by Sue Golden
In large urban centers like Los Angeles and New York, apartment galleries have come to hold an important spot in the art world—a mythological, magical and alt-space presence in the grand ecosystem of where collectors can spend their money. Apartment galleries are often preferred locations for young emerging gallerists and curators looking to provide an über-curated and often only word-of-mouth experience to visitors—often at a fraction of the cost and hassle of renting a commercial space.
For every apartment gallery that closes, two more pop up its in place—like a chic hydra in long brown hair and corduroy pants.
But in LA, with our sprawling city, never-ending miles of suburbs and a Hollywood backdrop of celebrity, the genuine apartment gallery is slowly being eclipsed by its richer, more exclusive cousin—the empty multi-million dollar house.
A few of these, namely Sea View Gallery and The Wolford House have spring up on (in?) Mount Washington, the uber-hip, farm-to-boomerang-shaped-table neighborhood in Northeast Los Angeles where one is just as likely to run into a 90s post punk icon as you are a pierced and tattooed lawyer—both walking their dogs and both of which have become slightly domesticated by their presence on said mountain top.
Both Sea View Gallery and The Woldford House (and The Wolford House’s sister expansion property located a few doors down) are set in empty mid-century modern jewelbox-like houses that are mostly empty of furniture. The works that tend to be shown in such spaces are equally small and precious feeling to ensure buyers don’t have to “envision” the work in a domestic setting because the gallerists have done it for them.
The gallerists themselves tend to be in their late 20s or early 30s—and this time instead of corduroys, they are dressed in whatever local indie label is charging $250 for a pair of pants—and they tend to be New York transplants.
It’s quite an interesting turn as mortgages and rents for such properties would far exceed similar storefront spaces in other nearby Los Angeles gallery enclaves such as Glassell Park or Lincoln Heights—but saving money on overhead doesn’t seem to be the point. It makes them less like classic apartment galleries and more like Palm Spings mid-century-gone-urban home/showrooms.
No, this isn’t *alt* anymore. This is *hipster* and is a window into how to open a gallery space if money was less of a concern and instead the focus was on the currency of “elevated cool” in pastel pink and aquas.
They have not yet tied sweaters around their shoulders, but they will, I am sure.
Image: Courtesy The Wolford House