As we continue to peruse around the Los Angeles area with all the shows and fairs about to pop-up, we loved what we saw from Danny First's ongoing residency and exhibition series at the Cabin. The newest artist is Gabe Cortese and his new show, Flirting with a shadow, a beatiful series that seems to balance both movement and rest in compelling ways. The large-scale works are also autobiographical depictions of the artist himself, often shown with multiple personality traits and body angles.
"As a queer artist, my work has always been a way for me to make sense of my experiences," Cortese says of his practice. "Through the process of world-building, I create animated objects and flamboyant bodies that begin to form queer narratives. These narratives portray themes of tenderness, longing, and desire in comical and dramatic ways. Each piece acts as a mirror that reanalyzes past memories, present realities, and future potentialities." At the Cabin, Cortese brings these traits to scale, life-sized introspections that channels that idea of memory to grander level. It's painting intimacy for the world to see. —Evan Pricco
