On View
Andy Robert Mines Harlem’s Collective History With His Layered, Nuanced Paintings—See Them Here
Show of the Day: "Lakou: One Two Five" at Hannah Hoffman, Los Angeles.
Caroline Goldstein
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ANDY ROBERT
“LAKOU: One Two Five”
Hannah Hoffman Gallery in Los Angeles
What the Gallery Says: “All of these artworks had one thing in common, deconstructive layers operating both in time and space, inside and outside. In a sense, Robert’s paintings were acquiring the materiality of lakou—a Creole word used to designate a self-regulated type of property deeply ingrained in Haitian culture and able to encompass a variety of meanings and uses… Even though the topics related to Robert’s paintings are linked to his biography, his intentions are not expressive or emotional, but a reflection about how painting preserves its autonomy in a metaphysical way and links to the idea of place and inheritance through the relationship between the viewer and the work.”
Why It’s Worth a Look: The individual canvases are like small tiles that taken as a whole, create a layered mosaic capturing fragmented impressions of Harlem; the show’s title, “One Two Five,” is a nod to the storied New York neighborhood’s street coordinates.
What It Looks Like:
Installation view of Andy Robert at Hannah Hoffman. Images courtesy of the artist and Hannah Hoffman, Los Angeles. Photography by Veli-Matti Hoikka.
Installation view of Andy Robert at Hannah Hoffman. Images courtesy of the artist and Hannah Hoffman, Los Angeles. Photography by Veli-Matti Hoikka.
Andy Robert’s Thelma Golden (2017). Images courtesy of the artist and Hannah Hoffman, Los Angeles. Photography by Veli-Matti Hoikka.
Andy Robert’s Police and Thieves (2017). Images courtesy of the artist and Hannah Hoffman, Los Angeles. Photography by Veli-Matti Hoikka.
Andy Robert’s Breaking News (2017). Images courtesy of the artist and Hannah Hoffman, Los Angeles. Photography by Veli-Matti Hoikka.
Andy Robert’s Remembering Ken: Kenneth P. Thompson (1966–2016) (2017). Images courtesy of the artist and Hannah Hoffman, Los Angeles. Photography by Veli-Matti Hoikka.
Andy Robert’s Anacaona (2017). Images courtesy of the artist and Hannah Hoffman, Los Angeles. Photography by Veli-Matti Hoikka.
Andy Robert’s Cross Country D (2017). Images courtesy of the artist and Hannah Hoffman, Los Angeles. Photography by Veli-Matti Hoikka.
Images courtesy of the artist and Hannah Hoffman, Los Angeles. Photography by Veli-Matti Hoikka.
“Lakou: One Two Five” is on view through February 17, 2018.
Hannah Hoffman Gallery is at 1010 N Highland Avenue, Los Angeles.
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