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.”