Images courtesy of Space On Space Magazine unless otherwise stated.

By: Katherine Kesey

Though relatively new to Los Angeles’ contemporary art scene, Frieze Los Angeles has established itself as a seriously serious showcase since its debut in 2019. The art fair hosted 32,000 visitors this year, sold work priced up to $2 million, and was visited by everyone from celebrity art collectors like Leonardo DiCaprio to art students from Santa Monica College down the street.  

Among the 95+ galleries presenting work, we took the time to find some artists who weren’t taking themselves too seriously. Here they are, ranked in no particular order.

Max Hooper Schneider’s No. 1 Bar in Heaven

Who wouldn’t want to visit the number one bar in heaven? Who even knew heaven had bars? Max Hooper Schneider’s celestial watering hole lands somewhere between a sci-fi movie set and an idyllic fish tank. From the tiny hanging wine glasses to the whimsical plant life and TVs, I think we can all agree No. 1 Bar in Heaven looks like a fun place to go.

Jenny Holzer’s footstools

Perched in front of a wall-to-wall decal piece by Barbara Kruger reading “More Perfect,” Jenny Holzer’s four engraved stone footstools (which looked strikingly similar to gravestones when seen from above) were perfectly ironic. They sported phrases from her writings, including 1977-79 series Truisms such as, “THE FUTURE IS STUPID,” and “EXPIRING FOR LOVE IS BEAUTIFUL BUT STUPID.” A great addition to any backyard garden, we think, if you can afford the price tag.

Lara Schnitger’s Catcall City 

“YOU GOT FRIES WITH THAT SHAKE?” a precarious-looking wood structure wrapped in pantyhose and lacing asks fairgoers walking by. Lara Schnitger’s Catcall City is an ode to stomping out the patriarchy—one ten-foot-tall boot at a time—but retains an element of absurdity and playfulness despite its serious intentions.

Louise Bonnet’s Pearls

Most often described as “grotesque” and “melancholy,” Louise Bonnet’s work contains an element of humor as well. Bonnet’s bulbous character in Pearls stares lovingly at a clamshell plate of what could be jewelry, or perhaps soup. We found ourselves empathizing with the androgynous figure as we wandered Frieze, dreaming about when lunch might be.

The Harrison Studio (Newton Harrison and Helen Mayer Harrison)’s Composting in the Pentagon with Worm Tailings

Originally an instructional drawing created in 2017 by the late Newton and Helen Mayer Harrison, Various Small Fires presented both the drawing and a small worm farm constructed to the dimensions of the drawing at their booth. It sure was a crowd pleaser. Using worms sold by eight and ten-year-old Will and Alyssa Hatanaka, bred in their Los Angeles backyard, Composting in the Pentagon with Worm Tailings encouraged visitors to scoop up a trowelful of dirt to bring back to wherever they might’ve come from, and deposit the earth-tilling creatures somewhere they might be of some use. I dropped mine off in the garden beds outside my Burbank apartment.

Sharif Farrag’s Rat Race 

Perhaps the most entertaining of all was Sharif Farrag’s remote-control rat cars, complete with California license plates that read “CHEEZ,” and “GR3MLIN.” The cars could be seen racing around the soccer fields outside the fair a total of 10 times, occasionally crashing into each other or going belly-up until a pit crew member in a white jumpsuit could right them. The piece poked fun at the competition and commercialism of the Frieze art fair itself. Given that the race occurred outside the fair tent, it could be enjoyed by any passers-by, rather than just those with Frieze tickets.

Katherine Kesey is a writer and fine artist based in Los Angeles. Kesey is currently the editorial assistant at Space On Space Magazine. Her fiction writing appears in Bristol Noir (here) and KAIROS Literary Magazine (here and here). Her poetry zine is available on Amazon.

katherinekesey.com