COMPANY

International wars and protests undoubtedly informed the creation of Mamá Luz, a work so topical, it functions to resonate with each and every viewer. Identifying with it visually, conceptually, and emotionally, the curators at COMPANY were instantly moved by this striking image. This limited edition is guaranteed to be a conversation starter for any room!

Artist Statement: “Mamá Luz is a reproduction of a paper collage made of vintage magazines and books found where the artist grew up. It explores notions of the absurd self-destructive path that humanity seeks, contemporary politics, war, religion, the political phenomena of state, oppression, alienation, the symbolism of motherhood, life and death…”

Do you miss grandmother’s house? We sure do.  While these pastries and pies may remind you of grandma’s home cooking, it is highly unlikely you would find this meaty painting by Kristin Lamb donning her walls.  Patience and Extravagance is a bizarre juxtaposition of a Renaissance still-life with the art historical staple, the bust.  These 1950s housewife-beauty-queens are at once glorified and decapitated, floating unanchored amongst the cakes and rib-eyes of their trade.  This painting gives us an uncomfortable sense of home, and plays on the idea of the perfect woman and gender roles.  We are, golly gee, tickled pink to offer such a provocative and visually complex edition to our exclusive prints market.

Artist Statement:  The portrait imagery in “Patience and Extravagance” is derived from penny arcade cards, obscure pinups, and headshots of old Hollywood starlets and singers. Recently, I have begun investigating the portrait as severed head, for me consistent with a kind of still life.  Perhaps this is dark fractured storytelling, but I also think of the head and torso as sculpture or object. These heads are offerings and valorizations, political cartoons, trophies, and hopefully questions about decollation and its images.

Framing the portraits are mid century cookbook images, heavy on the aspic, molded salads mingled with meat chops, and an awkward copy of Jan Davidsz. de Heem’s “Festoon of Fruit and Flowers”.  I work directly from antique paper ephemera, which favors the meandering, homespun and gawky, kitschy patterns complement glazed-over glares and ham-fisted toothy grins.  The shopworn jellied foods act like similar prim and pert statues in the staging of a static and darling memento mori.