Michael Kohn Gallery presents an exhibition of new paintings, works on paper and site-specific installations from artist Retna. Born and bred in Los Angeles, Retna has come to art world attention from his critically acclaimed participation in Art in the Streets, organized by the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles. Retna has a particular interest in the visual writings of ancient cultures, from Arabic and Persian to Hebrew and Native American. Both hieroglyphics and the graceful tradition of ink calligraphy inform his paintbrush while the angles and curves of his improvised alphabet echo the architecture of a mosque or Asian temple. Retna was invited into the gallery to transform both the interior and exterior spaces with his complex system of multi-layered lettering in an installation of murals and paintings like the above customized Rolls Royce. RETNA: New Paintings and Works on Paper will be on view until October 27, 2012 at Michael Kohn Gallery, 8071 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles.
