What’s New
Although sourced from dusty, often rusted, flea market antiques, Christopher Bales’ compositions are far from stale. Bales’ process of finding, collecting, and assembling these found objects is akin to breathing new life into something forgotten. Each found doll head, animal bone, or antique locket he uses has a past life, but when integrated into an assemblage, becomes reborn. His sculptures, thus, have a magical, almost holy, aura about them. Heavily influenced by his Catholic upbringing, Christopher Bales’ assemblages evoke the coexistence of extremes – the agony and the ecstasy, the haunting and the divine. It is this duplicitous sensation that allows his pieces to feel ineffably familiar, but totally unique. As opposed to mimicking existing objects, Bales is interested in allowing his objects to simply be objects: unnamable, indescribable, but often reminiscent of a gothic chapel, a futuristic device, or a bad dream.
La Luz De Jesus Gallery: 4633 Hollywood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90027
(323) 666-7667
The Coaster Show 2017
It’s the Wooden Anniversary of the La Luz de Jesus Coaster Show. What started as a last minute substitution has grown into one of the most anticipated events of the LA Art Scene, now in its fifth year!
We’ve all done it. We’ve sat at the bar, drinking a beer and doodled on a coaster.
But most of us aren’t the extremely skilled painters, illustrators, animators, tattooists, sculptors or collage artists that are featured in this exhibition that takes a love of craft brewing and elevates it to high art.
We produced a custom canvas for some of our favorite gallery folks to do what they do best, and transform a 4″ tondo coaster into museum worthy exhibition pieces.
In the past four exhibitions we’ve had pieces by Ron English and Mark Ryden, given first exhibitions to hundreds of emerging artists and turned a few dozen newcomers into bonafide stars. This year, we’ll again dot our walls with tiny masterpieces priced $250 or less.
The Architects of Babylon
Mixed media on tondo wood, 4″ tondo
The Call of Cthulhu
Mixed media on tondo wood, 4″ tondo
Michael and the Weighing of Souls
Mixed media on tondo wood, 4″ tondo
Nathan Anderson, Christopher Bales, Howard Hallis, & Gea*
June 2 – July 2, 2017
Opening Reception: Friday, June 2nd, 8-11 PM
La Luz De Jesus Gallery presents the first feature exhibition for Nathan Anderson whose pop culture parody portraits are always among the first to sell in our Coaster Show. He’s in good company with Gea* whose first Los Angeles feature here last year was eagerly snatched up by hungry collectors–none of whom bought just one of her deliriously debased drawings of nymphs gone naughty.
It’s hard to believe that our last Howard Hallis show was 2011’s The Picture of Everything, which was the unveiling of a fifteen foot tall and twelve foot wide mixed-illustrated-media drawing of every pop culture reference imaginable up to that point, and which took thirteen years to complete. With the explosion of memes in the past six years you can expect this exhibition of Howard’s trademark lenticular collages to be both timely and timeless. And who better to pair with a wizard of three dimensions than Christopher Bales, whose own (actually) three-dimensional assemblages breathe new rococo life into rare and discarded fixtures, trophies, and even text books.
The Coaster Show 2016
It’s hard to believe this year is already the fourth annual installment of the La Luz de Jesus Coaster Show! What started as a last minute substitution has grown into a legitimate institution–one of the most anticipated events of the LA Art Scene.
We’ve all done it. We’ve sat at the bar, drinking a beer and doodled on a coaster.
But most of us aren’t the extremely skilled painters, illustrators, animators, tattooists, sculptors or collage artists that are featured in this exhibition that takes a love of craft brewing and elevates it to high art.
We produced a custom canvas for some of our favorite gallery folks to do what they do best, and transform a 4″ tondo coaster into museum worthy exhibition pieces.
In the past three years, we’ve dotted our walls with tiny masterpieces, and we’re expecting another 1000 or so pieces this time around!
Each coaster is a solitary work priced $250 or less.
Revelation: The First Trumpet 4x4x3/4
The Reaper 4x4x3/4
The Seed of Adam 4x4x1
We produced a custom canvas for some of our favorite gallery folks to do what they do best, and transform a 4″ tondo coaster into museum worthy exhibition pieces.
Last year, we dotted our walls with over 700 tiny masterpieces, and this year we’ve outdone ourselves–with over 1000! The rules were simple: Each coaster must be a solitary work (though it’s fine if several pieces work together contextually), and they must be priced $250 or less. There is no bottom, so some coasters will be free!
The Doomsday Device 4″ diam War of the worlds 4″ diam
July is almost here! I will be showing 12 new sculptures at the the La Luz De Jesus. Just click on the image above and it will take you to the gallery page. All there sculptures are online, including some nice detail shots. I will be sharing the gallery with three other great artist. If you are in the LA area on July 3rd, I will see you there…
It’s time once again for the Laluzapalooza 28th Annual group show. They had a record number of entries, so I happy I got two in. I am not able to attend the reception but if you happen in LA stop by the gallery. http://www.laluzdejesus.com
I was fortunate enough to get a nod in the Sacramento News & Review. I was chosen best assembler in Sacramento. Shoka wrote a very kind and insightful article about my work. Just follow the link. http://www.newsreview.com/sacramento/best-assembler-christopher-bales/content?oid=11386638
Each artist was given the same 4″ diameter, cardboard beer coaster and challenged to make a creation. I came up with the three sculptures pictured below.
Conquest of Mars 12x 6.5x 2
The Fortune Teller and the Time Traveler 13x6x5
The Spindle Girl 16.5x 16.5×5
It’s time for the 2013 Laluzapalooza group show at the La Luz de Jesus Gallery. The three sculptures pictured below were excepted. The show will not be on display until March. I will post more detailed information when the flyers are available.
Cryostasis 11.5x 23.5x 5
The Crocodile and the Wanting Heart 12x 20x 6.5
The Flight of Buddha II 9.5x 16x 5.5
I Will have seven Scupltures on display at the West Coast Art Assemblage Show. It’s happening at a very cool little gallery in Ukiah, CA. http://beatgallery.wordpress.com/
I was fortunate enough to get three sculptures in La Luz De Jesus Gallery in LA. It was a little scary shipping them, but they managed to get there in one piece since they are included in the online gallery. The three that got in are the new pices listed bellow. http://www.laluzdejesus.com/shows/2012/Kitschen-Sync/01_Laluzapalooza2012.htm
The Pricking of the Needle 11x7x4
Beyond the Event Horizon 19x16x4
Chariots of the Gods 21x12x2.5
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SEBASTIAN’S ARROWS by CHRISTOPHER R. BALES | Make Your Own Book
DACHAU: Voices from the Ash by Christopher R. Bales | Make Your Own Book
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Love, Loss and the Cycle of Healing 13x11x2.5 Here’s a new one hot from the studio. For a larger image, please visit the main gallery.
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California Works Exhibition 2011 California State Fair, July 14-30 1600 Exposition Blvd. Sacramento, CA 95815
The Five Stages of Sleep After a bit of floundering, I’m making another run at this art thing. I hope to be posting new sculptures and updaing my web site more frequenty.
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I will have eight sculptures on display at the University Art at 26th and J street in Midtown, Sacramento. If you would like to take a look they will be on display till the end of the month. http://universityart.com/Sacramento_Midtown
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I will have Five sculptures on display at the Sacramento Art Complex along side eleven other artists. The opening will be december 12th from 6-9pm at 2110 K street, at the corner of 21st and K. Visit this link to find out more: SacramentoArtComplex.com
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Morbid Curiosity Cures the Blues Is a collection of the unsavory, unwise, unorthodox, and unusual. It was published by Scribner and edited by Loren Rhoads. My story: The Pain of Art vs. the Art of Pain is one of the many works contributed to this odd collection. There is also a image of my sculpture: Missing in Action featured with the writing.
Visit to this link to find out more: http://books.simonandschuster.com/Morbid-Curiosity-Cures-the-Blues/Loren-Rhoads/9781439124666
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I have just discovered that the following publications are suggesting my website for additional information in regards to the process of assemblage sculpture. Just click on the images below to find out more about these instructional books.
Collage Discovery: Make your own Collage Creations Using Vintage Photos, found objects and ephemera by Claudine Hellmuth, North Light Books (2003)
Altered Curiosities: Assemblage Technoques and Projects by Jane Ann Wynn, North Light Books (2007)
