Coming this May AR4T Gallery presents Lights Out Beach City, Ben Brough’s new solo show, presented as loud thoughts and after thoughts derived from nomadic journals kept from 1998-2012. Opens May 5, 2012.

Here are 4 Questions with the artist:

1. Will this show touch on your life of travel?
BB: Yes, definitely. I spent a great deal of my youth on the move and truly loved the different places I ended up in. No matter what, it’s influenced me wherever I was – that bar in San Sebastian Spain, getting a new surfboard in west Australia or hanging out on Catalina Island.

2. Why is AR4T the right gallery setting for this show and what are you going to do with it?
BB: Because the ocean is across the street and it’s Lights Out Beach City … I’m going to cover the space with paintings, collages, drawings and some empty wine bottles with the goal of making it all have a nice visual ring to it and making the moment pleasing to all who attend.

3. How does the California landscape influence your work?
BB: California has it all. I do miss Hawaii where I grew up, but you can go from the desert to the beach to the mountains and so many hidden gems all with the greatest of ease in California. The fast-paced consumerist lifestyle mixed with the richness of the laid-back surf history here, I’ve grown to see the great qualities of California.

4. Why delve back to 1998 for your work in this show?
BB: I wanted to put everything out there and somewhat behind me, kind of like an art cleanse. I like to work in different styles usually, and I wanted to see them all together in one room at one time. 1998 is the year I started really spending a lot of time abroad and recording images and fucking off on a professional level and enjoying life. Most of the work prior to this in inaccessible because it’s either with owners or destroyed.

Here’s a sneak peek of Tax Included: New works by Russ Pope

A bit of what will be unveiled during Laguna Beach Artwalk, the first Thursday of April!

Upcoming Russ Pope Solo Show April 5-28, 2012: Tax Included. Opening Reception Thurs. April 5, 2012 6-9pm. Here is a Q and A with the artist!

Q. What is the meaning behind he show’s title Tax Included?
Russ Pope: April is tax month. You’ll see some medium/large sized paintings on canvas, drawings on archival papers, 3 and 2-D painted wood pieces with acrylic paint, ink and aerosol paint.  Social commentary, tax info. Some installed pieces, those will be the wooded 3-D pieces.

Q: What kind of impact did winning Best Visual Artist of 2010 from OC Weekly have over the past year in 2011? Did it create any changes?
RP: It was a really nice gesture, happy to be included.

Q: What’s a common question that younger artists ask you, and what’s your advice for them?
RP: Two frequently asked questions are: “How do you find the time to produce so much work?” and “How do I go about showing my work?” You don’t find time, you take or make the time to produce work, is my answer on the first question. The answer to the second is more complicated. A big part of showing your work is based on relationships you have or need to have with galleries.

Q: How is 2012 shaping up for you? In addition to this show, what else do you have coming up?
RP: I have another solo show later in the year at Space 1026 in Philadelphia.  A mural project in L.A. and a 3 man show in S.F. that I’m curating and painting for.

The Whale of Gratitude by Dennis McNett grows and grows! Come see what we mean during Laguna Beach Artwalk March 1, 2012, 6-9pm: Dennis McNett original artwork, prints and handmade clay/wood/ leather masks along with viewing of the Whale of Gratitude.

Dennis McNett’s solo exhibit Wolfbat Shamans and the Whale of Gratitude goes through Mar. 24, 2012.

Plus, a special 1-night live demonstration feat. Camilla Taylor three dimensional printed pieces will also take place Mar. 1, 2012 during Laguna Beach Artwalk.

Camilla received her MFA with an emphasis in printmaking from California State University at Long Beach in 2011. She received her BFA, also in printmaking, from University of Utah in Salt Lake City. She is currently residing in downtown Los Angeles, CA.

Photo of Dennis McNett Shaman Mask: Peter Stow

AR4T gallery friend and Laguna Beach local Evan shared this pic of his new art in his home. Mick Jagger by David Blake titled “We’re Not Gonna Play Man” was part of last month’s Heaven’s on Fire show. We love! Thanks Evan!!