The Indulgencies
This body of work used computer-cut vinyl on plexiglass to portray graphically bold portraits of friends at play. The images in The Indulgencies were derived from unposed and candid snapshots that depicted scenes of revelry, camaraderie, and goofing off for the camera. Through these images, we are given an opportunity to unabashedly stare at others, see ourselves, and reflect on what it means to be a social human.
I was drawn to computer-cut vinyl – a medium typically used by the sign-making industry – because of its ability to mimic quick, loose, and unrefined ink drawings with precision. The medium offers a limited palette of rich colors and novel surfaces such as gold, chrome, and glitter that are used in unorthodox and experimental ways. Paired with flat, sumptuous, and unadorned backgrounds, these images focus a crisp lens exclusively on the action and gesture.
The exhibition was divided into discrete bodies of work, including Photographers, Girlfriends, Indulgencies, Sleepers, and finally, the Dinner Party. The Photographers presents our public selves acting out, mugging for the camera, and at the same time editing our own action, knowing that most everything we do these days is for public consumption. Girlfriends portrays camaraderie, love, and compassion among peers. The Indulgencies witnesses our uninhibited selves doing what we do best – laughing, drinking, and gallivanting. With the Sleepers, we are portrayed as alone, vulnerable, and at peace. Finally, The Dinner Party finds us as part of a larger community breaking bread together.
These images have been described as depicting “the edge of banality,” a phrase that the artist has chosen to embrace. If banality is to be understood as commonplace, then these images indeed express what is common and typical among most people – the pursuit of happiness, a yearning for freedom, and the desire to be social.
This exhibition was presented at the James Oliver Gallery in November 2012.