C.A.V.E. Gallery Directors 3rdi and ZS Grant with artist John Carr - Estée Ochoa

C.A.V.E. Gallery recently opened an untitled group show that features works by Chris Stain, Taka Sudo and H. Veng Smith – three very distinct talents with varying technique and style. The theme of the show was unclear upon first glance but a deeper investigation reveals each series embodying urgent contemporary messages of social, spiritual and natural awareness.

Artist Idris Morehouse - Estée Ochoa

Chris Stain (New York) grew up writing graffiti and is now an internationally recognized stencil artist. His working class themes and washed-out color palette echo the American Social Realist movement of the 1930′s. Pieces of a Man reflects the struggles of everyday people and assigns an inspiring dignity to his unrecognizable and underrepresented portrait subjects.

Viewer with H. Veng Smith - Estée Ochoa

H. Veng Smith is a native New Yorker whose petite paintings examine the complex evolution and survival of life on a finite planet. Alternative Occupancy is a surreal exploration of whimsical figures of man and animals, the complex and strenuous relationship between the two, and nature’s inherent strength to preserve. If your lucky you may came across one of his larger pieces on the streets of New York City.

Artists Taka Sudo and Mimi Yoon - Estée Ochoa

Taka Sudo (Vancouver) was the in-house live painter for the show’s opening night. His mixed media series entitled Dynamo is exactly that. The collection is full of vibrant color and energy that explodes onto the canvas. The human and animal figures surrounded by fragmented text, mimics conflicting messaging in consumer culture. His artwork is inspired by his quest in seeking true energy and the ideology that every person embodies a spiritual “dynamo” full of symbiotic creative energy. Also, located on the project wall of the gallery is Mimi Yoon’s Don’t Look Into My Eyes (not shown).

Untitled three-person group show
To view works, click here.
February 11 through March 3, 2012

The Center for Audio and Visual Expression aka C.A.V.E. Gallery
1108 Abbot Kinney Blvd
Venice, CA

Cover Image: Chris Stain, United States A Small Something, 2012 - C.A.V.E. Gallery