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LosJoCos Gallery Presents:CRACKING/WISE
New Works by Matthew Carey and Cynthia Johnson
LosJoCos Gallery 725 Kohler Street, Los Angeles 90021
July 9 – 31, 2016
Opening Reception: Saturday, July 9, 7-10pm
VIP | Press Preview Saturday 5pm – 7pm
LosJoCos Gallery is proud to present “Cracking/Wise” a new exhibition by Matthew Carey and Cynthia Johnson. The opening reception will be held from 7-10pm on Saturday July 9th and the exhibition will run through July 31st at LosJoCos Gallery 725 Kohler Street located in the heart of the Los Angeles Art’s District.
Cracking/Wise takes close examination at the beauty and wisdom collected from life's damaging moments through five series of work. EXORCISE, GRIND, KINTSUGI, IGNEOUS and TIME are a collected narrative told through abstract and contemporary paintings rooted in the metamorphosis of the human psyche from ruination to repair. Harmonizing eastern and western philosophies thematically, Cracking/Wise is an exhibition of enormous emotional and physical healing. Together, Matthew Carey and Cynthia Johnson produce a multi-faceted exploration of symbolism, religious iconography and nature vs. man within the context of choice and consequence.
Matthew Carey incorporates several styles into his mixed media works reveling in the discovery of balancing creation with destruction. Carey gravitates towards wielding a blowtorch, a chainsaw, a cup of molten metal and sometimes-even risks using a paintbrush. In both of his series EXORCISE and GRIND, Carey’s methodology fluctuates between traditional figurative works to abstract contemporary paintings.
EXORCISE is devoted to purging the "demons“ that illuminate commonly shared mental malignancies. Carey chooses to depict “altered icons“ for their recognizable global symbology evoking religious iconography and provoking the sub-conscious mind. GRIND, provides commentary on the everyday human struggle to control our natural instincts and physical landscape causing an internal opposition of man vs. self.
“… the evolution of the GRIND series created an experience of emotional release and also the serendipitous gift of a new, raw visual language that provided license to jettison the pursuit of ‘polite and palatable’ art.” – Matthew Carey
Cynthia Johnson is an abstract painter inspired by storytelling. Johnson is attracted to the themes of conflict and symbiosis, fate and choice, light and shadow, life and death. Her three series’, KINTSUGI, IGNEOUS and TIME, are large scaled works emphasizing texture, layers and color that explore dual themes of the tangible and the metaphorical.
KINTSUGI, the Japanese art of repairing broken vessels with lacquer dusted or mixed with gold, honors rather than disguises the damage and repair as part of the venerable history of an object. The idea of being “sundered” - torn in two, separated and shattered - inspired Johnson to discover this ancient method that celebrates the cracks by highlighting them with gold. Kintsugi morphs into allegory to fundamentally convey that within each heart break strength and beauty are born. Johnson continues exploring the literal vs. symbolic in IGNEOUS, which describes how a rock is formed by the cooling and solidifying of molten magma. It serves as a reminder of the human heart’s resilience in the aftermath of devastation. Melting away with time, acute anguish cools and pain then crystallizes and transcends fire and heat. TIME, completes Johnson’s narrative centering on meditation and reflection on the choices we make, their consequences and how fate and time intersect with these decisions. The smallest choice reverberates into the future’s DNA.
“Where our choice intersects with fate is how I measure meaning and understand individual value. The marks I choose to make and the marks that are delivered upon me inform my life, my thoughts and my work.” – Cynthia Johnson
Cracking/Wise: The Wall. Kintsugi celebrates the cracks in an object by highlighting them in gold. Igneous symbolizes the temperature of the human heart. Time is the essential variable in which humans heal and learn. The wall spotlights ancient proverbially wisdom encouraging guests to throw ceramic tiles shattering them into tiny pieces as a reminder that beautiful things can be made from broken parts.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS:
Matthew Carey is an artist, designer and a New York to LA transplant. After receiving a BFA from Purchase College he promptly headed west to pursue a career in film while also sustaining his passion for painting and sculpture.
Cynthia Johnson is an American artist who lives and works in Los Angeles and frequently spends time in the Jemez Valley of New Mexico.
LosJoCos Gallery is a contemporary fine art gallery located in Los Angeles’ Arts District. The newly remodeled 5000sq ft. space sets precedence in the area representing emerging and mid-career artists selected for their impactful visual communication.
CONNECT:
FACEBOOK:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1549502792019742/
www.facebook.com/losjocosgallery
INSTAGRAM: @losjocos @artforlifela
TWITTER: @losjocos @artforlifela
#crackingwise #losjocosgallery
GALLERY INQUIRIES:
LosJoCos Gallery 725 Kohler Street, Los Angeles, 90021
Thurs-Fri: 4-7p, Sat-Sun: 2-7p and by appointment
213-221-7744
MEDIA INQUIRIES CONTACT:
LAiCREATIVES
Franceasca Seiden
818-795-2809
ABOUT THE ARTISTS:
Matthew Carey is an artist, designer and a New York to LA transplant. After receiving a BFA from Purchase College he promptly headed west to pursue a career in film while also sustaining his passion for painting and sculpture.
Cynthia Johnson is an American artist who lives and works in Los Angeles and frequently spends time in the Jemez Valley of New Mexico.
LosJoCos Gallery is a contemporary fine art gallery located in Los Angeles’ Arts District. The newly remodeled 5000sq ft. space sets precedence in the area representing emerging and mid-career artists selected for their impactful visual communication.
FACEBOOK:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1549502792019742/
www.facebook.com/losjocosgallery
INSTAGRAM: @losjocos @artforlifela
TWITTER: @losjocos @artforlifela
#crackingwise #losjocosgallery
LosJoCos Gallery 725 Kohler Street, Los Angeles, 90021
Thurs-Fri: 4-7p, Sat-Sun: 2-7p and by appointment
213-221-7744
LosJoCos Gallery is a contemporary fine art gallery located in Los Angeles’ Arts District. The newly remodeled 5000sq ft. space sets precedence in the area representing emerging and mid-career artists selected for their impactful visual communication.
