Bergamot

One Santa Monica hot spot I will never be sick of is Bergamot Station. Free, outdoors, boxy -- totally bohemian meets the industrial minimalists. I would spent every Saturday of my life meandering around if I could, just make sure you don't get careened into by the trucks lumbering out of the loading docks on your way in. My favorite space is the William Turner Gallery, where David Palmer's 'FOREVER ALMOST FALLING' was just replaced by Ned Evans' new work today. They got lucky with the prime front & center lot, but are usually showing color block landscapes that are really visually unstimulating. I am hoping they show more of Palmer's work as soon as the glaze from Evans' color stripes wears off.

Imagine -- it's linoleum! Absolutely stunning. James Gray Gallery is its last week of showing some awesome Andrew Rogers sculptures in the main gallery, and I have to say I wasn't sad to see the Mindy Seeger works go. Personal struggle has to be more than a mess of canvases that look like knock-off Australian aboriginal pieces. If you're in for business, take James a mint lemonade from the café [although the best is really the blackberry ice tea] to tip the scales.

Skip Ruth Bachofner, it always feels too serious and emotionally oppressive. Rose Gallery is my third favorite -- even though I don't connect with photography as much as I'd like to. The Gallery of Functional Art is worth a walk-through; it reminds me of west coast kitsch. Frank Studio, amidst all the galleries, is actually a hair salon! An old favorite of mine [I was a regular for four years], they do ascribe to the gallery aesthetic of Bergamot, and have shown some of my favorite Ruscha works on the walls above the sinks and in between the stylist stations. Frank himself is quite intimidating [and overpriced], but Michele is the best best best. And I've never left Bergamot Station without lunch from the café...