CalArts alum Todd Gray (Art BFA 79, MFA 89) is having a major moment across Los Angeles this spring, with a new exhibition at Perrotin Los Angeles and a monumental commission opening at Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA).
Gray opens Portals at Perrotin Los Angeles tomorrow, Saturday, March 21, marking his debut with the gallery.
On view through May 30, the exhibition features Gray’s photo-based assemblages, which combine images from different locations and contexts, including European gardens and interiors alongside scenes from West Africa. The works are constructed from multiple photographs arranged within sculptural frames, often layered or offset.
Portals coincides with Octavia’s Gaze, Gray’s large-scale commission for LACMA’s new David Geffen Galleries, which open Sunday, April 19.
Measuring 27 feet in length, Octavia’s Gaze brings together images from multiple locations, including landscapes in Ghana and European architecture, anchored by a portrait of writer Octavia Butler.
Gray’s practice builds on decades of working with photography. His compositions draw from an extensive archive of images, bringing together subjects from different places and contexts.
Before developing this body of work, Gray established himself as a photographer at a young age. As a teenager, he photographed the Rolling Stones on tour and was published in Life magazine while still in high school.
In conjunction with the exhibition, Gray will be in conversation with Michael Govan, CEO and Wallis Annenberg Director of LACMA, on Tuesday, March 24 at 6:30 pm at Perrotin Los Angeles.
For more information about Portals, including gallery hours and event details, visit Perrotin Los Angeles.
