Opening this Friday at HVW8 Art & Design Gallery in Los Angeles, Hassan Rahim presents his new exhibition, The Air Above This Ground. Bringing together high and low themes in a way that conjures vague childhood memories and adolescent fantasies, Rahim utilizes photography, collage and mixed media to create bold contextual pieces which both appeal to and alarm their audience. Themes of competition, excellence and the decadence that comes with them are present, and expanded on in a way that exposes the curious details behind them. Mike Tyson and promoter Don King are illustrated thus; the focus is placed not so much on the characters themselves, but on the fight between them. In the artist's world a mere 7% of Michael Jordan's significance is on-court, and the sportsman is treated as an event. Simple and deep, Rahim's works are decidedly of our own popular culture and will appeal to those who recognize his voice as such.

The Air Above This Ground opens January 18 and runs through February 22, 2013.

Source - HVW8

Jack Smylie