Fifty local galleries will make this summer the most lively in memory with the arrival of the Absolut L.A. International. From July 12 through August 20, each gallery plays host to a foreign gallery and artist(s) affiliated with that gallery. Some of these artists have been written about and discussed in the international art journals, and established themselves in the international art world without having been represented here. Most will be new to the majority of viewers.
'International' in this case means just that--all of the guest galleries are from outside the United States (Diane Farris barely so in Vancouver), with strongest representation coming from German, British and Japanese contingents.
Coordination of this, the second biennial invitational, comes from the efforts of L.A.'s two major gallery associations, the Santa Monica/Venice Art Dealers Association (SMVADA) and Los Angeles Art Galleries (LAAG), which have also provided nearly all of the host galleries. SMVADA President William Turner (William Turner Gallery) and event Chairman Robert Berman (Robert Berman Gallery) provided the committed leadership in realizing this ambitious six-week event, which was strongly bolstered with major backing from Absolut as well as other private and government sponsors. Absolut is well known for its longstanding series of national advertising campaigns featuring originally commissioned artworks based on the shape of the vodka product's bottle.
Lending focus to the exciting prospect of a very promising exhibition schedule are a series of receptions, museum panel discussions, docent tours, and a closing party. For specific dates and times, as determined at press time, please refer to the Calendar of Openings.
Participating galleries are indicated throughout the Gallery Listings with the note in boldface that they are an Absolut L.A. International Host Gallery. The name and nationality of the guest gallery is also included.