Few would look at an old sponge or a scattering of spare sequins
and think to put them to any sort of use, let alone incorporating
them as a key component of a piece of art.
Yet these are two rather prominent elements of the work of
Elliott Hundley, a 2005 master of fine arts graduate from UCLA. His
first solo exhibition at the Hammer Museum features all new pieces
specifically created for this show, which will close on Sept.
3.
Hundley’s exhibit features an innovative type of collage,
often based in a painted or photographic background. He attaches
the objects he finds with straight pins and leaves the pins visible
to incorporate them as part of the work. Among the torn sponges and
meticulous scatterings of sequins, adorning the irregular surfaces
are bird feathers, artificial plants, broken bits of coral, cropped
photographs and even the miniature paper umbrellas usually found in
tropical cocktails.
The arrangement of such unlikely objects inevitably creates a
sort of narrative, though by no means a linear one. Left to the
imagination, the images can inspire as many variations of the story
as there are viewers of the work. One is immediately drawn in by
the minute details within the motley assortment of unlikely objects
and the methodical chaos created in the arrangement of clusters of
them.
The small-scale planning of each section of the work creates
interest in up-close examination, and the precarious attachment of
entire pieces to either the wall or ceiling provides several
interesting perspectives from which to view the overall work.
Despite the exhibit’s probable first impression as an
impulsive arrangement of bric-a-brac, the pins fastening each
individual piece to the overall work and the clustering of like
pieces in the same place suggest a meticulous attention to detail
and the establishment of a pattern that seems to make logical sense
in the artist’s mind. In connecting this diverse array of
individual objects, Hundley’s art has resulted in a far more
complex and intriguing piece than any single part of the work
viewed alone.
Perhaps the sprawling, irregularly shaped pieces of wood and the
individually fastened details are a tribute to Los Angeles and
Angelenos, respectively: a city that lacks a true center and
seemingly any type of logical organization. Both Hundley’s
work and the city of Los Angeles itself, upon closer examination,
reveal a careful conglomeration of a diverse array of colors,
textures and objects, analogous to the diversity of lifestyle,
culture and architecture revealed throughout the city.
Regardless of interpretation, Hundley’s work is not
immediately accessible. It demands of the viewer a certain level of
patience, attention to detail and desire for discovery, undoubtedly
similar to those qualities required in creation of the art
itself.
Hundley, through his work, deconstructs elements of life that he
has discovered and reconstructs them in a way he finds both
sensible and beautiful. Those who make the journey through the
work’s narrative are rewarded with Hundley’s unique
revelations about the world we live in.
““ Meropi Peponides