Luján Pérez creates art as if its alive. The works feel like they are growing onto themselves, a combination of painting, sculpture, printmaking and in the case of her new solo show, With Our Roots Entwined, a full homage to intimacy. Even the shapes of the work have a biological, organic characteristic. Kapp Kapp in NYC is presenting this new series of work from the Spanish-born, Brooklyn-based artist, 12 paintings and 20 drawings, as the gallery notes, "offering a deeply connected reinterpretation for an ongoing lovers’ anthology."
The concept of the lover or love that runs deep in this work is an interesting topic to tackle given our current moment in time. What we think about love seems to change as we become more of a digital species, as well as confronting more and more physical challenges as well. We are torn, it seems, and I often have found myself, too, over the course of the last few years pondering romance or our ideas of romantic intimacy. Pérez goes historical with this show, and presents the ideas and research in unique compositions with over-lying narratives.
As the gallery notes, "For Pérez, this oeuvre began with a search for, what she believed would be, a preexisting history of lovers through art history and, after discovering but one small reference book, sought to create her own telling. Beginning with a glossary of reference images of works ranging from Diego Rivera to Nicole Eisenman, Arthur Boyd to 19th century entombed lovers in Milan’s Cimitero Monumentale, Pérez then interpolates these compositions with oil paint onto sheets of mylar in her signature black, white, and grayscale palette. Translating the language of their original creator into her own, Pérez extends the foundational narrative through a personalized understanding, maintaining the integrity of the original artwork while focusing on the emotive spirit."
But really, it's about talking about love and lovers. What a simple and powerful concept we tend to overlook so much in our lives these days. It's a bold idea to celebrate, investigate, be vulnerable to, and appreciate our history with loving someone or something. —Evan Pricco