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      Seth Armstrong Sets the Hills of Los Angeles Aglow in Vibrant Oil Paintings

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      Seth Armstrong Sets the Hills of Los Angeles Aglow in Vibrant Oil Paintings

      June 20, 2025

      Art

      Kate Mothes

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      Capturing the magical glow of the golden hour, the rich blue of early evening, and the butter-yellow of morning, Seth Armstrong transports us to Southern California in his ongoing series of oil paintings. Bright bungalows, electrical lines, palm trees, and shrubs dot the foothills that shape Los Angeles, with the San Gabriel Mountains often rising in the background.

      Greenery plays a central role in Armstrong’s suburban portraits, revealing and concealing roads, homes, and infrastructure—evocative of the city’s reputation as a place where any dream seems possible. Yet its sprawling neighborhoods, immense wealth, and locus of the entertainment industry tend to obscure undercurrents brought to light by recent immigration protests or last year’s devastating wildfires.

      Next month, Armstrong opens a solo exhibition titled Subrosa at Unit London, borrowing from the Latin phrase “under the rose,” signifying secrecy or discretion. The artist draws upon his own observations of his L.A. neighborhood during long, early-morning walks with his young son.

      Viewed from a distance, the hillside neighborhoods appear idyllic, even paradisiacal, but he hints at out-of-frame elements in this city constantly in flux: simmering socio-political tensions, scorched mountains and fire-leveled homes, and palpable economic disparities. Sometimes people are present, half-hidden in windows and often only noticeable when viewed up-close. “There’s substance behind the forms,” Armstrong says. “Sometimes you get a peek inside. Sometimes you don’t.”

      Subrosa runs from July 9 to August 17. See more on Armstrong’s website and Instagram.

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      Josh Dihle Toys with Reality in His Topographic Paintings Akin to Fever Dreams

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      “Moreau/Detrick Reliquary” (2024),
      walnut, paper pulp, plaster, foam, faux fur, found objects, acrylic, and oil on panel, 40.25 x 31 x 13 inches. All images courtesy of Andrew Rafacz, shared with permission

      Josh Dihle Toys with Reality in His Topographic Paintings Akin to Fever Dreams

      June 16, 2025

      Art

      Grace Ebert

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      “The model railroader is the truest creator: engineer, architect, and master of his own timetable,” reads a statement about Josh Dihle’s feverish exhibition, Basement Arrangement.

      Armed with hundreds of minuscule objects from coral to LEGO, Dihle concocts dreamlike worlds in which figures become topographies and every cavity houses a surprising detail. Peek inside the cheek of “Moreau/Detrick Reliquary,” and find a wooly mammoth with lustrous stones embedded in its wooden tusks. “Confluence” is similar as carved fish jut out of the foam-and-plaster ground alongside trees and palms with widespread fingers.

      Detail of “Confluence” (2025), oil, acrylic, colored pencil, resin, fossils, rocks, LEGO, marbles, beach glass, plastic toys, coral, paper pulp, plaster gauze, foam, cherry, and carved walnut on panel, 57 x 45 x 19 inches

      Evoking model railroads and dollhouses, Dihle’s sculptural paintings incorporate recognizable objects but with an uncanny, if not skewed, perspective. Stretching nearly five feet tall, the large-scale works hang on the wall and draw a contrast between the overall composition, viewed straight on, and the miniature vignettes best taken in at a 90-degree angle. Step back and see an aerial landscape with hills shaped like lips or a sunken nose, while close-up inspection becomes a dizzying hunt for unlikely items tucked into every crevice.

      The exhibition title originates with hermit hobbyists, who seem to come alive when cloistered in worlds of their own making. What appears to outsiders as an escape from reality is, for them, an attempt to organize the chaos and take control, even if in the form of toys and make-believe.

      If you’re in Chicago, see Basement Arrangement at Andrew Rafacz through July 18. Find more from Dihle on his website.

      Detail of “Confluence” (2025), oil, acrylic, colored pencil, resin, fossils, rocks, LEGO, marbles, beach glass, plastic toys, coral, paper pulp, plaster gauze, foam, cherry, and carved walnut on panel, 57 x 45 x 19 inches

      “Moreau/Detrick Reliquary” (2024), walnut, paper pulp, plaster, foam, faux fur, found objects, acrylic, and oil on panel, 40.25 x 31 x 13 inches

      Detail of “Moreau/Detrick Reliquary” (2024), walnut, paper pulp, plaster, foam, faux fur, found objects, acrylic, and oil on panel, 40.25 x 31 x 13 inches

      “Brittle Star” (2025), oil, acrylic, casein, colored pencil, Legos, fossils, rocks, plastic toys, marbles, mosaic tile, buttons, carved walnut, paper pulp, plaster gauze, foam, and plywood on panel, 47 x 21 inches

      “Confluence” (2025), oil, acrylic, colored pencil, resin, fossils, rocks, LEGO, marbles, beach glass, plastic toys, coral, paper pulp, plaster gauze, foam, cherry, and carved walnut on panel, 57 x 45 x 19 inches

      “Sighting” (2025), casein, colored pencil, rocks, fossils, eyeball agate, agate, amber, found objects, plastic toys, mosaic tile, marbles, LEGO, beads, thumb tacks, and beach glass on carved basswood, 18 x 14 x 1.5 inches

      “Falls” (2025), acrylic, turquoise, meteorite, fossil, marble, rocks, plastic toy, paper pulp, plaster gauze, twine, maple, and foam on panel, 42 x 32.5 x 11 inches

      “Radon” (2025), casein, acrylic, resin, turquoise, rocks, LEGO, found jewelry, plastic Micro Machine, fossil, beach glass, and walnut on panel, 13.25 x 10.25 x 1.25 inches

      Detail of “Radon” (2025), casein, acrylic, resin, turquoise, rocks, LEGO, found jewelry, plastic Micro Machine, fossil, beach glass, and walnut on panel, 13.25 x 10.25 x 1.25 inches

      Installation view of ‘Basement Arrangement’

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      In ‘Pu$h Thru,’ Yvette Mayorga Examines Latinx Experience Through Rococo Maximalism

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      “She’s in the cake/Put out the fire, after Nicolas
      Lancret” (2025), collage, glitter, buttons, textile, birthday candles,
      pastel, cardboard, gold foil, silver foil, gold flakes, stickers, cake
      toppers, acrylic marker, acrylic nails, nail charms, and acrylic piping on canvas, 60 x 120 inches. all images courtesy of the artist and Monique Meloche Gallery, Chicago, shared with permission

      In ‘Pu$h Thru,’ Yvette Mayorga Examines Latinx Experience Through Rococo Maximalism

      June 11, 2025

      Art

      Kate Mothes

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      Known for her delectable, frilly, occasionally ominous acrylic paintings made with bakery tools, Yvette Mayorga (previously) nods to memories of her mother working as a baker and references Baroque and Rococo art while critically examining family, community, and notions of prosperity.

      Mayorga’s pieces are “dominated by shades of pink to critically examine the American Dream and the Latinx experience, often borrowing compositions from personal and family photos and art history,” says Monique Meloche Gallery, which presents a solo show of the artist’s work opening this weekend.

      “W3 R TIR3D” (2025), collage, rhinestones, plastic butterflies, acrylic marker, pastel, silver foil, gold foil, pen, acrylic nails, car sticker, butterflies, glitter, gold flakes, silver flakes, textile, belt, rhinestones, nail charms and acrylic piping on canvas, 48 x 36 inches

      Pu$h Thru, the artist’s first show with the gallery and the first in her hometown of Chicago since 2018, takes a semi-autobiographical approach by reflecting on her experiences during the last decade in the city. Beyond her characteristic confection-inspired works, she has created large-scale compositions incorporating found objects like lampshades, clothing, and jewelry, along with bits of ceramic, pastels, gold foil, acrylic nails, and more.

      Many of these works draw on Mayorga’s personal memories, like snapshots of the artist as a child during a birthday party or sitting in her family’s living room. Converging with romantic Rococo aesthetics and style, like portraits modeled after Elizabeth Vigee Le Brun or Jean-Honoré Fragonard, the artist addresses the Euro-centric narrative of art history and its overarching omission of other identities. Mayorga has even coined a term to describe her approach, “Latinxoco,” which merges Latinx identity with Rococo aesthetics.

      “Pink, a color that has a long history with Mayorga’s practice, is deployed as a conceptual strategy to destabilize Western ideals of skin tone, evoking questions of race, class, and gendered embodiment while also referencing cosmetic and domestic aesthetics—an ironic and radical reclamation of softness as strength,” the gallery says.

      Pu$h Thru runs from June 14 to July 26. See more on the artist’s website and Instagram.

      “La Ursupadora Not 4 Me” (2025), collage, textile, glitter, lamp shade, pen, electrical outlet, hoop earrings, shoes, jeans, marker, pastel, drawer handles, lampshade, ceramic, belt, felt, pastel, clock, stickers, gold flakes, gold foil, mirror, acrylic nails, textile, nail charms, TV control, and acrylic piping on canvas, 60 x 120 inches

      “What’s Hidden Beneath (Remnant Series)” (2025), found objects, nail charms, and acrylic piping on canvas, 16 x 12 inches

      “Hot and Ready” (2025), collage, rhinestones, acrylic marker, silver foil, gold foil, pen, pastel, mirror, acrylic nails, stickers, rhinestones, gold flakes, nail charms, collage, glitter and acrylic piping on canvas, 48 x 36 inches

      “Self Portrait of the Artist After Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun” (2025), textile, collage, stickers, gold flakes, silver flakes, pen, lace, buttons, acrylic nails, nail charms, and acrylic piping on canvas, 72 x 60 inches

      “The Portal (Remnant Series)” (2025), found objects and acrylic piping on canvas, 16 x 12 inches

      “Rhinestone Vaquero After Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun” (2025), textile, rhinestones, buttons, belt buckle, gold flakes, silver flakes, glitter, and acrylic piping on canvas, 72 x 60 inches

      “Taffy Taffy (Remnant Series)” (2025), found objects and acrylic piping on canvas, 16 x 12 inches

      “PU$$H PU$$H THRU” (2025), collage, rhinestones, glitter, acrylic marker, silver foil, gold foil, pen, toy boat, mirror, marker, acrylic nails, stickers, textile, leather, nail charms, and acrylic piping on canvas, 48 x 36 inches

      “La Serpiente (Remnant Series)” (2024), found objects and acrylic piping on canvas, 16 x 12 inches

      Installation view of ‘Pu$h Thru’ at Monique Meloche Gallery

      “Party Favor (Remnant Series)” (2025), found objects, nail charms, party favor, and acrylic piping on canvas, 16 x 12 inches

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      At Joy Machine, Five Artists Bring a Gust of Fresh Air for a Joint Exhibition with The Jaunt

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      Stevie Shao, “Thistle Butterfly sheltering from rain,” acrylic gouache and latex paint on paper, 16 1/2 x 11 1/2 inches

      At Joy Machine, Five Artists Bring a Gust of Fresh Air for a Joint Exhibition with The Jaunt

      June 9, 2025

      ArtPartner

      Joy Machine

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      Joy Machine is excited to announce a joint exhibition with The Jaunt. Opening this week in Chicago, Ventus features paintings, sculptures, and prints by Cody Hudson, Seonna Hong (previously), Seth Pimentel, Stevie Shao, and Scott Sueme.

      Founded and curated by Jeroen Smeets, The Jaunt (previously) is a travel project that sends artists around the world to experience new locations and cultures. Once they return home, artists create a limited-edition silkscreen print inspired by their journeys.

      Seonna Hong, “Summer Swimmers” (2025), acrylic on linen, 30 x 24 inches, framed

      Being outside our comfort zones heightens our senses and opens us up to new experiences and inspiration. The Jaunt is a gust of new perspective and energy that flows through artists’ creative processes, allowing them to reorient and establish a new current.

      For Ventus, Smeets gathered a group of artists who have each participated in the project, traveling to places like Shanghai, Mexico City, and Jeju Island, along with the towns of Shelton, Washington, and Joseph, Oregon. Each lets their experiences and observations lead as they create new artworks.

      Chicago has always been somewhat of a home away from home for The Jaunt. The very first exhibition was in the city, and over the years, amazing artists living and working in Chicago–including Cody Hudson, David Heo, Liz Flores, and others–have participated. The Jaunt and Joy Machine are excited to partner and present these five artists, many of whom are showing here for the first time.

      Ventus runs from June 13 to August 2. RSVP to the opening reception here.

      Stevie Shao, “Swallows,” acrylic gouache and latex paint on shaped wood

      Seonna Hong, “Bigfoot,” hand-finished print

      Scott Sueme, “Self-Schema, Pillar One” (2025), acrylic, flashe, and pastel on wood, 69 x 5.5 inches

      Cody Hudson, “Self-Sufficiency, Tangerine Variant”

      Cody Hudson, “Alternative Education, Tangerine Variant”

      Seth Pimentel, silkscreen print, 50 x 70 centimeters, edition of 50, signed and numbered by the artist

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      An Astronaut Finds Symbiosis with Nature in Agus Putu Suyadnya’s Uncanny Paintings

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      “Utopian Visions of Hope” (2025). All images courtesy of Sapar Contemporary, shared with permission

      An Astronaut Finds Symbiosis with Nature in Agus Putu Suyadnya’s Uncanny Paintings

      June 6, 2025

      ArtClimate

      Grace Ebert

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      In Symbiotic Utopia, Agus Putu Suyadnya imagines a future in which tropical ecosystems not unlike those of Southeast Asia become sites for humanity to commune with nature.

      Surrounded by verdant foliage and moss-covered roots that seem to glow with blue and green fuzz, a recurring astronaut figure approaches each scene with comfort and ease. In one work, the suited character cradles a chimpanzee à la notable conservationist Jane Goodall and waves a large bubble wand to create trails of the iridescent orbs in another. And in “Cosmic Self Healing,” the figure sits in a comfortable chair, a large potted plant at his side. This typical domestic scene, though, is situated on the moon, and Earth’s swirling atmosphere appears behind him.

      “Cosmic Self Healing” (2022)

      While alluring in color and density, Suyadnya’s paintings are surreal and portend an eerie future irredeemably impacted by the climate crisis. The astronaut, after all, is fully covered in a protective capsule, a sign that people can only survive with this critical adaptation. “Humans cannot live without nature,” the artist says, “whereas the natural world without mankind will continue to survive. So why, as humans, do we think we have the upper hand?”

      Symbiotic Utopia is on view through July 7 at Sapar Contemporary in New York. Find more from Suyadnya on Instagram.

      Detail of “Cosmic Self Healing” (2022)

      “A Hug for Hope”

      “Steady Humility Wins Every Time” (2025)

      “Yearning for Home” (2024)

      “Playful Nature is the Future” (2024)

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      William Mophos Conjures the Carefree Joys of Childhood on Salvaged Architecture

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      Detail of “Quintal da Vovข” (2025), acrylic painting on wall fragment, miniatures of mixed materials, acrylic dome with cement board base, 21.6 x 23 x 21 centimeters. All images courtesy of William Morphos, shared with permission

      William Mophos Conjures the Carefree Joys of Childhood on Salvaged Architecture

      June 6, 2025

      Art

      Grace Ebert

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      The thrills of childhood play are on full display in the miniature works of William Mophos. On salvaged bricks, cracked tiles, and other architectural matter found throughout São Paulo, the Brazilian artist composes mixed-media scenes of a toddler drinking from a water hose or a youngster walking a dog. Intimate in size, the dioramas meld photorealistic portraits in acrylic with sculptural elements like minuscule flip-flops flung off a child’s feet or a red balloon frozen in an acrylic pane.

      Shown here are pieces of Colossal, a series that’s taken shape during the last five years. Marked with age, the materials evoke times passed and conjure a nostalgic, wistful longing for days filled with exploration and imagination. Find much more of Mophos’ work on his website and Instagram.

      “Estou Voando…” (2023), acrylic painting on tile, framed in acrylic and with a cement board background, 25.5 x 25.5 x 7.5 centimeters

      “Quintal da Vovข” (2025), acrylic painting on wall fragment, miniatures of mixed materials, acrylic dome with cement board base, 21.6 x 23 x 21 centimeters

      “Quintal da Vovข” (2025), acrylic painting on wall fragment, miniatures of mixed materials, acrylic dome with cement board base, 21.6 x 23 x 21 centimeters

      “Violeta e o Amarelo” (2023), acrylic and miniature painting on tiles, framed in acrylic and with a cement board background, 29 x 29 x 12.5 centimeters

      Detail of “Violeta e o Amarelo” (2023), acrylic and miniature painting on tiles, framed in acrylic and with a cement board background, 29 x 29 x 12.5 centimeters

      “Bexiga” (2023), acrylic painting and miniature on a wall fragment, framed in acrylic and with a cement board background, 24 x 26.8 x 7.5 centimeters

      Detail of “Bexiga” (2023), acrylic painting and miniature on a wall fragment, framed in acrylic and with a cement board background, 24 x 26.8 x 7.5 centimeters

      “Bento e seu amigo” (2025), acrylic painting on a wooden fragment, miniatures of mixed materials, framed in acrylic with a cementboard background, 33 x 26.5 x 9 centimeters

      Detail “Bento e seu amigo” (2025), acrylic painting on a wooden fragment, miniatures of mixed materials, framed in acrylic with a cementboard background, 33 x 26.5 x 9 centimeters

      “Ligia e o Urso” (2022), acrylic and miniature painting on a clay floor, framed in acrylic and with a cementboard background, 22.6 x 28 x 7.5 centimeters

      “Ibirapuera” (2024), acrylic painting on wooden board, framed in acrylic and with a cement board background, 32 x 18 x 7.5 centimeters

      “Bem Te Vi” (2024), acrylic painting on tiles, framed in acrylic with a cement board background, 20.3 x 42 x 7.5 centimeters

      “Dia de Chuva” (2023), acrylic painting on floor, framed in acrylic and with a cement board background, 9.3 x 19 x 7.5 centimeters

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      Literary Citations Abound in Andrew Salgado’s Vibrantly Layered Portraits

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      “When We Cease To Understand The World (Grothendieck’s Ghost)”(2025), oil and oil pastel on linen, 180 x 160 centimeters. All images courtesy of Damian Griffiths and BEERS London, shared with permission

      Literary Citations Abound in Andrew Salgado’s Vibrantly Layered Portraits

      June 4, 2025

      Art

      Grace Ebert

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      A new body of work by Andrew Salgado (previously) unfurls from a central premise: we are the books we read. The artist, who works between London and New Brunswick, Canada, is literarily insatiable and considers every unread tome an opportunity of “infinite possibility.”

      At BEERS London, Salgado’s Self-Portrait as a Stack of Books presents a series of paintings that open like chapters and together, build a larger narrative. “My Year Of Rest And Relaxation” directly references Ottessa Moshfegh’s bleary novel of the same name and depicts a young protagonist inert and detached. There’s also “Véra (Please Come Over, You’re Always Welcome),” which portrays a resolute Véra Nabokov writing what might be one of her since destroyed letters.

      “Véra (Please Come Over, You’re Always Welcome)” (2025), oil and oil pastel on linen, 76 x 61 centimeters

      Salgado is continually interested in citation and the ways that memories and experiences layer atop and mold one another. Many of the authors he’s drawn to—Virgina Woolf, Jorge Luis Borges, and Margaret Atwood among them— “are influenced by art. By music and painting. They write about it all the time. The word is ekphrasis,” he adds. “Nabokov lists over 150 paintings in his collected works. So why shouldn’t the inverse also be true?”

      Intuitive marks of oil paint and pastel characterize Salgado’s works and seem to build up over time. Irregular stripes and circles add greater depth and dimension to patches of color delineating a dress or facial feature, leaving each scene with a certain indeterminacy. Allowing for interpretation and an array of personal references is essential to the artist’s thinking: “It’s ready for the taking. And whatever you take from it—from the books, or the paintings, or the ideas within—it’s all right. It’s all correct. There are no wrong answers,” he says.

      Self-Portrait as a Stack of Books is on view through June 28. Find more on Salgado’s website and Instagram.

      “My Year Of Rest And Relaxation” (2025), oil and oil pastel on linen, 90 x 100 centimeters

      “St. Augustine’s Confessions” (2025), oil and oil pastel on linen, 160 x 125 centimeters

      “Hotel Du Lac” (2025), oil and oil pastel on linen, 152 x 117 centimeters

      “Meditations” (Sayings, Speeches, Notes) (2025), oil and oil pastel on linen, 150 x 120 centimeters

      “The Last Evening On Earth” (2025), oil and oil pastel on linen, 125 x 100 centimeters

      “Beware of Pity” (2025), oil and oil pastel on linen, 80 x 75 centimeters

      “The Aleph & Other Stories” (2025), oil and oil pastel on linen, 216 x 164 centimeters

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      Mario Moore’s Oil Paintings Bridge Past and Present to Spotlight Black Resilience and Style

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      “Pillars” (2024), oil on linen, 84 x 96 inches. All images courtesy of Mario Moore and Library Street Collective, shared with permission

      Mario Moore’s Oil Paintings Bridge Past and Present to Spotlight Black Resilience and Style

      June 4, 2025

      ArtHistorySocial Issues

      Kate Mothes

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      In large-scale works in oil, Detroit-based artist Mario Moore taps into the legacy of European painting traditions to create bold portraits exploring the nature of veneration, self-determination, and the continuum of history.

      Moore’s work is currently on view in Beneath Our Feet at Library Street Collective alongside fellow Detroiter LaKela Brown. His new pieces nod to the Dutch and Flemish tradition of devotional painting, particularly religious garland paintings. Within elegant arrangements of flowers and foliage, he highlights Black figures relaxing or tending to gardens.

      “The Patron Saint of Urban Farming” (2025), oil on linen, 72 x 48 inches

      In “Watermelon Man,” a stone altar is surrounded by hibiscus and watermelons, both symbols of resilience. Historically, the latter represented self-sufficiency and freedom for Southern African Americans following Emancipation, but whites flipped the narrative into a stereotypical exemplar of poverty. Moore reclaims the fruit in the spirit of refined 17th-century still-lifes.

      The artist has long drawn on the culture and legacies of both Detroit and the U.S. more broadly through the lens of the Black diaspora. Earlier works like “Pillars” position Black figures in elegant dress within the vast wildernesses of the American frontier, bridging the past to explore how racial divisions continue to shape the present.

      An exhibition last summer at Grand Rapids Art Museum titled Revolutionary Times took his series A New Republic as a starting point, revisiting the history of Black Union soldiers during the Civil War.

      Moore learned that one of his ancestors, who had been enslaved as a child, later enlisted in the Union Army, spurring the artist’s exploration of the seminal mid-19th-century period of conflict and Western colonization. He positions present-day figures in contemporary dress within historical contexts, interrogating political and racial segregations.

      “Watermelon Man” (2025), oil on linen, 51 1/2 x 42 inches

      Through tropes of European painting like a self-portrait of the artist in mirrored reflections and poses in three-quarter profile, Moore renders individuals whose direct, confident gazes and elegant dress invoke Detroit style and pride.

      For Beneath Our Feet, Brown and Moore collaborated on a five-foot-wide bas-relief bronze coin. Each artist completed one side, with Mario’s contribution taking the form of a portrait of Brown. “Her profile echoes the conventional format of traditional American coinage, confronting the historic absence of Black women in national symbolism and positions of authority,” the gallery says. On the opposite side, Brown depicts a bouquet of collard greens symbolic of nourishment and community.

      For this exhibition, Brown and Moore “reflect on the wealth held in the earth beneath us—and the enduring question of who holds the rights to till, own, and shape that land,” says an exhibition statement. Detroit is home to ambitious urban gardening initiatives that aim for local food sovereignty, mirroring the resourcefulness of Black farmers throughout history. The artists “consider land not just as property but as history, inheritance, and possibility,” the gallery says.

      Beneath Our Feet continues through July 30 in Detroit. See more on Moore’s website and Instagram.

      “International Detroit Playa: Sheefy” (2022), oil on linen, 108 x 96 inches

      “These Are Not Yams But They Are Damn Good” (2025), oil on linen, 51 1/2 x 42 inches

      “Creation of a Revolutionary (Helen Moore)” (2023), oil on linen, 76 x 52 inches

      “Black” (2023), oil on linen, 48 x 48 inches

      “Garland of Resilience” (2025), oil on linen, 51 1/2 x 42 inches

      “Birth of Cool” (2023), oil on linen, 72 x 48 inches

      Installation view of ‘LaKela Brown and Mario Moore: Beneath Our Feet’ at Library Street Collective, Detroit

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