Lala Abaddon seeks to examine the dual nature of binary relationships with parallels that give shape to their physical existence.
In her woven work she integrates many components in her process, capturing her unique images multiple times through a repetitive sequence of traditional analog photographic methods, then arranging the large format prints into precise and deliberate pairings. She continues on to intricately and painstakingly hand cut each print into hundreds of strips and then hand-weave the prints with undulating and complicated patterns designed to convey a specific feeling, eventually leaving us with images within images and compelling the viewer to experience alternate realities or states of being. This process can take weeks depending on the complexity of the images and weave structures. Many times her work is mistaken for a digital manipulation, and the discovery of it’s true nature by the viewer is integral to the understanding of her process and purpose; to disrupt order, reconstruct historical notions of photography and weaving, and challenge what it means to create something solely for the purpose of creation.
Lala's first woven series, ‘Sa-rang-nee’ (사랑니, love tooth), was an organic examination of the the pain and confusion of young lust/ love. Working through a ritualistic and transformative process, Lala delved deep within her own personal terrors, coupling re-photographed images of violent and bloody scenes with etherial, cosmic and colorful prints. The purpose of weaving was in the process as she worked through the tragedy of her own past experiences, transforming them into complicated yet classically beautiful compositions. The resulting series was a narrative of a common human experience, all entwined and yet solitary.
Lala's first solo show, Fractal Realities, debuted in NYC in February 2015. Combing all of her traditional practices into a magnetic experience including a trans-formative installation, viewers were pulled into various states of chaos and order, focusing on otherworldly experiences, her own personal morphed and manipulated memories, as well as the "Metaweave". She delved deep into the constructs of weaving, painting and photography and attempt to disrupt the constructs of convention through the use of color and contrast to create space and time within a stationary moment. Beyond that, she exemplified the base webbing of the universe, the synapse of our brains and our technology, and conveyed the notion of the invisible thread that connects all beings and energies through a theme she has deemed "Liminal Continuance"- the continued state of being between two or more planes of reality or focus.
Her most recent series, Martyr Syndrome, is a modern approach and mirror to iconography. Within the digital sphere of social media, individuals are able to now present themselves to the world as icons of their own making, choosing, and editing. Lala herself has experienced this phenomena which is evident in the presence of her "self" in these images. This series has coincided with the start to her delving into performance art with a series called Transfiguration, which examines the interconnectedness we feel through our current technology, but also the vast disconnect with human contact and physical nature. Like all of her art, the conceptual component of this body of work is based in the need to create and the force of art-making as a spiritual and transcendental experience.
In her painted and re-photographed work, Lala explores the lines between her many experiences of the waking, dream and daydream world by creating detailed accounts of supernatural and ultra-imagined landscapes. A believer of parallel realities, she attempts to face the complexity of the universe through thought-free creation and interpret her transcendental experiences onto paper for the waking world. Her paintings stand as highly saturated and often chaotic stages to a narrative she will juxtapose with the subjects of her weaves, be it representational or abstract.
Much of the story she shows us is propelled by a need to relinquish control of reality through the meditative and ritualistic practice of her art. She believes that life is for the now, and has decided to use her work to create beauty out of horror and to find strength from the pain and complexities of life.
Lala studied Sociology and Religion, and is an Artha Project alumni in New York City. Her career base is in NYC, and home studio in Syracuse, NY, but she lives in the wilds of the Chihuahua desert on her self-made off-grid homestead. She is honored to have donated work to auctions benefiting Slideluck and the Happy Hearts Foundation in 2014 and to be donating and volunteering for GirlsClubNY, the Baryshnikov Arts Center in 2016, The Children’s Museum in 2017 and the BRIC Arts Gala in 2017. In 2016 she also taught at the School of Visual Art in NYC and completed multiple residencies, including Long Road Projects in Jacksonville FL and the Red Bull House of Art in Detroit, MI. She ended 2017 with over 15 group shows, multiple meta-performances, and two immersive exhibitions. 2018 was full of travel, new directions in content, and her pursuit of an off grid life in the wild- for the purpose of building the infrastructure required to create even larger visions. In 2018 she also completed an immersive permanent installation at Facebook Headquarters in NYC, had her first museum exhibition at the Seligmann Art Center, and exhibited for the third year in Spring Break Art Show. With 2019 well underway we see a new direction not only in her style- returning to the abstract, but in her entire lifestyle. Make sure to follow along on the journey on her Instagram: @lala_abaddon (link at bottom of page).
