It seemed a like a totem of survival, assertive and singular, a sequoia after a forest fire. Mark Whalen, who lost his home in the Altadena fire that ravaged the eastern portion of Los Angeles in early 2025, and his body of work, Lighthouse, have the context of strength and fortitude, but also something quite personal and reflective. The centerpiece 16-foot sculpture, created as a commission for Red Car and part of a group of sculptures shown as part of a presentation with Harper's for Frieze Week in LA, shows what Whalen has as a storyteller: the stacking of pieces of a thought, they way a whole comes together with the disparate pieces of a puzzle to make do from. The works are about a transformation, but also the vulnerable, meandering worries and thoughts we have as tragedy takes over our reality. —Evan Pricco
Harper’s presents Lighthouse, a special exhibition by Mark Whalen at 1650 Euclid Street, Santa Monica.
