Sophie DuvernoyAt LA Weekly, we've always liked Corey Helford's mix of high/low art, from cute to cool to downright creepy. As the gallery celebrates its fifth anniversary with its current show “Zero to Sixty,” which closes today, we thought we'd look back at six standout shows.
6. “Heroes & Villains,” April 2008
Shepard Fairey; Credit: Photo by Wills/Cho
In 2008, Tatiana Wills and Roman Cho exhibited their glossy photographs at Corey Helford for barely two days. Their exhibit was an immediate hit, with its photographs of street artists to graphic novelists to L.A. painters and everyone in between, including this great portrait of legendary street artist Shepard Fairey. Wills and Cho accomplished a feat few had managed previously — getting some of the most reclusive artists, who revel in their anonymity, to become part of an exhibit and a book chronicling the rise of alternative art in Los Angeles. Check out our interview with them, as well as the slideshow of their portraits.
5. “Four,” November 2008
Painting by Jason Shawn Alexander; Credit: Pandora Young
Campy alongside shocking is another favorite. The “Four” group show had many paintings of women looking beatific, strange or cute, but this painting by Jason Alexander stood out for the weird, muted terror in the image. Click here to see our slideshow.
4. “Clowns!” November 2008
Paul Frank, Hoborilla
The group exhibit “Clowns!” pushed back into creepy-cute territory. I thought I'd be nice and give you one of the happier ones to look at (Paul Frank's Hoborilla looks downright jolly — I'd take candy from him any day) but if creepy clowns are your thing you can ogle the scarier ones here.
3. Natalia Fabia, “Fashionable Aftertaste Without End,” July 2010
“Sweet Lolitas,” by Natalia Fabia; Credit: Liz Ohanesian
Natalia Fabia is a perennial favorite of Corey Helford, and last year she brought an inundation of cuteness to the gallery in the form of paintings inspired by kawaii. Completely over-the-top, with a teddy bear cake and a bright pink chandelier, the exhibit was sold out in minutes. Check out our interview with Fabia here.
2. “Going Nowhere Fast,” April 2011
Let's stop and consider Hollywood's mortality for a moment. This piece is brought to you by famed British street artist D*Face, who showed a whole host of unsettling pieces — rotting skeletal Oscar, anyone? — to a star-studded audience at his opening. Click here for more pictures from our D*Face slideshow.
1. Nouar & Joshua Petker, June 2011
Internally Yours by Nouar Petker; Credit: Flickr/Guzzle & Nosh
Edible art returns in cute, jelly-like shapes, with a psychedelic twist. L.A. artist Nouar Petker appears to have imagined this Jell-O Mold as a jolly killer, leaving a trail of strawberry jam-like blood in his wake. But it's strange and gelatinous, so what's there not to love? Check out more photos of the show here: Internally Yours by Nouar: Food Art Exhibit
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