Me in 944 magazine
August 21st, 2008 Filed Under Art Scene, Art Walk, Press
In a Jeannine Denholm’s article in 944 magazine “Art Form LA: Our Downtown Denizen Does Culture at Dusk,” she did a great job capturing the vibe of the art walk…and mentioned me. (Thanks Jeannine!) Here’s what she had to say:”A little further up the street is the M.J. Higgins gallery where Robert Vargas does live drawing performance art on the street — imagine a much more interpretive, sophisticated version of those cheesy caricatures you get at the county fair. So if you don’t want to get dragged into an impromptu charcoal speed drawing, make sure you stand back in the crowd. If you’re lucky you might spot his muse, Miyoko — an older woman dressed in skinny jeans, black boots and a mink coat and hat. She’s become quite a fixture downtown, if only because most people wish they could look that good when they’re pushing 70.”
If you didn’t catch me outside the Higgins, I was the guy in front of Stella Dottir this past week and will be out with my art box many art walks to come. Read the full article here.
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Downtown Art Walk June 12
June 12th, 2008 Filed Under Art Walk, Exhibitions
I’ll be showing new works, and would love to see you there. Spring Arts Tower on the Mezzanine at 5th and Spring-across from the Alexandria-in downtown L.A. Art Walk hours (until 9-ish). See you there, and go Lakers.
If you can’t make it, check out a few images from the show at the Spring Arts Collective online gallery.
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More on the 626 Show
June 10th, 2008 Filed Under Exhibitions, Press, Reviews, Solo Shows
What a fine compliment. Thank you, Rick Robinson.
Walking in the door of Gallery 626 and getting softly struck in the face with Vargas’ portrait of Gronk… good god, not only is that kid a beautiful young man but he can paint. No tricks needed here to cover any lack of skill, just pure bad ass wrist…
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Citizen X turned up at my 626 show
June 10th, 2008 Filed Under Art Scene, Art Walk, Exhibitions, Press, Reviews
And s/he had this to say:
Review: Vargas @ Gallery 626
by Citizen X
Not only is Robert Vargas creating new work that departs from the expressive figurative oeuvre that has gained him his loyal following in Downtown, but also the 626 has taken a side step from “the preservation of African American fine art” by showcasing the emerging talent of this Lakota Sioux/Tarasco-blooded, native-Angeleno. Ironically, he says, “I reject the notion of classifying and qualifying art along ethnic lines.”
Chicano art luminary Gronk, who sat for a representational portrait for this show, was quite surprised to see himself in a black dress. Overheard, Gronk remarked, characteristically unflinching, “You put me in a dress.” Indeed, Vargas put him in a dress—the costume of Gronk’s iconic female image of La Tormenta. (La Tormenta has never before had her face revealed.)
Among the new works from Vargas was a piece entitled “Death of Venus,” a large oil painting showing cycles of abuse and homelessness, expressed in the thick layers of oil and charcoal, scratched and mottled textures. In another, a trio of nines under a wash of white embedded in fields of cadmium yellow and red, alizarin, and violet offset a scrawled outburst of “It Doesn’t Matter.” According to the artist, it depicts the churning of the outside world from inside the cocoon of love.
One can’t help but feel that Vargas is knowingly teasing our appetites in anticipation of a great feast.
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New Works at the 626 Gallery
May 19th, 2008 Filed Under Drawings, Exhibitions, Galleries, Paintings, Solo Shows
This show runs at the 626 Gallery in downtown until the 23rd, so come check out new oil paintings and drawings, including a surprising portrait of Gronk (ASCO artist currently showing at the LACMA “Phantom Sightings” exhibition).
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Gronk versus Vargas
May 18th, 2008 Filed Under Art Scene, Press
Gronk & I each give our two cents in this article by Saskia Vogel in this May Citizen LA
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Live Drawing Downtown Art Walk
May 17th, 2008 Filed Under Art Scene, Art Walk, Drawings, Galleries
Just another art walk in downtown L.A. This night I got down to capture Ricky the Pirate, downtown legend, and art aficionados outside the Higgins Gallery on their first night at their new location at the Alexandria Hotel.
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Giant Rat Attacked by Herd of Cats!
March 23rd, 2008 Filed Under Art Scene, Exhibitions, Press
It’ll be up one more week…Here’s a bit about the show from a press release:
Live, interactive sculptural installation from Robert Vargas explores
A towering rat is attacked by a herd of cats who are tired of the vermin hogging the cheese. In the background, the mis-speech of the leader of the free world provides a humorous, but also harrowing, commentary on the state of the union. The question is “Are we ready to take freedom back?”
Robert Vargas, fine artist, thinks so. Year of the Cat, his latest work and an interactive sculptural installation featuring live cats, comments on the hope inherent in this election year and the feeling that we are ready to get our nation back on track. Also, playing on the downtown rat epidemic, the piece comments on how already people are taking back downtown
The playfully dubbed Freedom Cats are up for adoption, courtesy of the Bark Avenue Foundation, who are dedicated to rescuing homeless and abandoned animals. Patrons of the arts and politicos can bring a piece of the installation home and be reminded that change takes action and engagement. The show takes place inside the new gallery within the high end pet store Pussy and Pooch. This is the first show under the gallery’s new name: The Bailey Gallery.
Our freedom is up for grabs! Join in the battle over
Robert Vargas, graduate of the
Robert Vargas: VargasPresents.com
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Current TV Interview
November 19th, 2007 Filed Under Art Scene, News, Press
Catch me in a vox pop interview in this Current TV spot about the art scene in downtown Los Angeles.
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