We went to check out Albert Reyes' show at Slow Culture the other week, it just so happens our graphics wizard Aaron is friend's with Albert; so we let him share his thoughts.
"Albert and I are at Knott’s Scary Farm again. We go every year because we love Halloween mazes. We try to visit as many different mazes as we can – the scarier the better. We stop at the snack bar to order an ice cream and Albert spots a dirty cup on the floor. He picks up the trash and studies it for a second. “I can use this” he says as I shoot him a puzzled look. Why would he pick up a used cup off the floor and want to save it? He held onto the cup for the rest of the evening and took it home.
A week or so later I stop by Albert’s house for a visit. He’s in his garage, aka his art studio. There’s piles of line drawings on book covers covering a couch, a tower of black & white televisions playing white noise in the corner, and a wall of framed photos, different sizes, spanning Albert’s entire life from childhood to now. There is so much to see! My eyes move quickly around the room and stop in the corner where the light is brightest. Albert’s latest work. He’s covered part of the wall with found cups like the one he saved from Knott’s. Each cup is hand cut with a unique jack-o-lantern face and mounted on a brightly colored book cover. They’re beautiful and hilarious.
Albert loves making art. He loves drawing, building, arranging, sculpting, filming, printing, and collecting. His work is both highly technical and chaotic. That juxtaposition was prevalent at his most recent show “Made In America” at Slow Culture Gallery in Chinatown, Los Angeles. With a custom haunted house installation, clusters of drawings, prints, photos, and other multimedia works, visitors got to experience the mind of Albert Reyes - something I highly recommend."
