The HEAT

Room 3557 is pleased to present The HEAT, by Adrienne Maki. We enter a room, where a trunk is an extension of a panel looking to escape the elements.

Maki’s handmade box like forms populate the space as metaphoric monuments to bugs, places and things. Traversing an array of aesthetic monomers, she leads us to safe zones. The tea box is a storage box, a time capsule perhaps to travel into the future while remaining in the present. Taking us to some of her influences like Jo Baer, Clyfford Still, Sean Scully and Deborah Remington.

The facades face us, with accessories formed in the domestic space, taking us to a sort of metaphoric mimicry. A deconstructed kite mounted as a beacon. Fireflies represented as wooden sculptures collared by flagging tape. We see Maki incorporating aesthetics related to Japanese architecture, scroll painting and ink drawing. Washes of color and of landscapes wave to Hokusai.  An abstraction of a bug—Six legs, four or three, units as exterior. Interior, reverse, reflect. Ones arrival at something enigmatic yet familiar. Landing in the red—Temperature rising, distancing from the sky. Can we dissect the fraternal nature of things?

Each box offering a different reflection of an experience whether directly related to the forest fires or not. Like twins, the language woven into symmetrical geometries are organic and familiar. Where is safe to touchdown? Her wall forms investigate acts towards shelter, structures for safety and closed spaces. Occupied by non human inhabitants using color coding as symbols of safe occupancy. Bugs are seen walking on artworks when the land is black and scorched.

An environmental militia tells the story of closed magnificent endings, which become new beginnings and understandings of how death prompts revival. The translation of her stories are constructedwithin spaces that are poetic and private yet banal and public. Maki’s message to the viewers is “Take care and peace, the voyage from life to love.”  

With a chrome heart organ we will survive the heat.