LAUNCH LA is proud to present two series - Solitary Shadows + Fine Line by Los Angeles artist Holly Elander.
In each series of paintings, Elander turns her attention toward the ordinary and searches the possibilities of locations and details previously unexplored. This is Elander’s first solo show with LAUNCH LA.
Elander’s depictions of the silent corridors, streets and neighborhoods of Los Angeles contain an iridescence in “Solitary Shadows.” Vividly contrasted palettes cast shadows into the cracks and alleyways of the city. The streetscapes serve as a composite, simply rendered and instantly recognizable. Elander invokes Los Angeles as a behemoth; its vastness and quiet suspense found even in the most unremarkable of places. Playing on cinema noir, Elander translates this suspense to canvas with bold contrasts and clean lines. Trying to make out what lies just beyond the shadows, the viewer is drawn back in to squint in the dark.
In “Fine Line,” Elander similarly examines minute details with a series of surreal landscapes and still lifes. The works challenge the subconscious, asking us to consider day-to-day details that often go unregistered. Familiar images are spliced with contrasting variations, each fracture of canvas possessing unique colors and characteristics. Influenced by the graphic paintings of Piet Mondrian, Elander presents these variations without context, inviting stories to be written into them. Geometric composition directs the gaze across each scene, asking that people look more closely while instructing them on exactly what to see.
Holly Elander is a born and raised Angeleno whose inspiration comes from the architecture, people, animals, and mood that make up Los Angeles. She uses several thin, flat layers of acrylic paint to mold realistic spaces of her own creation and from real life. Through her work, Holly gives a platform to quiet and often forgotten scenes. She is influenced by the artists Edward Hopper, David Hockney and Michael McMillen. Holly is a Pratt Institute graduate and is currently working and residing in Echo Park. This is first solo exhibition at Launch Gallery.