"PREGNANCY PACT," and other stories by Chino Amobi...

"PREGNANCY PACT" is the large brand new name of Chino Amobi's first solo show here at Like the Spice and we are just so excited that we could not wait to tell you about it! The show opens on October 8th from 6:30-10pm and will be open until November 7th. Chino invites us to follow his melody as it resonates through color and shape. His multimedia work puts figure traditions beneath the gloss of our digital age, with the mix of layers and tones becoming what he defines as "hot media", and, ultimately, carrying the viewer along behind his piping tune. We have often been checking in with him as he works away in Virginia and what we have seem and heard thus far leaves us wanting for more. Oh, and don't forget our monthly artist dinners! For those of you who were able to join us for Figure Ates, the dinner for Marked, you know that Chino is one of the most captivating speakers we have had thus far. Not only is he eloquent, but his voice is as smooth as the glossy coating on some his pieces. I'm serious about this folks, not one to be missed...

Summer Lovin' Having a Blast....At Like the Spice

We’ve been so busy here at Like the Spice that we’ve barely had a moment to write in depth about all the great things that have been going on in the past month. While it’s the summer here in Brooklyn, and the hot weather has a tendency to make those lazy afternoons even lazier, we haven’t slowed down a bit!

This past month some of our artists’ hard work has generated quite a bit of buzz. We’d like to congratulate Reach Beach on her feature interview with Bomb Magazine which can be found at Bomblog. Discussion revolving around the transitions in her work and fundamental content from which she derives her inspiration provides great insight into the nature of her thinking and process of making. Of her work Rachel states that is has "to do with the structure of monuments and ideas. I was way more interested in the edge of an object, how objects work in the world, how perception works, how we see, and how our brain works versus how something physically is, and the line between those two things. " Bomblog writer Lynn Maliszewski refers to Rachel's work with the following metaphor. "Like a stockbroker gender-bending on the weekends, Beach’s objects straddle a line between two existences, clouding the viewer’s vision of truth." The developments in her work are truly promising as she will embark on several upcoming new projects. We are especially excited about the installation of her outdoor sculpture in Socrates Sculpture Park as this kind of context for one of her pieces is sure to open a new and exciting kind of dialogue.





We are also excited to congratulate another LTS artist, Eric Lopresti, who is featured in Assembly Journal. We were most intrigued to read about the sources for his imagery which are undeniably linked to the location of his childhood home, the conditions created and residue left by our country during World War II, and what he refers to as “the aftermath of traumatic conflict and the terrifying beauty of the American sublime."




We are truly engaged by any opportunity that allows our readers and collectors to know more about our artists, their work, and sources of creativity.

In keeping with this sentiment, this past Saturday we held an artists’ studio tour in which we visited the studios of Jason Bryant, Allison Edge, Eric Lopresti, Jessica Stoller, and Rachel Beach. This event was a fantastic opportunity for collectors to see how some of our LTS artists functioned in their working spaces (a place quite sacred to an artist) while providing the opportunity for one on one discussion. The day was pretty hot, but the work in our artists’ studio’s were even hotter, and everyone had a fantastic time, sipping on wine, munching on refreshing thai food, journeying to each studio for in depth discussion while viewing works in progress and finished pieces all the like. For a tour, it was an especially personal, informative, and special experience.

While all that has passed, there are still plenty of exciting events to look forward to this summer at Like The Spice. "Marked: A Show of Figure" will only be open for two more weeks so come by and check it out before its too late! Friday, August 13th we will open "Summer Sampler Group Show", displaying some favorites along with a bunch of new and exciting works from LTS artists.

And while we are closed for only one week on August 23rd-September 1st, September 10th is the opening of Treasure Frey's Solo Show. This will be Treasure's first solo show at Like the Spice and we are pleased to install her pieces which satisfy the eye by cleverly marrying the whimsy of bright color, bold form, and geometric constructions.


This next month will prove to be a satisfying and exciting close to Summer and a great lead into another fine season of fantastic work at Like the Spice in the Fall.