From the LAUNCH LA announcement:
LAUNCH LA is pleased to present Paradox California, a two-person exhibition featuring works by mixed-media artist Chelsea Dean and photographer Osceola Refetoff. The two artists were paired for the show because of their mutual enthusiasm for the deserts of Southern California. Refetoff and Dean collaborated on the show’s title, which addresses the contradiction between the promise of paradise to be found in the “Golden State,” and the harsh realities of much of its terrain and opportunities. Though different in style and medium, their bodies of work complement one another. Each finds beauty and looks for the truth in landscapes transformed by weather, time, and circumstance, as well as evanescent traces of civilization. The works suggest both impermanence and timelessness.
Paradox California
Chelsea Dean and Osceola Refetoff
LAUNCH LA
February 23–March 23, 2019
Los Angeles
Constructs of Beauty, Chelsea Dean, 2019. Enamel paint, 24k gold leaf, and found objects from abandoned homesteads, dimensions variable.
Constructs of Beauty, Chelsea Dean, 2019. Enamel paint, 24k gold leaf, and found objects from abandoned homesteads, dimensions variable.
Paradox California, Chelsea Dean and Osceola Refetoff, 2019. Photograph, old foil, and foam core on etching, 18.25 x 23.25 inches.
Within the Present IV, Chelsea Dean, 2019. Artist’s photograph, contact paper, and found objects from abandoned homesteads, 14.5 x 12 inches.
Within the Present III, Chelsea Dean, 2019. Artist’s photograph, washi tape, 24k gold leaf, and found objects from abandoned homesteads, 12 x 14.25 inches.
A Spiritual View, Chelsea Dean, 2018. Artist’s photograph and foam core on window from abandoned homestead, 19.25 x 29.75 inches.
Friendly Skies, Chelsea Dean, 2017. Artist’s photograph, distressed mylar, foam core, and found objects from abandoned homesteads on relief print, 9 x 15 inches.