Recondite Substance: Nena Amsler, Jonna Lee, Caryl St. Ama, William Solomon: Opening Reception: Saturday, Jan 16, 6-9 pm

Opening, Saturday, January 16, 6:00 to 9:00 pm

Recondite Substance
Nena Amsler, Jonna Lee, Caryl St. Ama, William Solomon

Opening Reception: Saturday, January 16, 6-9 pm
Exhibition Dates: Jan 16 – Feb 6, 2016

Groundspace Project is pleased to present Recondite Substance, a group exhibition of  Los Angeles based artists, Nena Amsler, Jonna Lee, Caryl St. Ama and William Solomon; artists whose works delve into rich interplay between organic abstraction and concrete materiality.

Artists’ Statements:

Nena Amsler:

In the words of Thich Nhat Hanh “reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.” My work looks like it’s made out of dirt and thread, but it’s really all made entirely out of acrylic paint.

Nena Amsler “untitled (crown) detail” acrylic on panel, 2015

This ambiguity suffuses my work in other ways as well. Holes and tears in the dirt point to the space behind the painting, the “underworld” or the subconscious.

Jonna Lee:

My interests revolve around several topics; the viewers’ assumptions about specific materials, the anthropomorphically charged potential of sculpture, and the visceral impact present when any given artwork seduces the human senses.

Jonna Lee untitled platinum silicone rubber, 2015

Currently I wed traditional sculptural processes with a material that fascinates me for these properties – platinum silicon rubber.  This material potentialities concrete sensory qualities in abstract form.

Caryl St. Ama:

This current body of work focuses on the effects of both natural and man-made disasters effecting the Gulf coast. The work I make today is a constant reminder of what a delicate balance the cycle of life is.  I make work using encaustic, pigmented beeswax, layered with a variety of collage materials, detritus and oil paint.

Caryl St. Ama “Can’t see the Forest for the Trees” encaustic, collage, oil on wood panel, 2015

I love the way the wax encapsulates the feathers, leaves or lace and creates a natural depth that one can look into and through.  I love the reflective nature of the wax.  I use wooden panels and combine them in different ways to create a dialog or a narrative the way one would weave a tale to warn those of things to come or how things once were.

William Solomon:

My work stems from my life narrative from early childhood and includes my thoughts and demons from that life experience.

William Solomon PROBISCISTUM [pro-bis’kis-tum] resin, wood, straw, 2015

In this series I have used various inanimate materials and used them to portray sentient groupings. I have combined  cast resin, clay, metal, wood, plastic, oil, and acrylic in order to produce this effect. I hope that it comments on the universality of the human condition.

 

Groundspace Project is an artist-run alternative space located just east of the 4th Street bridge in downtown Los Angeles.
Exhibition hours are Friday and Saturday, 1 to 6 pm.
1427 E. 4th St. #4, Los Angeles, CA 90033
310 614-3351