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REVIVAL is an exhibition of art works by two artists who work exclusively with found objects.
David Lovejoy and Ben Z Zask will install their large scale works and invite other assemblage artists to add to the installation.
David Lovejoy, Ben Z Zask and Friends
About the artists in the show:
David Lovejoy.
David Lovejoy comes to us from a studio located, above the “Last Bookstore” on Spring Street in Los Angeles. He is a collector of 1930s and 40s objects which show the patina of use. He is mainly interested in things that present depth, such as drawers, cases, and lamps. He is also interested in the mechanical elements of things such as typewriters, telegraphs, and sewing machines for the aesthetic appeal of their craftsmanship. He encourages viewers of his art to enjoy the traces of the process of building and to look at things they would never see in daily life.
His objects are joined in ways that only require the basic tools, which dictate the types of materials he chooses.
To begin an art piece, Lovejoy will find something that stands out to him. He will handle it and appreciate its dimensional qualities until he starts to get an idea of what to build around it. Often he will find an enclosure for the piece and work on the surrounding elements, building a kind of story as he goes. His current interest is to develop larger scale projects as he progresses with these materials to mount installations within architectural interiors.
Lovejoy’s appreciation of materials leads him to find compositional relationships that demonstrate energy through balance or even lack of balance, as he builds unexpected juxtapositions of elements. His desire at the most basic level is to make people smile. Lovejoy refers to a lot of contemporary art being provocative or confrontational. He does not have a need for making statements or making his viewer feel discomfort. In fact Lovejoy has been referred to as the Sorbet of the Art world – refreshing!
Ben Zask
Ben Zask has his studio in Rancho Palos Verdes, at the end of the road in Portuguese Bend. Dotting the property where he works outdoors are various small storage sheds filled with found metal and wood and tools to work them. He picks the objects from places far and wide – be it the tide pools, estate sales or on the side of the road on his travels.
Zask looks for wood that is aged with the history through layers of paint or varied patina on aged metal. He is interested in the craftsmanship of objects of the early 20 C and before – pre plastic. He is attracted to objects that have been transformed by erosion, oxidation or that have been chopped, cut or altered by nature. Occasionally an object will present itself as an art piece by itself and all it will need is some context.
He will begin with an object that he is emotionally attracted to that cannot stand on its own. He will handle and work with it, finding other objects that fit physically and visually. He will work to contrast elements – rough with smooth – organic with geometric – and as the piece builds, the story builds.
As the artwork takes shape, it starts to tell a story that may be interpreted in many different ways depending on a person’s life experiences. He likes to say about his finished work: “I stop working on my art when I have an emotional connection to it that is similar to meeting a long lost friend.”
This is a new location for South Bay Contemporary.
History of the Loft Building:
The Loft is in downtown San Pedro at 401 South Mesa in a yellow stucco building, wedged between an auto repair shop and a ship supplier warehouse. Built in the early 1900s, the building once was Pacific Laundry, which washed all the clothes and linens for cargo ships calling at the port. For 50 years, it served as a warehouse for Harbor Ship Supply, a ship chandler.
Since July 1995, the building has been home to an eclectic group of artists who create paintings, sculptures, neon works, and assemblages in huge, airy, sunlit studios. Two galleries with polished floors and high ceilings showcase their work with new exhibits mounted bimonthly. Guest artists are invited to show their work, and community meetings, musical events and poetry readings are also held here.
South Bay Contemporary will be hosting it's exhibitions here for 2015. "Revival" will be the first event in the new space for SBC.