黑料不打烊

LAUNCH Gallery is proud to present Temporary and Corporeal Aviaries featuring Los Angeles-based artists Eve Wood and Andre Yi and their fascination with birds. Andre Yi is a serious observer, meticulous recorder and true friend to many different bird species he has depicted in this new series of paintings and drawings. Eve Wood鈥檚 new series of paintings and drawings are focused on the antics of the raven while also presenting keen observations from its point of view.

In this newest body of work, Eve Wood presents us yet again with her titular raven, part prankster, part sage, but always one to comment on the current state of affairs. Wood uses the image of the raven as both a vehicle to reflect the artist鈥檚 own life narratives, conflicts and concerns while also speaking to a broader narrative of political unrest.  

"We are living in a very difficult socio-political moment in our history and it is true that the world may be ending, but you can be sure the raven will be present at every turn, providing, if not comfort, then sardonic commentary. There is a palpable tension in these drawings, a push/pull between humor and a darker more sinister impulse. These are echoes of a scream, residue from dreams, transformative and ever rupturing. While Wood鈥檚 opportunistic raven engage in mischief making, the humans in Wood鈥檚 work struggle for intimacy and connection, albeit at a high price. The raven, ever loquacious, ever shape-shifting, speaks both for and against us, revealing the absurdity of our all too humans wants and desires, fears and falsely constructed histories." - E.W.

These new paintings and drawings by Andre Yi are born from thoughtful observations, fulfilling an artist鈥檚 responsibility to reflect and record our times. In the spring of 2023, following a long COVID winter, a unique sanctuary emerged from a swarm of American bushtits that had descended upon a manzanita bush outside his window.  

"For a few weeks, these tiny birds turned the home office into a temporary aviary, completely oblivious to the human eyes watching them from mere inches away. This unexpected, intimate encounter became the catalyst for a series of artworks that capture a complex and poignant reflection on our world.

The American bushtits in this exhibition are pensive, angry, and alert. The Manzanitas that surround them are covered in detritus from found materials in my studio. Perhaps these bushtits are what we see in America today. All of us, inhabiting an environment that is ever changing, buried, ruined by climate; maybe we understand the damage, our complicity, or maybe we deny our involvement, angry at those who would burden us with the responsibilities. This collection of work challenges us to see ourselves in the midst of this cluttered world and confront our relationship with it. 

Additionally, there are selected drawings from my sketchbook, a quiet celebration of beautiful, mysterious, and often endangered creatures. These drawings are a powerful reminder that we are not the sole inhabitants of this planet; we share it with countless other remarkable beings. They serve as a gentle yet profound plea to remember our shared existence and our responsibility to protect the fragile beauty around us." - A.Y.