Opening June 8th, 6 – 10pm
at HVW8 Berlin. 161 LinienStr
Southern California has been the backdrop for stories captured on film and television. The myth created around it has been sold as street lined palm trees and blue skies. For many native Angelenos they see this as a single thread to a larger picture. From the sunny shores of Malibu to the mountains of Mammoth the identity of SoCal is heavily intertwined with the years of wear and tear, reinvention, and intervention this land wears proudly.
Fading neon lights, murals boasting achievements and heroes, and buildings from different eras of the region hold their weight in the visual tapestry. Artists Paul Flores and Henry Fey are great admirers of their home, often working as visual anthropologists to document/source material that captures time and location. For this exhibition at HVW8 Berlin the two artists invite viewers to experience the famed land through the eyes of natives. An opportunity to see the colors and compositions funneled through intimate artistic practices. Vignettes of Los Angeles and the towns that lie past its city limits are on display throughout the space, each allowing the viewer a chance to get transported 5,784 miles back to their place of origin. Just like the landscape they inhabit, pieces in the show often bare many layers, both literally and metaphorically. The two artists are interested in capturing time, feelings, and narratives that accumulate on top of one another just like how it happens so naturally in this region. At the heart of Flores and Fey’s artistry lies a deep appreciation for the graphic aesthetics that define Southern California. They contextualize it into a visual poem, one in which they’ve generously invited you to read.
More information here