Christina Ann Rinaldi

October 12, 2024 — One enters Patron gallery under a very large, and fairly intimidating, unmarked marquee. The day I arrived, I was immediately greeted by the clever imagery of Alice Tippit. The Chicago-based painter has choice use of rich colors laid out on petite-sized canvases. The precision of smooth paint application illuminated the controlled visual language presented.

“As far as Tippit is concerned, images serve us better, offering a flexibility to communicate where the poetics of language fail.” – Patron Gallery

To view Los Angeles-based artist, Greg Breda’s exhibition titled “Where I Am Found”, one must walk through the common space of the gallery, and down the hallway of staff offices, to the back of the gallery where there was a brick-walled exhibition space showing Breda’s work.

“Layering wide brushstrokes on synthetic silk, Breda renders delicate, fragmented portraits.” – Grace Ebert

Also while in the area, I stopped at in good spirits non-alcoholic bottle shop, which was a very chill alternative to the mid-afternoon coffeeshop or bar. Good music, and a very impressive variety of non-alcoholic beverages including, Agave Margaritas, Amalfi Spritzes, and Mezcal Negroni’s. I sipped on a delicious “Desert Margarita” by Parch.

And before stopping in at any of the above mentioned establishments, I had made an initial, unexpected stop in at Engage Projects, and was impressed with the painted glass works of Rob Fischer for his solo exhibition titled “A Bird Song”. The scored glass line work presents a dangerous fragility to the work, reinforcing the “please don’t touch the art” instructions instilled in us since a young age. I really appreciate the application of paint (or ink) to the underside of the glass, giving that glossy reflective quality to the piece. This reminds me of how a clear topcoat always gives that fresh manicure a finished and polished look.