Sixteen:One proudly presents NATURAL LOVE
New works by: Robert Twomey and Les Lawrence
Organized by Sara Hunsucker.
Opens Saturday, January 26th and runs through February 23rd.
An opening reception for the artists will be held Saturday January 26th from 7-10pm.
The point of departure for Natural Love is the evolution of the relationship between man and beast. Civilization once depended on animals for their ability to provide: food, clothing, labor and transportation. Cultures worship, sacrifice, and examine animals, and use them as stand-ins for humans in scientific experimentation. No longer wild, but still subservient, domesticated animals are so integrated into our lives as to become extensions of our own identities. They act as others so that we may define ourselves as caretakers and companions. We count on them as our sweethearts, saviors, and surrogates. Pets bare a burden of our imposed anthropomorphization. They do their best to retain their dignity in our grotesque patronizations, dressing them up, baby talking to them, and parading them around in designer carriers and rhinestone collars. It is loyalty, forgiveness, and mutual dependence that constitute our natural love.
Robert Twomey’s oil paintings are based on found fliers of disappeared cats from his neighborhood. These works illuminate public expressions of private attachments, and lament the loss of irreplaceable love. Taken as source materials, the artist is implicated in the process of recovery of the missing by removing the fliers for his purposes. Both honoring and interrupting, Twomey creates haunting, sad, and even humorous work.
Les Lawrence’s work investigates and critiques the nature of interspecies relationships. He presents an installation of his beloved twelve-month-old turtle, Crackshell in his habitat. Lawrence also exhibits evocative new photos of pets with their masters and mistresses. This work addresses contemporary cultural phenomenon of our animal attractions in relation to our particular time and space.
Sixteen:One is an art space organized by Los Angeles-based artist, Allison Whitney. Located at 2116-b Pico Blvd in Santa Monica, CA, the space features an ongoing series of contemporary art exhibitions. Gallery hours are Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, 11 – 5 p.m., and by appointment. For information, call 310.450.4394, or www.16to1.com.
http://crca.ucsd.edu/view_event.php?id=110
