Natural beauty: Elaine Cameron-Weir’s sculpture evokes the animal world

animalistic sculptural work
Elaine Cameron-Weir’s new animalistic sculptural work takes centre stage at Venus Over Los Angeles. Pictured: an installation view of Cameron-Weir’s hanging Snake Piece series
(Image credit: Elaine Cameron-Weir and Venus Over Los Angeles)

Venus Over Los Angeles has opened an exhibition of new work by the Canadian artist Elaine Cameron-Weir. Weir, born in 1985, is known for her interest in the natural world and her sculptural work is often described simply as ‘cinematic’.

This new body of work expands upon this interest and its reinterpretation with industrial materials. Entitled ‘Snake with sexual interest in own tail’, the exhibition is a union of seemingly opposing themes within a single object.

The work itself is intriguing and complex. A six-foot-tall curved abode wall is adorned with neon sculptures and a series of hanging works (made of small hand cut copper ‘scales’, individually enameled) are fastened to a length of a chain metal screen. Next, a stainless steel hydrotherapy tub is filled with white sand, and atop sits a ‘lead jacket’, made from sheets of solid lead and steel wire. As a grand finale, a terrazzo stone desk in two parts is cut to resemble a large set of butterfly wings topped with neon lights.

‘The wings of a butterfly are both a mirror to each other as well as the operative mimic of the prey the insect seeks to evade; the linear, nearly total spine form of a snake and the central clefts of the human body; a clam shell opening,’ says Cameron-Weir. ‘All interest me as markers for the idea of halves, parts that make up a larger system or of aspects of an unseen symmetrical whole.’

Snake Piece sculpture

A close-up reveals the level of detail in each Snake Piece, featuring small hand cut copper ‘scales’ that are individually enameled

(Image credit: Elaine Cameron-Weir and Venus Over Los Angeles)

six-foot-tall curved abode wall

A six-foot-tall curved abode wall is adorned with Weir’s Threshold neon sculptures, made from stainless steel, laboratory hardware, clamshell pair, sterling silver, rearview mirrors, neon light, mica and frankincense

(Image credit: Elaine Cameron-Weir and Venus Over Los Angeles)

detailed view of Threshold

The wings of a butterfly; the central clefts of the human body, a clam shell opening: ‘All interest me as markers for the idea of halves, parts that make up a larger system or of aspects of an unseen symmetrical whole,’ says Cameron-Weir. Pictured: a detailed view of Threshold

(Image credit: Elaine Cameron-Weir and Venus Over Los Angeles)

Sentry Tactical Like Prey with Evolutionary Eyes of a Predator on the Wing

A grande finale comes in the shape of a terrazzo stone desk in two parts cut to resemble a large set of butterfly wings topped with neon lights. Pictured: Sentry Tactical Like Prey with Evolutionary Eyes of a Predator on the Wing 2, 2016

(Image credit: Elaine Cameron-Weir and Venus Over Los Angeles)

stainless steel hydrotherapy tub filled with white sand

Metaphor, 2016 (pictured) comprises a stainless steel hydrotherapy tub filled with white sand; atop sits a ‘lead jacket’, made from sheets of solid lead and steel wire

(Image credit: Elaine Cameron-Weir and Venus Over Los Angeles)

INFORMATION

’Snake with sexual interest in own tail’ is on view until 30 April. For more information, please visit the Venus Over Los Angeles website

Photography courtesy of the artist and Venus Over Los Angeles

ADDRESS

Venus Over Los Angeles
601 South Anderson Street
Los Angeles, CA 90023

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Daniel Scheffler is a storyteller for The New York Times and others. He has a travel podcast with iHeart Media called Everywhere and a Substack newsletter, Withoutmaps, where he shares all his wild ways. He lives in New York with his husband and their pup. 

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