Bennet Schlesinger
Ides of Comfort

April 15 - May 27, 2017

Opening Reception
Saturday, April 15
6 - 9 pm

PRESS RELEASE

AA|LA is pleased to present Ides of Comfort, a solo exhibition of new works by Bennet Schlesinger. Featuring a large-scale sculpture and mixed-media wall pieces, the exhibition hones in on the intermediaries of human interaction and the transition spaces of temporary solace that are not recognized as distinct destinations. Drawing on the poetry and imagery of his quotidian observations, Schlesinger considers the feelings that these spaces elicit.

The sculpture, consisting of a metal frame and fleece upholstered benches, inhabits the gallery. Negative space, varied textures, and mesh screens create multiple zones of access and distance. Evoking a bus stop as a transitional space, a halfway point between destinations, the sculpture resists conventional boundaries of objecthood, utility, and place.

The wall pieces feature a series of small images, each of which has been extracted from a larger photograph printed on fleece. The original scenes—the exterior façade of a donut store on a rainy night—become splintered into moments of solitude and intimacy. Individually, the windowed wall sculptures lend themselves to a sense of voyeurism. A fixture of the Southern California landscape, the 24-hour donut shop provides a sanctuary at any hour, connoting, perhaps paradoxically, an exposed reprieve.

Bennet Schlesinger (b. 1987 Costa Mesa, CA) is currently based in Los Angeles. His work has been exhibited in numerous group and solo exhibitions, including at Violet’s Cafe, Brooklyn; Karma, Amagansett; SIGNAL, Brooklyn; AND NOW, Dallas; Big Medium, Austin, and others. This is his first exhibition with AA|LA.