During the last dozen years, as galleries presenting new artists have come and gone, one Los Angeles gallery has endured and prospered as an incubator for promising young artists.
The man behind it all is Steve Turner, a thirty-year vet of the Los Angeles gallery scene who began his career by rediscovering forgotten artists from the 1930s but later evolved into a respected judge of new talent.
A long list of talented artists- including Petra Cortright, Parker Ito, Eamon Ore-Giron, Joaquin Boz, Luciana Lamothe, Diedrick Brackens, Camilo Restrepo, Pablo Rasgado, Carlos Martiel, Rafael Rozendaal, Yung Jake, Hannah Epstein, George Rouy, Nick Doyle, Brittany Tucker, Jon Key and Kevin McNamee-Tweed- have debuted at Turner’s Gallery.
Turner’s latest discovery is Jesse Pollock, a 26-year old sculptor from Kent, England who creates oversized, colorful, folded, welded and painted steel sculptures that have already gained notice since the January 4th opening of his American debut solo exhibition.
While Pollock’s art merits consideration on its own, credit must also be given to Turner who has an uncanny knack of developing young artists’ careers. Beyond discovery, Turner guides young artist with solo exhibitions, participation at international art fairs, sponsorship of residencies and overall advice and strategy.
Pollock is a perfect example. After meeting Pollock in early 2019, Turner developed a roadmap which included introducing his work at Sunday, the small alternative fair in London during Frieze Week, later at Art Dusseldorf, and most recently with a major solo show in his main gallery in Los Angeles. To encourage the young artist, Turner brought Pollock to Los Angeles, provided a place to live, a studio in which to work, and offered professional advice which has led to his impressive debut.
According to Turner, this is the part of the art business that he loves the most. “I saw Jesse’s raw talent right away, but I also recognized that he very much needed my support and counsel to get a career going. Now that his show has opened to great acclaim, I feel very gratified by the process, especially since my instinct was proven right so quickly. As a result of our work, Jesse is now getting invitations to do projects in England. The road to success is long and precarious, but we have taken some good first steps and I feel very good about Jesse’s prospects.”
In less than one year, Pollock’s art has been introduced, acknowledged and acquired by discerning collectors. As Pollock continues to get attention for his debut solo exhibition, the cycle for other artists is just beginning. During the rest of 2020, Turner plans to present more than twenty solo exhibitions across a wide range of today’s most promising new artists.
Stay tuned for these launches at www.steveturner.la
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