PC Valmorbida, Anthony Kiedis, and RVCA's PM Tenore.
L.A. Native Jared Najjar open New Gallery PRISM on Sunset Blvd with Austrailia “It” boy PC Valmorbida, fanning the flames for an art revolution in Los Angeles.
New York, NY – November 13, 2009– On November 12th, PC Valmorbida and Jared Najjar, in partnership with PM Tenore and RVCA Artists Network Program, hosted a private celebration and exhibition preview of PRISM Gallery’s inaugural exhibition, “mindthegap.” The exhibition features works by artists, Barry McGee and Phil Frost, who’s early graffiti work, complex paintings and installations have brought them both critical acclaim. Guests including Carine Roitfeld, Theodora Richards, Vladimir Restoin Roitfeld, Nicolas Berggruen, Liz Goldwyn, Roman Alonso, Honor Fraser, Io Bottoms, Paulin Paris, Stavros Niarchos Jr., Dasha Zhukova, Tarina Tarantino & Alfonso Campos, Elyse Taylor, Luis Barreto & Roma Maffia, Tracy Ross, Brandon Davis, Florence Azria, Gia Coppola, Margherita Missoni, Annie Philbin, Nelle Hooper, Troy Garity, Cordula Reyter, Priscilla Woolworth, Michael Mann, Rachel Zoe, Lisa Edelstein, Jermaine Dupree, Brett McKenzie, Anthony Kiedis, Maria & Bill Bell, Sarah Watson, Elizabeth & Collin Callendar, Stella Hall, Ben Watts, Brody Jenner, Brent Bolthouse, Peaches Geldorf, Andy Valmorbida, Devon Aoki, Atlanta de Cadanet, and Nicky Hilton sipped cocktails and explored the project space, from the gallery’s extensive two floors, to the rooftop with a stunning view of the Sunset Strip. This phenomenal show will be open for public viewing from November 20th – February 20th.
The Founders: PC Valmorbida, a 23 year old Australian gallerist and artist, has planted his artistic roots in Los Angeles with the opening of his new project space, PRISM. His early passion for the arts, photography in particular, drove him to create his own artwork. His photographic talents were widely recognized and his work was displayed across continents and on the pages of world renowned publications. PC’s devotion to artistic expression inspired him to create PRISM with co-founder and contemporary art collector Jared Najjar, where a myriad of projects will exhibit, beginning with “mindthegap.”
The Exhibition: The inaugural exhibition, “mindthegap,” will open November 20, 2009. The show aims to unite a group of artists whose work fills the metaphorical gap that is situated between the theoretical definitions of high and low art. It is art that straddles the line of being both publicly accessible yet also edging its way into the traditional artistic canon. It is work that until recently has been sidelined by the mainstream art world but whose intrinsic effusive spirit has broken through boundaries and fundamentally impacted popular and artistic culture.
RVCA Artists Network Program, commonly referred to as the ANP, is an ongoing program aimed at showcasing the talents of accomplished as well as unknown artists, advocates and musicians who inspire our generation and push the boundaries of creativity; providing something of substance and culture.
Prism opening attendees included Barry McGee, Jared Najjar, Andy Valmorbida and Maria Valmorbida, Chloe Bartoli, Jasmin Shokrian, Kelly Slater, models Heidi Mount and Erin Heatherton, Vladimir Restoin-Roitfeld and Carine Roitfeld, Gia Coppola, Sam Freilich, Devon Aoki, Barry McGee, Mickey Church, Atlanta de Cadenet Taylor , Luca Missoni, Jennifer Missoni, Margherita Missoni, Nicky Hilton, Theodora Richards, PM Tenore, Stavros Niarchos, Dasha Zhukova, Troy Garity, Simone Bent, Phil Frost, Theodora Richards and Chloe Bartoli.
About PC Valmorbida, Founder
Twenty three year old PC Valmorbida became infatuated with the art world in his youth. Originally from Australia, PC moved with his family to New York at 15, and immediately immersed himself in the city’s vibrant artistic culture. His passion for the arts and photography in particular, allowed him to pursue a continued education in his craft. His talents have been on display in exhibitions in Paris and New York, as well as on the pages of world renowned publications. After venturing to Los Angeles and discovering the need for a new cultural hub for the arts, he decided to plant his artistic roots on the west coast, with the opening of his new Hollywood project space, PRISM. Located on the Sunset Strip, PRISM will feature national and international artists with energetic exhibitions, culturally diverse installations, screenings, and public art displays.
About Jared Najjar, Founder
Jared Najjar, a Los Angeles based collector of Contemporary art, partnered with PC Valmorbida on PRISM because of their shared desire to bring a lively, chic “downtown cool” feeling, to the LA art scene. With the opening of PRISM, Mr. Najjar hopes to create a cultural hub of excitement and activity on the Sunset Strip.
About Phil Frost, Artist
Phil Frost is a self-taught artist who began his career in the early ‘90s by aggressively blanketing New York City’s streets and doorways with strips of brightly colored wheat-pasted posters. Phil went on to create highly personalized paintings and sculpture where he often employees the use of found material. His works are at once beautiful and illegible–they trigger a host of non-linear associations and unexpected correspondences.
About Barry McGee, Artist
Barry McGee was born in 1966 in San Francisco, where he continues to live and work. First known as “Twist,” the moniker under which he attained cult status among his peers as a graffiti writer, he subsequently received formal training at the San Francisco Art Institute, where he earned a B.F.A. in painting and printmaking in 1991. Rising out of the Mission School art movement, McGee has shown extensively at galleries and museums.
HAHAHA. PC an “ARTIST”?!
1) After all this hype, could someone please provide a proper biography of our little genius PC? “His passion for the arts and photography in particular, allowed him to pursue a continued education in his craft”. What education? Which institution? What kind of diploma? Who are the recognized artists he worked with?
2)”His talents have been on display in exhibitions in Paris and New York, as well as on the pages of world renowned publications”. Has anyone actually bothered to take a look at any PC’s photographs? They are a joke! His photographs look the way you would expect a complete amateur, who has absolutely no clue about photography, to take a photo in a cliche manner of what he imagines to be an “artistic” photograph. And concerning the worldwide publications, and expositions from Paris to New York. They were all “curated” by his equally clueless friends … such as Vlad for instance.
Sad. Who are the idiots these boys are catering to? How uneducated and uncultured do you have to be to buy into this? Literally.
TRAGIC.
MAN WHOEVER U R WRITING NEGATIVELY ABOUT PC I WOULD LIKE TO SEE WHAT YOU ACHIEVED AT 23 AND BY YOU WRITING WHAT YOU WROTE MAKES U THE BIGGEST JEALOUS HATER OF ALL TIME
ENJOY WRITING COMMENTS ON BLOGS AND WISHING TO BE SOMEONE YOU SORE DESPERATE LOSER!!!!!
PEACE
Interesting,that sb would get so hostile and aggressive just because sb would actually like to see a real biography (i.e. names of institiutions, kind of diplomas, names of artists etc.).
Concerning the “achievement” , I just today came across the works of a 16 year old who had already won international prices.
Opening some gallery and throwing some party is not necessarily an achievement.
Its quite funny that you’ve asked for a “diploma” from our lad PC to prove his merit as an artist. Teller, you are an old fool, don’t be so quick to attach art to institutions or the conditional… The art world grows uglier by day with that kind of thinking.