De Re Gallery

[deregallery]

MUSE Exhibition // An Enchanted Evening at De Re Gallery

Picture yourself in the English countryside floating blissfully through a field of wild flowers. At De Re Gallery’s opening of Cyrus Mahboubian’s MUSE exhibition, this ethereal vision was brought to life in the form of art, music, flowers and delightful treats. Each detail of the event was carefully crafted by our team to aesthetically present MUSE’s central themes of beauty and timelessness. Cyrus’s stunning analog photographs are shot in some of England’s most serene and scenic fields that make the viewer want to jump in and get lost in it. We recreated this setting in the gallery with an installation of grass and brilliant flower arrangements by Seed Floral Couture. Guests were served La Marca Prosecco, Jackson Family Wines and exquisite macarons by Les Macarons Duverger. Our gallery team, the “muses” of the evening, were beautifully dressed in Vivian Chan gowns and hair styled by Paul Jean Salon.

Music also played a huge part in creating the enchanting ambiance of the evening. Pianist Jenny Michelle Pellegrini captivated guests with her very own improvised compositions that reflected the emotions evoked by Cyrus’s photographs. Playing since the young age of 4, she has developed a personal style that syncs perfectly with Cyrus’s, in that it is about feeling the present moment and conveying a sense of timelessness. Later in the evening, up-and-coming singer Gabrielle Walter-Clay wowed the crowd with her soulful and passionate voice that had all the muses dancing. Although influenced by great artists such as Stevie Wonder and Aretha Franklin, Gabrielle brings her own edgy vibe to her singing and is beginning  to write her own songs. She strives to inspire and ignite passion in her listeners through her music.

It was an inspired evening in which the lines between reality and the magical setting of the photographs were blurred. Artfully curated from top to bottom, the evening transported us into the world of the photographs and we experienced Cyrus’s vision through his lens. 

[deregallery]

Cyrus Meets LA

Just days away from the opening of his solo exhibition MUSE at De Re Gallery, photographer Cyrus Mahboubian has arrived in Los Angeles. Born and raised in London, Cyrus was immediately impressed by all the invigorating natural light that California has to provide. Natural lighting is a key component to the success of his photography as he shoots exclusively on film. MUSE is the first showcase of a new series of polaroids and film photographs depicting beauty in the English countryside. The show represents themes that are deeply valued by Cyrus, including intimacy and reflection. Throughout the entire process, he worked with only one model, providing a sense of intimacy that can be felt in the photographs themselves. At first glance, it may seem that the MUSE of the series is simply the model; however, the landscape and surroundings play an equally important role in Cyrus’s inspiration. His personal favorites are the two polaroid test-shots, for which he used an ultra-rare type of Polaroid film that is now extinct. As a photographer exclusively using film, he is very selective about the shots that he takes, capturing only the moments that reflect the most sublime lighting and atmosphere. 

Cyrus will be in Los Angeles for the duration of his exhibition, spending time at the gallery and also looking for places of interest for his next shoot. He plans to do a road trip across California, seeking out the most beautiful landscapes, particularly the wide array of national parks. In addition, Cyrus is fascinated by the stark contrast between the spread-out, wide city landscape of Los Angeles and the quaint narrow streets of London. The novelty of his new environment is inspiration enough for his photographic endeavors during his stay. Cyrus is very much looking forward to his first solo exhibition, as well as his future collaboration with De Re Gallery. He is passionate about working with a new, up-and-coming gallery that shares the same artistic vision. The art found at De Re Gallery showcases a type of beauty with emotional depth that will surely stand the test of time.

[deregallery]

COMPETITION: #CYRUSMUSE

We've launched an Instagram competition to celebrate Cyrus Mahboubian's upcoming solo exhibition at De Re Gallery. 

Take part for your chance to win a signed unique Polaroid by the artist: – Follow @cyrusartist and @deregallery on Instagram.

– Simply take a photo of yourself in a landscape and upload to Instagram with the caption: "My #CyrusMuse photo, celebrating @cyrusartist solo exhibition at @deregallery in LA." Entries close 12 noon (LA time) on Sunday 14 Sept 2014.

– Cyrus will select his favorite five entries and we will regram one  per day beginning Sunday 14 Sept. The photo we regram on Thursday 18 Sept will be the overall winner. The four runners up will receive an  exhibition catalogue signed by the artist. Please Note: Your Instagram account must be public for us to see your  entry. Also, Instagram blocks searches that include broken hashtags such as "photography" so we recommend using only the competition hashtag #CyrusMuse.

Previous entries are eligible for the prize provided the photo was  originally posted with the competition hashtag. If you added the hashtag to an old photo, the photo will need to be reposted to qualify.

Thanks!

[deregallery]

Meet Tom Chambers

“I do photomontage work because it's a vehicle for creative expression” explains Tom Chambers. De Re Photographer Tom Chambers composes memorable and songlike photomontages using his original photographs that he has collected from his daily life and years of traveling around the world. Chambers' photomontages consist of realistic subjects in shocking compositions that bring to life the most surreal settings. Chambers' creative process is quite technically-provoking, “Sometimes I will have an interesting background images and I will imagine what to add to that. Then, I will photograph separate elements and add them to the background individually.” 

Other times he will roughly sketch out an illuminating idea and then go out and photograph the missing components. Imagination and powerful lighting are key in Tom Chambers'  photographic works. Lighting is essential when creating a photomontage; concluding images must manifest the same lighting or else the composition will look fake. The artist uses Photoshop to digitally combine his photographs into a dreamlike harmony. He often spreads out his artistic sessions, dedicating a total of forty or more hours creating his photomontages. “I will work on it and then let it sit. Each time I return with fresh eyes.”

I love Tom Chambers' photography as for me it is an open door to a dream land. His everyday characters and settings transport me to a ultimate reality that is a reflection of the unconscious mind. Sometimes dark, sometimes joyful, it exposes my most hidden emotions. Upon encountering a Tom Chambers' piece, you too will discover your inner desires. 

[deregallery]

Meet Cyrus Mahboubian

When I asked Cyrus Mahboubian “Why are you an artist?” the artist referred to the great German poet Rainer Maria Rilke: “When Rilke received a letter from an aspiring poet asking for advice, he advised the young man to write poetry only if he must, if he couldn't live without writing. That's how I feel about photography.” 

Cyrus Mahboubian is a photographer born and raised in London. Although technically Mahboubian could be shooting in digital, his passion echos in shooting photographic film and polaroids.  There is a sense of preciousness and time passing in the film that you simply cannot find with digital photography. His photography conveys the nostalgia of a time that is over with. I chose to discuss Cyrus Mahboubian's work this week as when I looked closely at his photograph 'Catherine' currently on display at De Re Gallery, I immediately fell for the hints of movement, the divine lighting contrasts, and the special harmony between his subject and its surroundings. Mahboubian's patience and subtle eye for beauty makes him work outside, sometimes for hours. “I shoot a lot of polaroids and with only 10 photos in a pack, each exposure is carefully considered before I click the shutter.”  In this day and age, technology has become a fundamental tool, especially in photography. Almost everyone has access to a camera. However, Mahboubian's rare artistry of processing each individual print himself create enduring photography. “I try to remember what I was feeling when I shot the photo and if the printed work conveys that mood, I know it's finished''.  Cyrus Mahboubian is preparing for a show at the De Re Gallery in September. He is currently finishing a series that explores ideas of femininity, beauty, loneliness and isolation. His muse, an English actress, Kasia Briars is photographed in alluring landscapes around England. “The land has a special, ancient mood that I find quite intriguing.”

[deregallery]

Meet Gretchen Andrew

Gretchen Andrew's oeuvre provides us with a fascinating perspective into the digital age. Andrew uses the emerging technology of the Google Glass to record her artist process and capture daily inspiration. Andrew's mentor, Billy Childish, says “that you paint to find out who you are” and that is exactly what Andrew has been doing ever since she left her former job at Google to begin defining her own success.

“To me, art has always been about the “otherness” of the world. Through “Starry Night” we get to know the world as Van Gogh knew it, and in the experience we are extended beyond the constraints of our own way of looking. Through laboring to convert my experience of the world into art is becomes the viewer's own” This is what Gretchen Andrew responded to my question, “What role does the artist have in society?” The Google Glass is Gretchen Andrew's live journal allowing her to review captured paintings, people, and objects that she finds puzzling or beautiful. Andrew likes to use her Google Glass when she goes out on a run or visits Museums. Being able to look back at her images and videos empowers Andrew to engage with original treatments with her own contemporary style. “As an American painter with my studio and practice in Europe, I am interested in the painting tradition with origins in The New York School.” In Andrew's piece, “June On The West Coast” we explore her abstract attention to detail in her brush stokes, relaxing blues and magentas, and her delicate line work. “The care and attention given during abstract painting can be applied to figurative work. I take up this tradition, supported through my ongoing mentorships with abstract painters like Nicholas Jones.” On Gretchen Andrew's youtube channel she shares her creative process to the world. I have yet to use the Google Glass, but as an artist myself I can recognize the significance of this new age tool. In 1948 when the first commercial instant camera came out, The Land Camera, the world was astonished by the fast form of snapshots that could be used as souvenirs of daily life.Gretchen Andrew is using the digital age as a golden tool, and this very special tool helps her to create the deepest and most beautiful painted compositions.

[deregallery]

Meet Stephanie Hirsch

"I'm a spiritual being having a human experience” This is what De Re artist Stephanie Hirsch responded to my question: "Who are you?"

Stephanie Hirsch is a truth seeker and a story teller. Indeed, Hirsch believes in her connection with the universe. This connection shines through her artwork literally and figuratively.

Originally a child raised in a chaotic background, she used her art to fight her inner voice and live through the struggles she experienced early on in her life.

Stephanie Hirsch's art is made of beads and embroidery. Hirsch uses beads as a light absorbing medium, Hirsch conveys hope and belief in a better reality. The embellishment of the beads also changes the bland form of a pictorial painting into a three-dimensional dialog between the artist and the viewer.

When I asked Hirsch, "How has your practice changed over time?" She responded, "I feel it goes deeper into the eternal truths of life as I delve deeper in myself."

When I first encountered Hirsch's artworks I was captivated by the small handmade details that intertwine into a magnificent piece. I adore the shades of blues and greys and I feel as if her works were bringing out the best in me. I strongly believe that all her art speaks a universal language of hope for all of us. Be who you are, hope and believe: if Hirsch was saved while making art, perhaps her art can save all of us?

[deregallery]

Meet Steph Sebbag and Marine Tanguy

Today, I had the chance to sit down with Steph Sebbag and Marine Tanguy to hear their inspiring story of how they met and what pushed them to open the De Re Gallery. Their story is an excellent blend of fortune and artistic passion.

Steph Sebbag, President of BPG Advertising met Marine Tanguy in London while he was working for a very exciting project on a poet named John Keats. His producer, Karla Braun, a collector and art enthusiast, decided to wander the streets of Soho and entered The Outsiders Gallery with Steph. There they met Marine Tanguy who used to be the artistic director. Steph and Marine immediately engaged in an artistic exchange and Steph was very admirative of Marine's passion for the art world. Steph insisted on meeting Marine in the evening and then exposed his goal to open an art gallery with the right business partner. Sharing the same aesthetic vision, the same love for Prussian blues and a sense of long term thinking, it seems that they had found the perfect match for a successful partnership. They met again the next morning in the quaint Maison Bertaux, the oldest bakery in London (Marine herself being obsessed with croissants and strawberry tarts) where Marine had brought a first edition book of poems by John Keats, showing common interests in all fields. Steph left London that morning with the firm belief that the gallery will open soon.

A few months later, Marine and Steph met again at Art Basel in Miami. As soon as they hit the mad city, they went straight to the fair itself and to their surprise, they picked the very same works of art. They particularly loved a coast line in Prussian Blue by artist Ellsworth Kelly that would later become their branding. Marine always have had a very special bonding with her family and where she grew up, the island of Re, thus they decided to call the gallery after this tiny island in the South West of France. In just a few days in Miami, the gallery was officially registered in California as De Re Gallery LLC and they set up for an incredibly ambitious 2014. Marine resigned from her previous job in January and in just three months, traveled the globe and signed up fourteen artists for their Grand Opening Show in May. In the meantime, Steph set up to redesign the entire space on Melrose Avenue with the help of interior designer Nicole Sassaman. On May 15th, De Re Gallery officially opened with a sumptuous party witnessing top collectors and celebrities. Two months later, De Re Gallery has gathered forty plus articles and the most impressive sponsors. It has become a Los Angeles hot spot for the most exciting events such as Art + Jazz, Art + Wine and Art + Film.

What to take away from this story? Taking risks, trusting people and following your intuition are always rewarded. Marine and Steph both view the gallery as their passion, not a job. Steph's creativity meets Marine's finesse.Their eye, their mutual respect for each other and their strong will make this gallery a haven in the emerging Los Angeles community.  

[deregallery]

The Art & Jazz Event

I was recently introduced to Marine Tanguy when I showed up at the De Re Gallery hoping to become a new member of their team as an intern. When I first arrived into the gallery I felt calm and relaxed. All the tension I had soaked up for the LA traffic faded. I could hear a soft echo of Marine’s voice speaking french. I smiled, and wished I had learned to speak french when my parents encouraged me to. I glanced at all the raw talent that stood before me and was ambitious to know who were these amazing artists.

Now, as a member of their team I have discovered that the De Re Gallery had its grand opening event on May 15th introducing the group exhibition of works by Alison Bignon, Brian Bowen Smith, Caroline d’Andlau Hombourg, Corinne Ungerer, Cyrus Mahboubian, Florence de Ponthaud, Gretchen Andrew, Lily Ludlow, Margherita Marzotto, Mike Sagato, Sophie Dickens, Tom Chambers, Stephanie Hirsch, Stefanie Schneider, and Victor Gingembre. The De Re Gallery is founded by Steph Sebbag and Marine Tanguy. Both Sebbag and Tanguy are passionate about bringing romanticism to the dazzling city of Los Angeles. The gallery has done an excellent job gathering a community with enjoyable events such as Art & Jazz that took place on Wednesday July 9th in the gallery.

It was 6 O’clock and people were swinging through the door. A talented Jazz band, ART TRIO was playing their beautifully composed jazz music in perfect harmony with the gallery’s ambiance. The gallery quickly filled with smiles and passionate conversations. This is when, De Re Gallery’s Director, Marine Tanguy, stepped in to start her artistic lectures. With a smooth glass of rosé in hand our guests gathered together as Marine called attention to three works of art. She blissfully conveyed in depth the works of Stephanie Hirsch’s piece 'Believe' and her use of spiritual beads to work through her inner struggles, the love story behind the painting ‘Queen of the East Village’ by New York painter Mike Sagato and Gretchen Andrew’s engagement with the materiality of her pigments to convey emotional turmoils in her painting 'June on the West Coast'. These works of art made a wonderful emotional connection with the jazz music.

My favorite part of the evening was how the ART TRIO band chose three songs to emulate the three pieces that were lectured. They played two originals by Harold Arlen and Nacio Herb Brown and ended the night with a passionate freestyle that got myself and everyone in the gallery jiving. It was quite amazing to see the musicians inspired by their surroundings. There was a positive dialog between the art and jazz that brought together a very varied group of individuals. As an artist myself, I can say that hearing Hirsch, Sagato, and Andrew’s stories inspired me to keep doing what I love and to never stop being curious of the unknown. I’m officially moved by the De Re Gallery and can not wait for the next event to take place.