When Garis & Hahn announced it was closing its Lower East Side New York gallery, we must admit, we were a little sad. That was until they announced they were simply relocating to Los Angeles (phew). The inaugural exhibition in their new digs will be a solo exhibition by New York-based artist Mike Perry. The exhibition, Intoxicating Pollen Wiggling in a Moist Journey of Constantly Blooming Tides presents recent works on canvas that depict “vibrant, kaleidoscopic abstractions” will be on view September 9 – October 21, 2017.
The exhibition will include colorful, large-scale paintings, a signature of Perry’s work. “Perry’s practice is as fluid as his brushstrokes,” the gallery wrote in a statement, “ranging from drawings, sculpture, and paintings to graphic illustration.” The paintings “embody all the signature elements of Perry’s work—un-naturalistic colors, intricately distorted compositions and a hand-drawn aesthetic,” according to the gallery.
Which coast is the best coast? On the move to Los Angeles, Sophie Hahn, Director of the gallery told Art Zealous, “Los Angeles has a vibrant and flourishing art scene which is what attracted us to make the move from NY to LA. We’ve noticed that in recent years there has been a transition from the already established and acclaimed art world of New York to the West Coast cities, and we very much wanted to be part of it. Los Angeles is renowned for its amazing lifestyle and creative minds, and this is clearly attracting artists in all areas to relocate here and institutions and galleries to establish themselves here.”
Mary Garis, Director of the gallery, echoed Sophie’s sentiments, “LA, which has a legacy of very talented artists and strong institutions, is increasingly getting its due credit as a true center to rival other major art cities like New York. We feel the timing is right to be active contributors to the LA art scene. LA has many fantastic commercial galleries and spaces and also some really ambitious and important artist-run spaces. I think our gallery bridges that gap in an interesting way. ”
Mike Perry: Intoxicating Pollen Wiggling in a Moist Journey of Constantly Blooming Tides will be on view at Garis & Hahn, 1820 Industrial Street, Los Angeles, from September 9 – October 21, 2017.
Top image //Mike Perry, The Orgy, 2017. Oil on canvas. Image courtesy Mike Perry Studio.