six sunset paintings

Lauren Powell Projects is delighted to debut Senon Williams’ six sunset paintings, a show in collaboration with the monthly LPP Sunset Hiking Club and featuring Mandy Kahn and Eric Ernest Johnson. This unique experience takes both the paintings and the viewer on a walk, a tandem adventure to witness the sunset together over poetry readings, and share the inner walls of the gallery with the public at our neighbor, Griffith Park. 

This journey takes place  on Saturday, June 3rd and The Painting Procession will depart the gallery at 5225 Hollywood Boulevard at 5PM sharp and maneuver past Griffith Observatory up to the Berlin Forest. The six paintings will be installed within a freestanding system built by the artist, and public viewing will last there until sunset, with relevant poetry readings at 7PM by Williams, Kahn , and Ernest Johnson . A unique experience for both the paintings and humans alike, you can choose to join the paintings on their trek up the mountain, or meet us at the top where parking is readily available in the Observatory Parking Lot. We should be set up in the Berlin Forest by 6PM. Please wear warm colors (red, yellow, orange, pink, white) for this trip - ie: dress to match the sunset. 

The first six in this new series of works by Williams, these paintings delve into the depths of human existence, juxtaposing the power dynamics within society against the awe-inspiring beauty of nature in our Los Angeles backyard. A testament to the complexities of human interaction, each painting portrays scenes of society as expansive fields, with singular figures emerging from the masses. These individual figures embody both leadership and oppression, symbolizing the dynamics of power and control within each community. 

Drawing inspiration from our local mountains and landscapes, Williams utilizes them as allegories for success, failure, obstacles and illusions. The placement of a human figure standing atop a pile of miniature humans evokes a sense of support, strength, and unity. Conversely, this single figure at the summit can also symbolize dominion and authority over those below. 

The sunset sky, viewed also as a sunrise, serves as a transitional element in the artist’s compositions, representing the passage of time, movement, struggle, and a sense of wonder. Through the interplay of mountains and sea-like crowds of people, Williams removes the natural context and infuses a metropolitan edge into each image, as if viewing nature through the lens of a city skyline transcending realistic depictions. It is possible to feel both alone and surrounded by millions of people at the same time. 

The words incorporated into the paintings are as important as the imagery they accompany, evoking the powers and language of success. Simultaneously mocking the sunset itself, as sunsets remain indifferent to human emotions, thoughts and attempts at describing sheer wonder. “Real Winner”, “A Triumph”, and “Outstanding Drama”, “Gut-Twisting Cinder-Black Comedy”  and “Roaring Success” are as applicable to this twice daily miracle of nature as they are to the Hollywood that the gallery operates in, and overall, an exquisite fusion of both humanity and nature.

Senon Williams is a native Angeleno and a lifelong visual artist and musician. Williams’ work finds space in the natural, exposing outstanding and devastating stages of human evolution. With imagery ranging from stark silhouettes to lush landscapes and human forms staged in undetermined acts of hope, his pairing of words and imagery suggest deeper meaning. A poignant visualization of the inherent human struggle both ancient and contemporary. Williams work has been shown at The LODGE, PRJCTLA, Arcana Books, Stories Books and Cafe, Southampton Arts Center amongst many others.