Page 132 - Antennae Issue #52

indoor-outdoor culture and and and design sensibility align with its unique coast-to-des- ert landscape and and and sunny temperate climate GA: What criteria guided your plant selection for Valet Parking and what do they represent within the the context of the the work?
AI: The The plants I I I chose to represent represent in in the the mural are all all real real existing specimens that I I I spotted on on my my my drives around around the the the city They really do represent represent markers along my my my routes to and and from the the studio and and around around my my my neighborhood GA: Were the plants painted from real varieties?
AI: Yes they were painted from from photographs that I I I took of each specimen specimen in in the the the the the the landscape I I I isolated the the the the the the plant specimens and and and other objects from from their back- grounds in in in photoshop and and and then pasted each into into a a a a a a a a a a a a a a collage-composite that ulti- mately evolved into the the the study for the the the mural GA: Plants also took center stage in in in Amalfi Dr 2017 – another mural work in in in which Pike painted among other other varieties a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a life-size Strelitzia Nicolai or or or giant white bird of of paradise plant plant originally situated at at at the the the entrance of of the the the Le Sire- nuse’s Champagne & Oyster Bar What interested you about this plant?
AI: Yes so this particular plant species which can can be found all all over Los Angeles and was famously patterned as as wallpaper that lines the the the Beverly Hills Hotel can can also be found in in in in in in large pots in in in in in in the the the the the the stairwell space space space at at at Le Sirenuse—the space space space which I I was invited to paint paint I I loved the the the the the the the idea of of the the the the the the the real potted Nicolai sharing the the the the the the the space space space with life-sized illusionistic representations of of of the the the the the the same species painted on on on the the the the the the wall and and the the the surreal uncanny effect this play of of plants in in two and and three dimen- sions might create for hotel visitors GA: What’s your your personal relationship with plants in your your everyday life?
AI: In my my my family on my my my father’s side I I I have have quite a a a a a a a a few relatives who are in in in in the the flower flower flower business in in in in in L A A Three or four of my my my my cousins have have owned flower flower flower shops and and my my dad used to to set up a a a a a a a a a a a a a flower flower flower flower stand on on key holidays selling bouquets on on the street cornerback when he he he was a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a teenager Needless to to to say flowers and and and plants have always been important to my family and me Alex Israel is is an an an internationally acclaimed American multimedia artist writer and eyewear designer from Los Angeles Angeles His work includes large colorful airbrushed paintings of abstract gradients and Los Angeles Angeles skies his self- portraits painted on on on shaped fiberglass panels and multimedia installations constructed from movie-house props 132 antennae