A #DTLA recommendation: let yourself in to Please Do Not Enter
Another walk to the gym, another downtown Los Angeles discovery. Deviating from my normal route, I found myself on Olive Street in front of the grand old PacMutual building and spied a big, gorgeous, shiny silver spiky sculpture in a storefront window.
I was pleased to discover it was Please Do Not Enter, a shop / gallery space that I've been curious about for months. If you live in L.A. and pay any kind of attention to social media or art news, you've seen images (or better yet, took a selfie in front) of Projection, the white washed Bates Motel project which PDNE produced with artist Vincent Lamouroux.
The brick and mortar shop and PDNE headquarters is exquisite, featuring carefully curated objects of the highest taste. Currently they are featuring artist Arik Levy's sculptural work (speaking of selfies, I couldn't help but take a rather bad one, with gym water bottle). Owners Nicolas Libert and Emmanuel Renoird were on hand happy to speak in depth about the work, Levy's process, the materiality, and geometric roots of the sculptures.
I took a few snaps of Levy's work and also other objects of desire in the shop. The store has collection of monographs on Levy and also several other artists of interest, a selection of magazines, and eclectic publications.
Inluded in the Arik Levy exhibition are several sketches and drawings that I absolutely love.
I had a smile at the frog coin purses and other leather goods. (What is it with the French and frogs? A former French boss of my in the wine world, Martine Saunier, had a huge collection of frog knick knacks.)
The shop also has a delightful selection of jewelry, men's clothing and accessories, photographs, and a sweet selection of architecture inspired items like Philip Johnson glasses made of paper, famous building playing cards, and building blocks for adults.
So many objects to covet at Please Do Not Enter! Nicolas and Emmanuel are wonderful hosts—I will be back (in something other than my gym clothes).
Please Do Not Enter
549 S Olive Street
Los Angeles, CA 90013
pleasedonotenter.com