Welcome to the attic, where past shows go to be archived. Many of the works can be viewed and purchased at Etsy and directly through us.

solastalgia // strange landscapes

nostalgic for landscapes of solace - 28 small paintings on paper (11” x 14”, image 9’ x 12”)

So•la•stal•gia

[sɒləˈstældʒə] noun

the distress experienced when the natural environment close to one’s home is damaged
a form of homesickness one gets when one is still at home, but the environment has changed
a portmanteau of the words ‘solace’ and ‘nostalgia’ referring to a lack of ease due to environmental change that a person is powerless to do anything about

Solastagia // Strange Landscapes presents a series of 28 landscapes that are at once beautiful and foreboding. The compositions elicit an uneasy tension, a combination of elements that are elegant yet desolate, familiar yet jarring.

The landscapes shown may be near or far, grounded in reality or imagined — suggesting that the depictions hint more at a state of mind than an actual place. A repeating motif that appears in several of the paintings is a ghostly silhouette of two people looking out onto the scene, heightening a sense of detached longing. As climate change intensifies, we are witnesses to landscapes that are changing right before our eyes.

los angeles (some) times

a (r)evolution and environment - 2 weeks of headlines juxtaposed with inner thoughts, separated by 21 years - collage on canvas and paper

Los Angeles (Some)Times: A (R)evolution of Self and Environment presents two related series composed of seven consecutive days of Los Angeles Times headlines. Each work documents the twin progression of environmental crises and our awareness and engagement around them – building a bridge between our individual process of reconciling change and how we might collectively act to build a livable future. The first series — the Evolution series — shows headlines dated June 2001 superimposed with an inner monologue of mundane thoughts, such as “I wonder what’s for breakfast” and “I’m running late again.” The juxtaposition of one’s routine introspection against dozens of news headlines conveys a relative innocence in a time that predated world-changing events — notably, the acceleration of climate change and the events of September 11, 2001.

The second series — the Revolution series — is from 21 years later in July 2022. Looking closely, it is clear that many more headlines concern drought, wildfire and climate change. The superimposed text has progressed from monologue to dialogue — more directly confronting what is happening in one’s urban, natural, and social environment, with statements such as “This is really happening” and “I know you know that I know.” The choice of material also demonstrates an increased awareness of sustainability – the 2022 series repurposes high-quality hand-made archival paper donated by Avenue 50 Studio. The works incorporate crushed charcoal from the Bobcat Fire as pigment, a fire which started on September 6, 2020, the day that Los Angeles County recorded its highest-ever temperature of 121°F. The fire, which burned while Angelenos experienced the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic, scorched over 100,000 acres in the Angeles National Forest. Each artwork also features intricate drawings serving as ghostly reminders of a fire that sent smoke plumes all the way to the East Coast and Europe.

Los Angeles (Some)Times: A (R)evolution of Self and Environment documents the dual shifts of undeniable changes in climate and our simultaneous increased awareness and engagement with our environment. As the climate changes, how might we change ourselves and our relationship with our communities and neighborhoods?

Hello, World!

edith’s gallery

Nature in the Anthropocene - watercolors mounted on found wood

The series is a hyperlocal homage to the resilience of nature in the city. Each composition is inspired by something dearantler experienced within a block from home, which are then affixed on wood planks found in a discard pile near home.

jolly’s gallery

These Are A Few of My Favorite Things - A series of 21 book covers

A commentary on our consumerism (signified by the imports, and material items on the container ships) and the effect on our environment (signified by melting icebergs and ice sheets). The icebergs and ice sheets are transforming from their past existence on of Earth’s surfaces, providing land and habitat, to now becoming water. This in turn contributes to rising sea levels elsewhere around the globe, which further reduces land area as more coastal zones are reclaimed by the ocean. The pandemic has fueled a rise in consumerism and shopping, which has astoundingly caused a shortage in availability of container ships. The environmental, social, and economic costs of our love affair with “a few of our favorite things” are being externalized, but by whom and where? Where does all of the waste involved in materials production, packaging, and transportation end up? These are costs we do not see. And at the end of the day, are we really any happier?

Acrylic + book covers
Approx. dimensions of each book 6.25” x 9.5”

jolly’s gallery

It’s Not Ok LA - A series of 12 book covers

It’s Not OK LA is a series commemorating some of Los Angeles’ most iconic landmarks — partly submerged under a flood. Climate change is bringing a host of unprecedented extremes that impact coastal regions like ours, including intense storms and rising sea levels. The series is a response to a previous series called It’s OK LA.

jolly’s gallery

The Golden State - A series of 12 books, divided into 3 sets, each titled: Paradiso, Purgatorio, Inferno

Borrowed from Dante’s Divine Comedy, the series is divided into three sets. The Golden State title refers not just to our state’s nickname, but to the golden/yellow-orange glow of the sky produced by unprecedented wildfires that have happened up and down California in recent years.

Paradiso
This set commemorates the destruction of the town of Paradise in Northern California in the devastating fire of 2018.

Purgatorio
Two iconic images of the wildfires, one from Northern CA and one from Southern CA: the Golden Gate Bridge, commemorating the summer and fall of 2020 when the Bay Area was covered in smoke and the sky glowed orange; and Mount Wilson Observatory, which was threatened during the Bobcat Fire of 2020.

Inferno
Images of Southern CA and the Angeles Forest, which burned in 2020.

Acrylic + book cover
approx dimensions of each book 6.5” x 9.5”