SOMEHOW, WE ALL SEEM CONNECTED
Steven Harrington &
Justin Krietemeyer
EXHIBITION DATES:
August 23rd - September 19th
OPENING RECEPTION:
August 23rd, 8pm - 11pm
SUBLIMINAL PROJECTS is pleased to announce Somehow, We All Seem Connected, a solo show of new works by Steven Harrington and Justin Krietemeyer, the creative duo behind National Forest Design. The exhibition will feature handmade multiples and sculptures exploring human connectivity and humorous points of similarity, through our perception of reality, experience, and imagination. The exhibit marks Steven and Justin’s fourth collaborative art exhibition and will run from August 23 to September 19, with an opening reception held for the artists on Saturday, August 23 from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m.
For Somehow, We All Seem Connected, Harrington and Krietemeyer’s insightful, colorful pieces reinforce the presence of connectivity in the world that surrounds us, from an individual point of view, to complex peripheral networks, to foreign and fabricated cultures existing in another time and space. For their screen prints, the duo incorporates old black and white photographs that revive lost stories, only, now, Harrington and Krietemeyer infuse the pictures with their exploration and experimentation of new media, graphic designs, and illustrations. The combination of old and new compliments the show’s focus on “the need to be loved, the desire to find your place in mayhem, and how much you rely on people.” The various pieces and geometric shapes in the screen prints are unique as individual pieces, but when melded together, a new cohesive idea is formed that calms and sooths the human spirit.
Harrington and Krietemeyer do no limit themselves to screen prints; instead, they have created vibrant 3-Dimensional teepees. The traditional form and primitive inspired drawings coupled with neon colors and psychedelic layouts transport the observer to an alternate universe suspended in space. For each piece, there is a strong anthropologic inspiration, with abstract cues, an “encyclopedic folk art”, that we are invited to observe, decode, and connect. The concept maintains a “youthful and naïve” observation of how people, places, and things relate, while simultaneously conveying the complexities of a philosophy altogether abstract.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Steven Harrington
Steven Harrington lives and works in Los Angeles, CA. Aside from owning and operating National Forest Design with fellow artist Justin Krietemeyer, he still finds time to work on both commissioned and self-inspired art projects of his own. Influenced by images, fashion and graphics discovered in Time Life Encyclopedias from 1965-1972, thrift stores, and The Moody Blues, his art might be termed contextual objectivism. That is, he views each piece he creates as a tangible object that is part and parcel of a larger context; the object helps define the context and the context helps define the object. Whatever feel or meaning the observer takes away from the piece belongs to the observer. Nothing is shoved down his or her throat. Discovery is the key. Some of his most recent projects include a four board series for Burton snowboards, contributions to the French clothing line Sixpack, and a series of silkscreen prints based on the idea of “community.” He has exhibited work in Los Angeles, New York, Dallas, San Francisco, Chicago, Philadelphia, Montreal, Tokyo, Melbourne and Barcelona.
Justin Krietemeyer
Justin Krietemeyer is a California native who works and lives in Los Angeles. Justin co-owns and operates National Forest Design with fellow friend and artist Steven Harrington. Justin’s work draws on his passions for nature, science, culture, and shared experiences to create a collective memory or reflection of the present. His work is a curated selection of hand drawn and found images on surfaces and textures that have an inherent sense of a time passed. Justin’s new works are an investigation and celebration of the common moments and experiences that happen outside of conscious thought. They are images of excitement, joy, anxiety, and discovery. They are abstracted collages of the common experiences and emotions that bind us as humans while defying our concepts of the conceived boundaries of perception, reality, space, and time. Justin has shown work in Tokyo, Paris, Milan, Berlin, Barcelona, Los Angeles, and Denton Texas.