MORLEIGH STEINBERG
PATTERN SKY
PATTERN SKY is a continuation of Steinberg’s series LA Skylines, an exploration of the artist's fascination with Los Angeles’ network of power lines and telephone poles.
"I don't know what it is exactly that I find so romantic, amusing, and nostalgic, about the countless variations of intersections between the western sky and the miles and miles of utility lines that cross my view. I do know that it is something about the sprawl- of how the unfathomable lengths of cable suspended in air, connecting to somewhere. And I know too that it’s the chance moments of meeting between buildings, branches and fronds; the knotted junctions of wire and hardware impossibly entwined, and the towering palms and raw hewn poles that compel me to always look upwards. The functionality and folly of these complex weaves ignite my imagination. On a deeper level, the tangible connectivity of these lines, structure to structure, house to house, person to person, anchors me emotionally, somehow making sense, especially in our wireless world. This interconnected airborne architecture of Los Angeles is impossible to escape and I find it endlessly electrifying. After years of photographing power lines, I began another exploration; splicing together sections of a single photograph or combining sections of others. This repetitive process became a kind of meditation for me. What transpired became completely metamorphosed images. The exploration is ongoing.”
“I chose to print the pieces for PATTERN SKY as scrolls. The work suited the vertical form and the connection to the ancient way of display took root, timeless and lofty. I wanted the installation to impress upon the feeling of being enveloped by the work in the same way that I am by the presence of LA’s interwoven matrix. It is consequential for me to be able to transform the way we experience space and also to be able to shift our perception of things that we might hold too tightly to. I am grateful that the comfort I find in the chaos of this connectedness is a vision I can share, and I hope that by doing so makes others look up too.”
- MORLEIGH STEINBERG
TUCKED IN
TUCKED IN - a photographic installation by Morleigh Steinberg documenting the intricate miniature worlds she discovered in her seven year old daughter’s bedroom over three years of undergoing treatment for cancer. Sian Steinberg Evans’ meticulous manifestations of imagination translate what she could not articulate in language. From absolute chaos, she secured order.
Steinberg’s photographs uncannily illustrate the makings of her daughter’s imagination. Infused with courage, hope, and humor, this show affirms the integral role of imaginative play to well being, standing as testimony to the fact that in even the hardest times children find the strength to make sense of their world.
LA SKYLINE
LA SKYLINES was Steinberg’s first installation from her ongoing fascination with Los Angeles’ network of utility lines. Transforming what for many robs the blue sky of its beauty, Steinberg creates kaleidoscopic and abstracted compositions that reveal a magic that she sees in these moments of intersection. This show produced over 85 images lined up in a continuous string of images evoking the endless variations of line, sky, flower and architecture.
Morleigh Steinberg is a dance artist, filmmaker, photographer, lighting designer, creative consultant, and gallery director. She toured the world extensively with her dance companies Momix, ISO Dance, and ARCANE Collective, including performances at the Guggenheim Museum-NYC, Hammer Museum-LA, and Indianapolis Museum of Art. She has shot and directed numerous award-winning short films, videos, and the full-length documentary Height of Sky. Since 1993 Morleigh has been working with U2 as creative consultant. In 2017 Morleigh co- founded ARCANE Space in the hub of LA’s Venice Beach California, presenting visual arts by a wide range of artists. She has had three solo photographic installations.