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MARCH 1, 2024 - APRIL 13, 2024
CONTROL Gallery
Wednesday – Saturday |11AM - 6PM
Sunday – Tuesday | Closed
Extended Hours During Frieze | Open Sunday, March 3, 11AM - 6PM
434 N La Brea Ave. | Los Angeles, CA 90036
www.control.gallery
Opening Reception
MARCH 1, 2024 | 6PM - 9PM
CONTROL Gallery is pleased to present Cheap Thrills & Tons of Smoke for Maximum Joy, a collection of new works from Los Angeles-based artist Guillaume Ollivier.
Bringing to life a unique assemblage of everyday objects, Ollivier’s paintings find beauty and joy in the excesses of modern life, embodying the global, interconnected exuberance of the present age. His work creates an undeniable dialogue, asking whether we are on the brink of a precipice or the dawn of something new.
For his latest body of work, Ollivier pays homage to the intricate cultural and historical journey leading to our present era, marked by constant fusion and transformation. This new collection of paintings serves as unpredictable symphonies that seamlessly integrate with a fading artificial landscape. Rooted in American culture and design, these works invoke the spirit and extravagance of the late Baroque era, skillfully merging that period with the allure of modern design, reminiscent of both Las Vegas hotels and the grandeur of Versailles. Finding beauty in excess, Ollivier makes art that “celebrates our quirky togetherness and reinforces our sense of shared identity and harmony.”
Simultaneously in the BEYOND THE STREETS main gallery, visitors can view EXHIBITION 010: GRAFFITI ARCHIVE 1972/73, an unprecedented glimpse into the raw, untamed world of New York City's graffiti scene during the pivotal years of 1972 and 1973. Curated from the late artist Gordon Matta-Clark's photographic archives, the show presents over 200 carefully selected photographs, many of which have never been revealed to the public until now, alongside original, vintage artworks from artists whose work is immortalized within Matta-Clark’s photographs, including two dozen large-scale paintings and drawings from the early 1970s by SNAKE 1, SJK 171, LEE 173rd, WICKED GARY, TRACY 168, and STAY HIGH 149, amongst several others.
The opening reception will be held on Friday, March 1, 2024 from 6PM - 9PM. These shows run through April 13, 2024.
About Guillaume Ollivier
Guillaume Ollivier is an American artist born in Paris, France and raised in Los Angeles. A graduate from the San Francisco Academy of Art with a seasoned background in advertising, his pieces are portals into the gardens of his imagination and are deeply rooted in the realm of surrealism, creating a dialogue between the real world and a world that lives in his mind.
Ollivier's artwork dances on the edge between excess and reflection, an inviting chaos that somehow finds tranquility in the turbulence of overflowing culture and ever-changing surroundings. He strives to press a mental ‘reset’ button, inviting viewers into a world where every vibrant, chaotic detail is a step towards seeing our environment with fresh, ‘beginner’s’ eyes. Ollivier seeks to dissolve and rearrange structure, weaving a tapestry that harmonizes the seemingly discordant elements of our hyper-abundant era. Through the symphony of his art, he explores human behavior, self-reflection, and our relationships to our ever-shifting surroundings. Guided by a belief that there is nothing nature can’t mend, his work stands as a celebration and gentle critique of our era of availability and excess. Ollivier invites you to step into his gardens, to find a moment of 'awww' amid the chaos, and perhaps, to perceive the world around you with reinvigorated wonder and curiosity.
Ollivier has exhibited his work at The Brand Museum & Library (Glendale, CA) in 2022 and at The de Young Museum (San Francisco) in 2023.
434 N La Brea Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90036
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