I’ve been an admirer of May-ling’s work since 2009 when I saw a show she did at Seminal Projects. However, we never met until last April when I visited her studio and asked her to do a show at Ice. In terms of process and aesthetic, we are seemingly at odds, but I feel that we share some core values when it comes to our view of art in general. May-ling has been using the gallery as a working studio in preparation for this show and everything is coming together nicely thus far. I’m still not quite sure what the outcome is going to be as she is working rather organically in response to the space but it’s shaping up to be pretty interesting. Please join us Saturday March 25th from 6-9 to see what she’s been up to.

Some words from May-ling about the show:

“Layers of information collide and overlap in the space in a stream of consciousness. The work is based in an innate need to understand and decipher the unknown. Using iconography found in “How to books” as well as diverse visual systems found in books meant as learning devises perceived with a logical approach. I’m interested to explore how this logical approach satisfies a need to feel in control of our surroundings.

I also collect images from science, medicine and engineering books designed to facilitate our understanding of our environment by explaining the numinous in a coherent way. The images are then reinterpreted and presented in a different context producing an expanded narrative of the original one. Exhorting subjective interpretation based on personal experience.

Stacks of carefully collected found objects are arranged and recombined in unexpected ways to expose the uniqueness of the implements. Raising questions of their function and the human need to control our surroundings through tools and devices. In the same line others raise as beacons, a sort of personal markings.”