A Q&A with Caroline McRaleigh (Barrett) Gallina from LA ART – a NoHo art blog that takes you inside some of the great art exhibitions, installations, pop up galleries and more throughout Los Angeles.
The unofficial NoHo motto is: “NoHo is only as great as its people.” We are highlighting some of our awesome creative neighbors this spring. In honor of Women’s History Month, we feature Raleigh (Barrett) Gallina from LA ART. Raleigh has been writing for the NoHo Arts District since 2015. Raleigh explores everything from large-scale commercial exhibitions to gratis solo exhibitions showcased by amateur galleries. While her preferences are ever-evolving, her favorite exhibitions include large-scale sculpture or paint, as well as artwork which holds socio-cultural underpinnings. She hopes that by capturing a large array of media and voices (including that of curators and the artists themselves), that readers are able to enjoy and voyeur out of their comfort zones.
Q: Why do you write for nohoartsdistrict.com?
A: NoHo Arts District is my forever home, and it’s incredibly inspiring to see the community evolving. No matter how kitschy the community gets, it still has its family roots and feel (people like the Bianconis help contribute to this intersectionality). Writing for the NoHo Arts District inspires me to tap into the surprisingly tight-knit arts community in LA County.
Q: Where did you get your passion for fine arts?
A: I’ve always been drawn to fine arts and visual arts in particular. I think this stems from my parents. I’m very fortunate that my parents raised me in a city where art was accessible, and that they had the means to encourage me to view different exhibitions. I also dabble on a very amateur level with the fine arts, which is why I believe I’m more drawn to them.
Q: Your favorite exhibits and why?
Mark Bradford (part of a group show) at Hauser & Wirth, Walton Ford’s Calafia at the Gagosian, and Ruben Ochoa’s SAMPLED Y SURVEYED at Art + Practice. Each of these exhibitions featured large-format and original ideas, but individually fostered a new impression for me of the art world. I’d heard of Mark Bradford before I stumbled on his work at Hauser and Wirth. The format and media was so clever, but more than that his representation of LA and his relationship to the art world was fascinating. Walton Ford may be my favorite artist, and his imagining of a pre-California fantastical California based off of historical primary scources absolutely tickles me. Ruben Ochoa is such a master of his craft and speaks truthfully and creatively to the multiple Los Angeleses which people of different backgrounds experience the city differently.
Q: Since Covid how has the Los Angeles art scene changed?
A: As time stands today, we’re definitely seeing a lot of galleries as ‘appointment only’, or requiring tickets (free or otherwise) where none typically were for those galleries. We’re also seeing less virtual exhibitions as LA County continues to shift with pandemic legislation.
Q: Who would you like to see come show in L.A.?
A: I would love to see a solo exhibition of Kehinde Wiley’s. Prior to the Obama portrait I’d been a fan, and much like most of the world I’ve been paying closer attention. I’d also love to see a solo exhibition by Gioacchino Passini, mostly because I enjoy Passini’s style, format, and skill in general.
Q: What would you do to make art more accessible to everyone?
A: I would love to see more large-scale installations in more of a 14th Factory style, not a Refinery29 or Van Gogh Experience style. Apart from personally loving non-guerilla-marketing and IG-centric large scale installations, large-scale installations help immerse the viewer. I feel that people who can have that moment where they appreciate the craft or message conveyed, they’re lifelong art-goers. The same thing with math in grade school applies to art – an experience has to take away the “when will this ever be relevant?” question.
Q: If you could bring back any artist who would it be?
A: If I could meet them and have a chat – Salvador Dali. My late aunt met him on a plane (my family is from Spain) and they struck up a friendship. Dali sent her hand-drawn Christmas cards until his passing. If I’m not able to meet them and they would be operating in today’s artworld – Artemisia Gentileschi. I’d like to hear her perspective on the direction art has taken since the 1600s, where it’s projected to go, and her thoughts on ‘ease’ and accessibility of digital art such as NFTs.