Self-Titled
Charlie James Gallery is delighted to present Self-Titled – the first gallery solo show by L.A. artist Michelle Andrade in our new space at 969 Chung King Road.
Michelle Andrade’s work mines the material of both everyday conversation and internal monologue for isolated moments of particular resonance – be they humorous, poetic, or seemingly mundane. These moments, expressed in simple sentences or fragmentary phrases, are frequently accompanied by the date and time of their emergence in thought or conversation. The drawings themselves employ brightly accented colors and nests of tightly patterned shapes woven amongst their pillowy text forms. Importantly, Andrade uses lined notebook paper and graph paper as the material basis for the drawings, which adds further to the sense of diaristic expression in the work. The visual tone of the drawings is consistently ebullient, with a graphical style reminiscent of period cartoons, album art and television shows from the late 70s and early 80s, on which Andrade dined in her youth. The textual content of the drawings frequently contrasts with the emotional tones set in the compositions; where a viewer expects Free to Be You and Me or Schoolhouse Rock-style positivity, Andrade often delivers confessional personal details of considerable emotional weight. The result is strongly emotive, the drawings can have narrative elements that drive curiosity in the viewer for the context of a particular piece, and the work also invites viewers’ subjectivity to engage, driving the viewer inward to reflection.
In Self-Titled, Andrade will present a host of ink on paper drawings in three different dimensions in the main chamber. There will be a large grid of 11 x 8.5 inch ink on notebook paper pieces, a sizable cluster of 22 x 17 inch ink on graph paper drawings, and one drawing of larger scale. In the rear mini-gallery we will have three black and white ink on paper drawings by Andrade that showcase a different, earlier style from her practice.
Michelle Andrade was born in Encino, CA in 1972. She received a BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2005 and an MFA from Otis College of Art and Design in 2007. Michelle has exhibited in Chicago, Houston, Miami, and throughout Southern California. She currently lives and works in Los Angeles.
Installation
