This Saturday, Merry Karnowsky Gallery will open a new exhibition featuring three Chilean artists: Victor Castillo (who has been based in LA since 2010), Mauricio Garrido and Claudia Peña. Castillo’s solo show “Pure Pleasure” is a follow up to last year’s “Under Heavy Measures.” While the title of this year’s exhibition seems to indicate a major thematic departure from his last body of work, the topics Castillo explores are two sides of the same coin in his investigation of pleasure and cruelty. What has changed, however, is his technique: “Pure Pleasure” is almost entirely monochromatic, with a new series of ink paintings and a mural installation that will debut the night of the show. Garrido and Peña’s two distinct bodies of work come together in “Sleeplessness.” While Garrido’s collages are over-the-top amalgamations of figures with a mid-century aesthetic, Peña’s painting technique is collage-like and interested in the occult. “Pure Pleasure” and “Sleeplessness” open February 1. Take a look at our preview below.
Victor Castillo
Mauricio Garrido
Claudia Peña