Extra: Los Angeles Art Show

What if you could see an immense art show? Sounds like a fabulous dream doesn't it? I mean, all under one roof you could see all sorts of works. There would be no need to walk past bad inner city blocks from one gallery to the next. There would be no need to fight traffic to get from one art district to another. Well, this in fact is what the Los Angeles Art Show at the Los Angeles Convention Show promised one weekend this past January.
It took more than half an hour to get into the Convention Center parking structure. You could see many people going into the Center. Surely, the Show must be really good we thought. We had paid only a total of $20 instead of $40 for two tickets thanks to Livingsocial. Surely, it was a win win situation.
Here are some of the best works of art according to Artrunner.

First off we have a floating woman. Floating in a dreamworld. Armed with an old school vacuum cleaner.

You decide whether this is an ironic comment on women's dreams. You decide whether there isn't any comment at all. Perhaps that really isn't a woman and that really isn't a vacuum cleaner. The artist may just have put two images together that he or she felt would become iconic in his/her wildest dreams. Perhaps I was just hungry to shoot a picture for this blog.
Here is in my opinion the best work of the whole show. A peasant woman. Where could she be from? Is it a comment on the plight of peasant women or is it merely just another artist's dream? The painting is by a Chinese artist. Sadly, none of the other works by this artist merited being shot by my camera. So here she is, a peasant woman with a robotic look on her face. Did I say robotic? Maybe there is a comment lurking around this pretty composition. Just maybe! There are lovely mountains in the background and there is a date on the calendar and there is a half filled jar (or half empty) as well. At least we have things that give us a clue what it is we should think to try to elevate this piece from a mere image to art.

Here is a nice colorful composition. It's a warrior daisy! Or, well, let's just say the colors and composition stood out!

Just look at this next piece! Sexy! Cool! I would love to have this up on my wall right behind my loveseat. It would accompany my spaceage bossanova music!

Ok, so here is the only sculpture I captured with my camera! I usually do not like sculptures unless they are in a sculpture garden. As an ensemble in such gardens they strike me as pretty - and that's pretty much it. The almighty dollar is brought to life here with a nice neon glow. I really doubt that this piece lacks social commentary and perhaps that is the reason this is the best work of art at the Los Angeles Art Show according to me. It reminds me of a great exhibition at Charlie James Gallery in Los Angeles's Chinatown Arts District which made us contemplate the impact of capitalism in our reality. It very well may even be authored by the same artist. Who knows? I did not check.

Here are two portraits by a Latin American artist! Nice, warm, robust colors. Great for pairing with a cup of coffee. Feel the warmth. Ok, so they looked very pretty at the time. Their eyes are a little too big. Kind of like those 70's paintings with kids that had big watery, droopy, hopeful eyes. Hopeful for what? Hopeful for the next work of art on this blog I think. Let me be fair. Actually, the female portrait is very well executed. I like the colors and actually would even like to meet the person that inspired this artist. That's how good the piece is!

The next work actually challenges the peasant woman and the dollar sign sculpture as best work of the show.   It is a pretty nightmare. Bombs explode into flowers. Or do flowers envelop bombs in a vision where all that is beautiful defeats all that is evil? Oh, the power of art! Behold!

This next works are sheer eye candy! I really doubt it is a commentary on how Native American ways have gone and have been transformed into a sad version of the past. The following pieces were in a section that had many Native American inspired sculptures and paintings. They were all beautiful but I doubt that they voiced much social commentary.

Beautiful, beautiful red! Nice composition! Apocalypse deer. Ummm, no, it's just strikingly pretty!

Simply gorgeous!

Breathtaking!

Here is the best painting of Frida of the show. Pretty! Frida was beyond cool. I wish I could have been Frida. She dressed so nicely with all those Prehispanic influenced Mexican dresses and stunning jewelry. Sadly, this is not one of her cutest dresses.

Here is a nice painting with beautiful color and brushwork!

Here is a sketch by a famous Mexican artist. There were a few others but the lighting didn't permit me to take a good picture. They are far superior in some ways to the other things pictured in this blog but they are just sketches. They were the highlight of the show! A true piece of artistic history!

Last but not least is this beautiful nostalgic piece! Great composition and colors! Beautiful dresses!

The rest of the show was all realistic art. Landscapes, portraits and still lifes. Not very interesting in a way, but very nice to look at!

All in all, I really do not think I will attend another Los Angeles Art Show at the Convention Center. It's not truly worth the price - even with the Livingsocial discount. It's a one timer. Most of the galleries that were represented here were upscale galleries. The kinds that sell eye candy more than real art with social commentary. Once again, Artrunner thrives and lives off of art with social commentary. If that is your cup of tea then the Los Angeles Art Show will be less than inspiring and interesting to you.