Opening January 10, Ryan Callis, Are You Ready To Testify

Taylor De Cordoba is pleased to present

Ryan Callis
Are You Ready To Testify
January 10 – February 14, 2009

Opening Reception: Saturday January 10, 2009 6pm-8pm



Are You Ready To Testify, 2008
Oil, Acrylic and Paper on Canvas, 24" x 20"

Taylor De Cordoba is pleased to present Are You Ready to Testify, a new series of paintings by Southern California-based artist Ryan Callis. The exhibition will run from January 10 through February 14, 2009. The gallery will host an opening reception for the artist on Saturday January 10 from 6pm-8pm.

The exhibition consists of paintings that operate conversationally, as phrases and sentences in a larger dialogue. To create the paintings' architectural structures, Callis uses a system that codes phrases and words into geometric forms without visually making use of text. While the completed paintings do not directly reflect the original texts, every gesture, shape and concept organically flows from this unique coded system. A palette of vibrant (nearly acidic) blues, greens, yellows and pinks creates elegant passages of paint flows and color gradations.

The conception for this series of work was influenced largely by Nam June Paik’s Fluxus film, Zen For Film (1962-1964), the 1996 Dischord Records release of the self proclaimed “gospel yeah, yeah” sound of the Make-Up's debut album, Destination: Love, Live at Cold Rice, and David Hockney’s book That’s the Way I See Things.

This is the artist's second solo show at Taylor De Cordoba. His work has been featured in Artweek and the OC Weekly. Ryan Callis was recently included in Christopher Knight’s article for the Los Angeles Times, “45 Under 45.” He received his MFA from Claremont Graduate University in 2007.

Taylor De Cordoba is located at 2660 S La Cienega Blvd in Los Angeles, CA and is open Tuesday thru Saturday, 11am-6pm. For additional information, contact Heather Taylor at heather@taylordecordoba.com or (310) 559-9156.