For the first artist to grace this blog, I would like to introduce some new work from the amazingly talented James Jean. James studied at the School of Visual Arts in New York and has won numerous medals from the Society of Illustrators in LA and New York. His whimsical drawings are popular among the illustrated novel crowd, but his most recent work can be seen on the runway from Prada’s spring line. The fabrics are adorned with fairies and plant life, done up in deep purples and greens, creating a fantasy world played out on skirts, blouses, and dresses. James has also designed the illustrations in Prada’s print ads and is currently working on a short film. Check out more of his work at www.jamesjean.com and www.prada.com.

Chemistry from www.jamesjean.com

I want to welcome everyone to the Art Underground, a blog dedicated to enlightening readers about the art world. Los Angeles is broken up into different gallery locations, ranging from the beach cities to downtown. While these cities are connected through their appreciation of art, their gallery content is radically different. For example, a Beverly Hills gallery will introduce a viewer to the more established side of art, while the Chinatown and Silverlake spaces will highlight emerging talent. By exploring these cities, one will come to find what they like and dislike in the contemporary art world. I want to provide a space where anyone can find out what is going on among these Los Angeles Galleries and learn about a wide range of artists who are working and showing in L.A.

In addition to focusing on Los Angeles, I think it is important to highlight artists who are working all over the world. Since the art world is an international scene, a lot of great discovery can come from following a artist or a gallery who influencing different states as well as different countries. With this blog, i would like to take the art scene and combine it with the culture of the underground world. Art is just one topic in the underground scene and in order to see why this newly discovered talent is creating the work they do I think it is important to introduce some of those other influences. For example, street art, fashion, magazines and movies. In an age where everyone is collaborating and artists can quickly change their titles to designer or writer, it’s important to follow these trends and see why they are so important. In the end leading to a better understanding of art and a bigger list of artists to follow.

As an artist myself, I am eager to learn about people in the industry as well as the galleries that offer them exposure. Attending openings is one of the best ways to discover this new talent because not only will you view some incredible art, but you will meet the people who keep the art world running. As I learn about this world I hope my readers can learn as well and discover how the underground art world does not need to be unknown. In my journey through the underground I hope everyone will find something new that evokes curiosity and inspiration.