Wilding Cran Gallery is pleased to present two new exhibitions –  “And then there’s love” featuring the photography of John Simmons and “VA,” by Mustafa Ali Clayton. Both shows are curated by Karon Davis. The gallery hosted an opening reception on March 26, 2022, but you can still catch both of these exhibition through April 23, 2022. Remember to confirm with gallery for up-to-date covid protocols and guidelines – (proof of vaccination and masks MAY be required).

From Left to Right: John Simmons, “And then there’s love” –  Mustafa Ali Clayton, “VA”

Photographer John Simmons documents Black love, community, and the importance of locating joy in our day-to-day lives, curated by Karon Davis.

Since the mid-1960s, Simmons has travelled the country covering everything from Black Panther Party meetings and the 1968 Democratic National Convention, to snapshots of the everyday lives of the American people. The exhibition of And then there’s love unites Simmons’ iconic photographs with selected collages as mediums for chronicling Black community, culture, and authenticity. Inspired by the legacy of pioneers such as Gordon Parks and Roy DeCarava, Simmons sets out to capture the challenges and complexities woven into the fabric of humanity.

“VA,” by Mustafa Ali Clayton, curated by Karon Davis, a meditation on the iconography of Black womanhood through a personification of fertility, endurance, grace, and fortitude.

Drawing upon past aesthetic and thematic explorations, Clayton’s practice is deeply rooted in adapting traditional techniques to contemporary subject matter. With an interest in utilizing organic and sustainable materials, the Los Angeles-based artist grounds his work in the natural elements of the earth, weaving in references to history and lineage through a process that spans oil painting, quilting, beading, ceramics, and assemblage. Much like the natural world, powerful yet vulnerable, Clayton’s deliberate use of earth sourced fibers, clay, wax, wood, beads, and pigments, allow his viewers to experience the intimate and labor-intensive aspects of his process.

On view: March 26, 2022 – April 23, 2022 (“VA”); “And then there’s love” runs through May 14, 2022; 

What: John Simmons, Mustafa Ali Clayton
Where: Wilding Cran Gallery, 1700 South Santa Fe Ave, Unit 460, LA, 90021
Phone: 213.553.9190
Website: https://wildingcran.com/