The Ethereal Made Physical
Annesta Le’s Eternal Current
Installation view of Fluid Forms 2 and 4. Image courtesy of the artist and YI GALLERY.
The darkness throughout YI GALLERY is punctuated by abstract neon compositions in Annesta Le’s exhibition Eternal Current. Plunging into the fantastical world of dreamscapes, Le’s neon works in her Fluid Forms series evoke currents of water, energy currents, activating neurons, and meandering dreamscapes, while her works on canvas offer viewers the chance to examine intricately layered elements in sublime compositions. Eternal Current is a sparse, elegant meditation on the power of what lies below the surface of things, with the articulated ability to bring the hidden into the open, lifting subconscious dreamscapes into conscious reality.
Installation view of Fluid Forms 4. Image courtesy of the artist and YI GALLERY.
Encountering Fluid Forms ensuite together in Eternal Current exerts a magical presence. Visitors encounter the electrifying abstractions as trickles of thought manifested in three-dimensional space. The otherworldly bright blue curves tumble over themselves in movements frozen in time that evoke bodily forms or fluids. The preciousness and perceived fragility of Le’s delicate glass neon tubes belies the strength and skill required to create these intuitive forms. Fluid Forms evokes the spirit of something captured and made physical — spiritual, mystical, and dreamlike.
Installation view of Labyrinth (2023). Image courtesy of the artist and YI GALLERY.
Jungian thought rises to the surface most readily in Labyrinth. Undulating organic curves form jagged circular pathways across the surface of a floor-mounted dark cylinder. In addition to the allure of the bright blue neon lines, visitors must approach the sculpture and lean in to observe the hypnotic curving maze. Learning that the neon tubes are hand-blown glass created by Le’s hand and that her body movements determine the final compositions of Le’s neon works brings the experience of works like Labyrinth full circle. The physicality of this creation process is mirrored in the visitor’s gestures, leaning in to observe the work.
Detail of Labyrinth. Image courtesy of the artist and YI GALLERY.
In contrast to the rounded forms in Labyrinth, visitors encounter a striking verticality in Beacon. The larger-than-life-size presence of Beacon creates a visual fault line, dividing the space and allowing the viewer to contemplate gentle curvature and abrupt rupture in equal measure. The tension and beauty present in Beacon evoke the potential of Le’s artistic practice — making the ethereal present and potent.
Installation view of Beacon (2023). Image courtesy of the artist and YI GALLERY.
The two-dimensional Flowing is another large-scale work. The composition spills deliciously over itself, manifested on canvas with acrylic paint and marker. One of the non-neon works on view, the ten-foot-high artwork exudes a masterful presence. Bold patterns and lines guide the eye across the surface, with overlap and slippage creating a formidable sense of movement and rhythm.
On view until November 4th as an extended showing of Le’s works, Eternal Current is open to visitors to YI GALLERY from Thursday to Saturday, 12-6 PM in Building 2 at Industry City. More information on the gallery and Annesta Le’s work can be found at the gallery’s website.
