A series of recent paintings by LA-based artist Adam de Boer (previously featured here). Informed by his Dutch-Indonesian roots, de Boer has explored the fabric dyeing technique of batik, drawing elaborate imagery on linen with melted beeswax poured, washed and repeated, to achieve the desired effect. More recently, he has been combining batik with Western oil painting.
“Edge City” marks de Boer’s first solo exhibition in New York. The series immortalizes the ever-changing landscape of Southern California–a place shaped by migration, intercultural exchange, urban sprawl, and economic globalization. The meandering batik lines prompts viewers to see the area in both novel and nostalgic ways. De Boer’s works are also meant to evoke Mooi Indie, the painting genre that captured the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) during the 19th century to attract tourists. In this way, de Boer’s own warm memories of Californian locales are mixed in with ideas of decolonization and environmental critique.
Check out more images below or on display at Plato Gallery starting tomorrow (October 17th)!
