Different memories within each of our lives are associated with some space and with distinct details that carry the narrative of any specific occurrence. In Augusta Wood’s second solo exhibit at DENK, “The Shape of My Head,” the environment becomes the storyteller of daily routine. Wood’s exploration of the subjective nature of memory is relevant to all human experience, and in her works, nature, city and nostalgia meld together to illustrate the steadiness of time and the concurrency of past and present.

Augusta Wood, Katya’s Apt (2019), chromogenic print, 15 3/4h x 23w inches. Courtesy of the artist and DENK.

Wood’s personal inspection of the surroundings that make up her day-by-day life yields a layered visual experience. Each piece is not just one photograph, but multiple that are taken from an insider’s perspective of her own various, habitual spaces at different times of day and season. Each of her works are deliberately compiled (and then re-photographed) to form a deeper message which inserts the audience into a reality that transcends into memories from their own lives.

Augusta Wood, Snow Window Orange (2019), chromogenic print, 38h x 47 3/4w inches. Courtesy of the artist and DENK.

One especially captivating work, Monstera Silhouette (2019), blends an array of tones that interpolate in a Wizard of Oz manner. The black and white moodiness of the right side of the photo, disturbed by a striking green leaf, oozes into a sunset orange backdrop with a woman figure staring outside a window. A common theme of “outside looking in” is evident in her frequent window portrayal, perhaps referring to herself as she contemplates her atmosphere.

Augusta Wood, Me Facing Robin (2019), chromogenic print, 23 3/4h x 23 3/4w inches. Courtesy of the artist and DENK.

Me Facing Robin (2019), another highlight in the collection, is a coalescence of images that introduce a new figure into the mix—Wood’s own mother. This is at once a self-portrait and ode, depicting a daughter examining a past life of someone she sees as support-figure. The open door works as the entrance between two generations. The photos exude a warm, familial effect, almost like you’re peering into your mom’s old high school snapshots.

The exhibit affords viewers a fitting opportunity—the chance to walk through Wood’s narrative in their shoes.

Augusta Wood, “The Shape of My Head,” April 6 – May 11, 2019, at DENK, 749 East Temple Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012. www.denkgallery.com