When someone tells you they opened a gallery in their Los Angeles apartment, you might be surprised, but chances are you’ll be more intrigued. We often view art in grand spaces, austere and dotted with staffers who barely look up when you enter. But it’s not so uncommon for Los Angeles, a sprawling 502-square-mile city with a history of home galleries. The best known are Joseph Geagan’s Gaylord Apartments and Asha Schechter’s The Vanity.
Inside these quarters, the familiar setting adds a layer of discovery and personality that is tough to replicate when the scale gets more significant. Harley Wertheimer, a Los Angeles native, has made the latest entry into the home gallery space with Castle, located in his apartment in a historic Victorian building in the residential neighborhood of Hancock Park.
By Chris Black.
With a background in music, Wertheimer now serves as vice president of A&R at Columbia Records and as a partner in Zelig Records with its founder, Mark Ronson. The experience of working with artists like Tyler, the Creator; King Princess; The Internet; Orville Peck; Yebba; Jack Kays; and Vampire Weekend helped inform his plan for the gallery. “If you approach art the way that you approached music or skateboarding, going to record stores, speaking to friends, reading critiques, and going to shows—you can educate yourself,” he says.
When I visit, the intimacy is what stands out the most. White roses in a ceramic vase mark the front door. Wertheimer greets me wearing vintage Levi’s and a white Lacoste long-sleeve polo, a fitting uniform for his laid-back demeanor. The windows are open, Japanese incense is burning, and the main space is clean and appropriately appointed. The library and its sun-colored couch are the perfect setting for our late-afternoon chat. Wertheimer pulls a William Copley book from the shelf, a gift from a friend that serves as an inspiration for Castle. “It’s fucking bonkers,” he says. “Home show. Man Ray, Max Ernst, Marcel Duchamp, René Magritte.”
By Chris Black.