ARDEN + WHITE is pleased to announce the opening of Windows, a solo presentation with works by Los Angeles-based artist, Rachel DuVall. In this new body of work, DuVall pays special attention to layering hand-woven cloth made of linen with natural dyes over painted linen canvas to create a series of meditatively elaborate wall hangings. The dichotomy between the rigid framework essential for weaving and the flexible, imperfect qualities of the resulting materials are two of the main facets at odds with one another within DuVall’s pieces: "In my work, I have always been interested in exploring the tension between rigid geometries of the gridded structure on the loom and the organic nature of the flexible handmade cloth, by adding in the hard-edged painted color fields that duality becomes even more visible for me"
The repetition of lines and shapes in DuVall’s work, accentuates the most subtle distinctions, such as variations in the tension of each hand-woven line and the nuanced color shifts that are achieved via hand-dyed fibers and flashe paint on canvas. DuVall establishes an “optical mixing,” as a result of this process of warp and weft threads woven together and meeting at innumerable intersections in each of the works on view. The introduction of an extra layer of painted linen underneath the hand-woven textile enhances the overall impact of the “optical mixing,” at play. The ultimate visual impression is influenced by the complexity of the weave pattern, the negative spaces within the fabric, and the underlying paint.
The blending lace weaves unveil the artworks through empty spaces, and with the denser weave patterns like twill and plain weave, a spectrum of hues emerges. The interplay of thread and paint in the foreground and background of each piece coalesces into a unified whole, which can be observed as a window. Each of these “windows” -- so to speak -- allows viewers to gaze through and become absorbed in DuVall’s artistic vision: “Weaving is a very meditative one where you can get lost in the process, my hope is that the viewer can share in that experience in the work.” In line with DuVall’s intended viewing experience, one might first appreciate the overall composition before delving into the works’ details and subtle nuances.
Windows will run through December 2, 2023.
