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Lucas Reiner

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Category: Art

Published on Tuesday, 10 October 2006 03:00

Written by Carla Weber

Tucked between the taquerias, fish markets, liquor stores and cabinetmakers found along Washington Blvd. are the artists who have flocked to the corridor to find an urban sanctuary to nurture their art.

Right next to the Nate Holden Theater are a cluster of art studios.  Among this small colony of artistic renegades, Lucas Reiner holes himself up and works on his paintings.  Along with his paintings, Reiner also works on community projects. In March he curated a show of work by students ages 14-22 at HOLA (Heart of Los Angeles) which offers kids from the Rampart area,  free community programs in academics, arts and athletics & the El Corazon Gallery.

Reiner is also involved with Design Week at The Pacific Design Center and was one of a few artists chosen to create installations in the many empty spaces recently made available by the sudden business downfall.  Making a negative into a positive, collaborating alongside fellow painter John Millei, the duo will be using their work to create an atmospheric installation from velvet paintings and 3 ½ minute films of Los  Angeles trees.  By the time this article sees print the installations will be gone but the creative forces are a constant with Reiner.

Reiner told me that he once walked from the Coca Cola Company on Pico (east of downtown) all the way to the beach!  Two breaks and a leisurely lunch later, it took 7 hours to walk. Reiner looks for the unexpected, enjoying the eclectic variations of life on the streets and savoring the beautiful and mysterious landscape that is the Washington corridor.

“Painting has analogous restrictions upon it….over the years painters have found numerous ways to subvert this and other imposed restrictions.  What interests me is this contest between limitations in painting and the limitless ability of the art to surpass its restrictions, showing the world as we have never seen it before.”

Whether working on paintings that reflect a nano moment after a celestial explosion or a “tree-by-tree tour” which makes the viewer seem like they’re looking at nature portraits within the muted smog tinged L.A. sky, there’s a buzz of intimate, ardent activity.

Reiner’s work can be seen at click here

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