NYC PREVIEW 🔥 , works by Michael Handley and Greg Lindquist
Reception: Sat, October 5, 2024, 4-7 pm
Palladium Athena space inaugural exhibition
Greenpoint, Brooklyn and open by appointment

Michael Handley, White Columns, 53 x 88 inches, Wildfire Retardant, Kolor Kut, 2024

Greg Lindquist, Heatwave (105 Wildfires Burn Across 35 Towns in Turkey), 36 by 55 2 1/8 in, oil, metallic, and iridescent pigment on linen on panel, 2024

This project is a curation of a New York preview of the Los Angeles Landing Gallery show 🔥, works by Michael Handley and Greg Lindquist, Nov 2 – Dec 21, 2024, opening Nov 2, 6 – 8p.

Both Michael Handley and Greg Lindquist examine the profound impact of wildfires in their work, exploring their causes through the forces of nature and human intervention. When standing before a work of art we bring our own lived experiences into the moment so it makes sense to consider how these two bodies of work by Handley and Lindquist would be received on both East and West coasts. While both New York and Los Angeles experience wildfires, the scale, frequency, and impact are far greater in Los Angeles due to its climate, geography, and history. Los Angeles faces an ongoing wildfire crisis exacerbated by climate change, while New York’s wildfire risk is more localized and less severe. Consequently, Los Angeles has a more aggressive wildfire response and preparedness strategy, while New York’s efforts are focused on isolated incidents and forest management. There is a greater chance of personal experience and connection to wildfires to those who live in California which makes this show a strong choice for this Los Angeles gallery and an interesting compare and contrast choice to preview this work for a New York audience.

Perhaps we focus on different things depending on where we experience the work. Viewers may bring to the work emotions of empathy for others or firsthand knowledge. In New York we may talk about the engaging surface and questions of technique of the work itself along with current natural disaster devastation like the aftermath struggles of hurricane Helene in North Carolina. In the upcoming show in Los Angeles the talk may focus on more first-person experiences along with the admiration of the works themselves.

Michael Handley’s art explores themes of environmental manipulation and destruction, with wildfire as a central focus. Along with geo-engineering, arid and drought-stricken environments, his work reflects the increasing frequency and intensity of fires, particularly within the broader context of climate change. Through unconventional materials and expressive technique, Handley conveys both the raw power and uncontrollable nature of wildfires. His pieces often evoke the chaotic beauty and devastating aftermath fires leave on natural landscapes.

Using mixed media and sometimes incorporating burned materials, Handley captures the aftermath of wildfires, emphasizing the scars they leave on both the environment and human communities. His art reflects on humanity’s relationship with nature and highlights the urgency of addressing the ecological imbalances that contribute to rising wildfire risks. In his work, fire becomes both a warning and a symbol of loss, destruction, and potential rebirth.

Greg Lindquist’s work addresses environmental issues, with wildfire playing a significant role in his exploration of nature’s fragility and the impact of human activity on the environment. He frequently focuses on the intersection of landscape and ecological crises, depicting scenes of destruction and regeneration in the context of climate change. His work is a response to the broader visual and emotional consequences of ecological disasters.

In this exhibition Lindquist’s paintings highlight the destructive force of wildfires. His pieces explore scorched landscapes and smoke-filled skies, using fire as a meditation on both nature’s power and the environment’s resilience. Wildfire, in his work, serves as both a symbol of the urgent environmental challenges we face and a natural phenomenon that has long been part of Earth’s ecological cycle.

Lindquist often collaborates with scientists, activists, and environmental organizations to ensure his art is grounded in current ecological realities, merging artistic expression with environmental advocacy. This approach informs the wildfire imagery to a metaphor for broader climate change concerns.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Michael Handley
Michael Handley received his BFA from the University of Utah and his MFA from the Yale School of Art in sculpture where he received the George R. Bunker Painting and Printmaking Award. Handley has exhibited internationally and nationally, including a timely exhibition in 2017 at the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art based on rain modification and drought-stricken landscapes. In 2019, Handley attended BANFF Centre for Arts and Creativity under the “Earthed” themed residency focusing on environmental degradation and was awarded the prestigious Louis Muhlstock Endowment for painting.
michaelhandleystudio.com

Greg Lindquist
Greg Lindquist is an artist and writer living in New York. Lindquist co-edited the Art Books in Review Section of The Brooklyn Rail from 2011 until 2017. Lindquist’s work has been exhibited at the North Carolina Museum of Art, Weatherspoon Art Museum, University of Arizona Museum of Art, among others, and has been awarded the Sharpe-Wolentas Space Program, Milton and Sally Avery Foundation Grant, the Pollock-Krasner Grant and ArtOMI residency. His recent paintings and participatory installations have focused on applying the beauty of landscape and abstraction to raise awareness of environmental concerns.
greglindquist.com