California Dreaming brings together the work of artists Gordon Holden, Cheryl Humphreys, Joe Roberts and Lisa Solberg, who at first glance have little in common.
But spend a little time soaking up their group show at the Paul Loya Gallery and the links start to appear: the common ground is an unmistakeable California attitude – even if each artist embodies that in very different ways.
The four artists were selected from the mountain of submissions the gallery receives each year and all caught the curator’s eye for their unique representations of a Golden State vibe.
Check out California Dreaming at Paul Loya Gallery, Los Angeles until August 23.
You might like
How Japan revolutionised art & photography in the ’60s and ’70s
From Angura to Provoke — A new photobook chronicles the radical avant-garde scene of the postwar period, whose subversion of the medium of image making remains shocking and groundbreaking to this day.
Written by: Miss Rosen
The lacerating catharsis of body suspension in Hong Kong
Self-Ferrying — In one of the world’s most densely packed cities, an underground group of young people are piercing their skin and hanging their bodies with hooks in a shocking exploration of pain and pleasure. Sophie Liu goes to a session to understand why they partake in the extreme underground practice.
Written by: Sophie Liu
On The Mountain, Jamie Hewlett’s Gorillaz explore life after death
Going East — As everyone’s favourite animated band release their latest album, the visual artist behind it all catches up with Josh Jones to chat about the grief and spirituality underlining the record, as well as his learnings from how other cultures approach death and the afterlife.
Written by: Josh Jones
The strange suburban mundanity of San Fernando Valley’s porn industry
The Valley — Legendary photographer Larry Sultan grew up in the northern Los Angeles suburb, which also happened to be the 20th century epicentre of the country’s adult film industry. Spending days on set shooting life behind the scenes, his now-canon series blurred fantasy, desire and domesticity.
Written by: Isaac Muk
Swan Moon’s cinematic portrait of growing up Korean in ’90s Los Angeles
Self reflections — Picking up her first camera at the age of eight, the photographer took countless shots of her life, friends and city to help make sense of her surroundings. Her new photobook looks back on those formative years.
Written by: Miss Rosen
Greer Lankton’s dolls are more human than you think
Could It Be Love — A staple figure in New York’s ’80s East Village scene, her art shocked and confronted. Now, three decades after her death, a new monograph anthologises her work, which explores the darker sides of human life, but also finds beauty within the strange.
Written by: Miss Rosen