Abel Rodriguez “Aguante” @ Charlie James Gallery, Los Angeles

Charlie James Gallery is proud to present Abel Rodriguez: Aguante, an exhibition of paintings and works on paper from the artist’s Fotos y recuerdos series, which reexamines photographs and ephemera from the artist’s childhood in the 1990s and early 2000s. By reproducing photo snapshots in soft pastel and pencil, Rodriguez introduces a subtle blur into the image that speaks both to the nature of photography in a pre-digital era and to a distinct feeling of nostalgia that infuses the scenes. The exhibition’s title refers to the endurance – the grit and guts – required to build a life that honors community and celebrates difference, one that resists the homogenizing force of assimilation.