Lauren Powell Projects is thrilled to present Everything’s Perfect Here, a body of work from Roy English three years in the making.
Everything’s Perfect Here invites viewers into a journey and exploration of the intricacies of consciousness, all housed within an immersive experience created by multidisciplinary artist English and the gallery. Mimicking the dimly lit corridors of artistic expression, the gallery has been transformed into a dark foggy womb, lit solely by two moon cocoon sculptures and adorned with over one hundred moth paintings on paper viewed as “light beings” by the artist. Armed with a flashlight, each visitor will have fifteen minutes to explore the space with their own light source, an opportunity to be their own luminary adventuring through this darkened world on their own path to enlightenment. This journey transcends the ordinary, metamorphosing both moths and humans in an esoteric dance of light, to reemerge on the other side, transformed together.
While the essence of light in Everything’s Perfect Here is executed with childlike simplicity, beneath this innocent veneer lies a labyrinth of hidden codes, patiently awaiting revelation. The exhibition beckons participants into a sensory domain—a dark room, shrouded in fog, the smell of burning wood, resonating with the ethereal melodies of English’'s vocals. Inspired by the Exposition Internationale du Surréalisme which took place in Paris in 1938 where visitors were handed flashlights at the entrance to view the art in a dark transformed environment - including renowned surrealists such as Salvador Dalí, Man Ray, Marcel Duchamp, and Max Ernst - this exhibition by English continues the trend of discovery through light. Curiosity will be rewarded as visitors traverse the space seeking out moths on paper and canvas, seemingly crucified to the walls. This experience morphs into a mirrored odyssey, reflecting the innermost thoughts and emotions of the observer, removing English’s intentions from the equation entirely, and turning the works into portals that invite the audience to navigate the profound mysteries of light, darkness, and the uncharted recesses of the human soul.
English’s artistic journey has unfolded over the years as a mesmerizing study of the elusive behavior of light, both in physical and metaphysical manifestations. Weaving together threads of mythology, the timeless art of storytelling, mayan number systems, quantum physics, tarot, gematria and the enchantment embedded in the magic of words, his sources of inspiration become a kaleidoscope where each element is equally important and reflected back to the viewer. Light can and will transform the darkness if one is willing to go on the journey and seek it.
Born into the shadows of a neighborhood marred by gang activity, English’s fascination with the darkness took root as a result of multiple home invasions and a haunting encounter at gunpoint during an ice cream outing with his mother as a child. These personal experiences left indelible imprints, even the desire to be a “gangster” at a young age, before being redirected by fate. At twelve years old English received a scholarship to a private Christian school, and his family moved to the suburbs of Orange County where he began his exploration of the divine and also began painting. As time passed, his intellectual curiosity transcended the confines of prescribed doctrines and traditional schooling, propelling him into a lifelong quest for truth that would later pulsate through the veins of both his artistic and musical endeavors. As the creative force behind the music project Jagwar Twin, English's influence echoes through chart-topping compositions and collaborations with the titans of the music industry. Beyond the realms of melody and visual arts, English's clandestine impact extends into the lives of prominent thinkers, artists, world leaders, and celebrities - consistently shaping destinies through collaboration in ways often unseen, yet profoundly felt.
The show runs January 19th through January 21st, 2024 and is open to the public from 3-6PM on the 20th and 21st. Please reach out to lauren@laurenpowellprojects.com for a private appointment or more information.
