CHELSEA CULP, "ELLA, ELLA, ELLA..."

ella, ella, ella...
Grandmother
Grandmother
Grandmother

Remember
Remember
Remember
Walking in Muhlenberg County Kentucky with yourher arms whyd apart + hi
sayingsinging
MAGNIFICENT. WONDERFUL.
God made this.
who,what,when,where,why is GODess?
Dog.
Runs past us
Holding hands
One body >>> all three of UStogether.
In magic
In flight
In smoke
In ash

(_ ) _
l/ L/
the disappearance of ......
a
Teenage girlboygirlboy
+
Pregnant again
Hillbilly twins
Best friends forever
Best lovers forever. i promise.. i promise. i promise....
i forget.

Smoke break.
i. inhale . exhale .
8
kale, peas, tomatoes, fields of
genetically modified corn
fields of
genetically modified soy
V

as far as the minds’ eye can wander....

Johannes Vogt is pleased to announce "ella, ella, ella..." a solo exhibition by Chelsea Culp, her first in New York. Culp explores themes of femininity, spirituality and trauma. This exhibition draws connections between teenage bedrooms and installation art in transparent yet emotive ways. Following up her Important Project installation in Oakland, CA, we see a shift from tween to middle adolescence.

"ella, ella, ella..." may refer to the pop song by Rihanna "Under My Umbrella" (ella, ella, aye...) and the hypnotic impact a single listen can have on its audience. It may refer to the brand name for the new five day morning after pill, or it may be referring to slang terminology "hella" such as in that's "hella good". Maybe ella is slang for elegant? In Spanish, ella means "she". She's what? Her IDK.

Within the rubric of this echo (chorus), Culp will present her largest painting to date, measuring 7 ft X 17 ft, being one part Helen Frankenthaler, one part Rothko to one part Lisa Frank and inspired by decorative techniques the artist learned from her mother as a child. This work will function as the backdrop for an immersive installation of paintings, drawings, blue wax sculptures (because of Smurfs, duh!) a ladder/ roller coaster made of Capri cigarettes (which are pretty elegant) a long row of high heels dipped in cement, conjuring the exuberance of a late night let your hair down after-afterparty and/or the mafia.

The exhibition runs through June 20, 2015.