The LA Art Show, undoubtedly one of the largest international art fairs, is back again this January for five days of fantastic artwork offered from leading galleries worldwide. The event will happen January 19 through 23 at the Los Angeles Convention Center in California and counts New York City-based Arcadia Contemporary among its returning exhibitors. Each year the gallery crafts a thoughtful new exhibition that attendees are excited to see.
Mary Sauer, Gold, oil on canvas, 36 x 24"
For 2022, gallery owner Steve Diamant says, “Arcadia Contemporary is delighted to return to the LA Art Show with a collection of new works by the gallery’s well-known artists as well as a selection of artists that will make both their gallery and art fair debut. Artists such as Malcolm Liepke, Nick Alm and Brad Kunkle are all creating new paintings to debut and new artists including Adèle Flamand-Browne and Suchitra Bhosle will have works to debut in our booth.”
Canadian artist Jeff Bartels is represented in the fair by his hyperrealist works with aspects of surrealism that examine the prevalence of cameras in society. “The paintings insert oversized vintage cameras into scenes of everyday life to represent everything from the cellphones we all carry to security cameras and satellite images...Although the paintings have a ‘photorealistic’ look, I don’t use any photographic references when creating them. I begin each piece in a CGI computer program and then use that image as a reference for the painting. Despite the realistic look, none of what is depicted in the paintings is taken from real life…[They] speak to the prevalence of cameras, the process tells us not to believe everything we see,” says the artist.
Jeff Bartels, Surveillance Electric Eye, oil on panel, 20 x 30"
A series of minimalist works that artist José Vergara has been working on since the beginning of 2020 will also be showcased at Arcadia’s booth. “The idea for this series emerged after a long period of exploration and search for an ideal subject. During quarantine I relied only on the internet for inspiration, which resulted in an overwhelming and counterproductive visual stimulus,” Vergara explains. “Fortunately, in one of my searches through the web, I stumbled upon a drawing by Richard Serra and the work of Robert Motherwell. In an instant I felt a deep connection with their work...These two artists had such an impact on me that I gradually adopted minimalism as a way of life.” 
Mark Pugh, Labor Day, oil on canvas, 48 x 30"
While his training is in traditional figure painting, Mark Pugh gains inspiration from “classical children’s illustrators...I regularly use children as my subjects, set against a background meant to imitate some of these old ink and watercolor illustrations,” he says. “While many paintings by other artists depicting children portray them through a lens of idyllic innocence, I subtly contrast my children in storybook images with dark, complex themes, often focusing on death and change. I like to tell stories with my paintings, with the themes going deeper than the surface narrative. This is the case with my painting Labor Day, which depicts a young girl submerged beneath stormy waves as she attempts to keep a paper boat afloat. While my intention is not to depict a child actually drowning, the painting represents that moment that marks the end (death) of childhood and the beginning of adulthood, the transition of summer to early autumn.”
Anne-Christine Roda, Vie Interieure, oil on panel, 35 x 24"
“It has been only six months since the last LA Art Show fair,” says Diamant, “but the response from collectors is always so strong that we’re thrilled to be going back.” —
Arcadia Contemporary at LA Art Show
Los Angeles Convention Center, South Hall
1201 S. Figueroa Street • Los Angeles, CA 90015
(626) 486-2018 • www.arcadiacontemporary.com
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