the city.



Wish i was in NY this weekend.

For more info check out LazInc.

mr. ushiro strikes again

Our main man Edwin Ushiro just got interviewed on Hypebeast. Here is an excerpt:

Hypebeast Interview with Edwin Ushiro

Posted by: Luis Ruano / September 23, 2008

The artwork of Edwin Ushiro may be labeled as new contemporary yet his concepts hold no labels or boundaries. Working with various mediums, the multi-faceted Hawaii native creates beautiful pieces of art from an extraordinary imagination and endless childhood memories. Working alongside some of the top names in the industry of art and television including NBC, Sony, and Paramount, Edwin showcases a range not seen very often. With a slew of projects on his hands including gallery and commercial pieces, the sky is the limited for this up and coming artist.

The rest of the interview HERE:

Edwin has some great shows coming up all over the world, including this show in Zurich!

heroes and villains

Spent the day at the studio with team project and Heroes and Villains photographers Roman Cho and Tatiana Wills. The pair asked to shoot the guys as a group portrait. and it seemed like a fun opportunity.

Roman and Tatiana have done some great work with the other artists, so if they could make them look good...





Such handsome young men.



Roman checking out the proofs...



Tessar Baseman?

I always like to peek at what the boy are working on, and here are a pair of sneak peek, in progress shots of a new Nate Frizzell:



...and large Scott Belcastro...

nate frizzell goes to school

While working on his solo show for this November, Nate Frizzell is getting some serious love from the educational system.

Campus Circle magazine just wrote a full article on his work and his art graces their cover of this months issue.



You can see the whole thing here:

There is also a nice little article on "cool" galleries to visit. Seems they included Western Project, not the actual gallery that represents their cover artist. Mistake? Me thinks so.

If you want to get on Nate's preview list let us know...or you can pick up a print he has with Paper Tiger now.

ISM: sk8ology

Only few more days to bid on the items in the ISM: sk8ology auction. Some great work still available...so go get yourself a steal of a piece. Here is the link for the home page of the auction Skate decks available from Yoskay Yamamoto, Tessar Lo, Nate Frizzell, Scott Belcastro, Nimit Malavia and Yuta Onoda...and many more.

Hunt and Gather with Tessar Lo

Atticus Gallery Director Tina Ziegler just posted this interview with Tessar Lo. Nice read and insight into Tessar's work.


Hunt and Gather Interview with Tessar Lo:

Tessar Lo is just a down right nice guy; maybe it’s the Canadian in him that gives him such a strong appeal and that soft character. Tessar is the type of guy you could just sit around and chat about life with for hours, and that’s exactly what we did for this interview. Tessar Lo was born in Indonesia, he moved to Toronto, Canada to start a new life and just over a year ago he has settled in Downtown Los Angeles, California in a studio-loft which he shares with the rest of the Project Gallery boys.
(Left: Changing)

TZ: So are you planning on settling in the LA area?
Tessar: I’m not one for permanence, things change all the time. I’m all about change, about progression, who knows where I will be in a few years from now. I do know I want to remain in close contact with everyone I have met out here. If and when I get out of LA, I know I will have learned a lot from the people I’ve met, there are some great people in Los Angeles.

TZ: How did you get involved with Project: Gallery?
Tessar: I actually graduated last year and I was really fortunate to be featured on Fecal Face. Beau (owner and director of Project: Gallery) called me and had me send out some pieces to try and sell, which turned out to do well. I was also doing a show with Fecal Face in San Francisco, so he came up and kind of gave me the run down on LA. He has done a lot to bring me out here and accommodate my needs, so I’m with Project so I can help accommodate his needs as a gallery owner and as a business.

TZ: It definitely seems it has been a great move for your art career; the Project team has grown to receive international attention. So you feel confident at the moment with your direction?
Tessar: Yeah definitely, Beau has really helped all of us develop as artists. He is really encouraging and keeps me in check. He is not like most, he lets us do whatever we feel like doing, so as painters we feel confident we can really shine, it gives us a fresh and honest attitude to our work and we can really discover who we are as artists.

To read the rest go to Hunt and Gather.

more on mr. hirst

Damien Hirst 's auctioned just opened and has already exceeded the initial estimate of $112M and blown out to reach over $126 million. There are still two more days of sale to get through, but the prize pieces have all closed.

Here are some images of the work from inside Hirst's studio prior to the Sotheby's auction:


"Anatomy of an Angel"



and a view of several pieces.



"Aurothioglucose" the first time Hirst's spot paintings have been seen on gold. Apparently he is digging the bling, as the "Golden Calf" piece was encased in a giant gold plated vitrine.




My favorite piece "The Kingdom" sold several million over expected estimate and closed at a meager $17.2 million. I should have thrown down a bid...



...and the "Golden Calf" selling UNDER estimate at only $17.9 million.

So to recap: Dow Jones down 500 points, and the US markets falling apart around us. Contemporary Art market...selling high. Lesson? Buy some Tessar Lo or Nate Frizzell paintings right now....before the Sotheby's auction.

dgph x nike

DGPH, our friends in Argentina, just busted out this 250 meter wall in Buenos Aires for Nike's store there.







Martin and Diego really kill it, and our making some waves in the vinyl toy world. We hope to have them back here in the US soon. For more info go here: And if you like what you see, we have some secret hidden work of theirs in the gallery. Give Kim a buzz...

The Spark That Hath Set Fire

Looks like little Nimit Malavia just released his first print - from a piece in the Fresh Faces show. Its a small run of only 10 - and PT already promised me one, so that leaves 9 for you guys.

have to love this guy

Great article in Time Magazine about "bad boy" artist Damien Hirst. Hirst is gearing up for a massive sale of his work at Sotheby's instead of the traditional gallery. The art world is a-buzz...

Damien Hirst: Bad Boy Makes Good

Thursday, Sep. 04, 2008 By RICHARD LACAYO

For more than a decade Damien Hirst has been one of the richest and most famous artists in the world. All the same, when you sit down with him, he still seems surprised by it. "I grew up with quite an impoverished background," he says. "I didn't see any possibility that I would ever get paid for doing anything 
 I enjoyed." Hirst tells me this one rainy afternoon in July at one of his many studios. This one is in Stroud, a rural town in Gloucestershire, about two hours' drive west of London. When he says this I think immediately about the bull in the next room, which I'm pretty sure he enjoyed coming up with, and very sure he's about to be paid for. A lot, actually

The rest here:

___________

I think i might need one of those "spin" painting skulls.

Scott Belcastro interview

Tina Ziegler of Hunt and Gather just released this great interview with our man Scott Belcastro...



Scott Belcastro is an up and coming artist represented by Project: Gallery in Los Angeles California.
At first meeting Scott, he can seem like a shy character, one that prefers to keep to himself but after getting to know him I quickly discovered he is full of creative energy and has a great talent for re enacting old 90210 series. Going to his Studio which he shares with the a few of the other Project Gallery artists, he welcomed me in and gave me a sweet little tour of the space.

TZ: So let’s begin, where are you from?
Scott: I’m originally from upstate New York, I moved to Santa Barbara and lived there for 4 years, and just recently moved to LA, March of this year.

TZ: How did you end up coming to the West Coast from upstate New York?
Scott: (silence……) I have a hard time answering questions about myself...
Well. I decided to move out to Santa Barbara because a friend asked me to come out. I wasn’t really doing any art at that time, I was doing different stuff. I saw that there was a lot of art around me in California, so I decide to get back into it more seriously.

Visit Hunt and Gather for the good parts...

fresh faces show photos

Saturday night was the final opening reception for project:gallery before moving to a larger and upgraded venue next month. More announcements soon, but for now here are some pics of the opening...



The night started nice and mellow as Culver City was loaded with amazing shows. It got crowded quickly though, and our four young artists got a tremendous response, as all the newcomers managed to sell some artwork - and make quite a few new fans.



Martha and Dom with James Jean and crew.


Nimit Malavia poses with one of his sold pieces. This kid has a growing list, but should have some new work for us in December...





Our last night working the corner of Washington and Fay. Tessar Lo and Jeremy Lynch did not want to leave, but neither has to worry as both have shows in 09 in the new gallery...

If you want to see the show online please vist here, or come see us in the gallery the next two weeks!

scion time

Several artists in the roster will be participating in this years Scion Installation Tour.

The Tour kicks off next month, but we will see everyone in Miami in December or when it comes back to LA next year. Last year the theme was "A Beautiful World" and this year the car company is going with "Self-Portrait"



Tessar Lo and Yoskay Yamamoto's additions to the Tour. More coming from Lisa Alisa and Edwin Ushiro...

announcement time

No full disclosure yet, but it is announcement time...

project:gallery is moving up in the world, and opening its October show in a new Culver City venue - a bit larger, a bit swankier, and i expect a bit better of a showcase for team project: More big news in store, but you will have to wait til next week...

We are gearing up for this saturday's "fresh faces" show which will officially be the last one in our current space! If you are in town make sure to come by, it should be a fun final evening.

preview

Our friend Jeremy Lynch has done it again - setting us up with a great video trailer for this weekends show:



If you want to see the show online its up now on the website. You really should come join us though, as this will be the last show in our current space - we are moving down the street to a larger venue...

fresh faces preview now online

This saturday is the "fresh faces" show featuring Nimit Malavia, Yuta Onoda, Martha Chan and Dominique Fung.

Just setup the preview. If you asked, you should get the email or go here.

Nimit Malavia Interview

I just picked up on a fantastic interview with one of our upcoming artists. Friend of project, "commandax" spent some time with Nimit Malavia and gave us this great insight into the young artist...



Erratic Phenomena: Fill us in on the usual vital statistics – age, hometown, et cetera. What got you started in art? When did you realize you were going to be an artist? Did any childhood experiences influence the direction you took in life (and art)?

Nimit Malavia: I am 20 years old (turning 21 in October), and I was born and raised Ottawa, Canada. I’m currently entering my final year at Sheridan College, to earn my BAA in Illustration.

Honestly, I don’t think I can remember a time when I wasn’t drawing or painting, constantly trying to capture the images that were floating around in my mind. I have many fond memories of my childhood, when I would doodle on a Pizza Hut napkin with crayons… even after the pizza had arrived. (To be fair, it’s something I still do today.)

It’s my belief that everything in your life plays a role in shaping who you are… and that being said, I’ve been fortunate enough to have been surrounded by talented and supportive individuals throughout my life, from my parents and family to my peers. Specifically, I’d have to say my father’s interest in art was probably one that had a great influence on me. He was never able to follow his passion for art while growing up, so he wanted to give my brother and me the opportunity to do so. I remember we would make him draw Batman and Ninja Turtles till his wrists were sore.

"Our Dance"


EP: Tell me something about the theme, philosophy or underlying principles of your work.

NM: In my recent work, I’ve felt a need to portray a kind of unconscious vulnerability. I’m not quite sure what it is, but there is an essential beauty in the extremes of life. Sometimes it feels like trying to catch a glimpse of someone in a private moment of helplessness – stripped of their natural defenses, they stand there, open and honest. Nothing left to hide what’s inside.

For the rest of the interview go here:

Thanks A.!

obama

Not sure how you all felt about the DNC, but i walked away pretty impressed. Hillary, Bill, Joe and Barack put on an amazing show - and gave us some powerful speeches. One way or another, this election seems more important than any i can remember - a real turning point for the nation.

In art news, Shepard Fairey and Friends put together a show echoing the Democrats rallying cry in Denver during the DNC at Adenken Gallery. Not sure what this does for the campaign, but i guess its pushing the message of "Hope" to a new audience:









It seems the street teams did some work in Denver as well.

fresh faces

We are getting ready for our annual "fresh faces" show that will open Saturday the 6th. Every year we like to pick four young artists and showcase them in their first big show.
Last year we trotted out Edwin Ushiro, Nate Frizzell, Rebecca Urias and Derek Albeck. This year we bring a Canadian quartet of Nimit Malavia, Yuta Onoda, Dominique Fung and Martha Chan. They were all recently in the "i am 8-bit" show and sold out quickly...

These emerging painters are still defining their styles, but clearly have bright futures.



Yuta Onoda "Rise" 24" x 36"

and below, one of Nimit Malavia's contributions to the show.



This show should be a great look at some future art stars. Let us know if you want to be on the preview list. info@projectgalleryLA.com

the deer tracks

Nordic band, "The Deer Tracks" just put out a new video featuring gallery artist Scott Belcastro's paintings as the backdrop for a wonderfully animated video.

Thanks to director Stephen Schuster, Belcastro's art comes to life in this enchanting little song.


The Deer Tracks "Slow Collision" from Stephen Schuster on Vimeo.

As Director Schuster puts it:

"Slow Collision" is such a beautiful ambient track with vocals that seem to touch that inner child within all of us. You close your eyes and feel as if you are floating through beautiful forests and lush landscapes. The video is a young boys journey from his house to the outer edges of "civilization". Star filled skies, forests of birch trees with rich colorful palettes that fill the screen. Moments of thought and introspection contrasted with exploration and curiosity. The boy finds a guide along the way that eventually brings him home...

sk8ology

Saturday night saw us taking a trip to the ISM Magazine show in Long Beach. Cruised down with Edwin Ushiro and Yoskay, and met up with Ken Garduno and Tom Haubrick, as well as several other project alums.





The show was a lot of fun, and all the skate decks are being auctioned off for charity. Members of le Maison du Project in the show include: Yoskay Yamamoto, Tessar Lo, Nate Frizzell, Nimit Malavia, Yuta Onoda and Scott Belcastro. Go look em up and bid on them - a good cause, and frankly probably some good deals...

Ill post some more skate deck images in a bit!

cultish

Friday night was the "Crazy for Cult" show at our friend Jensen's Gallery 1988. Started off with the traditional hot wing dinner across the street where we could watch the huge line slowly make its way into the gallery.

Fortunately we were on the "cut the line" list. Once inside we spent a few minutes trying to check out the show.



Nate Frizzell admiring something, and a stencil of Tessar Lo behind him on the wall.



Wifey and Kim attempt to determine what cult movies some pieces are inspired by. Yoskay Yamamoto looking awed behind them. Yosk had a great piece inspired by Akira - which I recently had watched inside the Vancouver Art Gallery a few posts back.



Luke Chueh's Monty Python inspired piece. Probably one of my favorites, only because its one of my favorite movies.

Thomas Han and friend.

what could this be?

Some friends are getting ready to launch something very cool...

the dark night

I continue to be impressed with my own roster of artists. Even something so simple as a quick drawing/study is turning out so full of emotion and energy. It gets my chi flowing.

Thanks to Tessar Lo for this wonderful gift as I left dinner the other night...




I also just got this progress pic of a commission that Nimit Malavia is working on. Do you see what i am talking about...? I mean this kid is just getting started. I don't even want to know where he will be in 5 years.

crazy for it

Dropped off some of our guys work for tomorrow's Crazy for Cult show at 1988. My man Jensen was looking sharp in his G&R vintage tee - and he and i both got excited about some of the work in the show.



Jensen and Katie have great eye's for artists and this theme show is no different.



You don't F with the Jeesus.



Akira anyone? If you remember old posts, i just watched this movie in a museum no less...

Ill be there tomorrow night. First person to spot me, say hi, name 5 artists on our roster and ask nicely gets a free mini print.

new work : eric fortune

Not sure if everyone saw this piece we teased a few weeks ago. The artists name is Eric Fortune and he is new to team project, but we expect big things quickly (with shows booked in Seattle, LA and NY in 09)

This piece sold almost immediately, and we had to answer some very angry emails from collectors that missed out...



...so while he was visiting us we made him give us this second piece titled "the escapist" which he just finished...



It is 24" x 30" on paper - and frankly pretty amazing. After seeing it, a quote from Mr. Yamamoto: "I am going to just quit right now..."



and a close up.

If you like it, email me! info@projectgalleryLA.com