Known as “the birthplace of Lowbrow and Pop-Surrealism,” Los Angeles’s La Luz de Jesus Gallery was founded in 1986, moving to its current location inside the Soap Plant/Wacko building in 1995. Consisting of two primary exhibition rooms plus a hallway leading to an art-filled bathroom, the roughly 3,000-square foot gallery features art that reconceptualizes well-known objects, popular characters, and common themes, adding unique twists and sometimes disturbing elements – think still lifes of fruit with the occasional tooth, Disney princesses in modern outfits, and roadside signs painted over with animals and plants.
The balance of the 10,000-square foot space is filled with aisles of books, puzzles, toys, cards, bags, clothes, and plushes spanning pop art, pop culture, horror, and mysticism – an incredible collection including everything from Silence of the Lambs action figures to stuffed cabybaras, tarot cards, and Pee Wee Herman memorabilia. Most of the parking nearby is paid but inexpensive; we recommend a visit to nearby Handles Coffee or Quentin Tarantino’s Vista Theatre & Pam’s Coffy while you’re in the neighborhood.
