Timepiece – Berlin

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.

Artist Statements:

Paul Flores
‘Arreglo Zapatos’
48×60 in. (122×154 cm)
Acrylic, image transfer and Vinyl on aluminum sign box on wood panel
2024

Paul Flores (b. 1989, Los Angeles; lives and works in Los Angeles) is an artist and graphic designer. His work is inspired by historical logos, past ephemera, visual communications, and advertisements. The inspiration for his work draws on iconic imagery ranging from aged wall signs, vinyl/acrylic textures, worn light boxes and murals and all thing graphic. The works are often social commentaries on issues addressing family, migration, labor, and the displacement of working-class communities. His focus attempts to capture trends and relevant artifacts from past commercial and artistic traditions and render them into experiential works today.

Henry Fey
Still
Acrylic on canvas over panel
36×48 in.
2024

Henry Fey (b. 1993) lives and works in Los Angeles, California. Born and raised in Van Nuys, Fey graduated with a degree in Printmaking from the San Francisco Art Institute. Fey combines a broad mix of digital and analog processes – painting, collage, photography, airbrushing, screenprinting and more – to explore and celebrate the city and community around him. Both technically meticulous and free in form, Fey’s work opens up a new way of seeing the cityscape. His work has been the subject of numerous exhibitions and solo presentations throughout the United States.

‘Crosstown Traffic’ Group Exhibition

Aaron Elvis Jupin
Ade Ogunmowo
Alexander Hill
Alfonso Gonzalez Jr
Andy Medina,
Carley Gmitro
Carlos Jaramillo
Danielle O’Malley,
Eduardo Medrano jr
Eric Elms
Erica Campos
Glenjamn
Grant Gutierrez
Guillaume Ollivier
Higinio Martinez
Isaac Pslam Escoto
Jaime Muñoz
Jimmy Bonks
Mario Ayala
Mia Carucci
Mia Scarpa
Michele Lorusso
Miranda Byk
Mirko Antich
Ohad Sarfaty
Ozzie Juarez
Pedro Verdin
Sonya Sombreuil
Sophia Le Fraga
Timothy Lynch
Willbert Olivar & Lalo Avila