Ghetto Gloss Openning: Fernet Branca and Agwa steal the show
by Anthony McBride

Remember the last time you dropped $8.50 on a movie and decided the flick was not worth your time, let alone your cash? Think again. Ever notice the paintings in some scenes? Too busy watching Tom Cruise, Penelope Cruz, or even Sean Penn? (thank Allah he’s back!). Well, pay attention, folks, because there is some fantastic artwork being leased to fill the celluloid walls of film and even television. Sometimes you’ll get lucky and spot a Francis Bacon or even a da Vinci like in the Brando/Broderick film The Freshman (or was that not the real Mona Lisa?).

Most of the artwork is owned in private collections and is lent, or most likely leased to production companies and studios. There are also galleries that cater specifically to the industry and the general public in the rental and sales business of art. One of these galleries is worth keeping in your rolodex for the next indie film you’re producing or even that party you’re throwing and you want everything to be so perfect.

Arrive, Ghettogloss - a unique gallery representing a range of fine artists whose works are cleared and available for film, television, and commercial rentals. Ghettogloss also provides in house design for print and feature films.

On Valentine’s night the gallery opened its doors to the press and what looked like a casting director’s Hollywood hipster dream crowd. Owner of the gallery is a young artist who seems to have her finger on the pulse of what is keeping Los Angeles at the forefront of the international art scene. She simply goes by the name Fiora, her last name is non-existent. How chic and cool is that!? The manager of her joint is also an artist called Piper Goldstein, a very cool chick as well. I know they won’t mind me describing them in this fashion because, upon meeting them, they come off as very open and user friendly, which is a breath of fresh air in the sometimes pretentious and stuffy art world. It was hard to miss the installation piece outside the space titled “you glow girl,” the artist named “the prostitute.” This was a group of squid-like objects giving off a translucent blue-glow with bubbles emanating from its bowels.

Inside was a feast of art, and there were plenty of patrons and guests noshing on tasties, and some things not so tasty. D.J. Vinzuela spun everything from hip-hop to jazz (he also had two pieces in the show). I worked my way around the room looking for the one piece that would stir something inside me. I passed a piece by Clive Barker, which had a man almost eating out of an opening in the middle of a woman’s torso. Co-curator Piper commented, “Don’t you think it’s romantic?” So I searched on this Valentine’s night inside me and found that I also felt that, yes, Clive Barker could be romantic.

Other works I found interesting were paintings by K. Parker, especially his acrylic on canvas which was a 72”x 55” painting of a male with dark features that pulled you in to his world which seemed to be one that was a study of our world Mark Mothers-baugh.

But the bar was the main attraction. I am not usually in the business if giving testimonials of products I consume at events, but oh my God, Fernet-Branca (apparently a bartenders secret) blew me away. It is the Italian liqueur that’s a total craze in the bay area, catching on like wild-fire in San Diego, and yes, they have our back page. The shots and chaser backs had the entire crowd in some sort of riotous frenzy. I spoke to Antoinette Cattani, a rep from Branca products who was leading the crowd in a sheer pseudo-art-installation all her own, with help from fellow, and highly sought after Hollywood bartender Ryan Christopher, and her shouts of, “I got a bomb in a bottle,” and, “Let me offend you” had the crowd fascinated.

Antoinette educated me about the premium spirit, and I learned that with over forty herbs, mushrooms, and spices, and aged for over a year, this was the drink of the new millenium. Saffron, St. John’s wort, ginseng and others made up this unique flavor and created a buzz that was not weighty or a downer at all.

This stuff is what parties are made of today. With supposed arthritis ailing side effects, better than Viagra powers and just plain old fun at the bar, Fernet-Branca completely assisted the art opening in it’s success that evening, and the next time I’m out, I will be looking for my new favorite drink.

Quite mentionable also was the import from Holland known as AGWA, another fabulous herbal liqueur that followed up our shots of Fernet-Branca. Oh, I heard Sean Penn buys Fernet-Branca by the case from his local watering hole, but that could just be a rumor. Fine art, fine folks and fine liqueur made for a great night at Ghettogloss

Ghettogloss 2380 Glendale Blvd,
Silverlake #C 323-912-0008 www.ghettogloss.com and brancaproducts.com.

S’Wonderful, S’Marvel-ous:
Kustom Kulture’s All-Girl Review
by L. Charelian

Offset any negative head trauma caused by St. Paddy’s Day this year by getting a little “kulture” the night before. Saturday, March 16, outsider art maven Rebecca Marvel will be presenting Hot Rod Mama! Featuring Low Brow Ladies of Kulture. This exhibit by 11 of L.A.’s hippest female avant-garde artistes will showcase pinstriping, auto art, airbrush, gothic/horror based art, kool clothing, jewelry, handbags, and more. All items will be for sale to the public. As of this writing, participating artists will include: Hellkats LA, Kali Vera, Lucky 11, Trophy Queen, Chick, Sunny Buick, Yvonne Mecialis, Liz McGrath, Rebecca Marvel, Blanca Apodaca, and Jeannie Zaideman. Most also have convenient web sites for the serious kustom shopper. (see event web site below)

Rebecca is the proprietor of Hollywood Art Glass in Sun Valley (www.hollywoodartglass.com), specializing in carved and etched glass, where she’s completing some of her outrageous glass ouija boards to include in the show. You may know Rebecca from other fab events she has hosted with her husband Jeff "Moldy Marvin" Hillinger. Together they co-own the Kulture Shoq Studio and Gallery.

When asked about the all-female aspect of this exhibit, Rebecca elaborates, "Most of what you’ve seen at our other shows has been male generated, Roth type ("Big Daddy" Ed Roth) art. After all it was a man, Von Dutch, that started the kustom kulture movement, and it was a man that originally put pinstriping to a car, to cover scratches. Well, what about the girls? They have had the same artistic inspiration as the guys. Some have even more tattoos! Recently someone asked me how the girls’ art is different than the guys,’ and my answer is - there is no difference. It’s the same quality, and I feel some of it is actually better. I think it’s about time the girls got some recognition."

This premier event promises to be killer, so don’t miss it. Hot Rod Mama will be held at 8 Ball, 1928 W. Olive Ave., Burbank, Sat. March 16, 6 – 11pm. Come early for refreshments. For more event info log on to www.kultureshoq.com/
hotrodmama or call 818-767-0222.

Local Artist
Rhode Island School of Design graduate and Andre the Giant (www.obeygiant.com) phenomenonologist Shepard Fairey (above), together with artists Dalek, Ron English, and Richard Coleman (collectively The Playerhaters), opened their gallery show Saturday, February 16, at Merry Karnowsky Gallery, 170 S. La Brea Ave (323-933-4408). Their mesmerizing flavor of irreverent art is on display through March 16th at the gallery (and all over town on sign posts and billboards by enthusiastic followers and fans); Photo by Jay Matsueda.

Student Artist

Marilyn Malkov Stein was a born artist sidetracked by a career in advertising. Throughout her life, she searched for ways to express the creativity that won her student art awards as a child, pouring herself into needlepoint and flower arranging with the same passion she would later use to fill canvases.

But it wasn't until Marilyn moved to Los Angeles and began studying with Alex Vilumson's team at Everywoman's Village that her true passion for art was rekindled.

"I was fascinated and awed," she recalls, "I had come full circle."

The once five-year-old whose mother enrolled her into art classes after seeing the walls of her house smeared with paint one too many times now finds her work being exhibited and collected in the United States and Germany.

Marilyn is associated with Artist Coop 7, formerly Everywoman’s Village. - BC