WHEN:
September 13 — October 25, 2025
For more information visit the Vielmetter website.
WHERE:
Vielmetter
1700 S Santa Fe Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90021
A spokesperson describes the event as follows:
“...Pruitt’s monumental portraits depict bodies draped with exquisite, often surreal adornments, their gaze frequently obscured by layers of carefully arranged textiles, sculptural objects, trailing vines, or gravity-defying swirls of ethereal substances. The works in Corpus consider the interplay between the corporeal substance of the body and the ephemeral concept of the spirit. By overlaying historical relics, elements of the natural world, and representations of the celestial realm onto the surface of the body, Pruitt teases out their material resemblances and skillfully intertwines the earthly with the intangible.
With their sumptuous use of conté, pastel, deep tones of charcoal and coffee wash, the portraits draw attention to surprising textural parallels – draped fabric, skin, earthenware, precious metals, soil, bones, and arteries. Pruitt’s practice weaves together religious iconography, science fiction imagery, and African American perspectives on theism, transcendence and mythology. Some of the figures in this new body of work are literally buried under the weight of their strange ornamentation, while others are stripped down to their bones or their circulatory system. Despite these drastic alterations to their bodies, the sitters impart a distinctive personal style and a bold sense of embodiment and ease..."
