Idolatrada: Of Spirits and Saints at Johansson Projects
Johansson Projects presents “Idolatrada: Of Spirits and Saints,” an exhibition that pairs Anna Fidler and Iván Carmona. Through saturated sculptures and energy-infused paintings, Carmona and Fidler invite viewers into a dialogue that merges Puerto Rican heritage with spiritual ascension, creating a tapestry of cultural exploration and artistic innovation.
Iván Carmona constructs organic, sculptural forms as an homage to the objects and natural features of his native Puerto Rico. In contrast to the idea of losing something in translation, Iván Carmona is recalling what he’s gained through the influence of his earliest connections to modern art. Discovering modernist sculptors through import magazines and television, he describes an experience of re-seeing his environment – his world infused with the forms and shapes of mid-century makers. Mixing these memories with his medium of clay, Iván engages in dialogue with history, presenting new perspectives on forms that benefit from his love of the Caribbean. His work channels the vibrancy of Puerto Rico’s culture – its rich mix of Spanish and African influence, the many annual festivals honoring Catholic saints, and the island’s unique indigenous Taino culture.
Like Iván’s sculpture, Anna Fidler’s energy paintings also commune with the past. Drawing inspiration from early twentieth-century Spiritualists and aesthetes, Anna’s work is inventing machinery for spiritual ascension. Precision is evident in all of Anna’s work, though her current modes diverge in two distinct directions. One includes majestic papercraft environments in which sculptural figurative auras lure us to imagine ourselves inside her fantastical landscapes. Anna is channeling mysticism and an adoration for nature in contemporary constructions that, like Charles Burchfield before her, feel ahead of their time. The other are symmetrical and graphically punchy paintings of spirit elevators providing a lush portal to other realms. Transcendental paintings of gouache on linen take flight but also reference her drawings of seance-inspired and planchette-aided works of symmetry and rich palettes. With visual references to even the art deco dial indicators that sit atop elevators, she is imagining alluring gateways to what’s next.
