The 12th edition of the Spring/Break Art Show is now open, presenting a sweeping showcase under the poignant theme of “Naked Lunch.” A fierce exploration of contemporary art through the rediscovery and reinvention of the Renaissances, its 59 booths are on view through February 19 in Los Angeles within the walls of Skylight Culver City.
Installation view of Alice Neel’s “Fanya Foss,” photo by Erica Silverman, courtesy of the artist and Cade Tompkins Projects.
Venturing inside, we were immediately drawn to Cade Tompkins Projects’ booth and an enigmatic oil painting by the late American artist Alice Neel of author and 1940s Hollywood screenwriter Fanya Foss. Simply titled, Fanya (1930), the sensitive, haunting portrait has not been viewed by the public in over 25 years and reveals an intimate dialogue on the balance of life and career between two exceptional women.
Gabriel Barcia-Colombo, photo by Erica Silverman.
Around the corner, we were mesmerized by hypnotic, neon video sculptures by Gabriel Barcia-Colombo, presented by G-SON Studios. The immersive artworks were joyful and thought-provoking explorations of the digitization of memory and virtual identities.
Alessandro Giannì, “Due to the Image (The Last Supper),” 2021, 106 x 137.5 in., oil on canvas; courtesy of the artist.
Further down the hall, curator Paulina Bebecka presented ”Machine ∧ / ∨ Soul,” a conversation between artists Agata Bebecka and Alessandro Giannì. Bebecka’s colorful and expressive oil paintings of human eyes, hands, and otherworldly creatures were juxtaposed with Giannì’s Due to the Image (The Last Supper), a sweeping oil painting inspired by mythology, history, and the lost connections of our digital age.
Installation view of Karim B Hamid’s Paintings, photo by Erica Silverman.
At Normal Royal, titled “Annuntiare,” we adored the oil and mixed media collages of Karim B Hamid. The technique of creation and erasure, layered with beguiling faces and figures, bold geometric patterns, and rich hues of blue, green, and gold, left us pondering worlds of secrets and seductions.
Nicholas Kennedy, “Abundance of Snacks,” 2023, 40 x 32 in., oil and acrylic on linen; courtesy of the artist.
Across the hall, artist, and curator Casey Baden presented a bright tribute to the intimate lives of friends, lovers, and overlapping, everyday joys with “Cross-Pollination.” The warm exhibition was an intermingling of paintings, photography, and skilled textile work by partners Casey Baden and Nicholas Kennedy, alongside Anais Franco and Antoine Midant. Kennedy’s Abundance of Snacks immersed us in a dreamlike picnic invoking the scent of fresh flowers, the chattering of insightful conversation, and all kinds of nourishment.
Kathleen Henderson, “Green Shield,” 2020, 20 x 28 in., oil stick and oil on paper; courtesy of the artist.
As we turned the corner, we were delighted to find the bold storytelling of artist Kathleen Henderson from Track 16 gallery. The artist is ever-inspired by the intersection of art and disability and is Executive Director of the newly opened Studio Route 29 in Frenchtown, New Jersey, which champions the creativity of those with intellectual and developmental disabilities. With oil stick on paper, Henderson paints evocative imagery of figures, often happily in the nude, exploring the freedom and the mysteries of the natural world. Vulnerable paint strokes in vibrant layers of black, green, red, and yellow illustrate tales of both lightness and darkness.
Installation view of Dale Wittig and Max Schumann’s “And all our yesterdays have guided fools…,” photo by Erica Silverman, courtesy of the artists.
In a nearby booth curated by artist Dale Wittig and titled, “And all our yesterdays have guided fools…,” juxtaposed creations by Max Schumann and Wittig were works of both nostalgia and warning. Schumann’s sepia-toned “Deer Hunter” series reimagined vintage newspaper photos and articles of teenagers with their first hunting experiences, while Wittig’s colorful acrylic and charcoal paintings memorialized the overlapping shades and tensions of group gatherings, historic battles, and classic works of art.
Installation view of Dakarai Akil’s “Masks,” photo by Erica Silverman.
Before exiting, we could not help but step into artist Dakarai Akil’s cinematic world of color and collage, titled Masks, immaculately presented by iv Gallery. Crimson walls set the scene for immersive artworks uniting vintage imagery of human expression, items of collective nostalgia, signs, symbols, and secret messages, for a combined journey through time, space, and the elusive sparks of human consciousness.
