I first came to Veronica De Jesus's work through the wonderful memorial drawings she hangs in the windows of Dog Eared Books on Valencia, and last year I wrote about a lovely published collection of said drawings called Hello Now From Everywhere. But De Jesus has a rich artistic practice that extends well beyond those memorials, and yesterday I was thrilled to get the chance to see the collaborative exhibition she and her wife Regina Clarkinia currently have on display at Martina }{ Johnston. De Jesus is showing a series of mixed media paintings (one pictured here) that swirl with primal energy, human figures and arcane symbols emerging out of more abstracted bits of shape and color, while in the gallery's viewing room you can see a video by Clarkinia compiling some ideas for a children's show she is developing. In the way of the best programming for kids her talking blades of grass, kung fu kitties, and brilliant edits of dancing youngsters are thoroughly entertaining to adults as well. I felt especially lucky to catch the exhibition's Light Temple in the gallery's backyard though as it was the last day before the sculpture had to come down, and I took a few contemplative moments within its environs pondering evocative fabric embroideries by De Jesus as well as some stones and other mementoes carefully placed in the crooks of the structure's wooden skeleton. In a happy accident the local ladybugs seem to love the installation as well, perching all over the cloth walls, and their quiet presence just made the piece even more magical for me. De Jesus and Clarkinia are also hosting a series of poetry readings in conjunction with the show, the first of which yesterday I had to run out on thanks to being on deadline, but keep an eye on the gallery website for details on the rest of 'em.
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