Los Angeles Art Association is proud to present Gossamer, an all-media investigation of transparency, delicacy and translucence presentation in contemporary art. Gossamer is juried by Curator Bill Schinsky.

In addition to Gossamer, LAAA also features solo shows by Lauren Mendelson Bass, Stephen Spiller and Slate Quagmire. 

All shows run May 3 – June 6, 2025 at Gallery 825.

Lauren Mendelsohn-Bass’ solo exhibition, Fun and Games, explores the nostalgic longing for an idealized world. Her work takes the viewer on a journey through a world of superficial reality where artificially alluring and nostalgically innocent context marks darker thought, ideas and actions. Through the appropriation of pop imagery and reference to classic childhood games, her paintings examine today’s culture where truth is fluid. Luscious color and the allure of nostalgia is expertly depicted with great detail in order to seduce the senses. The artist employs realism as a means to expose the lack of reality in socially constructed norms.

Stephen Spiller’s exhibit “Say Whatcha Need To Say”, takes aim at a powerful emotion expressed in the movie “On The Waterfront”.There, Marlon Brando’s character, Terry Malloy, laments, “I coulda’ been a contender.” That sentiment resonates with the artist and countless others who see their own regrets mirrored in his words. His cry reflects the disorientation of a man ensnared by his insecurities, unable to fully grasp his identity while allowing others to dictate his fate. So too is that sentiment a powerful metaphor for our crumbling democratic society. As a metaphor, “Say Whatcha Need To Say” represents free expression - a cornerstone of democracy. By brandishing ideas, thoughts and freewheeling opinion, the works collectively are an antidote to psychologically destructive Malloy-like insecurities and emotions of regret. The controversial text fosters truth in a standoff with insecurity and personal anxiety. Without exercising full-throated, personal beliefs, and gaining self-awareness, Malloy never had a chance to survive, let alone thrive. Without open and meaningful expression neither does democracy.

Slate Quagmier’s solo exhibition The Present Plague, Part 2 focuses on narrative acrylic still life paintings depicting the latter part of the COVID-19 pandemic from September 2021 until March 2023. Many of the items found in the paintings are intimately linked to the pandemic, others more tangentially so, and more still are associated with the vernacular of still life. Additional appropriated moments, often from art history, lend support to the goal of each piece. The artist seeks to express narratives in still life much like Dutch artists did in the 17th century with the vanitas idiom. Instead of trying to illustrate the transience of life, the artist is attempting to capture the spirit of each month in the time of COVID. The works perform double duty as both a personal catharsis and as a document of this era.

When: May 3 – June 6, 2025
Reception: May 3, 2025, 10am - 5pm
Where: Gallery 825, 
825 N. La Cienega Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90069

Admission: By appointment only.