Alexander Gray Associates presents a compelling selection of works by nine artists at Frieze Los Angeles, Booth B5. The exhibition features new paintings and works on paper by Ruby Sky Stiler, alongside pieces by Bethany Collins, Harmony Hammond, Jennie C. Jones, Kang Seung Lee, Steve Locke, Carrie Moyer, Joan Semmel, and Jack Whitten.
Ruby Sky Stiler’s multidimensional relief paintings anchor the presentation, challenging traditional notions of abstraction and representation. Her works, such as “Woman with Children in Blue” and “Two Women in Sienna and Umber, with Red Outline,” reimagine modernist grid structures through layered tiles, incorporating stylized female figures and children. Stiler’s “Book Weavings” series further explores the fusion of diverse visual materials.
Jennie C. Jones and Bethany Collins utilize abstraction to uncover hidden histories. Jones’s compositions, like “Nocturne, Earth Tone,” employ sound-dampening materials to create sonically “active” paintings. Collins’s “Roses bloom on every side” incorporates excerpts from alternate versions of “The Battle Hymn of the Republic,” visualizing the evolution of national narratives.
Kang Seung Lee’s multimedia assemblage “Untitled (Hole)” reflects on queer histories rooted in Los Angeles, combining embroidery and mother-of-pearl with watercolor renderings of Elysian Park trees. Harmony Hammond and Carrie Moyer merge formal concerns with queer content, approaching the canvas as a space where mark-making evokes embodied presence.
Jack Whitten’s works, such as “Compressed Space III,” showcase his innovative techniques that transformed the nature of the painted image. Steve Locke and Joan Semmel create portraits informed by psychological encounters, examining themes of desire, vulnerability, and sexuality.
The exhibition illuminates art’s expansive social function, bringing together works that span cultural and political spheres. The event takes place from February 20 to 23, 2025, at the Santa Monica Airport.
