Paul Mark M.
Google
Jeffrey Deitch Gallery on Orange Drive in Los Angeles is one of the most dynamic spaces in the city and tonight’s visit for the opening of It Smells Like Girl confirmed why it remains essential. The gallery at 925 N. Orange Drive has the scale and clarity to showcase large works, yet the curation always feels intimate and purposeful.
The exhibition itself is both beautiful and provocative, a collaboration with Company Gallery in New York. It brings together over 30 women artists exploring ideas around hysteria, emotion, repression, performance, and power. Walking through the space, you feel each room asking new questions, balancing quiet reflection with bold confrontation. Nadia Lee Cohen’s installation centered on “Mother” was especially striking, pulling you into a hyper real world that is cinematic, unsettling, and unforgettable. Martine Syms and Juliana Huxtable also stood out with work that carried weight and urgency, tackling identity and representation in ways that demand attention.
One of the surprises for me was a charcoal work by Robert Longo rendered in such staggering detail it echoed the energy of a Pollock yet with total control of form. The contrast between the chaos of gesture and the precision of light and shadow was mesmerizing.
The crowd was as much a part of the experience as the art itself. The opening drew serious collectors, curators, and artists, the recognizable faces of the Los Angeles art scene, making the night feel like a cultural event. Deitch continues to create shows that matter, that leave you charged and inspired. It Smells Like Girl is a must see and Jeffrey Deitch Gallery is one of the city’s true treasures.