A Visit to the Studio of James Georgopoulos

Upon first impression, the studio of James Georgopoulos – which is located in a nondescript and industrial section of El Segundo in Los Angeles – looks like a classic car garage. There are car doors, car hoods, a full size Mercury Comet, and a giant robotic arm that was used in 1980s American vehicle manufacturing – it in its raw form now, but it is being prepped for an upcoming show. Georgopoulos calls it ‘Zeus.' Georgopoulos – who is most well known for his ‘Guns of Cinema’ series – is branching out with more three-dimensional, sculptural work, like ‘Vacation,’ which includes the disembodied cab of a truck with a video projection of a road stretching out behind it; Benny Goodman crackles on the radio. That piece is on view now at MAMA gallery in Los Angeles. Just recently, we were lucky enough to take a tour of James Georgopoulos’ studio and he was kind enough to show us around. Text and photographs by Oliver Maxwell Kupper