This minimalist artwork features a stark, monochromatic composition dominated by deep, inky blacks. The canvas is divided into two distinct zones - the upper half is a solid black plane, while the lower half features a sealed plastic bag filled with an indistinct, shadowy form. The overall effect is one of mystery and tension, with the viewer left to ponder the hidden contents and the artist's intended meaning. The work's austere aesthetic and use of commonplace materials suggest a conceptual approach that invites deeper contemplation on themes of concealment, materiality, and the nature of artistic expression. ...
Working at the intersection of painting, photography and sculpture, Carrie Yamaoka explores the notions of materiality, surface and the role of chance in art-making. Her abstract and minimalist works are produced by rubbing textured surfaces against a mirror-like material called Mylar. The complex relationship between a conscious decision as opposed to an accident, explored in Yamaoka’s chemical experiments, inspires questions about subjectivity, authorship and perception. The reflective, shiny surfaces of her works, that range from small to human-size, contrast with their eerie depth of colour and abstraction. The artist’s work challenges the stability of human perception, embracing error and defect, uncertainty and chance. Yamaoka is also a founding member of queer art collective fierce pussy.
Written by Goldsmiths CCA ...
Commonwealth and Council is a gallery in Koreatown, Los Angeles founded in 2010. Our program is rooted in our commitment to explore how a community of artists can sustain our co-existence through generosity and hospitality. Commonwealth and Council celebrates our manifold identities and experiences through the shared dialogue of art—championing practices by women, queer, POC, and our ally artists to build counter-histories that reflect our individual and collective realities. ...
