In 2005 Daryoush Asgar and Elisabeth Gabriel began the collaboration that is known as Asgar/Gabriel. As a pair, they have exhibited widely and are bringing their current body of work to the Mark Moore Gallery.
The large oil paintings carry the sensation of collage. Elements in the picture plane seem to be pasted on with paint intruding between the layers. It is a powerful effect as an audience rarely gets to see collage at this scale.
Asgar/Gabriel have embraced media culture and the bombardment of visual stimulation that has arisen from this relatively new convention. They have dispensed their fascination with ocular inundation via complex scenarios and saturated color. The artists are clearly concerned with the new but there is a strong art historical background evident in each pose and overall composition.
Asgar/Gabriel
Bucolica Obscura
10 January – 14 February 2009
Mark Moore Gallery
Santa Monica, CA
