Corey Helford Gallery presents ‘Friends in High Places’ by Ben Frost
“Super K Mario”
OPENING RECEPTION
September 17, 2022 | 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm
ON VIEW
September 17 – October 22, 2022
COREY HELFORD GALLERY
571 S. Anderson St. Los Angeles, CA 90033
Open: Tuesday-Saturday, 12:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Visiting Hours: Thursday-Saturday, 12:00 pm – 6:00 pm
(310) 287-2340
On Saturday, September 17th, downtown Los Angeles’ Corey Helford Gallery (CHG) will proudly unveil their next solo show with Australian contemporary Pop Art painter Ben Frost, entitled Friends in High Places, in the Main Gallery.
Known for his kaleidoscopic Pop Art, mash-up paintings that take inspiration from areas as diverse as graffiti, collage, photo-realism and sign-writing, Frost’s instantly recognizable take on pop culture twists up every day iconography from the world’s biggest brands. Subverting meaning and messages from the mainstream media, the artist’s scything commentary on advertising, entertainment and politics is both confronting and controversial.
“Bart on Ritalin,” “50mg Thumper,” and “Piggy Chanel”
Regarding his upcoming show, Frost shares, “Friends in High Places is both a satirical critique of consumer culture and a begrudging celebration of it. Blurring the lines between the visceral and addictive experience of drug use with the seductive products of consumerism, the exhibition explores our love/hate relationship with these products and the characters who sell them to us. Using some of the most beloved characters and mascots from my childhood, the paintings reflect a darker side to their natures. Super Mario flies high through a k-hole, Fred Flintstone and Grogu pass joints, and it’s revealed what kind of ‘power pills’ Pac-Man is really gobbling. These ‘friends in high places’ reflect a type of drug-fueled hyper-consumerism, endlessly selling products of any morality with their cheery dead-eye stares.
These characters also filter onto the surfaces of over-sized McDonald’s fry boxes and re-creations of luxury fashion bags ─ all lovingly created and painted onto board. The contrast between fast-food and high-end fashion is one of status and attainability, but they are all icons of desire. The characters express varied emotions, but there is an underlying sense of betrayal towards the objects of their desire. Whether flavor has not been achieved or status attained, these paintings explore the impulses and perceptions we have in the consumer experience.”
Adding, “The exhibition focuses on an evolution, from small hand painted packages to larger works on board, exploring scale and format within a Pop Art context. The pieces have a ‘sculptural’ quality, whether using thick synthetic ropes to mimic fashion bag handles, or layers of laser-cut wood to recreate box shapes. The larger works are made in their component parts and are bolted together, such that where flaps or folds join, there is a distinct space between the parts. Using a vinyl-cut stencil technique, the works are made using acrylic paint, with the black layer as spray paint. This gives the work a very flat, high-quality finish. Friends in High Places is my first exhibition since lock-down and represents works made within the last nine months in my studio in Northcote, Melbourne, Australia.”
“The Hunger” and “Mc Chungus”
Marking his first solo show at CHG since Pure Sugar (April 2019), Friends in High Places opens Saturday, September 17th from 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm in the Main Gallery, alongside solo shows from Kristen Liu-Wong, entitled Hard Pressed, in Gallery 2 and Messy Desk, entitled Messy Desk in the Cloudy Wonderland, in Gallery 3.
About Ben Frost:
Australian contemporary artist Ben Frost is best known for his bold, irreverent Pop Art. His instantly recognizable take on pop culture twists up everyday iconography from the world’s biggest brands. Subverting meaning and messages from the mainstream media, Frost’s scything commentary on advertising, entertainment, and politics is both confronting and controversial.
Exhibiting internationally for the past two decades, Frost’s solo shows span London, New York, Sydney, Los Angeles, Toronto, Singapore, Berlin, Miami, Torino, Bangkok, and San Francisco. His work has been featured extensively across media institutions such as the BBC, Wall Street Journal, Vogue, and Harper’s Bazaar. In addition, Frost has collaborated with fashion designers and brands, including working with Jeremy Scott to produce his Moschino Fall/Winter Capsule Collection 2018, launched at Milan Fashion Week, and partnering with Carolina Herrera for a limited-edition release of her ‘212 Pop!’ fragrance. He has also worked on projects with Pearl Jam, Rossignol, Mambo, Livid Music Festival, and J&B Whiskey. Frost is currently based in Melbourne, Australia, where he shares a studio with his fashion designer partner, Nixi Killick.
About Corey Helford Gallery:
Established in 2006 by Jan Corey Helford and her husband, television producer/creator Bruce Helford (The Conners, Anger Management, The Drew Carey Show, and George Lopez), Corey Helford Gallery (CHG) has since evolved into one of the premier galleries of New Contemporary art. Its goal as an institution is to support the growth of artists, from the young and emerging, to the well-known and internationally established. CHG represents a diverse collection of international artists, primarily influenced by today’s pop culture and collectively encompassing style genres such as New Figurative Art, Pop Surrealism, Neo Pop, Graffiti, and Street Art. Located in downtown Los Angeles at 571 S. Anderson St. Los Angeles, CA 90033, in a robust 12,000-square-foot building, CHG presents new exhibitions approximately every six weeks. The gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday from 12:00 pm – 6:00 pm, with visiting hours being Thursday through Saturday from 12:00 pm – 6:00 pm ─ appointments are only necessary during non-visiting hours. For more info and an upcoming exhibition schedule, visit CoreyHelfordGallery.com