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Carpenters Workshop Gallery and Jason Jacques Gallery present Trust, an exhibition of a new body of work from American artist Beth Cavener centred on the pervasive, titular theme of trust—how it is lost, destroyed, betrayed and abused—and the arduous journey of rebuilding it. "We are excited to display Beth Cavener's artworks in the Los Angeles gallery as a collaboration with Jason Jacques Gallery. With this exhibition, we invite viewers to consider their own experiences as they relate to the themes Beth explores throughout her work," says Loïc Le Gaillard, co-founder of Carpenters Workshop Gallery.
From COVID-19 isolation to political divisiveness, this body of work, on display from September 12 - November 2, 2024, responds to the cultural and structural upheavals of the past five years while also engaging with intimate personal experiences that resonate deeply within us all. Through her sculptural art, Cavener seeks to re-establish empathetic connections across diverse communities, offering a poignant commentary on the state of human relationships today.
As the centrepiece of the art exhibition, Shards, an ageing, majestic, life-size male lion, sculpted from 2,800 pounds of clay, dominates atop a stone table. Once an iconic symbol of power and authority, its body is now braced against imminent collapse: its massive head hanging low, bones pressing against its skin and the colour draining from its form. This piece has been re-assembled from thousands of shattered pieces, symbolising the painstaking effort and hope required to mend what initially seems beyond repair.
In Captive, a life-sized equine figure is poised on a burned and blackened plinth, her body curving in on itself in tandem with the tiger tattooed onto her flesh and, perhaps, into her mind, holding her within its predatory embrace. This piece reflects on the complex patterns of behaviour that form around reactions to fear and pain and ultimately merge with our sense of self, often irrevocably.
Elsewhere in the exhibition space, Trust Me depicts a vulpine figure descending the wall in a sinister prowl, blind yet searing its surroundings, as it challenges the viewer's perception of what it can cost to trust. Its title is both an invitation and a threat, illustrating the vulnerability and danger inherent in acquiescing to such an invitation.
G.O.A.T. embodies the manipulative nature in the hierarchy of trust and power, while Withdraw, a large hare, rears up, retreating from the viewer with an arm thrust out, her forepaw seemingly frosting over. Everything from her gesture, the ice creeping up her limbs, to the cold, pale blue of her palette suggests a rejection of the outside, a preference of isolation and loneliness to the fear of the other.
Cavener's sculptures begin as detailed maquettes, which evolve into large-scale works over a six-to-eight-month timeframe. Each piece is sculpted from clay, hollowed out, fired and reassembled. The sculpture artist employs colours and finishes that resonate with domestic interiors, enhancing the psychological impact of her work. Her process of breaking, re-assembling and transforming materials from one to another alludes to the unconscious destruction of the foundations that create the common belief systems we rely upon to function as a whole.
Cavener's sculptures provoke empathy and introspection, challenging us to reconsider our experiences of trust, fear, hope and betrayal. Her ability to infuse animal forms with human emotions and gestures creates a powerful, authentic connection with her audience, making her work both unique and universally relatable.
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