5 For 5 On 5 Opening!

What a night! Hope you all got a chance to stop by and see work from some Like The Spice Gallery favorites. The drinks were flowing, the air conditioning was working overtime, and everyone was having a blast. All our favorite artists were talking shop with fans and collectors alike, and there was even a cake with Marisa, Olivia, and Stella on it!

Here are some highlights from last nights festivities:













Thank you to all the people that made it out, and have been supporting the gallery for the last five years. If you didn't get a chance to make it, don't freight, because the show is still up! We have sold a number of pieces from the show already, but there we have a number of fantastic ones still available. However, they are going fast, so hurry up before they're all gone!

Here are some pieces that are still available:

"The Martian Concubine", Robert Gullie

"Hawthorn Falls (crop)", Ross Racine

"Ice Princess", Allison Edge

"African Monarch", Abby Goodman

Come check the show out, and see why Like The Spice is looking forward to another five years!

Matt Stone Tectonics opens Friday at Like the Spice Gallery

Like the Spice Gallery is delighted to present “Tectonics,” the first solo exhibition by Matt Stone opening Friday, June 24th! Stone's Perilous, playful, and ultimately geological sculptures are like underwater landscapes condensed and rearranged within new spacial contexts. Join us for the opening reception on the 24th from 6:30-9pm, enjoy cool refreshments, good company, and some breathtaking sculpture!

"Stone has affixed his gaze upon geological, geometric and botanic involution. His deeply layered sculptures are riddled with an expanse of materials, ranging from neon foam to cardboard florets, tendrils of resin, and tattered webs of spandex. Large, freestanding sculpture and small singular satellite objects intermingle fluidly on the walls, floor and ceiling. Stone's sculpture balances the obscenities of the environment with flirtatious, and strikingly calculated, ingenuity."

One and the Many, Many, Many

Best Friday the 13th ever! Last night was the opening for Jenny Morgan's fabulous show, One and the Many.

The almost surreal subjects of Jenny's paintings (many of whom were in attendance - in the flesh) gazed wistfully out at the excited attendees who stared right back, trying to determine exactly what the figures were saying with their eyes. Everyone was utterly blown away with the magnitude and subtle depth of Jenny's most recent body of work. Guests mingled and sipped one and many glasses of wine, but it was difficult to lose focus on the artwork itself.

It was great to see the art-hungry crowd and the look of pride on the artist's parents faces (they were visiting from Utah!).

Anyone look familiar?

We were able to see the models of the portraits right next to their painted depictions and realize just how talented an artist Jenny Morgan is.

Last night we unveiled a set of unique silkscreen prints (50 editions) of Mimic, which are available for purchase. They are beautifully printed on Canson printmaking paper and are available framed and unframed. Some of the editions were sold last night and they are continuing to head off to their new homes - so get one while you can!

We had a fantastic turnout (and so much fun!) and we'd like to thank everyone for coming. Make sure to RSVP for our monthly artist's dinner series, A Layered Menu, for an opportunity to have a scrumptious dinner with Jenny Morgan and hear about her artistic process and inspirations.

A Labor of Love Is Never Lost!

March 11th was a beautiful Friday night for the opening reception of "Love's Labor Lost," here at Like the Spice. The gallery was filled with artists, artists' friends, passer by-ers, and art aficionados who were out and about enjoying a mild second Friday. Jason Bryant's "Love's Labor Lost" adorns the gallery with black-and-white oils that recontextualize film stills and contemporary magazine photos, creating glamor while using pixels to skewer the idea of an individual self. Against the backdrop of night, being amid the bright lights of the gallery Jason's subjects felt so real and recognizable that one could not help but feel like they were at a red carpet event amongst Hollywood royalty!


The glamorous subjects seen above have faces that are obscured by a pixelated rendering of each pair of eyes; this left the viewers asking themselves, "that must be (so and so), right? It just has to be? Or is it?" In these pieces, Jason has managed to maintain everything about each character accept their definite identities. The images at first seem familiar but upon closer inspection they leave the viewer questioning their own memories and recognition reflexes. And, despite all of the inquiries, no amount of guessing out loud would convince Jason to confirm the suspicions as he rather fiercely guarded the subjects' anonymity.

I myself had some interesting ponderings during the opening as I wandered around, catching snippets of some of the 'who's who?' games; the guessing brought me to think about famous movie quotes and how I often can recite a quote but not necessarily be able to identify who first said it. Not being able to credit a quote does not always take away its impact. There doesn't seem to be anything like an iconic movie quote, taken from the reels of classics and appropriated during all times by all people. Some quotes are more memorable than others, their impact is great despite from whom they originated. Identity becomes lost during the changing of the times but the sayings still manage to keep their meanings and messages. The quote,"we're alike, me and cat. A couple of poor nameless slobs..." taken from "Breakfast At Tiffany's," is one of my favorites. It makes me think about the question 'what's in a name?' In the film, Audrey Hepburn's character might be nameless to some, but her actions and mannerisms give her quite a reputation. Even in a film still from an unknown movie with her back turned to the camera one would most likely be able to identify Audrey Hepburn. Our memories fill in the blanks of her face, and our imagination fills in the context of the scene.

Cary Grant once said, "it takes 500 small details to add up to one favorable impression," but notice how he does not specify whether or not it should be the same 500 details every time. Must they include physical details, lips, eyes, nose, mouth? Well, it's a strong possibility that Mr. Grant would include these as necessities for making a good and memorable impression, but are they truly necessary for identifying or remembering a moment? Based on the content of "Love's Labor Lost," I would like to argue that they are not.


Sorry that you missed the opening? We are too, but no worries! "Love's Labor Lost" will be up in the gallery until Sunday, April 3rd. And as the weather keeps getting better and better we will be accepting less and less excuses when it comes to missing out! Also don't forget about our monthly artist dinner series the next installment of which will be this coming Friday, March 25th at 8pm: come have "Breakfast at Like the Spice" (because Tiffany's is soooo overrated)! If you are interested in joining us please RSVP here.

Grandparents not for sale: a success story!

On Friday, February 11th 2011, Jason Bard Yarmosky had his first solo show with us at Like the Spice you will be happy to know it was amazing! We had a full house Friday night which might have been due to the plethora of great press that Jason has received. The Huffington Post referred to Yarmosky's work as "totally endearing", Trend Hunter thinks Yarmosky is "surprisingly insightful and delightful" and Cool Hunting said "intriguing" with "raw sincerity". I 'm sold!
Yarmosky's work makes the viewer want to get up close and personal. His nearly life-size humorous portraits of his grandparents hold so much detail it seems as they are in the room with me right now. Fun surprises such as toy guns, cowboy hats, leather vests, bunny ears, and tutus compelled the crowds to study each one. His grandparents seem to stare, fixed on us from their drastically lit rooms. His smaller scale graphite drawings so intense, I have a hard time looking away. Paper and String explained it best by saying "they are stunningly life-like and show an extremely mature, dexterous hand".
The crowd was buzzing with chatter over Yarmosky's "Elder Kinder", which features his two wonderful Brooklyn born Grandparents in an array of costumes that make your inner child laugh out loud. Everyone wanted to meet Jason's grandparents, and yes they are just as lovely in person as they are on canvas. The L magazine agrees that Jason was blessed with the "Coolest grandparents ever!", if you had met them you would most definitely agree. Jason Bard Yarmosky was more than happy to walk the crowds of people through the exhibition. Jason's charisma kept the Gallery- goers, young and old alike, educated and entertained.
All- in -all it was a great turnout and a another great opening for us here at Like the Spice. If you missed Jason Bard Yarmosky's opening show this Friday it will be up at Like the Spice through Sunday March 6th, 2011. It's definitely worth taking a closer look and guaranteed to bring a smile to your face so come through!
Some of Jason's works are still available for sale (unfortunately his grandparents are not, trust me I inquired), a list of pieces still available can be found here. if you require further information email Marisa at marisa@likethespice.com

Please join us for our Monthly Artist Dinner with Jason Bard Yarmosky "Senior Prom" on February 25th 2011 at 8pm catered by Gite. Your RSVP to the event is required here.

We Created A Pretty Good Time In This Here World

In fact, we had so much fun, we broke the camera!



This is the very last picture our sweet little device managed before it conked out and we had to switch to iPhones and what have you for the rest of the night. But c'mon, look how much fun everyone is having! That's because it was a non-stop party atmosphere during our Friday night opening extravaganza for The World We Live In, The Worlds We Create. Here artist Brian LaRossa says Cheers!



It's been a while since we had a group show, so it was quite the thrill to have so many wonderful artists scurrying about the gallery. Plus, seriously, can you believe how great all of this sculpture is? If you haven't already, head to the sneak preview page and get a sneak preview. Just don't think we're showing you everything. We have to keep a few surprises to make you come and visit!



It's been nearly a year since LtS made room for sculpture, so we're very pleased to be showcasing it again. From Diana Puntar's beautiful Lived Live Evil Devil (you can't miss it, it's hanging from the ceiling in almost every single shot) to the incredibly delicate porcelain from Jessica Stoller (pictured below), this show has already started captivating our guests, both new and old.



And that's not the half of it. We're also boasting the complex geometry of R. Justin Stewart, the eye-catching marvels of Langdon Graves, the battery-operated animals of Misako Inaoka, the brilliantly exciting peephole of Patrick Jacobs, and the fascinating map-based creations of Matthew Northridge. Honestly, it's such a joy to come to work! But this show isn't just about wowing the staff. The World We Live In, The Worlds We Create has been a hit with all our visitors, including many other terrific Like the Spice artists. Below's a shot from when we bumped into Rachel Beach and Ross Racine and some guy in the middle we don't have a link for. But you know what? We like him anyway. And see how they're all smiling? That's what visiting The World We Live In, The Worlds We Create can do for YOU!



The World We Live In, The Worlds We Create is open from this very second until April 4th. Come and create your own little piece of it.

Civil Union Opening: Go Chemistry!

For those who came to last night's much anticipated opening, Civil Union: Jenny Morgan and David Mramor, it was one of our most attended and exciting exhibitions to date! Spilling with guests, opening night was the perfect chemistry of portraiture, collaboration and performance. Jenny and David's pieces are masterworks on the subject of artistic partnership. Rotating canvases, each artist builds and interrupts the subject matter never quite knowing where the piece will evolve after each turn. It is an exercise in catch and release, each artist trusting the other's artistic sensibility and vision.



Friends, family, avid collectors, writers, and a few of Jenny and David's portrait models turned up to support the artists and see their newest series. "Kuan Yin" and "Mystic" were among the most popular and discussed paintings of the night. "Kuan Yin" depicting a woman with a candid stare on a teal background that blends graffiti-like markings and saturated color.



The night went on to included a performance by David as his musical alter-ego Enid Ellen. Enid combines the personae and pomp of drag with Native American mysticism- her songs resembling chants and the spooky callings of a medium channeling the unknown. Already Civil Union is turning up in the press! Check out our write-ups and hot-spot listings with Heart As Arena, L Magazine, Brooklyn Street Art, Saatchi Online, and Brooklyn The Borough, Art Buzz.

Post-Opening Recap (please don't talk too loud kthx)

The wonderful thing about being a gallery is learning the secrets of how this:



becomes this:



Sure, it took us a day to sleep off all that fun, but now we're back, we've found our pants, and we're ready to tell you all about the fantastic opening night of Eric LoPresti's Fade. You can even catch a special sneak preview right here if you're so inclined. And we're telling you now, you want to be so inclined.



That's artist Nora Herting on the right. Eric's well loved and well respected by the Like the Spice artist crowd, so it was no trouble at all to get them to stop by. One look at the work and you'll understand why he gets attention from his peers.





The crowd was clever and friendly and fun and we're pretty sure everyone had a great time. If you weren't there... why not? Look at what you missed!



Fade runs until October 4th, 2009. It's been getting some great press, and we'll even have a very special RSVP only dinner on September 18th... but you'll find out about all that in our very next blog post. Stay tuned...