May 11, 2015
Light/weight
In keeping with the theme of last
month's show, Joomi Chung's swarm and Jose Di Gregorio's i think i'm
going blind, Alexis Arnold's light/weight defies the audience's
preconceived expectations. Through the use of optics and material, her works
focus on juxtaposing the ideas of light, color, movement, and frailty with heft,
gravity, and solidity. Alexis's works take rigid materials like resin,
concrete, wood, and vinyl, and transforms them using light and unique
mold-casting into sensory playthings.
Her series Cone Cells focuses
on the conflated feelings of permanency and fluidity through the use of clear
resin shaped by means of plastic bags. The result are sculptures reminiscent of
Ziploc bags filled with water or water balloons. Every bit of me wanted them to
wriggle, bulge, and tip over; instead, the pieces remained quite adamantly in
place. The effect was overwhelming: expecting something to move and it doesn't.
The shape, optics, and position prime the audience to expect one thing and the
work answers with another.
Alexis's other freestanding
sculpture series, Concretions, utilizes the same process but with
concrete and other props. The effect is that small, grey, stone pillows are
formed by the mold atop which rest perfectly shaped glass spheres. The inside
of the concrete crater is painted in order that the glass sphere acts like a
magnifying glass, beckoning the audience to inspect the crater with care,
attention, and excitement.
Alexis Arnold's works employ
audience perception in order to fashion an extraordinary experience which
engages the eye and mind. The audience was just as thrilled with the result,
fascinated by her works in light, concrete, and found objects, and happy to be
thrown off guard. The supernaturality of light/weight beckons the audience to
revisit it and experience the strange optical-illusions contained within Alexis
Arnold's body of works.
We've seen time and again EN EM Art
Space introduce the unconventional to Sacramento: Nathan Cordero, Coco Hall,
Joomi Chung, and now Alexis Arnold. In my opinion, the unconventional is exactly what
Sacramento needs, especially considering the rising popularity of locations like Verge Center for the Arts, the Pamela Skinner Gallery, EN EM Art Space, JayJay's, the Raphael Delgado Studio, and the upcoming Jeff Koon's public work.
Don't forget to check out my other posts related to EN EM's more recent shows, as well as look forward to a bonus post later this week. And as always, follow me on twitter and instagram @hazelgrey__
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment