Chinatown blossoms as artistic mecca

By Chris Young
Daily Bruin Staff

Every four to five weeks, a group of people convene in
Chinatown, and they’re not forming a mah jong circle. They
are artists, critics and art lovers coming to see the multi-gallery
premiere of exhibitions there.

The doors of eight galleries will open for the reception this
Saturday at 6 p.m. in Chinatown’s West Plaza on Chung King
Road. With contributions from international artists and local
talent, featuring paintings, sculpture, drawings and mixed media,
the Saturday event will offer patrons a large number of exhibitions
in a relaxed environment. Most of the artists will be on hand to
promote their work.

“Chung King Road is definitely an established center for
art,” said curator Rich Lord of the Lord Mori gallery, the
newest one in the area. “It’s not so much about art as
big business; it’s art for art’s sake.”

Chung King Road is a pedestrian-only street, festooned with
lanterns and a variety of stores.

“Chinatown is a really good neighborhood; it has
it’s own activities and a very specific flavor; that’s
one of the things that attracted me to this part of L.A.,”
said co-owner of the Goldman Tevis gallery, Mary Goldman .

Each exhibition room is independent, with its own timetable and
collections. Furthermore, their scope is not limited to Chinese or
Asian art, and includes modern and contemporary art.

“Every gallery has a different flavor to it, like a street
of fashion stores,” said Giovanni Intra of China Art Objects
gallery.

China Art Objects moved onto Chung King Road three years ago,
and was the first art space built there. It helped start the
concurrent evening receptions about a year ago as other exhibition
rooms arrived.

“We have an excellent relationship with the local
businesses, chamber of commerce and business improvement
district,” Intra said. “Every gallery on the street
likes Chinatown; the atmosphere is very good. We wanted to bring
some new people and business to this area without having any
negative effects.”

Intra said China Art Objects supports both conventional and
unconventional works of art.

He said that while the gallery is supported by the purchase of
works, they try to balance out their collection with commercially
risky pieces as well, a general characteristic of the galleries on
Chung King.

“We represent about nine artists, some are very lucrative
and others are completely noncommercial, but we like them
anyway,” Intra said. “Some people do really unusual
projects. They could come to the gallery and do something right on
the spot. It’s a lot harder to sell that than a sculpture or
painting.”

The current exhibit at the nearby Lord Mori gallery provides a
different take on art, focusing on architecture. Here, two artists
have displayed pieces that comment on the international influence
of Los Angeles’ Case Study Houses. These are a collection of
mid-20th century houses that were built in different neighborhoods
across Los Angeles. Lord said that the houses are internationally
known for their aesthetically attractive designs and practicality
in construction and materials.

“We thought it would be interesting for Los Angelenos to
see the importance of the houses in other countries,” Lord
said.

Adding to the wide spectrum of art that can be found on Chung
King Road is the Goldman Tevis gallery which in general features
artists from California, New York and Europe, including works by
faculty from Cal Arts.

“We exhibit mostly emerging contemporary art,”
Goldman said. “All the artists we work with are extremely
intelligent and it shows in their work; it’s not just a
pretty show.”

Goldman felt that by having such a wide variety of galleries
grouped together, visitors to Chung King Road are given a fuller
experience.

“Los Angeles is a difficult city in that it has no center
and the spontaneity of doing something is cut down,” Goldman
said. “People generally have a destination in mind.

“The fact that these galleries are clustered together is
very good, because it’s more generous for the people coming
to view the work, so they can enjoy a variety of exhibitions and
different spaces,” she said.

EVENT: The concurrent evening reception is this
Saturday from 6-9:30 p.m. in Chinatown’s West Plaza at Chung
King Road and Bernard Street.