ANGELS: Theodosia Marchant’s Solo at Shit Art Club Takes Flight
Angels 10, diptych 28x48in on display at Shit Art Club in Downtown Los Angeles
written by Aimee Mandala
It’s a Friday night and the opening of Theodosia Marchant’s Solo Show, ANGELS, at Shit Art Club in Downtown Los Angeles. With a crowd spilling out onto 4th Street, the gallery is booming with colorful energy and good vibes as its community of friends, gallery-goers, art collectors and artists alike fill the space with wide eyes and bright smiles at the presentation and execution of this undeniably bold collection of work.
Curated with intention by SAC’s co-owner Seany Andrews, the arrangement of Marchant’s ANGELS collection portrays a story of quiet conflict— the struggle between light and dark, virtue and temptation. As you work your way through the gallery, a narrative unfolds. Large-scale figurative scenes are given pause to smaller-scale floral compositions in an undulation that keeps the viewer’s eyes curious for more. And while the signature elements of Marchant’s paintings remain intact in this series, the introduction of new protagonists, angels, make way for a fresh perspective in the exploration of the human condition. Wrought with moral complexity, these angels represent divine, idyllic creatures that, as humans, we aspire to be. If only it were that simple. This series brokers the conversation and acknowledges the challenge to tame our temptations for not only the sake of being good, but for the sake of avoiding the consequences that can ultimately lead us astray from our desired path.
This series brokers the conversation and acknowledges the challenge to tame our temptations
Like acts in a play, each performative figurative scene adds to the audience’s collective experience. A mythical stage is set with female figures, angels in this case, painted black and devoid of the distraction of clothes. Plants and geometric shapes frame the subjects at hand and create an underlying dialogue that is up to the viewer to uncover. There are grounding, earthly elements amidst ethereal components signifying friction and foreshadowing the inner struggle and hidden strength within these heroines. Contemplative postures give way to sensual, unbound gestures as the story takes flight. And while we witness the rising and falling in each act, the cyclical placement of the floral arrangements are a colorful cleansing of the visual palette—much like an intermission— gleaning their own glory in anticipation of what’s to come.
A practice of restraint, the color palette for the narrative scenes are intentionally limited, using cooler tones to suggest grace and serenity amidst conviction. Representative of the female experience, these figures juggle dual worlds where expectations and desires do not always align. The floral works in contrast, with bright saturated tones, provide a vivacious and sudden drop back into an earthly reality.
Representative of the female experience, these figures juggle dual worlds where expectations and desires do not always align.
Stylistically, Marchant’s ANGELS collection is an elevated execution of her previous works. While the heightened awareness of who she is as an artist and what she wants to convey has only become more precise, her work remains true to the act of storytelling, providing viewers with the opportunity to interpret and contemplate their own conclusions.
And while certainly containing a context serious in nature, ANGELS has an other-worldly playfulness that is true to the pulse of the Shit Art Club ethos. Echoed in the reactions of visitors to the show, these visual entanglements have a mysterious allure that keep us intrigued and wanting more. 🔲
Theodosia Marchant’s ANGELS opened on June 14th and runs through June 29th at Shit Art Club located at 130 E. 4th Street, Los Angeles, California. Plan your visit: shitartclub.com.
Asymmetric had the pleasure of chatting with Theodosia Marchant back in 2019 // read the interview
+ see more of Theodosia Marchant’s work at theodosia-marchant.com, on Artsy + Instagram.
About the author: See more of Aimee Mandala’s work at aimeemandalaart.com, on Artsy + Instagram.
