Filipino.art.org

James Lawrence Ardea: Love Empire
September 3  October 31, 2009

LOVE EMPIRE, a new solo exhibition by James Lawrence Ardea, explores notions of the state of Filipino America, the lasting effects of colonization and the emotional constructs in which we imprison ourselves. As a self-taught artist, Ardea developed his own techniques combining images from vintage travel and anthropology books, found objects, organic materials, and text encased between layers of resin. The final assemblage is permanently cast and suspended in time, recontextualizing the original images and objects depending on the perspective of the viewer.

For his largest and most ambitious work to date, Ardea will transform a portion of ArtXchange Gallery in Seattle, WA into the environments depicted in his resin and mixed-media paintings. Viewers will be able to enter the world of Ardeas assemblages as if caught in the artwork itself. Inspired by dioramas found in natural history museums, the surreal dreamscape will be inhabited by archetypal images ranging from the Jollibee icon to historic photographs of indigenous Filipinos, as well as flora, fauna, and celestial elements. Ardeas work brings history, anthropology, pop culture, and personal memories together into a colorful installation that encourages audience interaction and reflection in a space where love rules – offering a collective articulation of the struggle to self actualize, love ourselves and each other.

James Lawrence Ardea has been a Seattle arts organizer since the mid-90s and is co-founder of isangmahal arts kollective in Seattle, the LA Enkanto Kollective, and Mixt Up Productions. His artwork was recently seen in How the Soy Sauce was Bottled at Wing Luke Asian Museum and in Sarii Cycle: A Dialogue of Love at Columbia City Gallery.

http://www.artxchange.org/

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