Mark A. Rodriguez Interrogates the Eternal in 'Forever'
The stamp as an exercise of form and focus.
Mark A. Rodriguez’s new solo exhibition is now on view at Chris Sharp Gallery in Los Angeles. Presenting a new array of work, Forever takes cues from the US Forever Stamp. Coinciding with these everlasting postal stamps, this show imbues everyday Americana with a “deadpan” existentialism.
In this collection of around 20 pieces, Rodriguez constructs unique stamp frames, cutting across borders of painting and sculpture. These works almost swallow the stamps in a cloud of sculptamold and acrylic paint. By eclipsing their small size, each frame brings the stamp’s detail into full focus.
“The objects themselves are weirdly beautiful; their formal attributes evoking whole histories of Los Angeles sculpture from Mike Kelley to Ken Price,” the gallery says in a statement. The vibrant colors of Forever take pleasure in their calculated dissonance.
The show elaborates on the artist’s previous work that probes familiar objects of domestic life. Exploring ideas of value, collection, and the ready-made, the artist finds (dis)comfort in what lays beyond a lifetime.
Forever is now on view at Chris Sharp Gallery until September 7, 2024.
Chris Sharp Gallery
4650 W Washington Blvd,
Los Angeles, CA 90016
