Thinkspace Art Gallery X Kwon Kyung-Yup and Matthew Grabelsky
Hey Guys! Happy Sunday!
Last night the Off Beat Yogi and I went to the opening of Thinkspace Gallery in Culver City for the Reception of Kwon Kyung-Yup "Melancholia," and Matthew Grabelsky's "Underground". These are some of the most well executed paintings I've had the pleasure of viewing to date. I've had the pleasure of attending a fair amount of Thinkspace showcases, and they are absolutely doing something right over there.
The portraits presented in the Melancholia exhibit by Kwon Kyung-Yup are in her own description "meditative spaces in which she depicts longing, sadness, and fantasy. A deliberate slowness and calm are typical of their tone and pace. A single figure, minimally adorned, tends to occupy the focus of the foreground. Surrounded by a still expanse of emptiness, there are few other details, if any, to distract from the complete presence of the form."
Viewing these paintings evoke a sense of longing for those portraits that you can see their eyes, walking by and catching the gaze of the painted subjects. Some have show a sense of vulnerablilty by the tears welling up in their eyes. Each stunning image stops you in your tracks. These paintings are so utterly human, and in my opinion illustrate the idea that it is ok to be human. Her technique and the way she renders the faces are incredible, and so real. The pastel color schemes are really pleasing to the eye, soft, delicate, and consistent. The eyes and hair details are fascinating as well. A really well put together showcase of portraits.
Also on display is the hyper realistic oil paintings of Matthew Grabelsky. His work is so detailed and realistic that each image looks like a photograph. I have been anticipating this show for weeks now as it shows the hyper real and the preposterous. The paintings showcase what seems to be the interactions on subways between what seem to be couples, strangers with no interaction, or families passing the time. Public and mass transit takes time to get from place to place, and often times people ignore the others around them as if to try to ignore the situation they are in. Being forced to share a space with complete strangers trying to accomplish the same goal.
The difference is the male subjects heads are replaced in these paintings by animals heads. These beasts are painted with painstaking detail just like the rest of the scenery. All look they are as real as can be aside from what seems unnatural. Even the reflections in the glass behind the subjects are super detailed. When I view art, some of my favorite things are playing with scale (both miniature and oversize), transforming every day objects, and absurdity. This show hits all of my personal check lists, but also is an all around brilliant showcase. Down to the subway train noises playing on a speaker in the gallery.
There is also a third portion of the gallery at the back showcasing a few pieces from a previous show with multiple artists like Alex Yanes, Buff Monster, Mark Dean Veca, Kelly Vivanco, and more.
These paintings are a must see if you are in Los Angeles. The shows will be open until May 21st. If you can't see them in person, there are galleries for viewing on Thinkspace's Website, each artist's website, and on social media.
Kwon Kyung-Yup can be found at her website and instagram.
Matthew Grabelsky can be found at his website, instagram, and twitter.