Los Angeles Galleries Reopen with Appointment Systems During Pandemic and Protests

Los Angeles galleries cautiously reopened in May 2020 with appointment systems, visitor caps, and mandatory masks following pandemic closures. Ricky Swallow presented "Borrowed Sculptures" at David Kordansky Gallery in Mid-City, featuring bronze sculptures including "Stringer" (2020) and "Rocking Chair with Rope (meditation chair # I)" (2020). Van Hanos showed "Interiors" at Château Shatto downtown, with works like "Interior" (2020) and "Eagle, Crow, Snake, Fish Face" (2020) referencing Gerhard Richter and Ad Reinhardt. Parker Gallery in Los Feliz hosted outdoor exhibitions "Sculpture from a Distance" featuring Melvino Garretti, Peter Shire, Alake Shilling, and Anne Libby. The author documented visits to notable trees including a Moreton Bay fig in Pasadena and native oaks while navigating pandemic restrictions, protests, and curfews. Gallery visits created a sense of intimacy and urgency with limited visitors. The Australian-born Ricky Swallow works in Los Angeles while Van Hanos recently relocated to Marfa from New York. The exhibitions occurred amid broader social unrest following police violence against Black citizens.