The Best Art to See in L.A. This January

(The Mermaid, by Michael Zavros image courtesy of the artist and Starkwhite Gallery, New Zealand)

January not only brings an onslaught of award shows to Los Angeles, but a number of phenomenal art events, ranging from exhibits in tiny spaces, to epic art shows in places like Barker Hangar. Here's your go-to hit list for the month.

(To Beauty (An die Schönheit), by Otto Dix, 1922. Image courtesy of LACMA)

New Objectivity: Modern German Art in the Weimar Republic, 1919-1933/LACMA, through January 18th

More than 50 artists are showcased in the first ever exhibition to hit U.S. soil, exploring the artistic trends of the period; leaving Expressionism behind and investigating the throes of Realism. Key figures of modernism, such as Max Beckmann, Otto Dix, George Grosz, August Sander, and Christian Schad are featured alongside lesser-known artists such as Aenne Biermann, Heinrich Maria Davringhausen, Hans Finsler, Carl Grossberg, Lotte Jacobi, Alexander Kanoldt, and Georg Schrimpf.

(Clusterfuck 3 imagery, courtesy of New Image Art)

Clusterfuck 3, Solo exhibition by Tracey Snelling/New Image Art,
January 16th - February 13th
Tracey Snelling, a soon-to-be former Californian moving to Berlin, is a combination of combination of sculptures, video projections, lights, rugs, kitsch, images, and odd accessories. According to the website, Ms. Snelling states: "The installations are immersive experiences that place the viewers at the simultaneous conjunction of a multitude of different, sometimes opposing, cultures. Is it a view into the future world we will in? A psychedelic version of a "Blade Runner" scene? Or perhaps the clutter in one's own mind?" The artist further states that this version of "Clusterfuck" will be her 'messiest and craziest to date.'

(Detail of The Tightrope Walker, image courtesy of Gavlak Gallery)

Divertical, an exhibition of works by Bovey Lee/Gavlak Gallery,
January 9th - March 5th
Recent Pittsburgh to L.A. transplant Bovey Lee creates all her works on rice paper - a practice that harkens back to her Chinese roots. Over the course of her career, Lee has created works that depict a range of subjects, from Chinese vases to women performing domestic work, reflecting both her work and family experience. According to the gallery, 'Lee's paper cuttings are populated with delicate flowers, birds, the sun, moon, and trees, often placed in conversation with images drawn from the urban environment - towering skyscrapers, geometric power lines, and expansive highways. Through the juxtaposing imagery, Lee draws attention to the odd, volatile, and sometimes-unstable relationship we have with our environment, while simultaneously recognizing our ongoing ability to coexist nonetheless.'

(Work by Lita Albuquerque, image courtesy of Kohn Gallery)

Embodiment, Lita Albuquerque/ Kohn Gallery,
January 9th - February 27th
With a career spanning over 40 years, Lita Albuquerque is a seminal artistic force in her exploration of light and space. This new body of work - exclusive to Kohn Gallery - is a series of pigment paintings and salt installations. The exhibition continues her investigations into space, color, materials and the body.

(Walden, by Christof Mascher. Image courtesy of Josh Lilley Gallery and Art L.A. Contemporary)
Art L.A. Contemporary, January 28th - January 31st
Is Art L.A. Contemporary destined to become the Art Basel of the West Coast? The jury is still out, but ALAC has become the go-to art fair for art collectors the world over. Over 70 galleries are participating in this, the 7th year of the show, led by Director Tim Fleming.

(Playground Structure-Ladder, by Przemek Pyszczek. Image courtesy of Nicodim Gallery and Art L.A. Contemporary)

( Your sun and shadow, by Conor Backman. Image courtesy of Evelyn Yard and Art L.A. Contemporary)

This year the fair has added a new - and much needed - section entitled 'Freeways,' a select group of 12 younger galleries, (4 years or younger) showing solo or two-person projects.