Tag Archives: Shag

Modernism Week – Retro-a-Rama at M Modern

Posted by The Tiki Chick in Events and tagged with , , , , , ,

IMG_2775

In conjunction with Palm Springs Modernism Week, M Modern Gallery presents a group art exhibition. Last year’s “The Contemporary Idol” had a tiki theme, while this year’s “Retro-a-rama” skewed more mid-century modern.

IMG_2807

Some submissions, like “Episode 9” by Glenn Barr (above) and “One Eleven” by Chris Reccardi (first image), went for a futuristic style that I was digging. Other featured artists for this show included Tim Biskup, Lynne Naylor, Bosko and, my personal favorite, Shag.

IMG_2795

I was also pleased to find two paper sculptures from Kevin Kidney and Jody Daily, who create awesome art and collectibles for Disney (recently the 50th anniversary of the Enchanted Tiki Room). It’s fitting that they would find inspiration in Tomorrowland and its Utopian vision of the future from a mid-century perspective. I loved the sweeping lines in “Goodyear ’67” — named after the company that sponsored the PeopleMover.

IMG_2802

It took me a second to realize the setting for Shag’s painting “The Refill” was the Kaufmann House, a Palm Springs local landmark designed by Neutra we’d seen last year on the Modernism Week architecture bus tour.

IMG_2792

The M Modern owners also operate Shag: The Store and have worked with Josh Agle for years, so they often have rare items you won’t find too many other places, like “Shag Map of the World.”

IMG_2779

“Drawn by memory from the artist Shag, based upon his travels of Planet Earth,” it amusingly matches signature cocktails to their cities and countries…Mai Tai to the Bay Area (for Trader Vic’s), Blue Hawaiian for Hawaii and so on. Shag’s web site has a larger, detailed version.

IMG_2777

It was originally made for the “Shag: Outbound with the In-Crowd” show last November at the Outré Galleries in Australia. The remaining framed prints are only available Down Under, but M Modern has an edition of 10 giclées on stretched canvas priced at $4,000 each. (If only I could stretch my pocketbook that far.)

IMG_2805

Well, that’s a wrap for our “Palm Springs Weekend” — hopefully we’ll be able to come back next year for some more fun in the sun and mid-century modern merriment.

Related Posts:
Other Tiki Things in Palm Springs
Modernism Week 2013 – Pan Am Exhibit
Modernism Week 2013 – Tour of Royal Hawaiian Estates

Modernism Week – The Contemporary Idol Art Show

Posted by The Tiki Chick in Events and tagged with , , , , ,

IMG_7142Last month, M Modern gallery in Palm Springs celebrated Modernism Week with openings for two new art exhibitions. The Contemporary Idol featured work from “20 artists interpret(ing) primitive art in the modern habitat.”

IMG_7046
A tiki art show at M Modern just wouldn’t be complete without a contribution from Shag. Naturally it had a little red “sold” dot next to it.

IMG_7040Derek Yaniger and Doug Horne were more familiar faces from The Book of Tiki 10th Anniversary exhibition at M Modern from awhile back, which is not surprising since author Sven Kirsten also curated this show.

IMG_7043The home decor aspect of the exhibition’s theme was emphasized by these tiki lamps courtesy of Jim “Polynesiac” DePompei. I especially liked the Andres Bumatay-style one on the left.

IMG_7058This “Twin Tangaroa Trio” is by Lake Surfer, whose carvings have appeared in Trader Vic’s Chicago and the Foundation Tiki Bar in Milwaukee. As there’s a lack of palm trees in his present homeland Wisconsin, he uses hardwoods like oak and maple, which give his work a distinctive look.

IMG_7054The pièces de résistance were undoubtedly the two intricate wood collages (“Face to Face” on left) from Leroy Schmaltz, “godfather of all tiki carvers” and co-founder of Oceanic Arts. It was also very appropriate for Ken Pleasant to be represented (“Irony” on right) since he carries on the aesthetic of Witco, the company that popularized primitive-style furniture in the 1960s. (See: Tiki Modern)

IMG_7076Dawn Frasier‘s paintings have such a beautiful, ethereal quality to them. “The Mystical Order of Mu” was part of this group show, but she also had a few other pieces on display.

IMG_7125The other new exhibition was called Modern Moods, a solo show from Bosko Hrnjak. I already dig his straightforward mid-century modern settings, but this one (“Sector 9”) gave it a fun sci-fi twist with a crash-landed spaceship and the sly suggestion of a future government cover-up.

IMG_7134

Animal Kingdom by Shag – Corey Helford Gallery

Posted by The Tiki Chick in Shag and tagged with , , , ,

IMG_6811On February 11, the Corey Helford gallery in Culver City hosted an opening party for Shag’s latest exhibition of paintings entitled Animal Kingdom. His previous show here was the doom and gloom fest Autumn’s Come Undone in late 2009, but now Shag’s sophisticates are once again carelessly swilling martinis in brightly colored swank pads.

IMG_6801The place was packed from the get-go as folks lined up to get free commemorative posters (for the first 500 guests). More than half of the 15 new paintings had already been sold by the time we walked in. Shag himself (Josh Agle) was there posing for photos and signing things — you couldn’t miss him since he had donned a pair of antlers just like some of his art subjects.

IMG_6821The press release for this show notes that Shag found inspiration from a vintage costume pattern that simply modified the ears and tails to portray different animals. However, he also points out a more modern muse: “I’ve noticed a lot of teenagers and hipsters recently wearing hoodies and beanies with animal ears, antlers or horns. Maybe there is a subconscious urge to return to our animalistic natures.”

IMG_6806 Wolves, bulls, birds, monkeys, and cats especially have frequently appeared alongside people in his works, often in an anthropomorphic manner. Here the theme is being turned around with the humans expressing their wild sides sartorially.

IMG_6812The centerpiece of the show was the eight-foot-long painting “Predators and Prey,” which was also my favorite for its nearly neon colors. Now if only I had $40,000 burning a hole in my pocket.

IMG_6819
I did also dig some of the smaller pieces like the Catwoman-esque “Black Kitten in Purple,” which had two other complementary versions in green and orange.

IMG_6826 In a neat tech-savvy twist, there was a little QR Code next to each painting. When you scanned each barcode with the camera on your smartphone, it took you to a special web page. I thought it might tell you the painting’s name or price, but instead it displayed a sentence or two to set the scene.

IMG_6829The best ones showed a wicked sense of humor, like this one for “Wayward Cub”…”She didn’t have a problem with Stevie’s drinking until the first drop of his Purple Rain hit the snowy white fur of her ex-husband.”

IMG_6815You can see the paintings on Shag’s site and read all those vignettes by clicking on the dots towards the bottom of the page. Animal Kingdom by Shag will be on display at the gallery through March 3, 2012.

IMG_6810

Corey Helford Gallery
522 Washington Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90232
310-287-2340