At the threshold of the desert and the sea, Mark Gabriel has tapped into the primal energy of the desert bringing an essential raw power to his art. A series of works called Marine Salvage Rights - where small scavenged pieces of driftwood become sculptural paintings of Flying Whales and Ranchera Musicians, acts as a gateway to large scale renditions of his subjects on stretched canvas and wood panels.

Painting subjects the artist describes as dreamscapes inspired by ghosts of the desert and the movements of celestial bodies, these desert and seascapes are inhabited by mythical creature mash-ups of revolutionaries and birds, ranchero cowboys, musicians and stray dogs, as well as the flying “dream whales" of which he has become known. These characters all have stories - they occupy familiar yet exotic geography - they dance, they play, they fight, they love –  and they will reveal their secrets if you lean in. Look again, and again as these creatures take form and celebrate the light.

Mark paints mostly with knife. As he scrape’s and slashes the paint - one can see how essential that energy is to his work. Acrylic is also good because it’s fast. The paint goes on thick and wild, then dabs of prevision. And if paint isn’t sufficient to the story, Gabriel employs ink, or mono-print, chalk and charcoal and oil stick. Some of the work requires collage and mixing of all of the above.

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When we asked Kate to send us some information about herself this was her response: 

Virgo/Scorpio rising - New York City - Dry Martini-up-with a twist, Favorite color: orange 

While this is vital information here’s a little more. Kate has balanced fine art and commercial work throughout her career, working to blend the two worlds. She orchestrates her photographs like frothy Rossini bonbons, bursting with detailed embellishment and an ever-present sense of fun and imagination. Her deep love of painting in all its forms can be seen in her bold use of color and innovative lighting.

She has created and photographed album concepts for The Clash, REM, Brittany Spears and Kate Perry to name a few, as well as art for movIe posters and Broadway shows, magazine covers and advertising campaigns. She was one of the pioneers of the DTLA art scene and is a graduate of Art Center College. 

Kate has always been an artist on the forefront of the digital world. Her current project Cirio: Bending time delves deep into the properties of time, and the brutality of beauty in the natural world, by manipulating the very binary code of the images. Some of us were lucky enough to see the show when it premiered here in Todos Santos and also hung in San Jose and at Zona Maco in Mexico City. It will be mounted in the United States next year.

Kate is going to give us a glimpse into her creative process. This is a great opportunity to meet one of the most creative people in the arts.

Because of limited space please RSVP before May 18.