The Silverlake Art Company is pleased to present CAVES, a special one-night exhibition of large format color photography by the artist Austin Irving, curated by LA art critic Daniel Rolnik and sponsored by Rutherford Grove Winery.
The exhibition will open Saturday, January 26th from 6-10 pm, and will be on view by appointment until February 3rd. This event marks the debut of CAVES in Los Angeles as well as the artist’s first solo exhibition at The Silverlake Art Company, located at 302 N. Occidental Blvd (click for map).
So what is CAVES?
CAVES is a collection of large format photographs of underground caverns throughout Southeast Asia and the United States. The series focuses on “show caves,” which are natural caves managed by government or commercial organizations and which have been modified to accommodate tourism. The photographs are a unique look at natural environments that have been curated to cater to the physical needs of sightseers, as well as our collective fantasies of what a cave should look like.
Curator Daniel Rolnik, whose pervasive presence on the LA art scene has manifested in an intimate knowledge of some of the best work and artists out there with articles for top publications such as The LA Weekly, Argot & Ochre, Fecal Face, and Beautiful/Decay, says, “Austin’s photographs enhance my belief in other dimensions. Her images act like doorways to another side that features fantastic caves, glistening lights, and otherworldly atmospheres.”
Deborah Willis, Ph.D, New York University professor and renowned photography curator, remarks: “Austin Irving’s photographs evoke both beauty and spirituality within a confined space. The viewer is immediately drawn to her keen sense of dreamy and luscious color ‘cave scapes.’ Austin has produced an impressive body of work focusing on constructed environment which enables the viewer to imagine stories that moment, either futuristic or from the past. Her work strikes me as not only a valuable addition to new voices in contemporary photography but reflects upon a photographer’s remarkable insight into picture making.”
Nine of these stunningly saturated color images will be available in limited editions of five LightJet Prints, as well as two custom Light Boxes. The photographs included in CAVES were taken with a large format camera on 4×5 color negative in Singapore, Viet Nam, Malaysia, New Mexico, Virginia, and Tennessee.
The Silverlake Art Company is the new gallery and studio created by fine artist America Martin to house the artistic endeavors of local creative talent, including fine artists as well as literary and theatrical talent. The gallery opened with the controversial “Lolitas” show by Diane Gaeta which garnered rave reviews in the art press; CAVES will be its second exhibit. “Austin Irving’s work is the perfect fit for our second show. Her work has both a clarity and mystery to it that draws you in and makes you wonder. That sense of wonder is something we seek to explore at Silverlake Art Company,” says America Martin.
Austin Irving’s work has been included in numerous collections and exhibits in New York and Los Angeles. Most recently, CAVES was featured in LOOK3: Festival of the Photograph, in Charlottesville, Virginia. Additionally the image entitled “Carlsbad Caverns Elevator Room, NM” was selected for MOCA’s FRESH Auction earlier this year. Austin Irving was born and raised in New York City, and now lives and works in Los Angeles.
Please RSVP to Austin Irving at austin.irving@gmail.com.
