A group show inspired by alchemy and transformation
Denis Forest, 1998, “Untitled”, gold leaf, encaustic and ink on paper, 4 x 4 inches, framed
“In Your Absence, Something Can be Born”
An allegory of love
June 8 - July 12, 2021
El Nido art space, 1028 1/2 N. Western Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90029
by appointment only
A group exhibition, displaying small-scale works in drawing, painting, photography, and sound.
Exhibiting artists:: Erica Shires, L. Mikelle Standbridge, Denis Forest, Shane Guffogg, Dennis Ekstrom, Greg Smith, Yuri Boyko, A.K.A.T., and Victoria Chapman
The works in the exhibition share narratives about transformation. As the curator, I was interested in a dialogue related to alchemy. This could be based on the artist's materials or a type of transcendence resonating from the finished work. I believe that all objects have a frequency designated by the maker, and it is from this place that art reminds us to bear witness to a greater understanding.
The exhibition is also inspired by a verse from Jalāl ad-Dīn Mohammad Rūmī’s book, the “Masnavi”, which begins to unveil the elixir of life.
“I died to the mineral state and became a plant,
I died to the vegetal state and reached animality,
I died to the animal state and became a man,
Then what should I fear? I have never become less from dying.
At the next charge (forward) I will die to human nature,
So that I may lift up (my) head and wings (and soar) among the angels,
And I must (also) jump from the river of (the state of) the angel,
Everything perishes except His Face,
Once again I will become sacrificed from (the state of) the angel,
I will become that which cannot come into the imagination,
Then I will become non-existent; non-existence says to me (in tones) like an organ,
Truly, to Him is our return.”
Erica Shires, 2020, “Last Days I” print from Collodion plate, 4 x 5 inches, framed
“Each artist reveals a page from their personal legend”
Shane Guffogg, “Had I not seen the Sun”, 2008, oil on canvas, 14 x 11 inches
Each artist uses mundane materials that are transformed into works of art through their own unique alchemical art practice. Erica Shires’ images (printed on archival silver paper) are made using the labor-intensive wet collodion process. L.Mikelle Standbridge fuses photography and sculpture. Denis Forest delicately sculpts his (two-dimensional works) by building up layers of encaustic and gold leaf. Greg Smith adds silver and gold leaf to objects to create new narratives. Victoria Chapman saturates the canvas with precious powders and ink. Yuri Boyko’s contemplative (photographic) arrangements deal with the deconstruction of identity. Dennis Ekstrom’s egg shell-like surface (paintings) is derived from his own scientific findings, which took years to formulate. The hidden marks within Shane Guffogg’s (works on paper and oil on canvas paintings) imbue a sense of energy and timelessness that draws the viewer into the subconscious realm. Lastly, the exhibition also features a soundscape by Japanese composer A.K.A.T., whose use of natural elements is meditative.
Dennis Ekstrom, Untitled, 2000, paint on canvas 30 x 40 inches
A selection of works and installation shots below
Intriguing podcast about art and alchemy on Spotify
Shane Guffogg: The Alchemist
In terms of the artists practice, alchemy is turning organic matter into paint. It’s the transformation from one element to another. The artist is one who takes materials and turns it into a portal to another realm. All this comes about in a silent and universal language for the viewer or receiver to reflect and feel. In this talk, Shane Guffogg, and I explore his process and much more.
Shane Guffogg is an American artist who looks through the lens of humanity at civilizations, both past, and present, and views time as threads that connect all people. His work is a visual language that is informed by the spiritualism of abstraction and the realism of the old masters. These two ideas are usually seen as separate but Guffogg fuses them seamlessly into works that transcend and become testaments to thoughts that inform us of who we are in the 21st century. https://www.shaneguffogg.com
Victoria Chapman is the founder of VC Projects podcast, “Conversations About Art”. These talks are centered around studio practice, art, and the intellect.
The group exhibition also features a soundscape by Japanese composer A.K.A.T.
"Hydrodogma" by A.K.A.T., this track is made from selected water recordings (caves, river beds, lakes, and more) taken from a trip along the Amazon. The artist spent many months traveling and working alongside a Japanese botanist researching sacred plants living in the historical forests, and river beds.
With this material A.K.A.T. collected, numerous sound passages were made. They have been structured into short compositions featuring sounds that are now a portrait of his journey, sharing infinite moments of discovery, contemplation, and boredom.