MAGNUS SODAMIN
Wild Altar
Gallery I
RAQUEL SCHWARTZ
Be
Gallery II
Sept 24 | Nov 19, 2021
Dot Fiftyone Gallery is proud to present Wild Altar, Magnus Sodamin’s first solo show with the gallery and, Raquel Schwartz’s “Be”.
Magnus Sodamin
WILD ALTAR
Gallery I
As we push further into the frontiers of our natural world, human development continues to encroach upon the critical habitats of wildlife, restricting movement between isolated populations of species and disrupting the natural life cycles of ecosystems. Our growing presence puts their survival at greater risk.
In his exhibition "Wild Altar," Magnus Sodamin builds monuments to the Spoonbill, Heron, Anhinga. The artist's tufted tapestry sculptures become totems of the wilderness, deifying the bird, fetishizing its avian characteristics, and canonizing its habitat as holy land. These suspended sculptures hang in between paintings referential of byzantine churches or stained-glass windows - arch-shaped works which transmit a sense of religious reverence for the outdoors. To Sodamin, an avid outdoorsman, nature plays a prominent role in his life and studio practice. "Nature is my church. Anywhere in the world, and whenever I enter, I have respect for the wild places and know that they are not my space."
Abstracting the colors and textures of the wild- Sodomin's "arch works" are sacred altars that demand respect. Gestural brushstrokes build tactile surfaces which describe the interplay of light and moist wetlands. The paintings themselves are based on preparatory drawings Sodamin made both in the wild and from photographs shot during his frequent visits to remote locations in the Florida landscape. Translating these studies into another medium, Sodamin adds a layer of abstraction to an otherwise lush setting whose interplay of water and reflection often resembles a veil of stained glass. His constellations of plants, animals, and improvised color achieve a jarring level of ecstatic volume. The works reveal themselves as endless moments of overwhelming spiritual realization.
Sodamin considers his journeys into unexplored territories (in the studio and in nature) as a means to connect with his deepest self. He explains, "For humans, art has developed into a language of how we see and want to experience the world. Through our senses, we find inspiration- which leads to discovery. It is in our nature to be captivated and in awe of something larger than us."
Born in Manhattan, New York, Magnus Sodamin is a long-time Miami resident. Sodamin received his BFA in painting with a minor in art history from the New World School of the Arts, Miami, in 2012. He spent a year developing his painting practice at the Nansenskolen (Nansen Academy) in Lillehammer, Norway, a humanitarian institute that focuses on cross-cultural exchange.
Raquel Schwartz
Be
Gallery II
Raquel Schwartz’s new show: watercolors and small sculptures created during the pandemic, an intimist reflection on nature, on everyday life, from the sensual textures of ceramics to pastoral illustrations, a vast view of small things.
Raquel Schwartz tells us, in her own words, the conceptual origin of her exhibition:
I’ve been thinking lately about being.
To be present in being, the simple act of breathing, and the obligation of happening.
Playing, conjecturing, experimenting, flowing towards an imagined, fanciful reality, in the unconsciousness of being present.
Being beyond the bounds of time and space.
Getting lost in the lights, shades, textures, and colors allows me to be in my Being.
How to find readings for potential futures of Being?
What drives us to reality and to imagine different ones? Here and now?
Being, existing, and becoming.
Raquel Schwartz was born in Santa Cruz – Bolivia, studied ceramic and sculpture as well as management and accounting at the Santa Barbara City College, CA, and Graphic Design at the Wizo School of Design in Israel. She completed numerous art and leadership workshops in Europe, Argentina, and Bolivia as part of the UK Triangle Art Trust Foundation and the HIVOS Mondrian and Doen Arts Collaboratory Network of Artist Residencies. She has participated in numerous solo and collective exhibitions and international biennials. In 2001 and 2005, Schwartz organized KMO, a residency for international visual artists in Bolivia. Since 2006 she is the director of Kiosko Galeria. Her work has been exhibited in Bolivia, Peru, Chile, Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Colombia, Venezuela, Mexico, Uruguay, United States, Italy, Switzerland, Korea, Russia, United Kingdom, among others.
“Wild Altar” and “To be” will be on view through November 19th, 2021. The hours are Monday to Friday, from 12 pm to 6:30 pm, and Saturday from 2 pm to 6 pm. Dot Fiftyone Gallery is located at 7275 NE 4th Ave, Miami. For more information, images of the shows or to schedule an appointment, please contact Isaac Perelman: isaac@dotfiftyone.com
