Concrete Nest

Dale Erispe’s fascination with nature and tales of its encounter with human presence across time takes him to another curious turn for his solo exhibition: the appropriation of a certain human behavior and translating this into an imagined ecology highlighting the formal and symbolic aspects of plant life. He still employs the usual elements he is most adept with in painting, such as greeneries contrasted with infrastructure or architecture, but this time deviates from visualizing the conflict between the natural and  the  man-­‐made.  He  proposes  instead  an  alternative  reality  where  an  anti-­‐social  condition  seen  in humans becomes a nurturing environment ideal to growth and blossoming in another life form.

The works, consisting of paintings and sculptural pieces, center on the image of a tree and explore the variety of forms emerging from its natural growth. He pictures the trees as being sited though in an odd environment—confined indoors or in small enclosures—a setting seemingly unfavorable to its survival. Yet, the trees thrive beautifully, each one displaying its lush, unique form. The inspiration comes from the Japanese concept of hikikomori, a state of extreme isolation from the outside world and social withdrawal. In this exhibition, such condition unexpectedly becomes conducive and allows life to flourish, a reversal which the artist uses to imply the importance to an individual of seeking solitude and refuge. The barrier or shield which shuts off the individual may in fact be a protective bubble from the harsh elements of social life, providing a recluse that brings out the best of one’s abilities and uniqueness.

Curated by Ruel Caasi and in collaboration with The Working Animals Art Projects