Brooklyn-based artist due FAILE are exhibiting Don’t Stop, a captivating new exhibition at CONTROL GALLERY in Los Angeles.
Of the exhibition’s title FAILE say: “The title is about drive, really. A reflection of the continued motivation that comes from finding inspiration all around you and the desire to make meaning from it, along with a sense of endlessly chasing a feeling of progress. Ideally, while remaining hopeful that there are new vistas to be found ahead. The lesson from it is probably more rooted in recognizing the energy that propels the journey vs the illusion of destination.”
Don’t Stop features a new body of work including paintings, works on paper, and distinctive pieces on wood. With a primary focus on acrylics, spray paint, and fabric on both wood and canvas, the show highlights an intriguing array of mixed media, including printmaking, an essential facet of the collaborative’s artistic practice. With meticulous precision, FAILE pieces together their intricate puzzle of artistry, illuminating the ceaseless flow of media and stimuli with a reflective view of the process.
The exhibition invites viewers into the electrifying visual universe of artists Patrick McNeil and Patrick Miller, crafting a world where the city itself becomes an endless muse of imagery, gesture, colour, and form. Together, the duo build a vivid narrative celebrating the dynamic essence of a city’s surface as an elemental build block, while illustrating the relentless heartbeat that drives their creative output.
The show stands as a testament to McNeil and Miller’s ability to absorb and transform a barrage of inspirations into a singular, cohesive vision that transcends the pages of sketchbooks, delving deep into the realms of visual histories and digital inundation. It navigates a complex mosaic of fragmented realities and the need to “feed the beast” while reflecting on a society perpetually in motion.
A pivotal evolution of Don’t Stop is the integration of canvases within FAILE’s signature wood paintings, introducing a variety in scale, content, and form. Lead by inspirations in craft movements and street level surfaces, this blend allows for a degree of abstraction previously unseen in their work, with background elements usually obscured now playing a central role. Inspired by the structured patterns of advertising to the loose gestural lines of graffiti—the show captures spontaneity and precision
About the show, Patrick Miller says: “Don’t Stop is a nod to the city as muse. Relating to repeated imagery from postering, typography and linear types of assembling one would see on a city wall of adverts or signage on store fronts and bodegas. Contrasted by the loose lines of graffiti and buffing that occurs over time, this mix creates an unexpected delight of abstraction and intention, something very much brought to the forefront of these works. It’s an exploration of how the city’s endless chaos inspires us to keep moving forward, keep feeding the beast, and to never stop pushing.”
The theme of exploration and the creative process itself, eschews a single narrative for a broader inquiry into creation and is a central component of Don’t Stop. The artworks navigate contemporary issues from the digital age’s impact to environmental concerns, weaving in themes of inspiration amid modern challenges. The collection of works acts as a narrative collage, fusing cultural commentary with nods to FAILE’s historical body of work, which itself is influenced by the principles of quilt making, assembling disparate elements into a cohesive and impactful narrative. This technique not only brings separate stories into a unified whole but also illustrates the concept that the collective impact is greater than the sum of its parts—a reflection of their collaborative ethos and the foundational principle behind their puzzle block creations and their synthesis of drawing and collage.
All images courtesy CONTROL Gallery.
FAILE Don’t Stop is at CONTROL Gallery 434 N La Brea Ave. Los Angeles from 3rd May to 15th June, 2024.
