William Lamson “Action for the Delaware” & “Untitled (Blanket)” ~ Opens January 11th at Honor Fraser

Honor Fraser Gallery is pleased to present a new video installation by William Lamson.

The exhibition will showcase the Los Angeles premiere of Action for the Delaware and Untitled (Blanket). Known for his poetic interventions in the natural environment, Lamson explores his interest in how events unfold by setting up precise conditions that are completed by nature. In each case the mundane is transformed into something extraordinary, often with a simple gesture or with minimal means.

Action for the Delaware features the artist ostensibly floating on the surface of the Delaware River. The camera eventually cuts from this serene scene to a closer view, where it is revealed that Lamson is in fact struggling to steady himself on a hidden homemade platform against the river's current. The two scenes jump back and forth, ultimately subverting the illusion of the individual in control of his environment, while also emphasizing the visceral qualities of a body in relation to the water. Accompanying Action for the Delaware is Untitled (Blanket), a single-channel video that also uses elemental forces to shape the work. The artist highlights the expansive landscape of the Mojave Desert in one long tracking shot that follows a mylar emergency blanket as it skims along the ground. Propelled by the wind, the silver sheet transforms into a sculptural object animated with movement as it tumbles and changes shape against the gusts.

William Lamson was born in Arlington, Virginia, and lives and works in Brooklyn, New York. His work is included in the permanent collections of the Brooklyn Museum (NYC), the Dallas Museum of Art (TX), the Houston Museum of Fine Arts (TX), and the Progressive Art Collection (Cleveland, OH), among others. His work has been exhibited in the US and internationally, including at P.S. 1 (NYC) and Franklin Art Works (Minneapolis). He completed his MFA at Bard College and is a recent MacDowell Foundation Fellow.