ARDEN + WHITE GALLERY presents Elysian Gardens, a two-artist show comprised of paintings, works on paper, and wire sculpture. Elysian Gardens is an ode to the divine and untouched scenery of a storied utopia. Deems’ latest body of work features monochromatic pieces on layered canvas that demonstrate her adept ability as a constructivist and painter in her first gallery show to date. Walkup's latest wire works are exemplary of her blacksmithing, with show-stopping sculptures characterized by their soft, sinewy, feminine wire shapes.
Laura Deems (b. 1994, Rome, GA) has formal training in dying fabrics, color theory, weaving, and screen-printing. The foundation of her artistic practice is derived from these methods and is where her tools come into play. Mixing materials, colors, and techniques define Laura's strong visual language. Her signature overlay marks were born out of techniques used in the screen printing process. Each tool she uses works to create a loose interpretation of a pattern. In short, she is “freeing” the motif from the repeat.
Laura Deems Artist Statement:
“This collection of mixed media paintings on canvas is an exploration of monochromatic, in which the dichotomies of strength and subtlety play out in composition and materials. As part of my larger body of work, these works continue my practice of textural dimensionality through the unconventional technique of marrying textile and paint. By freeing the pattern from a traditional set repeat, a storied composition is born. When reading the visual language of the canvas, the viewer is invited into dynamic looking, which at first pulls them into rich texture and subsequently forces them to step back to take in the work as a whole. Open yet discrete, the surface of each artwork holds intricacies in its smoothness.”
Lane Walkup (b. 1987, Houston, TX) began her blacksmithing career over a decade ago under the mentorship of a family friend. Not long after learning the basics, Walkup purchased her own coal forge and never looked back –– what first started as a hobby became a full-time career. The sculptor’s works are concerned with otherworldly themes, the unseen, the mystical, and the metaphysical. She takes advantage of negative space when making her unrestrained and illusionary pieces. For Walkup, the symbols she welds are interpretations of feelings often making patterns that help her find a sense of comfort in the world. Walkup lived on the west coast for almost 9 years before finding a new home for her and her cats in New York.
Lane Walkup Artist statement:
"For the past five years, my work has explored a lot of whimsical symbolism, but I have found myself drifting into a style with heavier notes of transformation. The world is shifting, we are shifting, it’s an interesting time in history. Playing with scale and technique has been a way to adjust reality and find peace within the collective chaos."
To view the show catalog, click here.
