Artists Talent Test  Mixed painted media on panel 13.5” x 20.5” 

 The Marvel universe inspired paintings of Mark Todd drew a happening crowd to the show’s opening last Friday at La Luz de Jesus, including an intrigued Ashoton Kutcher, taking a rest break from battling the LA Weekly and owner Village Voice Media.

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We’re catching up on the blur that was the past two weeks, and cut off from the company supply cabinet as we are, that means sorting the loose scraps and cocktail napkins accounting for our meandering across LA’s cityscape. Top of the pile here is a Miller coaster with notes from last night’s opening of LA punk photos circa 1978 at La Luz de Jesus Gallery which was nothing but brilliant boozy illuminating fun. That’s because of our chat with Ruby Ray, the co-founder of San Francisco based Re/Search Mag who captured an iconic image of William Burroughs back in the day. “I had to get a lawyer to file a cease and desist. I’m living in poverty and they’re using my work” Ray told the Legman, rankled about her pic of the Naked Lunch author wielding an automatic-Walther Polizeipistole Kriminellmodell?- being ubiquitously splattered on t-shirts.

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In a continuation of what the LA Times noted as last year’s trend of art world resizing in LA, Billy Shire Fine Arts is shuttering. The Culver City gallery’s show of British artist Dave McKean’s works inspired by silent cinema opening February 13th will be the last before the gallery moves exhibitions to La Luz de Jesus. That space, entering its 24th year has been newly renovated and expanded inside WACKO, the Hollywood kitsch and pop culture emporium where, when Michael Jackson showed up, gallery goers and shoppers were forced to flee. Two weeks before his death/homicide “we got a call he was coming and we announced that there was a fire, so he could shop alone” an employee told the Legman. Jackson then left with a basket of comic book noveltygags, like candy cigarettes and a little smoking dog.      

Sun has returned and all is well in LA (except for the recession, unemployment, mortgage crisis, billions and billions budget shortfall thing) we’re back to partying in the yard with the beers. And this brilliant image is on view at the brilliant La Luz de Jesus current show of vintage memorabilia”Shine Gallery” inside WACKO on Hollywood Boulevard.