Fata Morgana
July 28 - September 5, 2021
Le Maximum is thrilled to announce Fata Morgana, a group exhibition featuring works by Stephen Aldahl, Dachi Cole, Jorge Elbrecht, Norm Laich, Ben Noam, Jerry Peña, Gillian Steiner, and Allegra Sussman. The exhibition will open on Wednesday, July 28 and will run until September 5th. A reception for the artists will be held Sunday, August 1, 6 - 8 pm. Please contact art@lemaximumvenice.com for inquiries.
Fata Morgana explores themes of mirage, doubling, and the fallibility of perception. An atmospheric event that occurs when rays of light are bent by air layers of differing temperatures, Fata Morgana causes objects on the horizon to hover, invert, and distort. Named after Arthurian sorceress Morgan le Fay, it is associated with legendary castles in the air, ghost ships, and ill-fated expeditions. Known to mariners and desert travelers around the world since antiquity, this beautiful and unsettling phenomenon has inspired artists ranging from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow to Werner Herzog.
Artworks in this show examine the lure of distant objects, whether real or perceived: Laich and Steiner collide doubled images; Cole and Elbrecht set out unreliable narratives; Aldahl and Peña reorient familiar objects; and Noam and Sussman reflect on twinned horizons. Together these artists demonstrate the magnetism of illusion and test our ability to see what is before us.
Allegra Sussman, On the Beach (black), 2021. Chromogenic print on aluminum, 24 x 29.75 inches. Edition of 3 plus 1 AP.
Jorge Elbrecht, Ice Cataract, 2021. Oil on linen, 10.5 x 12.5 x 1.5 (framed dimensions).
Jorge Elbrecht, Ice Cataract (Dispersed), 2021. Mixed media on linen, 55 x 78.5 x 1.75 inches.
Gillian Steiner, They Met by Accident, 2021. Chromogenic print, 24.25 x 18.25 x 1.5 inches (framed dimensions). Edition of 3 plus 1 AP.
Norm Laich, Old Stardust, 1987. Enamel on wood panel, 59.87 x 19.87 x 1.25 inches.
Dachi Cole, Trick Ships, 2021. Embroidery, dimensions variable.
Allegra Sussman, On the Beach (blue), 2021. Chromogenic print on aluminum, 19 x 24 inches. Edition of 3 plus 1 AP.
Norm Laich, Miami, 2000. Enamel on wood panel, 24 x 18 x 2 inches.
Jerry Peña, Give it Shoes and Give it Some Yellow Paint, 2021. Mixed media assemblage, 29.5 x 13.87 x 1 inches.
Ben Noam, The Moon Needs the Waves Like the Waves Need the Moon, 2021. Pastel on canvas, 17.25 x 10.87 x 1.5 inches (framed dimensions).
Jorge Elbrecht, Springtime Brigade, 2021. Mixed media on linen, 49.12 x 60.87 x 2 inches (framed dimensions).
Ben Noam, The Moon Needs the Waves Like the Waves Need the Moon, 2021. Pastel on canvas, 27.75 x 21.75 x 1.5 inches (framed dimensions).
Stephen Aldahl, New Realization (Psycho '98), 2021. Oil on canvas, 36 x 27.25 x 1 inches.
Gillian Steiner, Magic Mushroom (Leo Carillo), 2021. Chromogenic print, 18.5 x 24.5 x 1.5 inches (framed dimensions). Edition of 3 plus 1 AP.
Documentation by Brica Wilcox