Martin Durazo "Om" 9'x6'  acrylic on canvas 2012

http://www.luisdejesus.com

The subtitle of this exhibition could be "I like to party. I like to disco". The artists has constructed a black light installation complete with a Trance, Dance and Rap sound track in the back gallery of Luis De Jesus' Culver City gallery. It is the first thing you hear as  you enter the door. When you pull back the black plastic wrapped "Club Room" curtain you might feel you just got transported back to the early 70's lower east side New York, L.A. or any of a myriad other cities engulfed with club culture during that time. It's interesting but not enlightening.

The paintings in the front gallery however, are. Here, the artist has managed to increase the size of the painting format from previous works and we are all the better for it. These works could have devolved into murky riffs on Richter but they didn't. Insulated by swaths of silver and black paint along with the white of the canvas to subordinate the high key color, each composition finds it's equilibrium. Familiar techniques of scraping and scumbling are used by Durazo, however, he manages to pull off a unique take on contemporary painting using his own voice as he subverts pop culture in his own meaningful way.

The exhibition continues through 2/18/13