Los Angeles artist Kuger Peterson utilizes his artistic talents as a painter, sculptor and writer to convey his social and political concerns in a visual form. Drawn to the sanctified iconography of our institutional world, Peterson pulls apart their meanings attempting to discover what makes them sacred. His compositions read like political cartoons using iconic imagery and satirical narratives to illuminate the “evils” of our world.

“DON’T BE EVIL” is a collection of new and recent work using the medium of fine art to shed light on global situations. Each piece is thoughtfully provocative, inviting the viewer to form their own opinions. Featured in the exhibition are earlier works spanning from 2006 to present, highlighting his newest piece titled “Monsanto”. Bold colors in oil and acrylics are juxtaposed with iconic imagery on hardboard, wood, paper and other sustainable materials.

Peterson feels that fine art as a less disposable and more engaging medium by virtue of its aura and manner of viewing. Painting can be a fruitful medium where images encourage questions rather than profess opinions. Our world is at a crossroad and artists have the opportunity to make sense of our visual world and to illuminate what may be unseen by utilizing their talent as a tool to inspire and edify their viewers.

To learn more about Kuger Peterson and to view his works, click the links below:

Hearts and Minds (click )

Manifest Irony (click)

Painting Etc. (click)

or visit his website: www.kugerpeterson.com

urban:sanctuary proudly presents the work of Buddha Cat Press

“Buddha Cat” includes hand-crafted, one-of-a-kind prints which employ multiple processes, such as diffusion dot dither, metallics, glitter and CMYK.

Opening Reception: July 16th, 2010 5pm-9pm
Live printing and stenciling!

Stenciling Workshops:
July 17th and 24th 1 pm- 5 pm
July 31st, 12 pm- 3 pm

Closing Reception:
July 31st, 3 pm- 5 pm

Buddha Cat Press is a socially conscious fine art print shop located in Downtown Los Angeles specializing in fine art printmaking: silkscreen, relief and etching. They create and sell their own prints, give workshops, and publish fine art prints with visual artists of all kinds.

Buddha Cat Press has published and been contracted by such artists as Robbie Conal, Dave Kinsey, Shepard Fairey, Mear One, 3D, Chaz, Kofie, Winston Smith and El Mac. All of these collaborations will be shown, including the work of Master Printer Artist (AKA Print Goddess) Karen (the Fury) Fiorito

Buddha Cat Press is under the direction of Karen Fiorito.

Bio:

Karen Fiorito is a political street artist and curator residing in Los Angeles, California. Her art contines to be exhibited nationally and internationally and has appeared in such publications as Art in America, the Philadelphia Inquirer, Hustler Magazine, the LA Weekly, URB Magazine and the Seattle Weekly.

She also owns and operates her own fine art printmaking studio and socially conscious publishing company, Buddha Cat Press, which produces prints for such submersive and visionary artists as Robbie Conal, Winston Smith and El Mac.

Fiorito received her Master’s in Fine Art in Printmaking from Arizona State University and her B.F.A. in Printmaking from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. In 2005, Fiorito received a Puffin Foundation Grant to install a billboard in Santa Monica, California, and in 2004, she was a recepient of a Change, Inc. grant.

For more information please got to buddhacatpress.com and www.urbansanctuaryla.com
or follow us on twitter: twitter.com/buddhacatpress and twitter.com/urbsancla

or contact us at info@urbansanctuaryla.com



Salvador Dominguez’s solo exhibition “Fractions,” explores relationships between parts to a whole in four bodies of work, each reflecting a narrative. The series of work will continue on after the solo exhibition is over to denote the constant progression, as a cyclical, ongoing series.

“Orchards” is the main focus of the show and addresses the Latino immigrant family, and the symbolism behind the orange motif. The orange grove represents the vital importance of maternal care on humanity and nature. Large scale, painted wooden panels are weaved together within a larger frame to explore a more complex narrative.

In “Cuentos de Adas,” Dominguez explores the current information age, and how an individual navigates through the influx of ideas and information provided by social devices connected to the Internet. Collages of newspaper and phonebook clippings, as well as everyday figures against the sea of information are used to piece together new nursery rhymes and fairy tales.

“Ok then, flux.” is a series of calendars composed of three inch by three inch panels depicting oranges painted daily on newspaper collage. The months of January to April of this year are documented. These calendars present the minute differences of each day, details that are often overlooked with the progression of time.

“American Landscapes” investigates the metropolitan cities of America during this time in history where the influx of consumer culture and information continue to reshape the land and people. Chicago and Los Angeles are depicted through Xerox, black and white collage skylines against background designs, referencing their fundamental differences through architecture.

The idea behind “Fractions” is considered using the familiar structure of the narrative to convey four unique stories. Salvador Dominguez conveys to the viewer his personal experiences and interactions with the world at large through the use of various mixed media. Each aspect of the exhibition is a fraction of life’s experiences, parts to a whole.

Date:
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Time:
5:00pm – 9:00pm
Location:
urban:sanctuary
Street:
2026 East 1st Street
City/Town:
Los Angeles, CA

EL MONSTRUO

El Monstruo is both a tribute and an indictment, speaking to peoples’ heroes and class warfare, culture and crime, urban beauty and blight, the underbelly and the overclass, environmental degradation and courageous growth, fear and loathing, dread and redemption, hope and corruption. Ross demonstrates that social forces, not luminaries, drive history as he delves into Mexico City from its geologic beginnings to the Left City it has become in the last decade. Along the way, he explores the rise and fall of the Tenochtitlan and Aztec civilizations, European conquest and genocide, the War of Independence, the Yanqui Invasion (the so-called Mexican War of 1848), three revolutions and their resulting carnage, the Great Depression, the so-called “Mexican Miracle,” social revolts of the 1960′s and 70′s, the Great Electoral Fraud, the foibles of NAFTA, and the Swine Flu Panic of 2009.

Ross’s last book, Murdered Capitalism was called a “must read” by NPR’s Talk of the Nation and a “Best Book of 2004″ by the San Francisco Chronicle. Ross’s fifty years covering Mexico for an array of Mexican and U.S. publications including the San Francisco Bay Guardian, The Nation, and The Progressive put him in an extraordinary position to tell the complete story of its capital with great insight, and with his quixotic passion and poet’s touch he brings a beat to the narrative that is both of the city and of himself.

- Artsopolis Nov. 20, 2009

urban:sanctuary – is a gallery and retail location located in the emerging area of Boyle Heights. For more information please www.urbansanctuaryla.com
follow us on twitter: twitter.com/urbsancla

Mike Roman is Not Dead

A solo exhibition by Michael Roman

01/30/2010

7:00PM

Artist Reception by appointment: 818.653.2602

Saturday, January 30, 2010, 6 -11 PM

Curated by Edgar Varela of EVFA

Mike Roman

Using various printing methods on textile, wood, terracotta, and paper, Michael Roman displays his imaginative mixture of both nostalgic symbols from his cultural upbringing with images inspired by his present day.  This is solo exhibition will showcase past and present work from the artist.

Born and raised in greater Los Angeles, Michael Roman moved to New York’s lower east side in the mid-70′s. Working as an aspiring artist / bike messenger, Michael frequently delivered packages and hung out at Andy Warhol’s labs in Manhattan. There, he received a great deal of inspiration to what would become his life work of stencil / screen art, combining Warhol techniques with old-Mexico methods and ancient images, which has become known as “Latinissmo”.

Michael’s textile art, known for its all over coverage and hand made appearance brings life to stencils and images. Avoiding the sterilized look, which is so common, the hand wrought artwork appears as unique and imperfect as life itself.

Michael’s clients have included celebrities such as Carlos Santana, Madonna, and Keith Richards. His artwork has been chosen to adorn album covers, Hotel VIP rooms, movie sets, night clubs, and dozens of restaurants.

In the mid-90′s, Michael was discovered by Carlos Santana, and he moved to San Francisco where he has been making personal artwork, clothing, and furniture for the superstar. Michael participates in several international events and has a permanent display at the Oaxaca Heritage Museum in Oaxaca, Mexico.

Michael currently sits on the Board of Directors for the Mission Cultural Center in San Francisco, where also teaches classes to aspiring and students in the Mission district.

Mike Roman

[album: http://www.urbansanctuaryla.com/wp-content/plugins/dm-albums/dm-albums.php?currdir=/wp-content/uploads/dm-albums/Mike Roman/]

Using various printing methods on textile, wood, terracotta, and paper, Michael Roman displays his imaginative mixture of both nostalgic symbols from his cultural upbringing with images inspired by his present day. This is solo exhibition will showcase past and present work from the artist.

Born and raised in greater Los Angeles, Michael Roman moved to New York’s lower east side in the mid-70′s. Working as an aspiring artist / bike messenger, Michael frequently delivered packages and hung out at Andy Warhol’s labs in Manhattan. There, he received a great deal of inspiration to what would become his life work of stencil / screen art, combining Warhol techniques with old-Mexico methods and ancient images, which has become known as “Latinissmo”.

Michael’s textile art, known for its all over coverage and hand made appearance brings life to stencils and images. Avoiding the sterilized look, which is so common, the hand wrought artwork appears as unique and imperfect as life itself.

Michael’s clients have included celebrities such as Carlos Santana, Madonna, and Keith Richards. His artwork has been chosen to adorn album covers, Hotel VIP rooms, movie sets, night clubs, and dozens of restaurants.

In the mid-90′s, Michael was discovered by Carlos Santana, and he moved to San Francisco where he has been making personal artwork, clothing, and furniture for the superstar. Michael participates in several international events and has a permanent display at the Oaxaca Heritage Museum in Oaxaca, Mexico.

Michael currently sits on the Board of Directors for the Mission Cultural Center in San Francisco, where also teaches classes to aspiring and students in the Mission district.