GALLERY ROUNDUP: COAST TO COAST

Tom Wesselmann
Monica 11/15/96, 1996
48 x 64 inches
Alkyd oil on canvas
Courtesy of Honor Fraser

Nate Frizzell
Hopefull, 2008
40 x 30 inches
Acrylic on canvas
Courtesy of Cerasoli:LeBasse Gallery

Ling Jian
Grew Up Under the sunshine, 2008
98.4 x 70.9 inches
Oil on canvas
Courtesy of DF2

Rachel Whiteread
GHOST, GHOST I, 2008
30 5/16 x 34 5/16 x 23 5/8 inches
Polyurethane
Courtesy of Gagosian Gallery

Ed Templeton
Untitled (An Incomplete Map), 2007
22.75 x 30 inches
Ink & acrylic on paper
Courtesy of Roberts & Tilton

Gallery Kayafas new exhibition space at 450 Harrison Avenue in Boston.

Philip Laverne
Coffee Table, ca. 1960s
17.5 x 53 x 36 inches
Oak and bronze
Courtesy of Todd Merrill

Los Angeles, with reporting by Carole Lieff

If gallery activity in southern California is any indication, the primary art market is still strong on the west coast of the United States.

Tim Blum and Jeff Poe have long been considered pioneering forces in Culver City’s gallery scene. This summer, Blum & Poe will inaugurate a new 27,000 square foot space in a former manufacturing plant just across from their current location. Designed by star architect Frank Escher and partner Ravi Gunewardena, the new space will reportedly launch in July 2009 with a show of new works by Takashi Murakami, Florian Maier-Aichen and Sam Durant, among others.

The major film studios of Culver City closed thirty years ago, but today, La Cienega and Washington Boulevards are lined with renowned art galleries. Honor Fraser, who relocated to a Johnston Marklee-designed space on La Cienega a year ago, is presenting a Tom Wesselmann retrospective until December 20th, while other gallerists in the area are emphasizing new works. At Susanne Vielmetter Los Angeles Projects, drawings by painter Amy Sillman are on view until December 13th. Cerasoli:LeBasse Gallery is showing paintings by Nate Frizzell until November 29th, followed by an exhibition of new works from painter Evan B. Harris which opens December 13th.

With an influx of new bars and restaurants, galleries are still flocking to the Culver City Art District, too. In September, Roberts & Tilton relocated to another Johnston Marklee-designed building, this one on Washington Boulevard. The gallery is currently showing over 250 paintings, sculptures, photographs and works on paper by Orange County artist Ed Templeton. Peres Projects–which represents downtown New York notables Terence Koh, Dash Snow and Dan Colen –already maintains an L.A. location but opened their Culver City outpost just this past Saturday.

Expansions and relocations seem to be the norm in other areas surrounding Los Angeles, too. Robert Mnuchin and Dominique Levy of New York’s L & M Arts are slated to open their first west coast location on Venice Boulevard within the next year. Douglas Chrismas, whose Ace Gallery occupies prime real estate in Beverly Hills and on Wilshire Boulevard, has reportedly staked out a former car dealership for another 100,000 square feet of space.

Current gallery offerings across the Los Angeles area range from major group exhibitions to solo shows of young, contemporary artists. In Beverly Hills, Gagosian Gallery plays host to Rachel Whiteread’s first California solo show, an exploration of brightly hued, small-scale sculptures. Michael Kohn Gallery is showing San Francisco native Darren Waterston’s abstract paintings through December 20th. In West Hollywood, DF2 mounts Chinese contemporary artist Ling Jian’s first solo gallery exhibition in the United States.

And then, of course, there are the Blum & Poe shows: Cologne-émigré Friedrich Kunath, now living and working in L.A., has almost sold out. Yoshitomo Nara opens his first show in four years on December 20th.

Boston

Over the past decade, Boston’s art community has thrived in the South End, which has provided an alternative to the traditional Newbury Street gallery scene. In particular, 450 Harrison Avenue has housed many of Boston’s most exciting forums for work from emerging artists, including OHT Gallery and Steven Zevitas Gallery. Although a few of the complex’s long-time residents may have moved on earlier this year, several notable new tenants have arrived as well.

With three exhibitions areas and a private viewing room, Gallery Kayafas’ new space in the complex almost triples the gallery’s previous South End location. The gallery specializes in modern and contemporary photography, with a special emphasis on emerging artists. When Bernard Toale closed his eponymous gallery at 450 Harrison earlier this year, former gallery director Joseph Carroll established his own venture within the same space. Carroll and Sons is currently showing sculpture and installation by New York native Barbara Gallucci.

New York City

Todd Merrill, one of New York City’s most renowned design dealers, recently celebrated the release of his new book, Modern Americana: Studio Furniture from High Craft to High Glam. Co-authored by Julie Iovine, the book chronicles American furniture design from the 1940’s to the early 1990’s. Merrill has curated an exhibition at his 65 Bleecker Street space to celebrate the book’s release. The show, which runs through November 30, includes design gems such as a gilded Chinoiserie console server by James Mont and a pair of wood doors by Phillip Lloyd Powell.

Chelsea establishments are presenting eclectic shows this season. Dinter Fine Art’s current exhibition, How to Cook a Wolf: Part One, includes works from Jack Pierson, Mary Heilmann and George Condo, among many others. At Daneyal Mahmood Gallery, Parisian painter Stéphane Pencréc’h makes his New York debut with a show of unsettling canvases entitled In the Middle of the Night . On view at Daneyal Mahmood until January 10, 2009, Pencréac'h will also show paintings at the Modern and Contemporary Museum of Nice (France) in December.

Canada

A number of renowned Canadian galleries have recently joined artnet's Gallery Network. Notable new members include Bau-Xi, Paul Petro, Loch Gallery, Kinsman Robinson, Galerie Lausberg, Roberts Gallery, Craig Scott Gallery, and Waddington & Gorce (Toronto); Jennifer Kotstuik, (Vancouver); Gallery Page and Strange, (Halifax); and Galerie D’Avignon, (Montreal).

Naples, Florida

In Naples, photographer Eric Orkin presents his debut exhibition at the famous Philharmonic Center for the Arts. Tom Hoving, former director of the Metropolitan Museum and current host of artnetTV, came across Orkin's works of the exotic birds of Sanibel Island while vacationing last winter. "Orkin's works combined a breathtaking realism with a soaring drama -- and a dash of romance. I contacted Myra Daniels, creator of the Philharmonic; she, too, got excited, and agreed to mount the show."