01 Gallery is a post contemporary art gallery located in downtown Los Angeles, founded in 1980 by art dealer and curator John Pochna. The gallery is known for its contributions to the lowbrow art movement, as it frequently exhibits pieces with heavy graffiti and street art influences. In April of... Read more
01 Gallery is a post contemporary art gallery located in downtown Los Angeles, founded in 1980 by art dealer and curator John Pochna. The gallery is known for its contributions to the lowbrow art movement, as it frequently exhibits pieces with heavy graffiti and street art influences. In April of 2007, Pochna partnered with Brandon Coburn, and Jim Ulrich.
The gallery’s name derives from a conceptual understanding of the creative process. As Kyle Lina explains, “Zero is when there’s nothing; one when there’s something. The space between the zero and the one is the creative act”.
Over time, 01 Gallery developed a long standing relationship with the Los Angeles punk community, as it has debuted bands such as The Screamers. As the gallery’s clientele diversified, Pochna’s aims for the gallery evolved. Pochna states, “[We’re] not a punk rock gallery, not a graffiti art gallery, not a rebel gallery. Not any of those stupid names they used to call us.”
01 Gallery has been frequented by Los Angeles residents such as Raymond Pettibon, John Doe, David Lee Roth, Tomata Du Plenty, Tequila Mockingbird, John Belushi. This diverse clientele has has lead 01 Gallery to be thought of as analogous to Andy Warhol’s Factory. "Its eccentric mix of artists and patrons made it [Los Angeles’] answer to the Factory, though the creations were more “lowbrow” than pop.".
The gallery has exhibited works by Anthony Ausgang, Robert Williams, Michael Knowlton, Tomata Du Plenty, Retna, Saber, and Raul Gonzalez.
Notable past curators include Walter Hopps and Carlo McCormick.
