The Los Angeles Brewery Artwalk is a biannual event at one of LA’s biggest artist in residence community. Originally the Pabst Blue Ribbon Brewery, it was converted into a non-profit art community in 1982 and today boasts of over 100 artist studios of all genres and techniques and characters. The event is open on one weekends and is free to the public. This is a good way for aspiring artists in training to get an up close and personal experience of the day in the life of an artist in their private hub where they brew and percolate their creative juices and bring works of art to be enjoyed by the public. It’s not too often one gets a VIP access into the seemingly private lives of painters and sculptors and the like, and see how they work and what makes them tick.
The trek around the former beer factory is itself worth the trip, since they retained much of the original structures from when it was first built, with some modifications to convert the spaces into a workable studios and to uphold the aging structures. One would feel like an archaeologist walking through a piece of the past. Oh, did I ever mention I once aspired to be an archaeologist in my younger days?
The Brewery can be seen clearly from off the Interstate 5 freeway north of I-10.
The original building started out as Edison Electric Steam Power Plant, later to Pabst Blue Ribbon Brewery, before being transformed into the largest artist community in the world.You can see the Edison Electric sign faded but still in view.The lower level of the Edison factory building serves as the Brewery Annex Gallery that hosts number of exhibitions by international and domestic artists throughout the year.From the Annex you can climb these rather treacherous stairs up to other studios in the building. Watch your step…Yes you can see just how “safe” the stairwells are here. One slip, and you’ll be walking instead up the stairway to heaven. 😉The Colony supports artists of all crafts, even writers. This author, Jason Silva, has recently published a series of childrens’ books chronicling the tale of Edgar Trunk. Don’t know who he is but you can check him out at your local bookstore.If you survived the treacherous stairwells to the top congratulations, and be rewarded with a view of this spacious studio with great views. Now this is my kind of art studio…A great view of downtown LA from the top floor of that Brewery building.Down below you can see some of many storage houses and barracks that surround the old factory, all converted into muti-unit studio lofts and occupied by artists from all walks of the art world.This steel balcony really better be strong or it will be a four story drop to wherever.Coming back from the balcony and a view of the other end of the studio. Currently on display are artworks from the Children of Hillsides, a non-profit organization that services of the needs of at-risk youth.Going back down…yes you best hold your breath and pray you’ll make it down…Interestingly the adjoining building to the Annex serves as a play area for any mountain climbing fanatics. Would like to try myself someday.Walk around to the back of the building and you can see what used to be a steel mill, not open though, I’m afraid.Now entering one of many studio lofts open for your viewing pleasure. Some will let you climb the stairs to the second floor to get a nice view of below. Some studios are jointly operated by more than one artists, such as this one of Susan Berkowitz and Madam X.Some studios don’t have the second floor, but it’s still quite roomy.Some artists here literally make the Brewery here a home, and the exteriors of their studio shows…
Now this studio doubles as a gallery and a cooking class. No starving artists here….Inside of the Hipcooks studio/cooking lab. Upstairs is for the artist Patrick Hammerlein.Most of the artists here at the Brewery practice modern and contemporary art, but there are few for the more classical taste.Some interesting displays here using 21st century technology, such as a laser-cut relief here by Guillermo Bert.Here some intaglio prints made from intricately laser-cut plates from the same guy from above. His crafts is not limited to just laser cutting, as most artists here handle more than just one area of artistic expertise.Laser cutting is not limited to 2D objects, obviously. By Guillermo Bert.This is that laser cutting machine the artist uses for all his projects. That can’t be cheap to maintain. In addition Mr. Bert here offers commercial and freelance services with their crafts. After all artists have to make money to support their living…I think this is the House of Sloth, sorry I’m not too good at keeping track of artists here. Skateboard art. You can actually see some artists working at their table. This guy is into heavy metal for sure. You can have pleasant chats with the artists during the visit, but not all are so sociable.Some cool metal carvings. If you’re into heavy metal or goth, this is for you.This bridge sure looks like fun to cross. If only I knew how to get to it…
This artist, Dave Lefner, specializes in lino-cut printmaking, which was made famous by the legendary Pablo Picasso, seen here on the top right; it’s hard to miss.An old-fashioned artists table to keep papers of all kinds.The printing press. I remember using this back in my printmaking class.Now this is a really old-school printing press. Still usable, it seems.The conceptual prints and painting studio of David McKenney. The artist’s table in its full mess of a glory. I lost cound on how many different paints and brushes were in this pile of mess.Remember that bridge? Yep I’m on it.
Some lucky artists gets a really cool open rooftop space, and he’s free to make it his home…Inside the workspace. Not all studios are open, but can still enjoy it from the other side of the glass.
Some Andy Warhol inspired paintings. Recognize any of the images here?
This guy obviously has a thing for uniformed schoolgirls.See, what I tell you. This gives me the creeps…A nice inspirational quote from some of the biggest historymakers of the world.Anyone remember the GIMP from the movie PULP FICTION?I think that’s Mao and Kim Il-Sung under there…Yep, pretty much everything here is wearing that gimp mask. What is going on here?I can see a Basquiat influence in these modern reimaging of history’s famous paintings. I know this was from Caravaggio’s “Paul’s Conversion”
The entrance to the studio of Andre Miripolski, the Absolut Artist.Miripolski’s style reminds me a lot of Keith Haring’s whimsical Surreal Pop colors. Apparently this guy takes a shark as his mascot…The backroom of the studio.Some artsy (and provocative) poster art that were a big thing in the 50s and 60s.
You can tell a lot about the artist from the way he/she decorates their workspaces. Now this guy has a thing for Gundam robots.Robots in Love by Aaron (he doesn’t seem to have a last name.)Some of Aaron’s graphic comic-book style b/w art for sale.
Some life sketches from his art school days for sale…yeah, from school, they’re worth something too…
