Retna "Unsaturated" @ New Image Art, LA

Retna's latest show at New Image Art in West Hollywood was missing El Mac's unique photo realistic portraits (although the man himself was in attendance.)  "Desaturated" is Retna's solo show and brings together mainly large, poster-sized black and white prints of Latinas in various states of undress that are repetitively daubed on in Retna's characteristic lettering to create a provocative, yet vintage-looking set of artworks.

I thought the show was a departure from his earlier work, in that these paintings are monochrome and figurative. On opening night, I didn't study the artwork hard enough to see what the message was, but you know there is one. May be it is "I don't get out of bed for less than five-grand," the average price of a Retna painting at the show. ;)

"Retna traverses between the galleries and streets with ease. Retna is a member of the Art Work Rebels and Mad Society Kings Art Groups. In December 2007, he contributed to a large-scale mural project with El Mac and Reyes called "La Reina del Sur" at Miami's Primary Flight during Art Basel. His most recent projects include an exhibition titled "Vagos Y Reinas" at Robert Berman Gallery and a mural called "Seeing Signs" at the Margulies Warehouse for Primary Flight." New Image Art