2023 program – Page 6

Interview with Marissa Reyes for ‘Fighting Fickle Feelings For You’ | Exhibition on view March 4, 2023 – March 25, 2023

Thinkspace is pleased to present Marissa Reyes ‘Fighting Fickle Feelings For You’ where she explores sexism, the self and the delicate emotions that encompass romantic relationships. She uses the symbol of the banana to objectify men, they are a mere thing that is the source of the issues within her work. She uses self-portraiture to convey the intimate emotions and conversations that we have with ourselves about the choices we make within a relationship… where she allows the viewer insight into these very intimate moments of pain, hurt, love, doubt, and fear. Her inner thoughts can sometimes be like the wild west, lawless and violent. These very serious topics are encased in that same humor she felt as a 10 year old that she still doesn’t quite understand.

Our interview with Marissa Reyes shares her first memory of being sexualized by the opposite sex, what type of super human skill she would choose to have and who would be on her ultimate dinner party guest list.

Can you share a little about your background and how you first heard of Thinkspace?

I was born in Hollywood, CA, and was raised in West Covina, CA, I grew up with a dad who was in the Marines for most of my life so I bounced around a bit, living in Cuba, Oceanside, CA, San Diego, CA, Hemet, CA but mostly spending my time in LA County/San Gabriel Valley where the bulk of my family all live. I went to school at a Junior college, Citrus College In Glendora, CA, this is where I saw a possibility that I could pursue a career in the arts. I then pursued my bachelor’s in Studio Arts at The University of La Verne which then led to me pursuing my master’s degree In Studio Arts at Claremont Graduate University. My first group show out of Grad School was at Franchise Gallery. It was after this group show that I met Andrew and was given my first opportunity to show with Thinkspace. I’d heard of Thinkspace Gallery through reading Juxtapoz over the years and it’s insane to me that I just had my first solo with them, never thought I would be in this position but that just means I have to stop doubting myself.

Your work is both playful and confrontational, can you share a bit about your journey toward developing your style? What inspired you to revisit the shared childhood experience, especially of young girls, where eating a banana is no longer harmless?

Yeah, so I didn’t develop this style until my time at Claremont Graduate University. Throughout my undergraduate experience from Junior college to the University of La Verne where I received my BA in Studio Arts, I was super obsessed with figure drawing and Art History. I took as many classes as I could in those subjects. I fell in love with Rembrandt van Rijn’s self-portraits and how he used them to document his age and life. I took my skills in figure drawing and my love for Golden Age Dutch self-portraiture and in graduate school I was able to explore these ideas in depth. I found that using myself as the subject in a painting was a way, I could tell an ultimate truth, and share my experiences as a woman.

I retraced the first time I became aware of being sexualized by the opposite sex and felt it exposed a lot about myself and how I was shaped as a woman. I quickly realized by speaking to the women around me that this is a shared memory. I was driven by retribution, wanting to make things right. When I decided to take away the identity of the men and boys who had stolen my innocence and security, I made things right. I have created a safe space within my paintings for women who have been wronged and a learning space for the men who have committed the wrongdoing.

What was the most challenging piece in this exhibition? How did it help you grow as an artist?

The challenging pieces in this exhibition are the paintings where the figure lives inside a detailed background and space. ‘Personal Punishment‘ is a good example of this, the figures are set in a saloon. I love to let my figures be the focal point with not much distraction, so pushing myself to explore settings and backgrounds was incredibly fun, but challenging

Do you have any rituals that help you tap into a creative flow?

I sketch a lot, I like to make small watercolors, sketches, or color pencil drawings of paintings I want to create. This helps me visualize what will go on the next canvas.

What does a day in the studio look like for you? How do you structure your days?

A day in the studio for me usually starts with my sketchbook, I love to sketch current ideas. I feel like I have to get them out of my head and onto paper before I move on to painting for the day. I know this is going to sound super unproductive, but I have a tv in my studio and I’ll usually turn it on and play a comfort show or movie like, Harry Potter films, The Office, Game of Thrones to name a few and I’ll have it on in the background as I work. It helps me focus. Sometimes if I’m really feeling it, I’ll throw on some music. Currently listening to Tyler the Creator and Bjork. I will usually paint for hours late into the night. I stop painting when I feel it’s right and can’t go any further with the painting. I have no real time limit to spend in the studio; my only rule is that I must be there every day. I do tend to spend a lot of time in my studio. I love it.

Who is an artist or distinct piece of art that has significantly impacted how you thought about art or your own work?

Sarah Lucas’ work has had an enormous impact on my work. Seeing her sculptures for the first time changed the way I see the female figure and how I paint the female figure and why. Her work is bold and brave, she uses the female form to make important work about sexuality and societal repressiveness of women.

When do you feel most empowered and fierce like some of the banana-wielding women in your pieces?

I feel most empowered when I put on a badass outfit, some leather or latex some lashes and lipstick, and go out into the world. It’s unfortunate because I feel society has made women feel as though make-up is “bad” and we as women should not use it as something to feel more confident about because its “fake,” but I say that’s a bunch of bullshit men are saying because they have been taught through the media that women should be “naturally” beautiful. Well to that I say F that and I love me some heavy lashes, long eyeliner, and a red lip. It makes me feel powerful and sexy, and there is a lot of power in feeling sexy!

“Fighting Fickle Feelings For You” is your first solo exhibition, what advice would you give other artists who are working towards their first solo?

My advice would be to work, work and work some more!!! Procrastination is your worst enemy so put in that work.

If you could have any skill or topic downloaded into your brain, what would you want to be able to do/ be an expert at?

I would want to be a polyglot and just know an obscene number of languages.

Who would be on the guest list if you could throw a dinner party for five people, dead or alive? What would be on the menu? What would be the icebreaker question?

I’d invite Sarah Lucas, Baldur Helgason, Peter Saul, Bjork, and Artemisia Gentileschi. The Icebreaker wouldn’t be a question, but more of an assignment. I would give everyone a pencil and a sheet of paper and ask them to draw a self-portrait.

Exhibition on view through March 25, 2023 at:
Thinkspace Projects
4207 W. Jefferson Blvd.
Los Angeles, California 90016

For more about the exhibition and opening night click HERE!

Photos courtesy of @BirdManPhotos.

Interview with Anthony Clarkson for his current exhibition ‘Enigmatic Dreams’ on view til Friday March 17, 2023 at The Brand Library & Arts Center

Thinkspace is pleased to present Anthony Clarkson‘s seventh solo exhibition ‘Enigmatic Dreams’ with our gallery. A painter, designer, and illustrator, Clarkson’s oil paintings are ghostly and surreal – dreamlike meanderings through eerily cast dimensions. Stylistically dark, they feel like haunted eruptions of the subconscious. Combining character-based narratives with the unexpected juxtaposition of suggestive symbols and absurd elements, they create jarring nightmarish figments and provocative associations. At times playful and others nihilistic, his works are graphically and illustratively inspired to elicit a gut reaction.

Our interview with Anthony Clarkson discusses his playlists, his dreams and all the coffee he drinks in order to make this exhibition happen!

You’ve been showing with Thinkspace since its inception. Your artistic career growing alongside the project’s evolution. What does having an exhibition up at the Brand Library and Arts Center mean to you?

Having a show at the Brand Library is great. It’s such a unique place to show with a great atmosphere. It’s also nice to be showcased alongside rooms featuring other artists I admire so much.

What was the inspiration behind this latest body of work? What themes were you exploring?

In the past I’ve almost always had very ‘themed’ shows that revolved around some sort of narrative. This time I tried to just paint images that came to me without overanalyzing them or trying to make them fit a theme. That’s why I titled the show Enigmatic Dreams. Enigmatic means difficult to interpret or understand, and that’s how I felt initially about most of the pieces. As I worked on them they would gain meaning for me, but at their inception they were just free-form consciousness.

What was the most challenging piece in this exhibition? How did it help you grow as an artist?

‘These Oceans Within’ was probably the most challenging. Mostly because I’ve not painted a lot water like that before, and also painting it from what feels like two different perspectives between the top and bottom halves was interesting. Anytime you do something you’re not use to or go out of your comfort zone it causes your skills to grow, even if it’s incrementally and not a major leap forward.

Enigmatic Dreams has imagery that gives a sense of surrender and control, holding on and letting go. How do you navigate these human truths in your own life? Do you have any practices that help you cope with the chaos that is being alive?

Deciding what we hold onto or let go of can be hard. It’s where we decide to put our energy day to day that can really define the kind of person we move through life as. When I’m making art or get consumed listening to an album is when my mind is most clear and life makes the most sense.

The opening at The Brand Library and Art Center was quite the scene; what was one of your favorite moments from the evening?

Really it was just seeing how much people seemed to enjoy the art and vibe going on.

Did this latest body of work have an associated playlist or source of musical inspiration per piece?

Not really. I listened to so much stuff I can’t say there was any particular band or album that was the ‘soundtrack’ to this group of work. In the last few weeks of work I was listing to the new Katatonia album ‘Sky Void of Stars’ and Host’s debut album ‘IX’ a lot. Other than that I was listening to a lot of mellow movie soundtracks like American Beauty, Spotlight, and Lost In Translation.

Your work has a dreamlike quality; are you a vivid dreamer? If so, does that imagery or narrative ever inspire or enter into the work you’re developing?

I’d say most of my pieces start off based on dreams I have. That can usually be as simple as a feeling, colors, or a phrase that remain as the dream itself fades. It’s hard for me to just come up with an idea on the spot, which can be really frustrating at times. I need to let my mind not focus on coming up with an idea and when I’m typically in a half wake / dream state ideas just come to me.

Coffee is an essential part of the creative practice. What is your coffee order? Do you have a favorite/preferred brand of coffee?

I love coffee, but I’m also not picky at all about it. I’m the kind of person that can drink day old truck stop coffee and be totally fine with it.

There are more than several amazing pieces in the exhibition, and this might be a difficult question, but are you up for the challenge – what piece would you want to add to your art collection, and why?

I’d have to say “An American Werewolf In London” by Matthew Grabelsky was one that I really loved. I’m a sucker for anything with a wolf in it.

If someone wanted to understand the emotional landscape of your story and creative process, do you have a film recommendation that would be able to echo familiar themes?

In a lot of ways I’d have to say the movie ‘Adaptation’. Even though it’s about an author instead of a painter, the way the main character thinks about the creative process and his own place within it rings very true to me. His striving to be original and really say something but feeling that he may not be achieving anything of true uniqueness is an internal struggle I can definitely identify with.

On view only until this Friday March 17th at The Brand Library and Arts Center in Glendale, California.

The Brand Library and Arts Center
1601 W. Mountain Street
Glendale, California 91201

Viewing Days / Hours:
Tues. – Thurs.: 11am – 8pm
Fri. & Sat.: 10am – 5pm
Closed Sun. & Mon.
Free Admission & Free Parking

For more about the exhibition and opening night click HERE!

Photos by @BirdManPhotos.

Interview with Ken Flewellyn for his current solo exhibition ‘Remix’ on view til Friday March 17, 2023 at The Brand Library & Arts Center

Thinkspace is pleased to present Ken Flewellyn ‘Remix’ with a new reality from the lens of his history and the culture that has shaped him. Introspection and self-examination is not always easy, and it may take some time for him to open up to people but hopes to continue to share pieces, like a Remix’ tape of familiar songs, with a new twist. As an extra bonus, his longtime friend, mentor, and Thinkspace Projects co-founder L.C. collaborated his collages onto Ken’s paintings with him to combine and capture the true essence of a mixtape… bringing a certain meaningful vibe when you need it most. He hopes this Remix’ sends you on a sonic journey through art.

Our interview with Ken Flewellyn discusses his most challenging piece, collaborating with L. Croskey, and shares a Remix-only playlist.

How long have you been showing with Thinkspace? What does having an exhibition up at the Brand Library and Arts Center mean to you?

I’ve been showing at Thinkspace for the past 9 years. Remix is my 3rd solo. This is also my first museum solo and so excited to have it at the Brand. For those that haven’t been, the Brand is a beautiful historic building in Glendale featuring a museum and massive art and music library. One the grounds is a Japanese garden, hiking trails, and lush park. It’s pretty stunning.

Showing at the Brand felt like a return to origin stories. Before I showed at Thinkspace, I was in group shows at a number of galleries in Los Angeles. Among those galleries were Cella Gallery and 11:11 ACC. At the helm of both spots was Shannon Currie Holmes, who is now Exhibitions Supervisor at the Brand.
I showed in some of my first 30 day shows in Shannon’s spaces and was stoked to show with her again.

When I was invited to show, I didn’t know the lineup or what all was planned for the rest of the museum. The show ended up becoming an Art Family Affair. My show is up alongside one of my besties, Matthew Grabelsky, who also showed with me at Cella and 11:11. In the other rooms are Anthony Clarkson, Cody Jimenez, and Anthony Hurd, and Raiz curated by Tlaloc Studios, all of which long time Thinkspace Fam. The show felt that much bigger seeing the rest of them shine too.

What was the inspiration behind this latest body of work? What themes were you exploring?

Covid really had a hand to play here. I found it hard to get inspired during and sometime after the pandemic. An important part of my process is working from models and of course COVID, made that difficult. Without new models to work with I decided to go back to basics. This sent me back to old sketchbooks where I found some solid ideas and compositions that I dismissed. Back then I struggled to paint most subject matter but had ideas. So I still jotted all that stuff down, no matter how bad the drawing looked. Going back to those books now, I have years of skill and a different eye. I went through these old ideas and remixed them, again and again until I put together some pieces I’m really happy with.

What was the most challenging piece in this exhibition? How did it help you grow as an artist?

Cityscapes… Why do I keep painting cityscapes? ‘Know the Ledge‘ took a ton of work. I basically worked on that piece for most of 2022. I started early in the year and just chipped away at it. When I got tired of painting buildings I’d set it aside and work on another piece until I was feeling it again. Don’t get me wrong, I love painting cityscapes but it’s time-consuming. Every day I’d take a pic of my progress and anxiously await the last building. Wow, that feeling when you finish the background? And know the rest is a breeze? It’s like the walk downhill after a hike.

I try to do this every show. I put together at least one composition that’s going to test my patience, one I have to work on in increments. Maybe I do it to grow. Or maybe I’m a glutton for punishment. Either way, I love the effect when it’s done. I love what it adds to a narrative. Well worth the time.

The opening at The Brand Library and Art Center was quite the scene; what was one of your favorite moments from the evening?

I’m always happiest seeing my friends and family come out to support. I had a ton of friends come out, some of them I haven’t seen in nearly a decade. I had some great convos with DJ’s and other hip-hop heads. A lot of artists were in attendance too, so I got to talk shop for a while on process. I barely left my room it was so busy. Before I knew it the night was over.

Can you share your process for collaborating with L. Croskey?

L and I have collaborated on other projects for the past decade. I started in this industry working with him on Cannibal Flower and later for Thinkspace but never on art. Once the lineup for the solos was announced we both knew we had to collab to add to the family vibe of Nexus. We were in the back of Thinkspace, kickin it, talking about mixtapes we made back in the day and it just seemed like a natural progression.

We worked out the vibes of the tapes first. Then L got going on design of the collaged elements and layout. He’d take pics and show me so we could plot the rest. Once he had his part on the board he passed it back to me. I then designed and painted the tapes to match and complement colors in the collage.

Did this latest body of work have an associated playlist or source of musical inspiration per piece?

All of my paintings in this show are named after hip hop/R&B songs.
• You Know My Steez by Gang Starr
• Juice (Know the Ledge) by Eric B. and Rakim
• Scenario by A Tribe Called Quest
• The Choice is Yours by Black Sheep
• Love Like This by Faith Evans

As I was working on the show, I of course had remixes on the brain. That of course led to a playlist, Remixes only. Lets Go!
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0euJboMgdLpLAWDw0fiXHr?si=aab9c059465b4dd5

Your work explores bringing a sense of harmony to subculture and more traditional cultural elements, especially within hip-hop and Japanese motifs. Do you see yourself folding in other cultural influences in the future? If so, what do you think you’d want to explore?

I think a lot about the traditional aspects of my work. When I began this series it was important to me to make sure the Japanese elements remained traditional, to pay reverence to the design aesthetic that inspired me. Juxtaposing that with hip hop culture you get this sharp contrast. Two diametrically opposed cultural identities, talking to each other. Going forward I’d like to add some nuance to that conversation. I want to add more cultural elements. I’d like to take those traditional motifs and build on them, let them be inspiration for a blend of iconography. I’d like the music to be more dynamic introducing other subcultures so I can really make the conversation complex and engaging.

Did you ever create mixtapes or write down lyrics by waiting for a song to come on the radio? If so, what tracks were you trying to catch?

Oh my god, I did all of that. I used to set up two boomboxes next to each other, waiting for 2pac to come on. I had my timing down too so the transitions were smoooooth. It’s a weird thing being a millennial. I both have this nostalgia of making mixtapes and the relief of a playlist that doesn’t include me eating chips next to the microphone.

A world-renowned chef wants to make a dish inspired by your artwork, what would it be, and the dish’s distinct ingredients?

Mmm, some kind of elevated soul food sushi. Like a southern fried octopus nigiri served on a bed of fresh collard greens, garnished with small flowers and a drizzle of sauce in the shape of a Wutang “W.” On the side, the cocktail 2017 interview, The Vieux-Tang Clan. Boom!

Hands down, Grabelsky’s Crow-Magnon. I LOVED the crow growing up. When I went to his studio to see that piece before the show, the first thing I said was “Dude STOP IT!”

On view only until this Friday March 17th at The Brand Library and Arts Center in Glendale, California.

The Brand Library and Arts Center
1601 W. Mountain Street
Glendale, California 91201

Viewing Days / Hours:
Tues. – Thurs.: 11am – 8pm
Fri. & Sat.: 10am – 5pm
Closed Sun. & Mon.
Free Admission & Free Parking

For more about the exhibition and opening night click HERE!

Photos by @BirdManPhotos.

Interview with Anthony Hurd for his current solo exhibition ‘Verified’ on view til Friday March 17, 2023 at The Brand Library & Arts Center

Thinkspace is pleased to present Anthony Hurd ‘Verified’ where “in a wonderful world of random blue check marks, engagement farming, social media clout chasing and general acting a fool, we find ourselves in the midst of the golden age of the death of social media. It’s failing us all… No matter the damage, I still come crawling back to my abuser for comfort, to suckle on its black barred, censored tit and let it caress my burning brain with one hand while it picks my pockets with its other 99 hands for that sweet, sweet, dopamine rush, worth it… And I along with billions of others continue to scream into the void of endless data gathering in hopes of a better tomorrow.”

Our interview with Anthony Hurd shares his frustrations that inspired his current solo show, what he was up to during the pandemic and his film recommendations.

How long have you been showing with Thinkspace? What does having an exhibition up at the Brand Library and Arts Center mean to you?

Errr, wow, I’ve been showing with Thinkspace for 10 years now, crazy. The Brand Library show is awesome. Aside from it being my first museum solo show, it’s also a history space with lots of good stories. I lived in LA for ten years, living in Silverlake, but at the time I didn’t make art, so to be back in LA, making art full time, in my old hood, seeing so many old friends and new ones it was amazing.

What was the inspiration behind this latest body of work? What themes were you exploring?

Mostly I was exploring my frustrations. It’s been such a strange time for so many years now between the political madness, the global pandemic and the ever changing economy of the world everything just feels constantly uneasy, no stability, no reality to hold onto and social media seems to be at the center of the chaos most the time. It’s opened the door for so many crazies to take center stage, and yet it’s diminished the reach of most of us artists. We’re not the prime content these days, sucks to even have to consider ourselves “content” but that’s what we’re faced with. So the absurd faces of social media started to come to the forefront for me. The bots, the algorithms, the rich white men pulling the strings and making lives more difficult. This crazy moving target that no one seems to understand fully. Some get lucky, some do not, but none of us really have a good grasp on what’s going on any more.

What was the most challenging piece in this exhibition? How did it help you grow as an artist?

I’d say ‘Zucker-Lon‘ (The String Pullers) was the most challenging. It was the first piece for the show, and it set the tone for everything else. I worked on it off and on for many months before even touching the additional works, so I just kept pushing it and allowing it to evolving until it started to speak to me in a way I could see translating to the rest of the works. Like all works it teaches me patience, but reinforces my constant need for exploration. The experimentation and exploration have become my major driving force in the work these days and its taken me a long time to really understand that it’s where my happiness in creating stems.

The opening at The Brand Library and Art Center was quite the scene; what was one of your favorite moments from the evening?

Being that I don’t living in LA anymore, my favorite moments were both seeing so many old friends I miss dearly, and meetings so many other artists who I’ve been in touch with via social media for over a decade and never met in person. It was a massive event and truly made it feel like the most epic homecoming.

Your exhibition is titled Verified, and in content leading up to the show, you’ve lamented about the nature of the current social landscape. However, you’re pretty good at the content game. How much time are you spending on creating content as part of your studio practice?

I don’t spend as much time creating content as it seems. I just understanding the editing process well enough now to stitch it together thankfully. After all these years I’ve never had a single viral video that’s gone anywhere significant, but I’ve learned to just enjoy myself and try new things. Mostly I spent 10 minutes a few times a week recording content, so not to time consuming really.

Skate culture is one of your biggest creative influences and you use skate videos to help hype you up for painting. Can you share a few of your favorite skaters or videos with us?

Ugh, I don’t even know where to start with that. It’s not longer about specific skate videos, I just follow so many skaters and skate accounts that my feed is full of awesomeness. The level of progression in skateboarding these days in absolutely insane, and the rise of both queer and female skaters doing crazy shit just warms my heart. So I just open literally any social app these days and I’m flooded with the newest videos.

During the pandemic, you slowed down to growing food and plants, enjoying the demise of the pre-pandemic pace. Have you been able to maintain that slow pace or peace on your own terms? What’s in your garden?

Well, since the pandemic, we were finally able to purchase a small home of our own, so the older garden is long gone from the rental house and we haven’t officially made a garden yet in the new house but it’s coming soon hopefully. We do have a pomegranate and apple tree now and grew strawberries, blackberries and raspberries last year which was nice.

Unfortunately, the slower pace of the pandemic is long gone and didn’t stick. Seems life pace has picked back up and then some. I make moments every day where I can rest, lay in the hammock, or just relax and take in the views but mostly it seems endlessly busy. Recently my 14 year old step daughter moved in with us full time. We’ve been wanting her to live with us full time for many years so that’s been awesome, but having a full time teen isn’t a relaxing experience generally. Haha. So we do as we must, and make space for ourselves when we can. Studio time is when I get the most time to myself but that can feel hectic these days too as some works tend to take on a sense of urgency on their own.

What is your favorite unique find from the devil’s website (i.e. Amazon)?

Can’t say I have any great finds on the devil’s website. It’s almost purely orders of shit I’m too lazy to go out and fine IRL these days, or just shipping supplies with the occasional flannel pj’s. Ha

If someone wanted to understand the emotional landscape of your story and creative process, do you have a film recommendation that would be able to echo familiar themes?

No one single film unfortunately, but over the span of my life, I’d say What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, echo Dead Poet Society the emotional landscape of my youth, but as much as I love movies and connect with them I don’t have any more contemporary films that speak to my own story and creative process. I love the continually visible queer culture happening these days but it doesn’t generally speak to my personal experiences as came out at the tale end of the AIDS epidemic, and a generation prior to any contemporary acceptability that many young folks may experience. Skateboarding and music are both huge parts of my story and inspiration but everything is built with a tinge of fear because there integration of queerness wasn’t pervasive in my youth and I juggled multiple different lives, always fearful of how they would clash if they were ever to cross paths. Maybe some day someone can capture these themes in a singular story but I don’t think we’re there just yet.

In my own personal work? None, I don’t like hanging my own work in my house. Haha. I have one piece hanging currently but I try and surround myself with works of others. I’m too hard on myself to stare at my own work daily like that. In the rest of the exhibitions? That’s hard. I really loved that piece “Carry Me With You” by Karla Ekatherine Canseco. Strange and emotional, delicate and colorful, I’d have been very happy to have added that to my collection for sure.

On view only until this Friday March 17th at The Brand Library and Arts Center in Glendale, California.

The Brand Library and Arts Center
1601 W. Mountain Street
Glendale, California 91201

Viewing Days / Hours:
Tues. – Thurs.: 11am – 8pm
Fri. & Sat.: 10am – 5pm
Closed Sun. & Mon.
Free Admission & Free Parking