金·阿贝尔斯的环保艺术与人类经验在罗纳德H博物馆展出. Silverman Gallery at Cal State LA

September 22, 2023 By Jaime Korima Rodriguez Photos by Iris Chu

Born in Richmond Heights, Missouri, Kim Abeles后来搬到洛杉矶,并在20世纪70年代开始绘画. 金·阿贝尔的作品在20世纪80年代因其跨越传记类型的探索性而闻名于世, geography, feminism, and the environment that emphasizes two spheres. One being the world of humans and domestic spheres, which embodies visuals of social issues and everyday experiences. 另一个则强调了受社会和环保主义影响的自然体验.  金·阿贝尔斯关注环境保护主义和社会政治问题,部分原因是他在匹兹堡的一个“钢铁小镇”长大. Having moved to Los Angeles in the late 1970s, sweatshops started to pop up around her art studio, inspiring her to make art about “real life”. 她的作品的高潮展览“金阿贝尔斯:社会家具(1976-2023)”现在在罗纳德H. 洛杉矶加州州立大学的西尔弗曼美术馆,直到2023年10月28日. 

Currently on view at the exhibit is Pearls of Wisdom, made in 2011. A work that uses mixed media such as mylar paper, yarn and threads, plaster gauze, 摄影和主体的话语强调了家庭暴力问题. Within this work, Abeles takes photos of the hands of women and survivors, 除了家庭暴力,他们还会对牡蛎珍珠进行解读. Photographs taken of hands covered in plaster, 拿着纱线,向观众讲述她们作为家庭暴力幸存者的经历. 其中一条留言写道:“我可以跑步,也可以依靠自己,依靠我更强大的内心. 如果我的故事能帮助其他人避开陷阱和暴力,那它就是值得的。”. These images and quotes are combined with a wall-sized, shelf display of handmade pearls linked together by red thread, 由家庭暴力幸存者的家人和支持者制作. 值得注意的是,在阿贝尔的作品中,珍珠的形象被用来强调 ways “牡蛎体内形成的珍珠是对有害刺激物的反应,” similarly, these participants who are domestic violence survivors  “... 将家庭痛苦的记忆转化为物品和共享文本”.

对于Abeles来说,强调各种社会问题幸存者的经历是通过不同形式的图像和混合媒体完成的. Within the piece Collective Diary, (Dedicated to People with AIDS), made between 1989–1993, 是一个由200幅艾滋病患者的物品照片和剪贴簿照片组成的装置. 这些亲密的黑白照片包括男同性恋的色情照片, to bibles, to family photos. 其中一些图片是80年代末和90年代初艾滋病患者收到的邮件的照片. For instance, within Collective Diary, (Dedicated to People with AIDS), Abele设计了一张桌子,可以坐在200张黑白照片前,桌面上是透明的. Upon looking closer, as all of Abele’s work requires, 在80年代末的禁忌和歇斯底里中,可以看到足彩外围网站如何避免感染艾滋病的信息小册子的图片. 桌面内的另一张图片是一封给一位患有艾滋病的SSI申请人的回复信,他被拒绝了服务. Many of Abele’s images within Collective Diary, (Dedicated to People with AIDS), are extremely intimate images, 评论80年代末和90年代初艾滋病患者的人性和被否定的人性. 

Sturdy and metallic, Kim Abeles, work “Self Portrait”, made in 2016,  may seem to a passerby an homage to the self. With numerous cut outs of identification cards to various institutions fused to a metal chair; images of Kim Abeles with several haircuts and dates attached to these identification cards emphasize her many evolutions. It begs the question, 那把金属椅子是不是放满了金·阿贝尔的照片,底下还有一面镜子, simply an ode to the self? 或者是对我们为了在社会中发挥作用而必须与之联系在一起的各种制度的评论?

Another piece by Abeles shown at The Ronald H. Silverman Fine Arts Gallery at Cal State LA is called, Jay Walking ticket, 1995. 这幅图是一幅原始的水墨画的模板,在一个陶瓷板上. 这张照片不仅引发了人们的思考,有时令人担忧,而且是对这个国家及其对居民影响的惊人评论. The Jay Walking ticket 强调了人们的行动受到国家控制的方式,并要求他们为不服从付出经济后果. To add, 这张纸质罚单的图片凸显了人们制造垃圾和过度使用纸张的方式. 这张照片是对社会问题的评论,也是对Kim Abele环保工作的声明.

金·阿贝尔对环保主义的重视在她的作品中得到了进一步的体现, Paper Person, 2009. To create this large-scale artwork Abeles collected paper trash from a facility over the course of a single day, ironing and laminating it to create the 48’ x 45’ Paper Person. Abele似乎用这篇文章来评论人类和我们的机构在一天内产生和积累的废物量上的责任和关系. The seemingly melancholic and delated body language the Paper Person embodies, quite literally, 阿贝尔对这一主题的思考背后的人文和表达灵感. 

金·阿贝尔斯用废物和烟雾等微粒物质来评论环境和人类不可避免地联系在一起的方式. Abeles, having lived in Los Angeles for a long time, wanted to highlight the air pollution in the city. Through a collection entitled Smog Collectors 1987-2020, 阿贝尔斯把陶瓷板放在她洛杉矶城市工作室的顶部,以捕捉空气中的颗粒和污染物. 总是在公民参与和环保主义方面传递着尖锐的信息, Abeles illustrates within the smog soot, 世界各国领导人过去曾承诺对雾霾采取行动, air pollution, and air quality.  她在洛杉矶工作室屋顶上放置陶瓷板的时间,是有意根据每位世界领导人对空气污染和烟雾的负面影响而定的, darkening by those statistics. 包括弗拉基米尔·普京、罗纳德·里根和迪尔玛·罗塞夫的插图. 

Encompassing messages on environmentalism, social issues, and civic engagement, Kim Abele's work has spanned over decades. 她的作品曾在《足彩外围网站》、盖蒂博物馆和现在的The Ronald H. Silverman Fine Arts Gallery at Cal State LA. 《足彩外围网站》的正式开馆仪式将于26日举行, September 23, 2023 1–6 pm.. View Kim Abeles’ artwork from September 14th to October 28th, 2023, 10月28日,艺术家将亲自参观展览, from 6–8 pm.