August 1st - November 7th, 2020

Vaguely Political is an extension of Reynolds’ first L.A. solo show, titled Vaguely Familiar in 2019. Reynolds continues to reference hand painted signage, narrative mural painting techniques and material application on board and canvas. The work in this exhibition depicts the imagery of his blue-collar upbringing in Venice, CA in the early 90s. Given the rise of gentrification in Venice over the past two decades, Reynolds’ work is often viewed as political with depictions of a Black father raising two children while showing a lesser-known side of the beach city; something that is rarely seen in a community that is now predominantly White and upper class. While the artist’s intent was to pay homage to his family and hometown, the work can be viewed as a social commentary on the Venice area by drawing a line through the current socio-economic situation, gentrification, and the displacement of a largely Black and Brown community. In regards to the work in the exhibition, traditionally, text based art needs a surface medium that is accessible to be viewed as legible or understandable. In Reynolds’ work, we find a space on panel or canvas that is constantly in flux, giving way to paintings that skip around in time much like a collection of subconscious thoughts made up of lucid dreams and memories of a conversation.

Installation Images

Installation Images by Elon Schoenholz

About the Artist

Devin Reynolds

Devin Reynolds is a painter based out of New Orleans, and received his BA in Architecture from Tulane University in 2017. Originally from Venice Beach, California he grew up working as a deckhand on The Betty O, a local sport fishing boat. He was raised between flea markets, yard sales and the beach. His early childhood memories are filled with times setting up his mother's booths at antique shows, surfing and fishing up and down the coast. Devin’s first encounters with art making came in his early twenties in the form of graffiti. His obsession for graffiti took off when he began painting his assumed alias on the sides of freight cars that traverse the railroads of North America. Devin’s art practice finds itself at the intersection of graffiti and his love for nostalgic Americana design and sign painting, through the lens of his biracial upbringing in Los Angeles. Speaking on the cultural duality of his household he says, “Growing up with a quote-un-quote black dad and white mom, I lived in two different worlds. In my mom’s world it was like Fleetwood Mac’s album Rumors and my dad’s was Tupac’s album All Eyez on Me.” Devin’s work investigates personal experience in these two worlds and their mutual relationships to social and political practices in America.