Instead of doling out fists of dough for large, stuffy museums,
why not discover the free and fertile grounds of local galleries?By
Kristin Fiore
Daily Bruin Contributor
There’s more to Santa Monica than Third Street and the Pier.
Three inland Santa Monica art spaces  Fred Hoffman Fine
Art, Bergamot Station Art Center and Side Street Projects Â
offer a wide variety of contemporary art by new and established
artists you aren’t likely to see at the big-time museums. Each has
its own style and purpose within the local art community.
Fred Hoffman is a bit more formal than the others and is
arranged more like a mini-museum, with two expansive rooms that
usually feature one artist.
"We focus on a few significant artists that will make a
difference in the artistic community," says Hoffman.
We put a lot of curating effort into each show." Indeed, each
show is accompanied by a full-color, museum-quality catalog.
The gallery’s sun-lit walls and high ceilings are a great
showcase for the monumental works of the current exhibit, Charles
Arnoldi.
Arnoldi is a prominent post-war artist who has not received
enough attention from the larger art outfits, true of most of the
artists Hoffman chooses to exhibit. His George Segal and Tom
Wesselman shows were the first in Los Angeles and on the West
Coast, respectively.
Arnoldi’s work encompasses everything from bronze sculpture and
paintings on canvas to acrylic-covered branches and chain
saw-sculpted paintings. With few exceptions, however, there is a
definite continuity in style that is his signature.
Many of his works are made with thorns, branches, sticks and
wood blocks that are brightly painted, then arranged in a
free-standing sculpture or a frantic three-dimensional wall
"painting." Their vibrant colors and chaotic, yet ordered,
formations give them a volcanic energy that erupts in blues,
yellows and reds. Others are pastel and subdued.
Arnoldi’s works are often childlike in a bold, playful sort of
way, though some are dark and introspective.
His paintings occasionally mirror his angular woodwork, but most
reflect a different mood. Although the same bright colors dominate,
they suggest the other side of organic matter  soft curves
and a smaller, more static nature.
Arnoldi’s artistic experiments are quite a stretch from the
irreverent pop culture exhibits at Track 16 Gallery and Gannet
Outdoor.
Both are part of Bergamot Station, a huge art center which
boasts more than 20 galleries.
"Street-o-matic: The Urban Gallery" pays tribute to the great
American exports  cars, hype and entertainment  through
the billboards that have promoted them throughout the 20th
century.
Los Angelenos will recognize the infamous billboard of Elton
John that once graced Tower Records, or the movie poster pinup face
of Daryl Hannah.
Also included in the exhibit, are recreations of old car ads
from the ’20s through the ’90s. They range from V-8 Ford ads to
MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) posters.
Their styles and promises reveal more about the society they
targeted than the products they advertise.
Political billboards, like those commonly seen on Sunset Strip
and other high-profile areas, also expose the vices and interests
of society. The "Stop the Violence" and "Children of the Night"
campaigns recall the issues of gangs and homelessness, while
caricatures of Newt Gingrich and Pete Wilson remind us that no one
is beyond criticism.
Ironic humor is commonly used to bring attention to our foibles
or more serious problems. One of Mark Heckmann’s many works on
display is of an "Afro Country Club," where "only the (golf) ball
is white."
Bill Barminski, in the Robert Berman Gallery next door, also
uses satire to criticize America’s love affair with consumerism.
His work is of a similar vein, using a ’50s ad style to twist
reality, though many are darker in tone.
He replaces the "Enjoy Coke" slogan with "Enjoy h-bom," while
the Coke bottle in another ad has ‘Crap’ written across it instead.
In a barely discernible background, many ads have subliminal
messages like "conform" or "consume," hinting at the true nature of
the ad.
Bergamot Station has everything from traditional photography to
avant-garde sculpture to Mickey Mouse.
The most unusual art center would have to be Side Street
Projects. In addition to its gallery, Side Street has a workroom
and a workshop that artists can rent for showing or creating their
work.
The current two exhibits, featuring 45 artists, have nothing in
common save their unique display.
The name of one exhibit, "Detours," probably refers to its
arrangement around the entire lot of the 18th Street Art Complex.
The installations are placed inside and outside, in patios and
parking lots, and consist of sculpture, furniture and everything in
between.
Some pieces are sleek and practical, some whimsical and useless,
that would be more fitting in the imaginary castle of a child. All
were conceived specifically for the space in which they are
displayed.
The second exhibit is the "International Artists’ Writing
Reading Room," which "features artists who use writing as an
integral part of their art-making," according to Assistant
Coordinator Valerie Tevere. Part living room and part classroom,
this literary jungle is arranged in what only appears to be a
haphazard manner.
Poems and journals hang from the ceiling; stories unravel on
toilet paper rolls and wind themselves around fruit and cups; an
episode of Seinfeld dangles above a pair of inviting theatre
chairs.
"It’s an exciting show in a comfortable, not sterile,
environment. You can sprawl out on the couch and read a book," says
Tevere.
The room recalls an intimate coffeehouse where one can lounge
and snoop around, though it lacks a toasty atmosphere. The idea is
novel, there’s plenty of open seating, and some of the work is
memorable.
All of these galleries are worth an afternoon, and Bergamot
Station can easily fill an entire day.
Checking out these and other local galleries is a great
alternative to yet another day at the beach, or even another trip
to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
Best of all, parking and admission are free. How many places in
Los Angeles can say that?
For online information on these and other exhibits, see:
sidest@netcom.com (Side Street Productions),
http://www.gallery-guide.com, and http://www.artemedia.com (both
general info).
(Far left) "Contemplating the Thorns" by Susan Tibbles, on view
at the Patricia Correia Gallery. (Upper left) A billboard from the
"I Will Smile for One Year" series, by Burt Payne 3, on view at
Track 16 Gallery.(Above) Bill Barminski offers a commentary on
consumerism in "Gyration Subscription" at the Robert Berman
Gallery.