ART CITIES: Los Angeles-Cole Sternberg

Cole Sternberg’s practice contemplates humanity’s existential quandary: that of being hopelessly destructive, yet forever and inevitably linked with nature. Through varied media (including painting, sculpture, installation, performance, photography, film and writing), Sternberg positions the aspirations of humankind against the dominant and regenerative forces of the environment and the arbitration of time. For the artist, the conclusion is unavoidable. Human enterprises — art, language, history, law, and republic — are ephemeral / illusory endeavors that attempt to reflect, parallel, and challenge the ascendency of nature to no avail.

By Dimitris Lempesis
Photo: Praz-Delavallade Gallery Archive

Cole Sternberg’s exhibition’s “A Forest Of Thoughts In Quick Succession” epicenter is a series of 365 letters the artist wrote to Gerhard Richter in 2017 in which Sternberg explores the shifting models of parley systems, delving into an unrequested, unrequited dialogue with an artist he’s never met. The epistolary series, installed in its entirety in the Praz-Delavallade gallery’s main room, is bookended by what is, in essence, both a prologue and epilogue to the underlying themes of the letters. The works of the front room and project space invite viewers into a multi-media expression that beckons for the same inquisitive and varying analysis as the letters. There are sculptures of recycled alabaster that Sternberg unearthed and combined in Tuscany, a tree growing from a new ceramic work, environmentally-exposed photographs and paintings, and a blank letter to Herr Richter, which asks the viewer to think for themselves. Part meditation, part ritual, Sternberg began his quest to converse with the famed German after stumbling upon his home address in Cologne, unassured that his letters would be received, read, or answered. In a time when innumerable virtual messages and emails are sent every year, engaging in epistolary communication is so passé that it has reemerged as an art form of its own. Obediently drafting, printing, and sending the writings on a daily basis, regardless of his location, Sternberg took on the role of a faceless raconteur, sometimes poetic, sometimes banal, sharing daily thoughts and life happenings with a stranger who never replied. His intimate letters read as faithful prayers, mindful declamations, and political rants that summarize a year in the life of a traveling artist, offering a glimpse into his feelings and thoughts, as well as a trace of his whereabouts. In totality, we are left with an intentionally vague societal and personal commentary, rife with puzzles and layered meanings. Sternberg’s practice assumed the following rules: The subject matter would never be preconceived; The letters would never be created in advance; Geographic locations would never be mentioned, except metaphorically; Each letter would sign off with “Talk soon” and Each letter would be printed on a custom letterhead with a portable printer, enclosed within an embossed envelope, and placed in the mail before midnight each day. These parameters resulted in a narrative that reads as though you’ve jumped into the middle of a conversation between old friends—at least on the surface—while creating a puzzle of language in need of deciphering. Visitors to the exhibition are encouraged to embark on this challenge, with bound copies of Sternberg’s 365 letters available for their review. The exhibition marks the first occasion that the artist has exhibited recycled sculpture and ceramics; Sternberg’s new mediums, presented in concert with his environmentally-affected photography, paintings, and literary works, demonstrate the adventurous, conceptual, and diverse nature of his thoughts, as is reflected in the exhibition’s title.

Photo: Cole Sternberg, by reason of the high hills, 2023, acrylic, pigment print, and watercolor on satin cloth, 65 x 88 in, 165.1 x 223.5 cm, © Cole Sternberg, courtesy the artist and Praz-Delavallade Gallery

Info: Praz-Delavallade Gallery, 6150 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles CA, USA, Duration: 21/10-2/12/2023, Days & Hours: Tue-Sat 11:00-18:l00, www.praz-delavallade.com/