We were lucky enough to attend Dale Vermin Marshall’s recent solo exhibition “The California State Institution” at Anno Domino Gallery. Dale has been in California over the last year soaking in the sun and California lifestyle, or so you would think. Dale has taken his California experience and used it to influence his newest works. This is Described in the preface to the exhibition “Dale’s past experience in the UK of hospitalization in an outdated mental facility with its confined interiors travels through time and space to collide with his recent investigation into Southern California’s exterior streets where those confining institutional walls have ceased to exist. The work documents the observation of the “walking medicated” from the rich to the poor. Marshall has been living in California for the past year now. Although it might be easy for him to portray the iconic, commercial side of things he prefers a broader, more honest investigation where he found an affinity to his subject while using public transportation. The intention is to “present the idea of the unrepresented of Californian culture.”.
The paintings were amazing and we strongly suggest seeing them in person. The works range from watercolors, to large oil paintings punctuated by installations throughout the exhibit. The installations add a nice touch. You are able to dig deeper into the overall show after contemplating their meaning. When you Look back at the abstract paintings you can start to decipher some of the cryptic messages in the work. Masterful abstracts painted with a clean palette, Dale impresses. It was great to see abstract oil paintings executed well, and watercolors that exhumed color. All around a great exhibition for Vermin, as he shows us that a graffiti artist can hold his own with a brush in his hand.
GF
