Tag: sam falls

Sam Falls at 303 Gallery

Known for making paintings by leaving canvases outside to weather under careful arrangements of plants and scattered, colorful pigments, Sam Falls’ ceramics at 303 Gallery offer a more direct appreciation of the flora he depicts.  While the canvas works feature silhouettes of plants (created as the natural material blocks the pigments from reaching the canvas), the ceramics include plant life which has been rolled into the clay and burnt out in the kiln.  Falls then applies glazes which flow and fade to suggest memories of the original natural material.  At the center of this piece is a photo taken on instant film (a technology that, like its subject, enjoyed a limited lifespan) of flowers in Central Park, which he returned to and harvested once dead to include in the ceramic form.  (On view in Chelsea through July 28th).

Sam Falls, The Pool, Central Park, NYC, Fujifilm FP-100C45 instant film, glazed ceramic and glass, 14 3/8 x 13 ¼ x 2 1/8 inches, 2023.

Sam Falls at 303gallery.com

Sam Falls records a direct experience of nature by allowing the elements to interact with the plant material and pigment he places on canvas and leaves outdoors.   His beautifully presented on-line exhibition at 303gallery.com includes photos that elaborate on his process and his ceramic practice, which includes a series of intricate ceramic tile archways on the High Line featuring designs every bit as enticing as the lush foliage surrounding them.  (On view in 303 Gallery’s on-line viewing room through May 15th).

Sam Falls, detail of Untitled (Conception), pigment on canvas, 7ft, 6 in x 41ft, 2018.

Sam Falls at 303 Gallery

At 41 feet long, Sam Falls’ Untitled (Conception) is a huge recreation of the natural world, dropped into 303 Gallery’s spartan white cube.  Made by laying natural materials (branches, coral, plants) onto canvas, then adding powdered pigments and waiting for moisture in the air to set the colors, Falls’ working technique is akin to making a photogram with objects on light sensitive paper.  The result transports viewers away from the city and into the abundance of nature.  (On view in Chelsea through Oct 20th).

Sam Falls, detail of Untitled (Conception), pigment on canvas, 7ft, 6 in x 41ft, 2018.

Sam Falls in ‘Noa Noa’ at Metro Pictures Gallery

Sam Falls has a different take on beauty and the urban environment with his two huge (15 feet long) hangings created by putting abandoned tires on colored canvases and leaving them outside to age for several months. (At Chelsea’s Metro Pictures through Aug 2nd).  

Sam Falls, Untitled (Large Blue, Glassel Park Los Angeles, CA), & Untitled (Large Orange, Glassell Park, Los Angeles, CA), both pre-dyed canvas and metal grommets, 2013.