Art
Artist Saint No’s Residency At Brianne Kimmel’s Worklife Studios Is An Ode To Desert Life
The collection features cowgirls, tattoos, and leather jackets.
Worklife Studios in the Sunset Junction of Los Angeles calls itself a “blank slate” canvas for prospective artists and creatives looking to utilize their space, which includes education, art supplies, and promotion to sell more work. On July 19th, the white walls turned red and gold with vibrant suns, tattooed cowgirls, and dusty scenes capturing the desert’s allure. The transformation is all thanks to artist Saint No, whose pieces combine fragmented images, motifs, and characters to form portraits of his beloved desert home. Worklife Studios hosted the opening night of his “Down For the Ride” exhibition, attended by the neighborhood, along with some hand-selected creative and tech powerhouses.
Saint No’s story will be familiar to the many city residents who feel disconnected from their natural environment. Born and raised in SoCal, visits to the desert inspired the self-taught artist’s move to Tucson, AZ. Saint No presents a slower approach to life as an essentially human desire. Several of his paintings contain text encouraging a less hurried lifestyle, and one features a take on the sign in the Hollywood Hills where the iconic letters spell “Slow Down.”
The journey to his first-ever exhibition started, as it does for so many emerging artists, with a vote of confidence. “I found Saint No’s work on Instagram and knew immediately we wanted to collaborate with him,” says Brianne Kimmel, the venture capitalist who founded Worklife Studios to create experiences where work and life feel less like opposites and self-made, self-taught artists can thrive. “He’s one of the rare artists who understands that young collectors value travel and experiences and want conversation starters they can take with them. He’s incorporated hand-painted leather jackets, skate decks, bandanas, and collectibles for all budgets.”
Kimmel built her name backing companies that make work more flexible and enable a future where anyone can start something, including a website builder, Webflow, and Pietra, the company behind a celebrity cannabis brand and a viral sunscreen line.
Her desire for authentic connection to others as well as their craft inspired the artist-in-residence program at the studio. “In a post-pandemic world, people want things that are tangible,” says Kimmel. “The tangibility of seeing an art piece in person and meeting other artists makes it not only memorable but valuable for creatives to collaborate on future projects.” Her beliefs translate to the program’s structure; Worklife takes only enough commission to cover its own costs and provides its artists with additional resources like educational workshops, networking, mentorship, in addition to help with marketing and sales similar to the technology startups that Kimmel invests in.
Kimmel’s perspective is refreshing for emerging artists like Saint No, who find themselves creating in a time where gallery doors continue to close — quite notably in Worklife’s current home of Silverlake, where a community once bustling with creators and locally-loved small businesses has been up-ended by high-end chains and over-priced homes.
“Artists still need a place to display their work, which has become incredibly competitive since the pandemic,” says Kimmel. “The vision for Worklife Studios was a direct result of seeing boarded up retail stores and restaurants. When I see a blank wall, I want to cover it with art. For me, there’s no greater joy than supporting emerging artists who will inspire the next generation. I encourage the companies we invest in to do the same.”
Worklife has already taken advantage of its unique opportunity to revitalize the artistic scene on Sunset. Carefully constructed community events encourage a collection of local artists, athletes, celebrities, and small businesses to attend. Worklife’s March residency was especially timely, contributing to the resurgence of “Cowboy Culture” in numerous music and fashion trends. And lines around the block formed when the studio hosted more than 10,000 fans for signings before an LA-based band played.
Worklife’s founder is doing much of the same work investing, her finger on the pulse of what people care about in the art world and beyond. She’s a museum advisor and an investor in an ultra-trendy lifestyle and genderless fashion and home goods brands.
Why, you might ask, does Kimmel fight for real connection in a world increasingly detached? Well in her words: “You can choose one of two paths. You could Waymo to work and automate your entire day using AI and have very little human interaction — and it may be more efficient — but I believe there’s going to be a large contingency of people that want real experiences and real art that was painted by a real person.”
Her beliefs brought exhibitions like Saint No’s to fruition, which runs until August 9th. The gallery is completely free of charge and open to the public; visitors don’t even have to pay for their own drinks in what Kimmel is calling a “gift to the neighborhood.”
Kimmel believes networking happens most naturally when artists, founders, designers, and creatives come together over something to share. “When you bring all types of people together, great things happen, so a part of this is just opening the doors and bringing in neighbors who are naturally creative, because it’s Silver Lake,” she says.
Exhibition: “Down for the Ride” by Saint No
Location: Worklife Studios in Silver Lake, 3531 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026
Dates: Gallery on display from July 19 - August 9, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Visit our Artsy page to shop the artist’s collection online.
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