“Now Or Never Now” at Wönzimer Gallery 5.22.2020

At Wönzimer I experienced my first COVID-friendly art exhibition. Tiffany Livingston’s solo show Now Or Never Now was on view. Having RSVP’d for 8:30 PM I took a short 10-minute walk from my parking structure to the building. At the door a security guard  greeted me with hand sanitizer and rubber gloves. Guest curated by Gregory Rourke, the exhibition opened its doors on March 13th but experienced an unanticipated closure by March 19th. The moment was disrupted by the coronavirus. The showcase was scheduled to run from March to April. The global pandemic had other plans. On Friday, May 22nd Livingston’s work was given the moment it deserved. The paintings are hung until June and are viewable online anytime.

Torch in Search of a Flame (2020) oil on canvas 60” x 85” $6,500; Source: Wönzimer

Entering the building, I was struck by a pink neon sign and Victorian couches. I immediately felt welcome. The aura was youthful and eclectic. The back wall had a bookcase door that opened up to a greater gallery space, revealing the show. Through the door frame Now Or Never Now radiated vividly against the white walls. Head of Artist Relations Alaïa Parhizi led me through to the gallery space and offered answers to any question I might have had. Director Aidan Nelson discussing the showcase with me, mask-clad and six feet apart

The exhibit offered texture, movement, and bold color. The bold colors dominated but left a trail of engaging crumbs to muted color through controlled focal points. There was so much depth to each image through variation in color intensity alone. Torch in Search of a Flame (2020) seduced with its different shades of blacks and unfolded its charm through a muted but warm palette. Some organic forms utilized within the series of paintings were less abstract than others and are accessible if one does the work. 

Love You Back (2019) oil on canvas 63″ x 89″ $6,500; Source: Wönzimer

All imagery appears stripped of context except for the footprints and what appears to be a bust portrait. Los Angeles artist Tiffany Livingston showed off her understanding of materials with her use of raw pigment and the paint she has created herself; some rare and some sparkly.  

Post (2020) oil on canvas 60” x 84” $6,500; Source: Wönzimer

The iridescent gold in Love You Back (2020) glimmers against a flat black but also fools. Off-center towards the bottom right, its texture resembled Japanese gold leaf. The gold pigment fools the viewer at first glance into believing it is in fact, gold leaf.

Load (2020) pigment on canvas 19” x 16” $2,000; Source: Wönzimer

Through the pandemic this show still stands. Tiffany Livingston’s solo show Now Or Never Now withstood a deadly disease and a gallery closure. This art exhibition is now a part of history.