South Willard is pleased to present Christian Vargas’ first solo exhibition in Los Angeles.
Christian Vargas’ vessels, scepters and busts are embedded with memories of assimilation, deeply influenced by being a first generation Mexican-American and a child of farm laborers in the San Joaquin Valley of California. He repurposes and reinterprets existing and found objects, creating layers of meaning and symbolism. Religious icons, pop culture knick-knacks, and childhood superhero figures are all given equal consideration as objects of value. The way in which Vargas places objects together and collages ephemera is deeply connected to his mother’s non-hierarchical home altar aesthetic. A religious icon can be placed next to a toy — both having a place due to their personal importance and the memories they evoke. His collaging of objects also derives from a place of necessity, resourcefulness and ingenuity — rooted in his father’s creation of utilitarian tools made of scrap metal and discarded objects. When layered with humor, Vargas’ sculptures turn into cultural oddities that transition between identities — becoming a reflection of his bi-cultural relationship to objects.

The exhibition will run from
August 14 through September 26, 2021