Hashimoto Contemporary is pleased to present Brick & Mortar, a solo exhibition by Los Angeles-based artist Michael Reeder. Returning for his second solo exhibition with the gallery, Brick & Mortar explores the visual and material restraints imposed by isolation.
Grappling with the shelter in place orders in early March, Michael Reeder places his bold, graphic characters and motifs into a mirrored world of isolation. The incorporation of masonry bricks throughout the new works serves as a constant reminder of separation - psychologically, visually and physically. "The wall embodies a confined environment, but also represent solid barriers that the figures were either hiding behind, trapped behind, or trying to break through."
Like the drifting plumes of smoke depicted in the works, the pervasive nature of the pandemic seeped into every aspect of the exhibition. In addition to the conceptual and visual representations of seclusion, more intimate, portable materials are used throughout the show. Moving from the studio to his home, Reeder has distilled his material choices to acrylic and gouache on canvas and paper - relying on a brush and his hand.
Brick & Mortar is a capsule of the lived historical moment from Michael Reeder's perspective. He reminds us of the fragility of life and mortality, but also the vibrancy that can be found in that acknowledgment.
For more information or to be added to the advance preview list, email Dasha Matsuura at SF@hashimotocontemporary.com