LOOPING THE LOOP

When SPF:a built their new Culver City office in 2006 they created a major urban amenity, with a bold façade of jutting bays, studio apartments in back, a corner restaurant (currently occupied by Sublime) and—most importantly—a soaring gallery. Partner Judit Fekete, whose Hungarian accent would charm birds out of trees, has made this gallery one of the liveliest and most eclectic in LA. Six times a year there’s an exhibition of art, architecture, or design—currently “Lorcan O’Herlihy: Lines, Mounds and Internal Landscapes.”

Even as his architectural practice has flourished, O’Herlihy has always made time to make art. In this ambitious exhibit of paintings, prints and sculpture, he follows Paul Klee’s lead, and takes a line for a walk. Tubes of paint and charcoal are applied directly to the canvas and then partially erased, creating free-form linear compositions. The sculptures were born by chance when his order for a modest length of porous rubber hose (used for drip-irrigation) was misread and 500 feet was delivered to his studio. Instead of returning it, he started to play with the coils, tying up loops and creating self-supporting structures that are the three-dimensional equivalent of the drawings.

The O’Herlihy exhibition runs through October 6. 
Next up is “Lux Natura: Transpersonal Photographs by Marc Franklin”.

SPF:a Gallery
8609 Washington Boulevard
Culver City
310.558.0902