In an exhibit space where modern prodigies mingle with established masters, De Re Gallery debuted its Pareidolia exhibition by artist Michael Sagato on Saturday, October 22, at 7:00 p.m. Additionally, De Re Gallery celebrated its Grand Re-Opening in Los Angeles at 8373 Melrose Ave.
Michael Sagato and Danny Masterson
Art collectors and enthusiasts, celebrities and VIP guests showed up to support the artists. Prominent guests include event host Danny Masterson, Eric Balfour, Ethan Suplee, Lotte Verbeek, Naomi Groassman, Randall Slavin, designer Lloyd Klein, Bo Don and more. The opening reception offered TY KU, the leader in Premium Sake that is all natural and imported from Nara, Japan. Additionally, guests enjoyed Peroni Nastro Azzurro throughout the night.
Inspired by the term “pareidolia,” a phenomenon involving an image or a sound wherein the mind perceives a familiar pattern of something where none actually exists, Sagato’s newest body of work is a by-product of these specific, nostalgic feelings that we have all experienced at some point in existence but have been unable to describe. With his signature method of densely coded oil paintings meticulously rendered on aluminum, Sagato showcases his singular experiences that are further explained through the definition of the title of each work. In his piece Pareidolia, Sagato perceives the roses as people sunbathing in Sheep Meadow in Central Park under the New York City skyline; in Opia, Sagato splits his work down the middle to elicit the perspectives of vulnerability and intensity when looking someone in the eye.
Eric Balfour, Michael Sagato, De Re Gallery owner Steph Sebbag
This interactive experience, similar to Damien Hirst’s dot paintings that showcase how the audience is meant to feel according to different stimuli, allows for these works to be more than just a visual delectation to the viewers. Sagato wants the viewer to experience a time when they felt each of these emotions and states of being. By escaping the conventional use of depth with the absence of a solid, stagnant background, Sagato allows the viewer to participate in each piece.
Sagato developed his method of rendering oil paintings on aluminum while apprenticing for famed artist Tom Wesselmann, metal sculptor Kevin Barrett and pop artist Marjorie Strider, after having studied at the School of Visual Arts in New York in the mid 90s. He has since showcased his work in a range of solo exhibits in New York City and Los Angeles, as well as group shows including SCOPE, Art Miami, Dallas Art Fair and Art Hamptons to name a few. Additionally, Sagato has received prominent honors, including a coveted Helen Wohlberg Lambert award and grant.
Pareidolia will be on display exclusively at De Re Gallery from October 22-November 17 in Los Angeles: 8373 Melrose Ave. For further information on De Re Gallery, visit http://www.deregallery.com.
