For the Love of Art

A month ago I attended a delicious art opening here in Los Angeles at the titillating club Voyeur for the artist Alexander Esguerra's show Love & Paint. Upon entry one was greeted by a coquettish mistress à la Eyes Wide Shut and transported into a fantasy world where sexual taboo's and social prejudices were challenged into submission. 

Lining the walls were large canvases writhing in paint. Each piece is the memorial of a singular act of lovemaking. Bodies used as brushes gesticulate over the fabric and what is left is a visual record,  liberated from form, race, gender & creed. In the oeuvre of  Jackson Pollock's action paintings the abstraction is composed by means of emotion-packed gesture. These are not so much pictures as they are events, abstract expressions of intimacy.

Interestingly, Guerra is a Spanish, Italian and Portuguese term for "war". Esguerra himself served overseas in the United States Air-Force before attending Parson's School of Design in New York.   

Alex is young, Alex is handsome, Alex is charming and furthermore... Alex is smart. When asked how he can consider himself an artist when it is others who are putting the paint to canvas, his answer is a simple quote from Degas: "Art is not what you see, it’s what you make others see."  I was brought to see that love is blind. Happy Valentine's Day!   

You can see the work for yourself this coming Friday, February 25th from 9-11 PM once again at club Voyeur.

7969 Santa Monica Blvd.

West Hollywood, CA 90046

This will be the last exhibit in Los Angeles for some time. Alexander will next debut his work in London. 

Here is the link to the events facebook page: www.facebook.com/event. Click to RSVP.