Chino Amobi Scope 2010

See pieces in Booth D08 at Scope Miami 2010

Click on image below to e-mail Like the Spice Gallery for more info:

Click here to return to Like the Spice Gallery Scope info page

(Mend) KotoNoKIDnAPPInG(Mend)

Acrylic, enamel, and oil on canvas

48 x 36”. (2010)

DTS
Digital print, enamel, and acrylic paint on canvas.61" x 44 . 2009

Star

Acrylic, and digital print on canvas.

40” x 36”, 2010

Zarah

Acrylic and oil on canvas 73.5 x 90. (2010)

Sailors Black virginil fs

Mixed media, acrylic, and digital print on canvas. 40” x 32, 2010

Click here to return to artist page on www.likethespice.com

Monthly Dinner with Chino Amobi feeds eye, mind, and stomach

Last Friday saw the latest installment of our fabulous dinner series, this one featuring the work, words, and neon head-ware of Chino Amobi. We were joined by our best friends and finest supporters as we started off the evening with cocktails and introductions and then sat down to the delectable creations of Gite Catering. These three sisters put on quite a spread, including a lovely pumpkin cheesecake.

Chino spoke of his ambitions and inspirations and answered the questions of his new admirers, some of the coolest collectors, writers, and artists in the city, or anywhere for that matter. Chino explained the disconnected fantasy world in his images as like the social world created by kids and their cell phones as they build an intimacy removed from the reality outside. It's their rouge individuality he depicts in his vibrant works.


Come on by for more Chino on November 5th as he performs music and then some under his pseudonym Diamond Black Hearted Boy. His musical guests will include Follower, Ghetto Caviar, and Devin Kkenny. On top of that, or rather underneath it, there will be a Like the Spice intern show featuring Anthony Michael Rom, Nicole Demby, Roxanne Yamin, and Jesse Ricke. The evening promises a show to alter your perception.

YG x Zwelethu Mthethwa : Umcimbi Cocktail Party

Last night Like the Spice Gallery co-hosted a intimate cocktail event with Larry (Young Global) of My Global Hustle in honor of South African artist Zwelethu Mthethwa.

Zwelethu is visiting NYC for few days, so we organized a gathering of artists, collectors, critics & art enthusiast for an evening of cocktails & conversation.
Read read the full blog post by YG:
http://www.myglobalhustle.com/wp/2010/10/17/yg-x-zwelethu-mthethwa-umcimbi-cocktail-party/

In the words of Tyra Banks: You wanna be on top?

Well, we don't know about you all, but we here at Like the Spice seem to be experiencing the euphoric rush of feeling on top of the world. Curious about my Tyra Banks reference? (It's from America's Next Top Model, btw.) Curious also about the above screen capture? Might I tell you a bit about it? Well, it just so happens that Like the Spice was put on NYC Go's list of must see galleries. Great news huh? We are honored to be listed with many of the well established New York galleries that we have so admired over the years. The article describes Williamsburg as "a hotbed of hipness and home to many of the City's bands, performers and visual artists," what a cool place! They talk about our monthly dinner series and the prime location. We now are officially cool. And if the official guide to New York says that our dinners are delightful then maybe, if you haven't already taken our word for it, you should sign up for our next one featuring Chino Amobi: RSVP to "Cravings"! To read the full For Art's Sake: NYC Gallery Guide click here. Many thanks to "the official guide to New York City" for the positive acknowledgment!

"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...

We Found Treasure and we're even willing to share!!!

Like the Spice is pleased to present Shards, an exhibition fresh from the hands of Los Angeles based artist Treasure Frey. In this, her first solo show at Like the Spice, Treasure explores the boundaries of her paper works, offering assemblies that appear to have burst from their constraints, and then been carefully pieced back together. These little explosions form eloquent and ordered tangrams of color that simultaneously invoke destruction and creation.

Ms. Frey’s most recent body of work focuses on small slices of color, a visible translation of a specific energy. Influenced by particles, waves, atoms, and organisms, Treasure's conservation of matter forces all of these elements to act in concert, revealing formal visual decisions to form their own microcosms, macrocosms. In these obssessionalist collages Treasure considers, cuts, lays her gouache and acrylic, tapes, and then begins again; her process is a cycle in which the critical mass occurs again. Each singular unit of her energy and color act together to form a machine which, when whole, commands a greater and more powerful place than before.

The responses to her work at the Affordable Arts Fair and ArtHamptons are testaments to the kind of energy and power in her work. We are really excited to host her first solo show at Like the Spice opening on September 10th and running until October 3rd. Please join us at the reception on September 10th from 6:30PM to 10PM for what promises to be an evening of art, wine, and whimsy. And if you can't get enough Treasure and all the riches of her work, get the unique chance to hear her speak and talk with her about her processes at the artist's dinner on September 24th at 8PM. RSVP is required and we hope to see you there!

October will prove to be just as an exciting a month with artist Chino Amobi's first solo exhibition "PREGNANCY PACT" and artist's dinner. While the summer is almost over, there is an abundance of great things to look forward to upcoming in the fall at Like the Spice.

The Esssence of the Northside

Saturday night the gallery walls were a bumpin' with the sweet sounds of creativity. Three bands - Grasshopper, Drunk Decade, and The Dan Peck Trio, were a wonderful addition to the art which has been happily living on the walls of Like the Spice and in our gallery space. The fact that no pieces fell due to the intense vibrations was a true testament to our competence when it comes to hanging work.


The evening started off with the ska inspired experimental jazz and electronic duo Grasshopper. The dynamic set responded to the energy of the crowd and left us wanting more. See here is Josh blowing hard at his trumpet answering Jesse's electronic prompts.

Next came Drunk Decade. The inspiring solo performance by Michael displayed vigorous multitasking that augmented the positive energy in the room.

The juxtaposition of new age equipment and avant-garde homemade instruments kept us on our toes. So too did the smell of burning rubber (due to the massive amps relative to the small space of our gallery), which in combination with deep vibrations best experienced sitting on the floor, served to complete a total sensory experience.

The night finished off with The Dan Peck Trio. The unorthodox use of bows on the all the instruments ranging from the bass to the drums and tuba produced really satisfying and unusual sounds. Their practiced relating and interconnectedness was really evident in their music.

All in all Saturday night was a smaller scale representation of all that Brooklyn and the Northside Festival has come to represent - a space that fosters a community of creativity and an environment where people come to actively seek an exchange and dialogue of expression. What awesomeness.


If you were here you know what I'm talking about. And if not then perhaps this might teach you to take advantage of all the creativity and coolness that is the essence of what is offered in just this one borough, and at least this weekend at Like the Spice Gallery.

We Were Doing Figure Ates All Night Long!

Last night's dinner, a little thing called Figure Ates celebrated our current and very very wonderful Marked: A Show of Figure, as well the triumphant homecoming of dear sweet Europe-loving Marisa! Besides being jealous at her stories of Italy and Switzerland, Like the Spice guests had an awesome time eating Spanish food, drinking home-made sangria, and last but not least, listening to the wisdom that a few of our artists parleyed. After all, we'd been doing so much work getting ready for Saturday's Northside Festival (more on that later) that serving a 4 course meal for 25 people didn't seem so hard.

So while we wined and dined, a few of our artists (whose work is current hanging in the show) spoke with inspiring clarity and purpose on subjects ranging from the World Cup to their process and content, and their undeniable connection to the figure. While the subject of the figure connects artists Jenny Morgan, Reuben Negron, and Chino Amobi, their approaches and reasons for employing figurative imagery varies greatly.

Here's Marisa and the back of Jenny Morgan chatting with another local artist. Not including the food, the highlight of our dinners is this chance for our friends and collectors to get to meet the minds behind the art, and in this way, get a better understanding of both where they've been, and where they are headed.

That's Reuben Negron holding down the left side of the image. As you can see with a quick visit to his artist page, Reuben's really grown as an artist over the last year. It's always a pleasure having him stop in to talk about his ideas and inspirations, and we think all our guests agreed.

Here's newcomer Chino Amobi, the most recent artist to join up with Like the Spice. This was Chino's first dinner, so maybe he didn't know what to expect, but he still came ready to talk and he did a great job. We're pretty sure he had a good time too, so maybe we'll be seeing him again?

Speaking of which, maybe it's time to start planning for next time...

Did you miss out? If you did, that's a total shame. But don't worry, we're already getting the wheels in motion for next month's edition of the Monthly Dinner Series. Keep an eye on our events page for more! And remember, Marked runs until August 8th, so stop by and enjoy!

Like Appreciative Vuvuzelas, They Buzz About Our Glory

We're entering another week for our very latest show, Marked: A Show Of Figure, and we have to say, the press has been pretty darn kind. Take a gander at Brooklyn The Borough who put us under their "Art Buzz" category. And then there's Edmund X. White who took a special interest in Jenny Morgan's Inner Island, a piece that traveled with us to Chicago and is currently a part of this fantastic figure-based show.

Remember, we've got Inner Island, two more brand new Jenny Morgans, and a whole host of other works from artists such as Chino Amobi, Alison Bickle, Brendan Lott, Reuben Negron and Robin Williams, all waiting for you to come and enjoy. Marked will be running until August 8th, so make plans to join us this week!

But we're not done! We're not done yet! Because we've got some other artists that have been getting attention of late! Our pal Ross Racine has been making the rounds again, getting some kind words from local boy Chris Hamby, as well as Texas based We Are 1976. See how wide Ross's appeal can be? Keep an eye out, guys, and maybe we'll have something to say about Ross Racine this fall.

Someone else who deserves a little love is Dean Goelz. Thankfully, he's got some! Myturtleneck.com takes a very nice look at the depth of Dean's insanity skill with dot-making. We think you should take a look, and stay tuned, because we can't wait to see what Dean's going to be showing us next.

See? When we say our artists are cooler than our air conditioning, we're not kidding. Hope to see you soon!

Marked: A Show of Figure Gallery Opening

Greetings All! My name is Slater, a senior at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and the newest addition (intern/crew person/photographer/garbage collector) to the Like the Spice Gallery team. I am in New York for the summer interning my heart out and it has started off with quite the bang. Seeing Manhattan, Times Square and the streets of Chelsea with 21 year old eyes makes everything look so much different and exciting! One of the highlighting moments so far has been the opening for Marked: A Show of Figure on Friday June 11th, at Like the Spice Gallery, for which I got the opportunity to be photographer of the evening.

The night began with a boom as faithfuls of Like the Spice gallery space poured in, ready to mingle and receive the work presented. With each arrival I grew more and more nervous, this being my first time on the "other side" of the gallery experience. As each guest arrived the energy accumulated and was very quickly streaming from the front doors and down the block, attracting not only the artist community but residents and families from the surrounding neighborhood of Williamsburg, Brooklyn. With the help and comforting words of Olivia and Roxanne( a fellow intern), my nerves calmed and I began to feel right at home.



The reception was amazing and if you weren't here, you probably wish that you were. As Gallery-goers surrounded the pieces from LTS artists Jenny Morgan and Reuben Negron comments such as, "Remarkable technique" and "beautiful composition" were heard over and over again.



Of course, the crowd was just as taken by the work of Robin Williams, Alison Bickle, Brendon Lott, and Chino Amobi, and all the pieces were getting their share of attention. If you'd like to see them now, head to the special online preview page, but naturally, they're much better in person and definitely worth the visit.



The gallery buzzed from wall to wall as the featured artists were greeted with handshake after handshake. As the night went on, the line between viewer and the viewed blurred, as the pieces and the crowd interacted, coming to dance and breathe with each other as one. Intimacy, narrative, exaggeration and emotions all resonated, fueling an energy that only an opening night at Like the Spice Gallery can provide. It was a great way for me to be introduced to the more structured side of the Art world and all the work that goes into installing, hanging and uninstalling a lot of work simultaneously.

At the end of the night the LTS crew packed up another successful opening. From the perspective of this "Fairly new to the Gallery Scene" artist, I am definitely looking forward to many more to come!



Remember, Marked is open right now, and we can't wait to see you. We also can't wait to have you join us for our latest Monthly Dinner Series event, Figure Ates, on June 25th. Places are limited, so please, RSVP today!

The opening of "Marked: A Show of Figure" is tonight!!

Hello friends of Like the Spice, like the above image? Well then come and check it out in person! Tonight is the opening of Marked: A Show of Figure.
Come see new work by LTS artists Jenny Morgan and Reuben Negron and help us welcome Robin Willams, Alison Bickle, Brendon Lott, and Chino Amobi.

We know that the weather has been less than perfect but tonight should be clear and comfortable. What better way is there then to spend a breezy summer night looking at great art and hanging with your friends at Like the Spice. Be a social little june-bug this summer and come join us from 6:30 to 10 PM tonight...

We hope to see you there!

Tired... But Happy!

See that? Who could that be? Why, it's Manish Vora of Artlog.com, taking a break at the AAF to get his shoes shined by artist Greg Haberny! What more could you ask from opening night?

With Greg in one booth, and LtS in the other, you can be sure that there's plenty of great art happening each day this weekend. Even after day one, we've made some great new friends and kissed a few of our pieces goodbye. And all the excitement! The traffic! The way we forgot to take pictures because we were so exhausted from excitement and traffic!

But don't you worry, because we ran into our new pal Rafael Fuchs from Rafael Fuchs Art Photography and he shot a bunch of pictures. We're thinking you'll find them here on his blog once he sorts them all out. Rafael was a really great guy and we expect to see him again, so watch this space, and we'll remind you when they're up!

In the meantime, want a little sneak peek of the booth? Here's a brand new Rachel Beach we're proud to have on display. It's called "Strange Loop" and we bet you can just imagine what that's gonna look like in person...



...but why just imagine? Why not come in and check it out? Also, don't forget, we've got different work every day, including Chino Amobi, Rachel Beach, Allison Edge, Treasure Frey, Dean Goelz, Eric LoPresti, Jenny Morgan, David Mramor, Bennett Morris, Reuben Negron, Leah Oates, Nicki Stager and Jessica Stoller, and that means you'll never see the same booth twice. Plus the I Heart Brooklyn Party is happening on Thursday night, so you know Thursday's gonna be a wonderful time. Stop in, enjoy the excitement, say hi to Greg Haberny, and check out some Affordable Art!

Fair And Fair Alike

Loyal LtS lovers will know that one thing we simply don't do... is stop. But this Spring, oy vey! Can you believe we're doing TWO art fairs, back to back? We really need your moral support on this one, so let's tell you when and where you can come and give us good cheer.

First of all, we're going to Chicago! This weekend we'll pack up the van and race to the Windy City to attend the Next Art Fair at the Merchandise Mart (click here for directions). Our artists will include Rachel Beach, Greg Haberny, Jenny Morgan, Leah Oates and Nicki Stager. PS: Click on the image below for a sneak peek...

Since those are just a few of the pieces we're taking with us, we hope you'll come to see the rest in person! Like the Spice will be in Booth 8066, and the show will be open to the public from April 30th until May 3rd. You can check out the schedule on the Next Art Fair page. Will you be there? If so, drop us a line, because we've got VIP tickets and we're ready to share!

Now, you'd think a whirlwind trip to Chicago would wipe us out... and you'd probably be right. But nevertheless, come May 6th, we'll be right there at the Affordable Art Fair, showing off all sorts of pieces. Want to see some examples?







Of course, we've got things that we aren't showing you just yet. But in those images, you've got a good idea what it looks like to combine the works of Chino Amobi, Rachel Beach, Allison Edge, Treasure Frey, Dean Goelz, Eric LoPresti, Jenny Morgan, David Mramor, Bennett Morris, Reuben Negron, Leah Oates, Nicki Stager and Jessica Stoller. Plus we'll be sponsoring artist Greg Haberny in a very special, very original artist's booth that you won't EVEN believe. And keep in mind, we'll be adding art every day, so there may even be a few surprises, including the always-beautiful work of Allie Rex! From Thursday, May 6th until Sunday, May 9th, we'll be open to all in Booth BKLYN-100, and, yes, we've got VIP Preview and regular ol' day passes for all of our collectors and friends. Just drop us a line while supplies last, and we'll see if we can hook you up.

Plus don't forget, The Homeless Boys Social Club continues until June 6th, right here at the gallery. Remember, until the second we drop dead from exhaustion, we're ready to show you some art!