Beyond the Surface
Launch Gallery
170 S. La Brea (Upstairs)
Los Angeles, CA 90036
September 6-27, 2014
I have been following Jennifer Faist-Hill's work for some time now. Her work reflects her quiet stillness and gentle interaction with her art colleagues. Nostalgia layered with grief and loss finds their ways into producing works of art that heal and restore Faist-Hill's creative impulses. The designs inspired by her mother's clothing are permanently encased like insects in amber. The viewers are persuaded to play along and remember their mother's or family members distinctive style. Many artists' first creative journeys begin with the styles and finesse of their parents and relatives. I personally was influenced by my father's sense of style and the way gestures and everyday tasks where turned into works of art. Faist-Hill carries on the legacy of her family and gives them an opportunity to reach immortality.
The arduous process of sanding, pouring of resin and layering, is also related to the way different societies prepare their family members for the afterlife. The importance of preparing the body of a loved one by bathing, anointing with oils, wrapping with fine cloths, appears metaphorically ( and not so metaphorically) in Faist-Hill's work. Process is obviously paramount to Faist-Hill's work, however, the content and back story are the foundations for the success of each work of art.
Eric Zammitt and Jennifer Faist-Hill complement each other in their demeanor and approach to their work. Zammitt also is enveloped in the process of creating layers of color that eventually become bands of chromatic radiation that pulsate as a stealth undercurrent for visions. During the current exhibition at Launch Gallery the artists have created a balance of sincerity and a voice for methodical diligence that puts them in their own categories.
Jennifer Faist-Hill
Sticky Wicket 2014 l0"x7"x1(acrylic, resin, on wood)
