Bert Green Fine Art is located on W. 5th in Downtown Los Angeles. Though a few blocks are designated in this area as "Gallery Row", I found little in these galleries that undertook the issues of conceptualism or post-modernism we have discussed in class. At the BGFA gallery however, I saw many works that not only showed a new perspective on the theories of image-making ArtH385 investigates, but were also varied widely enough to give an idea of different strategies utilized by contemporary artists to engage with these ideas critically. Here is my critique:
Th!nkArt is a Chicago-based gallery that curated this exhibition of contemporary French
artists. Though their blurb touts that all the artists are dealing with expressing an "existential angst" inherent in French culture, the works that engaged with critical ideas by representing or deconstructing the human figure were more successful than some others in conveying their specific point of view on that subject.
The works of Michel Haas and Atonio Segui seemed to speak to this existentialist crisis in their extreme paring down of the human figure. Haas' work shows blurry and gestural shadows of figures in black and white. Segui's prints outline the figure like a caricature, with a thick, wobbly black line indicating the form. Haas reminds me of the post-war European expressionists, like sculptor Giacommetti, who expressed an angst and desperation in their depictions of the human figure. Segui's work is less evocative, and I thought his most powerful print was one that depicted a raised fist, though perhaps it is the imagery that is compelling and not the strategies used to create it
Florent Moutti's striking portraits utilize an avant-garde strategy of juxtaposition to question the 
identity politics of modern-day France. "Classic" French culture is signified by the beautifully painted Victorian-era wallpaper superimposed on candid depictions of individuals of different racial backgrounds whose gazes confront the viewer. In the context of our class discussion, this is an instance where the return to painting enhances the message of the work, where the brushwork is gestural and expressive as a means to and end. In the painting shown here, the figure is not fully filled in, and her outline, skin, and colors on her shirt blend together with the wallpaper, creating a singular, merged image that speaks volumes about the issue of race in a discussion of French nationalist identity.A series of works on paper that displayed the figure in a multitude of 
techniques, each enhanced by the media and means of creation, was also compelling. Herve di Rosa, famous in France for his brightly colored paintings that led the "Figuration Libre" movement, showed two whimsical etchings. The two works chosen for this exhibition both seem to express something strange and alien about modern society, the first (shown here) by presenting a distorted and strange human figure, and the other by juxtaposing a childlike drawing of children on an idyllic hillside with a large spaceship that dominates the red sky. His work could be described as kitschy or cartoon-ish, and seems to be influenced by graffiti and folk art. Certainly infused with humor, these prints reminded me of Philip Guston's work in it's appropriation of the Neo-pop idiom. The similarity lies in the attempt to elevate forms of art that would not typically fit into the elitist modernist paradigm of "high art". Basquiat used similar strategies in his use of the visual language of street art. Herve di Rosa's work is more childlike than those works, and reminds me of Chicano artists such as Frank Romero who painted street murals in the 70's. It is interesting to see this folky quality in his work, seeing as he lives and works in Paris.
Though he also showed two lovely abstracted prints of flowers that mimicked photographic representation while maintaining a gestural quality exemplifying the printmaking process (much in the vein of Gerard Richter's paintings that investigated modes of image-making), the prints by Todd Narbey titled "Global Privacy I and II" were two of my favorite pieces. The starkly simple compositions show women dressed in the traditional Japanese kimono on top, and brightly colored leggings and high heels on the bottom, in blatantly pornographic poses. The titles, along with the somewhat shocking and in-your-face imagery suggests a message about the overexposure of private life in modern-day society, wherein "privacy" is non-existent. The prescense of a satellite in one of the prints reinforces this idea, as an image that evokes ideas of surveillance and the public sphere. It is interesting that the artist does not depict the female genitalia but instead leaves a conspicuous hole where it should be, letting the paper show through. It could be said that this is a strategy to convey a sense of the emptiness of such pornographic overexposure. The technique used to make the prints "gravure" has been co-opted as a term for Japanese models that appear in men's magazines and often sell fetish DVDs, which may explain the use of Japanese imagery in this artist's work. The technique lends a cut-and-paste feel to the images which makes the figures look like paper dolls, and also is reminiscent of collage techniques of the political avant-garde. Overall, these prints are a clever and multi-layered commentary on the lack of privacy and modesty in modern society.
techniques, each enhanced by the media and means of creation, was also compelling. Herve di Rosa, famous in France for his brightly colored paintings that led the "Figuration Libre" movement, showed two whimsical etchings. The two works chosen for this exhibition both seem to express something strange and alien about modern society, the first (shown here) by presenting a distorted and strange human figure, and the other by juxtaposing a childlike drawing of children on an idyllic hillside with a large spaceship that dominates the red sky. His work could be described as kitschy or cartoon-ish, and seems to be influenced by graffiti and folk art. Certainly infused with humor, these prints reminded me of Philip Guston's work in it's appropriation of the Neo-pop idiom. The similarity lies in the attempt to elevate forms of art that would not typically fit into the elitist modernist paradigm of "high art". Basquiat used similar strategies in his use of the visual language of street art. Herve di Rosa's work is more childlike than those works, and reminds me of Chicano artists such as Frank Romero who painted street murals in the 70's. It is interesting to see this folky quality in his work, seeing as he lives and works in Paris.Though he also showed two lovely abstracted prints of flowers that mimicked photographic representation while maintaining a gestural quality exemplifying the printmaking process (much in the vein of Gerard Richter's paintings that investigated modes of image-making), the prints by Todd Narbey titled "Global Privacy I and II" were two of my favorite pieces. The starkly simple compositions show women dressed in the traditional Japanese kimono on top, and brightly colored leggings and high heels on the bottom, in blatantly pornographic poses. The titles, along with the somewhat shocking and in-your-face imagery suggests a message about the overexposure of private life in modern-day society, wherein "privacy" is non-existent. The prescense of a satellite in one of the prints reinforces this idea, as an image that evokes ideas of surveillance and the public sphere. It is interesting that the artist does not depict the female genitalia but instead leaves a conspicuous hole where it should be, letting the paper show through. It could be said that this is a strategy to convey a sense of the emptiness of such pornographic overexposure. The technique used to make the prints "gravure" has been co-opted as a term for Japanese models that appear in men's magazines and often sell fetish DVDs, which may explain the use of Japanese imagery in this artist's work. The technique lends a cut-and-paste feel to the images which makes the figures look like paper dolls, and also is reminiscent of collage techniques of the political avant-garde. Overall, these prints are a clever and multi-layered commentary on the lack of privacy and modesty in modern society.
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