[Venice, California] — In an era where the relentless march of technology propels us forward, Art Unified’s upcoming group exhibition ‘Be Kind, Rewind’ invites us to press pause, rewind the tape, and journey through nostalgia, specifically of the late 20th century. Investigating the past elicits a spectrum of emotions, from the exuberant delight of childhood explorations to the turmoil of young adulthood. However, now, through the lens of our present with the future barreling towards us, the days gone by avail themselves in hyper-exuberant textures, colors, and forms. The work of the five artists featured in Be Kind, Rewind reflects the diverse landscapes of memory.
Dave Mason’s nostalgia-scape photograph, bearing the title of the show Be Kind, Rewind, sets the stage for the exhibition’s journey through time. Mason gathered collectibles from the ’80s for two years, culminating in a collage of curated objects scattered across a vintage entertainment center. A reclined figure with their back to the viewer gives off a laissez-faire attitude to life—nothing has become before this moment. Long live rock-n-roll and video games.
‘Be Kind, Rewind’ is an invitation to be gentle with ourselves and find solace in the aesthetics of nostalgia.
Join us for the opening reception of ‘Be Kind, Rewind’ on Wednesday, October 18th, from 6-9 pm. The exhibition will run from October 18th through November 18th, 2023, at Art Unified, 1329 Abbot Kinney Blvd, Venice, CA 90291. Open daily, 11 am-7 pm.
Art Unified pushes the boundaries of art by being at the forefront of the contemporary art scene and pioneering a fresh relationship between artist and audience through pop-up exhibits, art fairs, public placements, live art supper clubs, art apparel, and giclee prints. Art Unified seeks to hold both the intimate and the infinite, knowing that art can shape the conversations in our homes and the directions of our lives.
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Pop culture of the ‘80s and ‘90s is ripe with iconography that shaped the youngest minds. Through his large-scale, seemingly torn pages from the notebook of a distracted grade-schooler, Adam Greener invites us into the realm of youthful imagination. Greener’s Everything Must Go combines television commercials and home shopping channels with subverting parents’ authority to illustrate how the young mind processes the chaotic swirl of imagery. With this series of acrylic and ink drawings, Greener taps into memories of his early visual preoccupations and represents them with a witty, provocative, not-so-grown-up eye. As children, few things fascinate us more than candy. The cult of sugar was universally celebrated. The hyperrealism of the larger-than-life oil-colored pencil drawing series The Candy Shop by Karolina Leonte breathes a renewed passion into this obsession with a seductive overtone playing to our desire for the sweet life. The work of Greener and Leonte reflects on how early experiences—cognitive, social, and emotional—are intricately woven with our cultural iconography.
Coming of age during this era was as redolent with soul searching as it was with neon colors and bedazzled dreams. Johan Andersson challenges our perceptions of popular culture not to condemn through his Untitled painting but rather to help us discover ourselves. During the formative years, the pull to appease is intense. Andersson recognizes the beauty with unwavering authenticity, as seen in his subject’s eyes, in diversity as a stark confrontation of distorted identities the youthful self imposes. The vehicle of the time to self-express was the mixtape. The authority of this medium was unparalleled—crushes were wooed, vibes were set, broken hearts expressed, and best friendships solidified. Their power was in them being a one-of-a-kind expression of feelings made explicitly for the recipient. Betsy Enzensberger captures this feeling with her Magical Mix Tapes, crafted from cast resin and adorned with hundreds of crystals. These artworks memorialize the zeitgeist of this era.
