Ostensibly a presentation of individual large-scale mixed media sculptural works, Aaron Fowler’s current exhibition is more like a series of pocket universes. Occupying the entireties of two art galleries on opposite sides of the city, Fowler presents these monumental works inside discrete room-size installations. From an expanse of soft sand and cool soil at Ghebaly, to environments of red fabric and mirrored glass shards at M+B, both the physical and emotional engagement of the viewer is demanded before an experience of the works even fully commences. Thus enveloped, the confronting of the sheer scale, eclectic materialism, and allegorical narrative scope of Fowler’s sculptures becomes both more sublime and more intimate.

Aaron Fowler, Donkey Gods (2018).
Oil paint, acrylic paint, enamel paint, vinyl paint, mirror, concrete cement, hair weave, beard weave, screws, Plexiglas, inkjet prints, pegboard, school desk chairs, Doc Martens, sneakers, socks, LED rope lights, paint brush, canvas, Newports, blunts, fake plants, green foam blocks on school desks, digital video, tablet computer. 106 x 200 x 31 inches. Courtesy of the artist and Ghebaly Gallery. Photo: Robert Wedemeyer

At Ghebaly, a sandy beach-like dune, starts in the lobby as a shallow stage for “Donkey Gods,” a mural-size frieze depicting a strange procession of figures across a disjointed landscape constructed of fake plants, Plexiglass, paint, hair weave, a small video screen, inkjet prints and a lot more besides. The lead figure drags a paintbrush which has left a blue streaking trail; the small crowd of figures feels both medieval and pro-athlete; they move across a partially landscaped path toward a meditation center. Soon enough, you are in their shoes, as entering the rest of the exhibition requires walking across a wide beach-like room, with the sand spiked with glass shards reading “blessed.”

Aaron Fowler, It’s a Fucking Movement (2018).
Wood, steel, window frame and glass, acrylic paint, enamel paint, oil paint, LED rope light, zip ties, camouflage jacket, metal sign, barbershop chair base, Plexiglas, dirt, hair weave, beer cans, CDs, salon hair dryer, inkjet prints, cinder blocks, concrete cement, seat cushions, sneakers, wooden chair, crates, wooden pallets, yarn, leather belt, shell toe Adidas sneakers, car parts, wood police dividers, screws, nursing scrubs, oatmeal, shoulder pads.
143 x 190 x 48 inches. Courtesy of the artist and Ghebaly Gallery. Photo: Robert Wedemeyer

The tall and thin “Palm Tree” with its periodically motorized fronds resembling a windmill, and the rural scenery of “Empire” in which the palm tree motif is further echoed, both contribute to the holistic gestalt of this surreal and disquieting oasis. As you move into the second gallery, the ground gives way to cooler, more firm soil, and there the freestanding, two-sided, rotating sculpture “It’s A Fucking Movement” occupies the center. It’s imposing, and multilayered, as the meanings of the word “movement” are enacted with deliberation. The work moves, it spins on a motorized axis. The word is written in red neon across its surface. The story shows scenes from the part of Fowler’s brother’s life when he moved westward to find his fortune. The idea of Manifest Destiny as a truly problematic cultural mythos factors in, especially in light of the current hot debate about immigration, both legal and extralegal, and the damaging legacies of colonialism.

Aaron Fowler, “Exceedingly and Abundantly Blessed.” Installation view. Courtesy the artist and M+B, Los Angeles. Photo: Ed Mumford.

At M+B the shard motifs are echoed in the schematic panels of the mirrored chamber, and works are largely suspended rather than grounded or wall mounted. Though still immersive, the effect is more theatrical, more architectural and operatic, overtly staged, whereas at Ghebaly, the organic materials of sand and soil, more difficult to trod upon and evocative of a very different set of locales and settings. Fowler’s special gift is for bricolage of stuff, certainly. His way of assembling is both intuitive and highly directed, enhancing and transforming their original qualities and functions, while layering new meaning. But his work is also a kind of bricolage of time and space that collapses inner and outer, private and public, personal and historical experiences into entirely new universes.

Aaron Fowler, “Exceedingly and Abundantly Blessed.” Installation view. Courtesy the artist and M+B, Los Angeles. Photo: Ed Mumford.

Aaron Fowler, “Exceedingly and Abundantly Blessed,” November 2 – December 8, 2018, at Ghebaly Gallery, 2245 E. Washington Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90021, ghebaly.com; November 3 – December 22, 2018, at M + B, 612 North Almont Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90069, www.mbart.com