Artist Grant Shumate is going solo. The Orange County native who worked with photographer and fashion designer Hedi Slimane to develop the Saint Laurent Paris design studio in Los Angeles, opens a new show of paintings and performances, called Ouroboros, at the Underground Museum on Thursday, January 15. Shumate—whose work evokes its creator, the act of creation, as well as the creation itself—chose an apt title for the project, referencing the ancient symbol of a serpent eating its own tail. The pieces reference the act of making art and the artist’s touch is clearly evident in the resulting work. Shumate’s subject matter is recycled video stills (made from internet clips). He photocopies them, paints them, and prints the results on canvas. He then sands the works or displays them behind dark glass. This process brings out hidden elements and allows viewers to see new details of the images that may be have been obscured before Shumate got his hands on the clips.

And the art serves as part of the set for Shumate’s performances. Paintings are rearranged and adjusted with each piece during which Shumante—who went to college in Australia—riffs on healing ceremonies, incorporating ancient rituals of indigenous cultures into shows that are meant to transform viewers into protagonists while Shumate takes on the role of the director. See for yourself.

By Elizabeth Varnell

Pictured: Grant Shumate
Photo by: Ryan Young

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