A series from Frieze Week pairing established and emerging artists at this year’s fair 

Various Small Fires, Los Angeles, USA

M+B, Los Angeles, USA

Anne De Vries, Lee Mullican and William Pope. L: Jonathan Griffin shares his highlights from 2015

Los Angeles County Museum of Art, USA

The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA, Los Angeles, USA

1301PE, Los Angeles, USA

How many enemies will I make if I say that 2014 was not a stellar year for art in Los Angeles? It’s true though. I put it down to a regathering of energies, a time for taking stock and inaugurating fledgling ventures. Many column inches have been lavished on the ongoing explosion of L.A.’s gallery scene but at this point we have less to show for it, in terms of memorable exhibitions, than one might expect. All is promise for 2015, but in 2014 there were relatively few major chords.

Artists and the freedom of the desert

Various venues, New Orleans, USA

ltd los angeles, USA

With mordant humour, the art of Michael E. Smith plots the bleak landscapes of exurban America

The Mistake Room, Los Angeles, USA

Jessica Silverman Gallery, San Francisco, USA

Thomas Solomon Gallery, Los Angeles, USA

Various venues, USA