L.A. Louver presents an exhibition of new ceramic sculptures by Ohio-based artist Matt Wedel. Using sculptural formality as a basis for painterly abstractions, the artist navigates between these two impulses in his stylized flower and figurative forms.

Here is additional info from the gallery:
Wedel’s subjects suggest the natural world and classical figuration through representations of flowers, trees, landscapes and portrait heads. In a sequence of modestly-scaled Flower tree sculptures, the artist begins the table top forms by creating multi-leaved plants in monochrome white porcelain. Atop these structures Wedel daubs vibrantly colored abstract swaths of porcelain, like heavily impastoed paint. As if captured in suspended motion, the color configurations appear freshly bestowed, partially obscuring the meticulously articulated petals that lie beneath. Several large sculptures punctuate the gallery space. Resembling a wild labyrinth of tangled vines, Fruit landscape(s) are shaped from draping mounds of collapsed ribbon-like tendrils. Returning to glazed finishes, Wedel’s unwieldy overgrown forms are balanced with a subdued treatment of color — one features a family of grays and whites, another blush pinks, reds and soft yellows, and the largest (measuring nearly 8 ft./2.5 m tall) a speckled finish of diluted cobalt blue. Their immense weight, stature and towering energy seem directly aligned with the stacked sculptures by visionary ceramicist Peter Voulkos (1924-2002).

While you are there, enjoy a group show running concurrently in the upstairs gallery. Artists include: Richard Deacon, Iva Gueorguieva, Jonathan Lasker, Heather Gwen Martin, Jason Martin, Juan Uslé and Leslie Wayne. Also in the Skyroom…ALEX “DEFER” KIZU is also on exhibit.

On view: September 6, 2018 – January 5, 2019

What: Opening reception
Where: L.A. Louver, 45 North Venice Boulevard, Venice, 90291
When: Wednesday, November 14, 2018, 6–8pm
Website: http://lalouver.com