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New York’s Bill McMullen returns to Los Angeles with his usual brand of over the top pop-culture artistry and puts his money where his mouth is as he opens his latest show Checks Cashed at he HVW8 Art + Design Gallery on Melrose.

From the HVW8s:

“Checks Cashed is the new gallery show by beloved/notorious artist Bill McMullen, opening July 31st, 2010 at Los Angeles’ HVW8 Art + Design Gallery. Checks Cashed is all about subverting history with absurd pop-cultured imagery. The new work from the Southern California bred, NYC-based McMullen embraces both Situationism and situation comedy, landing in between with its confrontational black-and-white monochrome language of punk rock flyers and escort-service ads. It’s at once familiar, entertaining, and disturbing, especially to a new generation of consumers who’ve never had to deal with anything like the economic failure, war, or the environmental disasters of today.”

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After touring the world since 2007, Lord Vader has returned! To Los Angeles that is, as the 100 Helmets of The Vader Project go on display for Freeman’s auction preview exhibition in Hollywood. Ever since I dorked out over the elaborately designed helmets by artists such as Tim Biskup, Ron English, Mister Cartoon, Gary Baseman and Frank Kozik among many others at the Star Wars Celebration in LA, I knew the force was strong with this one and can’t wait to witness the power of the Dark Side once again.

From The Vader Project:

“This summer, The Vader Project launches the final chapter of its four-year art odyssey. The iconic collection features 100 Darth Vader Helmets re-imagined by today’s most notable artists. Completing its epic world tour, The Vader Project returns to Los Angeles in June for a special ten-day exhibition in Hollywood as a preview to the upcoming Freeman’s Auction in Philadelphia.

The Los Angeles Preview Exhibition is free to the public with an opening reception on June 11 from 6-10pm. The show will also feature a 200-plus page, full-color, limited edition catalog that is being produced for the auction and is available for pre-order now at www.thevaderproject.com. On June 12, the space will present a catalog signing event with over 20 participating artists in attendance beginning at 2pm on June 12. The Los Angeles Preview Exhibition will be open June 12-20 daily from Noon to 6pm.

For this unique project, each artist customized a 1:1 scale authentic prop replica of the actual Darth Vader helmet featured in the STAR WARS™ films. Notable artists involved with the project include: Shag, Peter Kuper, Jermaine Rogers, Gary Baseman, BXH, Tim Biskup, The Pizz, Dalek, Paul Frank, Ron English, Jeff Soto, Michelle Valigura, Frank Kozik, Plasticgod, Simone Legno - Tokidoki, Bill McMullen, Secret Base, Joe Ledbetter, Alex Pardee, Suckadelic, Cameron Tiede, Mister Cartoon, Marc Ecko, and Amanda Visell.“

Vader by Plasticgod

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Plenty of inspiring openings and closings around LA this weekend, oh and some additional ass kicking as well.

• The Secret Headquarters brings new art by comic book artist Josh Simmons to their not-so-secret shop in Silver Lake with Special Nice Cosmic Hyperdeath.

• Bill McMullen’s Hype, Hustle, Ripoff ends today at the Constant Gallery on La Cienega with a closing BBQ just for you!

• KAWS‘ latest works in The Long Way Home will finally be going home as his much hyped first show in LA comes to a close at the Honor Fraser Gallery. Check out this amazing show as well as the closing of Bill McMullen’s at the Constant Gallery as they’re just a block from each other! Both well worth your time and travels (lot’s of other galleries in the area too!)

• French artistic heavyweight Parra shows off his latest works with Is That A Gun My Friend? at Saturday’s HVW8 Gallery opening off of Melrose in Hollywood.

• Art superstar Kehinde Wiley brings his latest works titled The World Stage: Brazil to Roberts & Tilton on Washington in Culver City. See more and read more about Wiley’s show inspirations here.

• On another note, wanna cheer on former Asshole of the Year Chris Pouy as he kicks ass and gets his ass kicked Muay Thai style? Of course you do!




South Coast Martial Arts
Fight night Saturday April 4th starting at 7pmdoors open at 6pm

2990 Grace Ln. Costa Mesa CA 92626

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• Pop surrealist and one of the more prominent artists of the Lowbrow art scene (and also one of my favorites), master painter Todd Schorr brings new works to the Merry Karnowski Gallery on La Brea.

• And speaking of ending runs, Giant Robot’s Silver Lake store will be closing it’s door after servicing east side pop culturists for the past couple of years. And to commemorate the occasion, and clear out their store, the’ll be offering up 50% off all items this Friday and Saturday (Silver Lake location only)!

• Last week to check out Bill McMullen’s “Hype, Hustle, Ripoff” show at the Constant Gallery on La Cienega as it ends it’s run this Saturday March, 28th.

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Six places to be and see great things starting this Friday and Saturday, ending next Saturday and next next Saturday, and continuing for more future Friday and Saturdays.

• One of my favorite California artists, Luke Chueh, and his melancholy bears opens the Corey Helford Gallery in Culver City with his latest works in “From Light Cometh Darkness”.

• The lovely Susan Cianciolo (with the Ladies Choir in tow) brings her new winter fashions out west with “Trees at Night” to Space 15Twenty, one of Hollywood’s newest destinations. You may remember the Ladies Choir from their special performances during screenings of our Sister Corita film at the Hammer for Flux as well as at the opening of the Sister Corita art retrospective at CSUN.

Space 15Twenty
Opening reception:
Saturday, March 21st 4-6pm
1520 N. Cahuenga Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90028

• Mark Jenkins opens his solo art show “The Golden Ass and Other Stories” at the Stricola Contemporary in NY this Satuday. I’m interested to know how his installations on the worlds busiest city streets (video too) will translate to the relative quiet of an indoor gallery. If any of you East Coasters go let me know!

• Last week to check out Bill McMullen’s “Hype, Hustle, Ripoff” show at the Constant Gallery on La Cienega as it ends it’s run next Saturday March, 28th.

• And if you’re going to be on the central/west sides of town checking out some of these shows, you may as well head to the Honor Fraser Gallery for KAWS’ first show in LA, “The Long Way Home”. If you wisely evaded the opening weeks of madnessyou have a few more weeks to check it out as it ends April 4th.



Honor Fraser Gallery
ongoing through April 4, 2009
2622 S. La Cienega Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90034

• And if you’re not interested in checking out these great gallery shows you may want to spend your time in a darkened theater for a trip to the opening of Tokyo!, a film in three parts by Michel Gondry, Leos Carax, and Bong Joon-Ho. You can read my review of this fine film here.

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