Walter Maciel Gallery is pleased to present FU@K OFF, featuring the work of 22 contemporary artists whose practices portray personal experiences and concerns that are likely to be attacked, compromised and neglected during the second term of the Trump administration. Co-curated by Monica Lundy and Walter Maciel, the show gives a platform to artists who fight for human rights, equality and inclusivity as part of the BIPOC, indigenous, gay, trans, queer, immigrant and feminist communities as well as artists who are concerned about environmental issues like climate crisis and the unhoused community and women’s rights to privacy and health. This group exhibition serves as an opportunity to share concerns and experience of vulnerable groups and their allies. The show will include works by gallery artists: Hung Liu, Maria E. Piñeres, Lezley Saar, Nike Schröder, Lisa Solomon, Nathan Vincent and Dana Weiser, as well as artists: Enrique Chagoya, Jonah Elijah, Francesca Gabbiani, Micol Hebron, Dave Young Kim, Mary Little, Willie Little, Monica Lundy, Amanda Maciel Antunes (Dama), Aline Mare, Yulia Pinkusevich, Matt Pipes, Daniele Puppi, Megan Reed and Sanjay Vora. We are living in a moment of great political divide with our current authoritarian government overturning basic human rights, equality and justice for many Americans who do not identify as white, cis-male and heterosexual. Women’s health continues to be in jeopardy with abortion being banned in many states as well as access to birth control and IVF treatments. The false promises of stabilizing the economy and helping the middle class will likely be met with greater inflation, imposing high tariffs, limiting affordable healthcare and medications and a possible recession, cutting government assistance for underprivileged and immigrant communities. The ongoing threat of ending social security benefits and support for many non-profit organizations looms over our communities. A higher percentage of unhoused residents in urban and suburban communities across our country could result from the unstable economy with a great divide between the super wealthy and those living in poverty. Issues of basic human rights for undocumented immigrants are inhumanely being challenged with the government’s current action of rounding up undocumented residents for mass deportations and separation of families. Furthermore, laws and regulations continue to ignore the climate crisis with no plan to slow down or reverse the continuing effects of catastrophic weather and widespread natural disasters like the devastating recent fires that caused so much catastrophic damage in our Los Angeles communities. The diverse artworks included in this exhibition comment on shared experiences of identity, fascism, women’s health, gay and trans rights, immigration, climate change and the unhoused crisis.
Yulia Pinkusevich’s work comments on issues of global warming including three small format paintings displaying the effects of fire, a particularly tragic subject with the recent fires in Los Angeles. The shape of each canvas is reminiscent of a gothic window as if looking into an architectural space that has been started to burn from within. A diptych painting of a submerged iceberg is also included in the show showing the effects of inevitable melt from the rising temperature around the globe.
