Venus Over Los Angeles has opened an exhibition of new work by the Canadian artist Elaine Cameron-Weir. Weir, born in 1985, is known for her interest in the natural world and her sculptural work is often described simply as ‘cinematic’.
This new body of work expands upon this interest and its reinterpretation with industrial materials. Entitled ‘Snake with sexual interest in own tail’, the exhibition is a union of seemingly opposing themes within a single object.
The work itself is intriguing and complex. A six-foot-tall curved abode wall is adorned with neon sculptures and a series of hanging works (made of small hand cut copper ‘scales’, individually enameled) are fastened to a length of a chain metal screen. Next, a stainless steel hydrotherapy tub is filled with white sand, and atop sits a ‘lead jacket’, made from sheets of solid lead and steel wire. As a grand finale, a terrazzo stone desk in two parts is cut to resemble a large set of butterfly wings topped with neon lights.
‘The wings of a butterfly are both a mirror to each other as well as the operative mimic of the prey the insect seeks to evade; the linear, nearly total spine form of a snake and the central clefts of the human body; a clam shell opening,’ says Cameron-Weir. ‘All interest me as markers for the idea of halves, parts that make up a larger system or of aspects of an unseen symmetrical whole.’
A close-up reveals the level of detail in each Snake Piece, featuring small hand cut copper ‘scales’ that are individually enameled
A six-foot-tall curved abode wall is adorned with Weir’s Threshold neon sculptures, made from stainless steel, laboratory hardware, clamshell pair, sterling silver, rearview mirrors, neon light, mica and frankincense
The wings of a butterfly; the central clefts of the human body, a clam shell opening: ‘All interest me as markers for the idea of halves, parts that make up a larger system or of aspects of an unseen symmetrical whole,’ says Cameron-Weir. Pictured: a detailed view of Threshold
A grande finale comes in the shape of a terrazzo stone desk in two parts cut to resemble a large set of butterfly wings topped with neon lights. Pictured: Sentry Tactical Like Prey with Evolutionary Eyes of a Predator on the Wing 2, 2016
Metaphor, 2016 (pictured) comprises a stainless steel hydrotherapy tub filled with white sand; atop sits a ‘lead jacket’, made from sheets of solid lead and steel wire
INFORMATION
’Snake with sexual interest in own tail’ is on view until 30 April. For more information, please visit the Venus Over Los Angeles website
Photography courtesy of the artist and Venus Over Los Angeles
ADDRESS
Venus Over Los Angeles
601 South Anderson Street
Los Angeles, CA 90023
-
Messika marks 20 years with a high jewellery collection inspired by NamibiaThe Terres d’Instinct high jewellery collection, unveiled at Paris Fashion Week, is a riot of colour and bold forms
-
2025 Lisbon Architecture Triennale ponders the (literal and figurative) weight of humanityJoin us on a tour of the 2025 Lisbon Architecture Triennale, exploring the question ‘How Heavy is the City?’ and our impact on the planet
-
Seven kitchens, one fire: inside LA’s hottest new food marketAt Maydan Market, chef Rose Previte turns global street food and layered design into a vibrant, fire-lit experience
-
Jamel Shabazz’s photographs are a love letter to Prospect ParkIn a new book, ‘Prospect Park: Photographs of a Brooklyn Oasis, 1980 to 2025’, Jamel Shabazz discovers a warmer side of human nature
-
The Hammer Museum in Los Angeles launches the seventh iteration of its highly anticipated artist biennialOne of the gallery's flagship exhibitions, Made in LA showcases the breadth and depth of the city's contemporary art scene
-
Thomas Prior’s photography captures the uncanny fragility of American lifeA new book unites two decades of the photographer’s piercing, uneasy work
-
Central Park’s revitalised Delacorte Theater gears up for a new futureEnnead Architects helmed an ambitious renovation process that has given the New York City cultural landmark a vibrant and more accessible future
-
Stephen Prina borrows from pop, classical and modern music: now MoMA pays tribute to his performance work‘Stephen Prina: A Lick and a Promise’ recalls the artist, musician, and composer’s performances, and is presented throughout MoMA. Prina tells us more
-
Curtains up, Kid Harpoon rethinks the sound of Broadway production ‘Art’He’s crafted hits with Harry Styles and Miley Cyrus; now songwriter and producer Kid Harpoon (aka Tom Hull) tells us about composing the music for the new, all-star Broadway revival of Yasmina Reza’s play ‘Art’
-
Richard Prince recontextualises archival advertisements in TexasThe artist unites his ‘Posters’ – based on ads for everything from cat pictures to nudes – at Hetzler, Marfa
-
Out of office: the Wallpaper* editors’ picks of the weekAnother week, another flurry of events, opening and excursions showcasing the best of culture and entertainment at home and abroad. Catch our editors at Scandi festivals, iconic jazz clubs, and running the length of Manhattan…
