by Garrison Frost

There are those who will grouse – and this writer might be one of them – about anything that does into the building formerly occupied by the Bijou Theater in Hermosa Beach for the sheer reason that it's a travesty that the old movie house was ever allowed to close. So yes, the offices, the ice cream store and the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf seem so very unnecessary given what has been lost. But Gallery C, which opened at the end of June and occupies the former lobby and part of the old theater, almost makes the whole thing seem worth it. This is a real gallery, not some noble but selfless act of desperation or vanity project. No, this is a gallery that would fit into any city anywhere, which of course makes it look very out of place in Hermosa Beach or the South Bay in general. Well, perhaps that is all changing, because once somebody makes an investment like this, anything can happen. So while yes we all miss the Bijou, let's thank our lucky stars for Gallery C. Things could have been a lot worse, but they couldn't have been much better as far as this old building goes.

Without spending too much time on the gallery itself, be advised that the space is huge, nearly 6,000 square feet according to their press. The space is divided into several separate areas, which allows the owners to present several different artists (and types of art) without the unfortunate, unintended juxtapositions that arise in a smaller gallery. Moreover, the space is organized with some care. In the front, one finds paintings displayed on swinging glass walls. Just across from there, a small room beckons with its own personality. Further in the gallery, a turntable reflecting the former circular lobby of the theater allows curators to position a wall display anyway they wish. And the large space in the back offers maximum flexibility and natural light.

So enough about the gallery. Talking about it might hex it. The gallery's first show, "Urban Anatomy: Contemporary California Art & The City," sets a solid initial tone. The work is strong and diverse, yet not so alienating that it will drive off the curious.

We were most impressed by the suite of paintings by a variety of artists depicting urban and domestic environments. Particularly impressive was the work of Michelle Muldrow. Her "Landmark 2 (Central Freeway)" is at once harrowing and yet familiar with its dark depiction of an imposing underpass. The painting is almost all black, and yet the viewer knows this place well, knows where to go, where danger might lurk, and how to get out safely. "Off the 22" is a little brighter, but no less lonely. Michael Sokolis has a bunch of paintings in this genre as well, including "Pale," which is another underpass, "Venice Nocturne" and "Red Light."

The exhibit also features some giant work, the best of which is "Monopoly" (Just noticed that I failed to write down the name of the artist – some reviewer I am). Works that attempt to juxtapose board games with real life are nothing new, but this urban diorama is particularly well done. I hardly noticed that the whole thing was supported by lady Liberty until I was walking away. It's a bit of an overt touch, but what the hell, the things still awfully cool. And who wouldn't like "Fix Me," by Maddy Le Mel, which associates real tools and pictures of tools with words: grinder (ruminating); axe (raging).

I also got quite a kick out of paintings by Bobbie Moline-Kramer, which have the appearance of collage. Our favorite of the group was "In the Mind's Eye: But a Pear," but "Imprints: Gathering" was also quite strong.

"Urban Anatomy: Contemporary Art & The City" will be up until Sept. 21 at Gallery C, located at 1225 Hermosa Ave. in downtown Hermosa Beach. Call 798-0102 for more information, or visit www.galleryc.com.

(July 25, 2003)

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