La Luz de Jesus

Counter added Sunday, March 25, 2007 -11:00 am Pacific Time


	*Photography*

Thursday, July 26, 2007 - La Luz de Jesus

Of course everyone elsewhere thinks we're all crazy out here. Perhaps we are. See the text below these first three photographs.

See Frommers –

A not-to-be-missed highlight is the wacky and eclectic Soap Plant/Wacko/La Luz de Jesus Art Gallery, 4633 Hollywood Boulevard, a three-in-one business with candles, art books, erotic toys, soap and bathing items, and a large selection of lava lamps.

Or see City Search –

Scenesters knew Melrose was going downhill when Billy Shire moved his novelty shop Wacko and its adjoining gallery La Luz de Jesus back to the hipper Eastside. Even though the Los Feliz address should be clear indication, this ain't no snooty Westside gallery. You'll have to wade through Wacko's dense aisles of amazing toys and eccentric geegaws to get to the art trove. Monthly openings draw capacity crowds of lowbrow art aficionados.

Or see Yelp –

La Luz is, without a doubt, one of best gallery showing lowbrow/pop surrealist/post-pop artists today. If you read JUXTAPOZ magazine, you'll be in heaven at this gallery! Liz McGrath, Shag, Glenn Barr, Joe Coleman and the Pizz have all shown at La Luz. EVEN Robert Williams and Manuel Ocampo have shown here! If you like boobie art, pin-ups, tikis, big eye girls, hot rods, the grotesque or anything carnivalesque, you'll enjoy a visit to La Luz.

Or visit the La Luz de Jesus Gallery website –

La Luz de Jesus Gallery came to be in 1986 in Los Angeles, California as the brainchild of entrepreneur and art collector Billy Shire. Shire is considered hugely responsible for fostering a new school of art in Los Angeles prompting JUXTAPOZ Magazine to dub him "the Peggy Guggenheim of Lowbrow."

La Luz de Jesus showcases mostly paintings, from figurative to the very abstract, as well as unusual sculpture. The exhibitions are considered post-pop; the art content ranges from folk to outsider to religious to sexually deviant. The gallery's main objective is to bring underground artists and counter culture to the masses.

Some of the past shows have been quite groundbreaking, introducing unknown artists who go on to become great names in the modern art world. La Luz de Jesus helped start out artists such as Manual Ocampo and Joe Coleman, and hosted Robert Williams' art exhibits before he became a household name.

The gallery shows a different exhibit every month, with an opening reception that Details Magazine calls "the biggest and best party in Los Angeles."

Or visit the Soap Plant / Wacko website.












	On the bike rack out front –



	Things are quite normal across the street.

If you wish to use any of these photos for commercial purposes I assume you'll discuss that with me. And should you choose to download any of these images and use them invoking the "fair use" provisions of the Copyright Act of 1976, please provide credit, and, on the web, a link back this site.

Technical Note:

Most of these photographs were shot with a Nikon D70 - using lens (1) AF-S Nikkor 18-70 mm 1:35-4.5G ED, or (2) AF Nikkor 70-300mm telephoto, or after 5 June 2006, (3) AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor, 55-200 mm f/4-5.6G ED. They were modified for web posting using Adobe Photoshop 7.0. Earlier photography was done with a Sony Mavica digital still camera (MVC-FD-88) with built-in digital zoom.


	[La Luz de Jesus]


	All text and photos, unless otherwise noted, Copyright © 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 - Alan M. Pavlik