In Past Show

Kathryn Andrews BLACK BARS at KÖNIG GALERIE

Los Angeles–based Kathryn Andrews finds inspiration for her wicked ready-mades of chrome-plated metal in her city’s collisions of shine and grit—its Hollywood props, clown suits, and balloons, she says. The artist looks to expose and deconstruct the excesses of capitalism, which often includes the spectacle of the established art market. Her work, which contains inflections of pop art and minimalism, has been compared to Duchamp’s ready-mades. To create her sculptures, Andrews will often rent materials from Southern California celebrity-themed shops—a t-shirt worn by Brad Pitt, for example, or a wedding ring donned by Ashton Kutcher. In using these props, whose value comes only through their proximity to celebrity, Andrews troubles the idea of precious materials. Upon returning the rented props, the assemblages are torn down, a sly evasion of the art world’s investment in permanent pieces and tangible products.