Works on Paper
Andreis Mikael Costa
January 9th – February 7th, 2014

308at156 Project Artspace presents Works on Paper, a recent collection of photomontages by Andreis Mikael Costa. The large-scale works are constructed from found and original imagery that is informed by early 20th century Dadaism. Hugo Ball (1886-1927), the leading Dada artist, expressed, “For us, art is not an end in itself…but it is an opportunity for the true perception and criticism of the times we live in.”

Combining graphic elements with the Rorschach Ink Blot Test aesthetic, Costa’s work instantly catches the viewer’s eye and implores the viewer to examine the work further. Upon closer inspection, the abstract forms dissolve into hundreds and sometimes thousands of individual images taken from magazines, film stills, scanned objects and original photography. The amassment of all the individual parts reveals Costa’s caricature of the modern condition. The completed collages reflect on and observe themes ranging from current political climates, violence, war, love, lust, ideas of gender roles and sex as portrayed by the media and films.

Andreis Mikael Costa (b. 1981) lives and works in Los Angeles. His work has recently been shown at BOASOA Gallery, Los Angeles, Cut With The Kitchen Knife (2013) and included in the SPRING/BREAK Art Show, New York (2012, 2013).