Jessica Dalva
"Tie Strings Into Knots"

La Luz de Jesus Gallery I
June 4 - 27, 2010
Artist Reception: Friday, June 4; 8-11 PM

Jessica Dalva’s new series of sculptures and oil paintings is only her second featured exhibition at La Luz de Jesus, but marks one of the most anxiously awaited series of new work from an emerging artist in recent memory. The centerpiece of “Tie Strings Into Knots” is an eerie, hanging chandelier that instills a sense of wandering for home, while illuminating a lost sense of virtue.

This group of pieces illustrates the story of a family clan scattered from home after a dreadful fire. The sisters are lost without one another and without the home that was the center for their lives; where they became who they are and practiced what they were best at. Now, as they follow paths determined by their various (somewhat obscure) talents, they find new homes in their travels, with their silent companions and by perfecting those skills. They tie strings into knots, drive iron into wood and cast shadows onto the dirt. This way, they attempt to do what they know and enjoy, and try to feel somewhat comfortable in places where they don't yet feel at ease. The sense of home and the presence of validation morph with their world view as they experience various forms of desolation and joy.

Sometimes a lamp is just a lamp. This is not one of those times. Dalva’s marionettes and mobiles inject their surroundings with instant nostalgia via a modern craft-esthetic, rooted deeply in antiquity.

Jessica Dalva is a northern California transplant living and working in Los Angeles. She dabbles in painting, sculpting, sewing tiny and regular sized costumes, set design, puppetry, and welcomes new tasks daily. Her inspiration lies in dusty caravans, old hand-tatted lace, peeling wallpaper, peeks of garters and (generally) anything striped.

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(323) 666-7667 - info@laluzdejesus.com