Immerse yourself in sea of phthalo green and optical trickery at the new solo exhibition by San Francisco-based artist Chris Lux. Now on view at L.A.'s Sade Gallery, "Absinthe" is a stunning example of thinking beyond the traditional gallery space to create a full color environment that swallows the viewer and entrances the senses.

Installation view. Chris Lux - "Absinthe" (2016) Courtesy of Sade Gallery

Working from historical texts such as The Golden Legend (1260-1450) and the Ming era novel, The Golden Lotus (1610), Lux employs figurative painting and immersive atmospheres to transport us to a faraway time, where the past is unknowable and the future not yet realized. Using paintings within paintings and other optical mechanisms, Lux's work is tragic, romantic and above all enthralling. We can't help but be mesmerized by his beautiful human forms and powerful, contemplative figures which are lost in a hypnotic world. We love the use of Phalo green and almost tribal influences which evoke feelings of a lost civilization.

Chris Lux - "The Rain" oil acrylic on canvas (2016) Courtesy of Sade Gallery.

To accompany the exhibition, Lux's friend Ethan Mitchell, wrote a poem based on his impressions of these paintings and the climate of influence:

There are many ways to escape; across the field,
by climbing a tree,
or through the window.

Leave limbs in the world of green wakes, phases and strips
of rain returning
quarter by quarter.

Chris Lux - "The Room" Oil and acrylic on canvas (2016) Courtesy of Sade Gallery

On view now until October 23rd, this is a must see exhibition in Los Angeles. Sade Gallery continues to impress with its plethora of emerging talent and we look forward to seeing more from the gallery and Chris Lux. For more information please visit Sade L.A.

-JRS

Chris Lux - "The Paintings" Oil and Acrylic on canvas (2016). Courtesy of Sade Gallery