The last time I saw a show of Fields' work it was a myriad of small fires taking over California. Here we see a softer gentler interpretation of the way nature affects the city and landscapes around LA. All of the scenes seem to be covered in fog, rain or haze. There is a soft focus blurriness that is reminiscent of not only photographic images but of film, where in the land of Hollywood this is most appropriate. It becomes an allegory to the fantasies lived in a life where people lease cars they could never afford to buy so they can look good, where wild life exists just miles outside of the city, and where glorious sunsets are created in half by the smog that settles on the oceans in the early mornings and evenings. This vaseline covered lens through which we view a night time city or mist drenched forest, amplifies the moodiness and isolation of the people missing from the scenes. Light is the big character in these works, masquerading as orbs and trails, Fields' uses it as an abstract presence that signals other worldliness that can be spiritual, alien or hallucinatory. The lack of brush work, the powdery flecks of paint, add to the feeling these images are fleeting apparitions that could be of mind or matter, or perhaps just memory.
The show is running through March 24 at Western Project.
To see my previous post on Samantha Fields work go here.
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