On Saturday, our first destination was the Art Gallery for the opening of Robert Williams’  “Conceptual Realism In The Service Of The Hypothetical.” Williams is a legendary illustrator, who got his start back in the 60s, first in the employ of Big Daddy Roth and later as part of the ZAP Comix collective. Williams founded Juxtapoz Magazine in 1994 and is also credited as one of the founding father of the Lowbrow art movement – clearly, this was not a show to miss.

After spending a very short hour at CSUN, we headed to Echo Park to check out the relatively new art space and shop, Miss Scarlet In The Parlor. This place was the cutest thing I’d seen in ages – decked out in shabby chic style, The Parlor makes everyone feel welcome. Tiny home-made sandwiches and other hors d’oeuvres complimented the warm, informal atmosphere to the sound of live accordion, chair percussion and old-school synths. The show opening that night was titled “Anatomically Correct” and featured work by Nomi Chi, James Flames, Eliza Frye, Stuntkid, and JJ Villard.

Once we had enough sandwiches to almost prevent further adventuring, we moved on to our final stop – the EroticExotica reception at New Puppy Gallery. The New Puppy space is massive – twenty six artists took part in this exhibit, each showing at least two pieces. The work on display did as the show’s name commanded and several walls were dedicated to the erotic [and disturbing] art of ancient Japan. Sadly, most of those pieces were near-impossible to shoot due to them being under very reflective glass, but I hope you can all appreciate the phallus-faced gentleman I did manage to capture. I’m still recovering.

Thus our night of new impressions and new friends drew to its end. Some went on to dine and drink, but I went home to soak in all the experiences of the night. A++, will gallery-hop again.

Words and Photos by Zoetica Ebb

Once the curtains rose, the theater really came to life. From the rustling taffeta of evening and cocktail dresses to fun printed playsuits and rich satin, lace, and nylon lingerie, provided by reVamp Vintage, Ragg Mop, and  Threads in Time, the originals and replicas on display were just impeccable. Some pieces had even been previously worn on-screen by the likes of Jean Harlow, Ava Gardner and Ginger Rogers. Ten models flaunting the polished make up and elaborate hairstyles of the time strolled across the stage to the sound of live piano, pausing only to strike their foxiest pinup poses.

Visit The Art Deco Society of LA website to learn about preservation of beautiful spaces around town and to meet other deco-enthusiasts at vintage-inspired events. I just signed up for the mailing list myself.

Words and Photos by Zoetica Ebb

Annamarie von Firley of reVamp Vintage appears in image #26