Thomas Müller and Samantha Scherer

L.A. Stories

February 2 – 25, 2007
Reception / Thursday, February 1, 6–9pm

SOIL Art Gallery is pleased to present L.A. Stories, a collaborative project between artists Thomas Müller (Los Angeles) and Samantha Scherer (Seattle). Using Hollywood as a backdrop, L.A. Stories examines the intersection of mythology and personal experience: what we believe to be true versus what is actually true, and ultimately, if it really matters. Since its inception, Hollywood has been the primary producer of pop culture, arguably America’s greatest export. As a place and as a concept, Hollywood has become a modern day myth maker. Wrapped up in its legends, it comes to believe them, constantly creating new truths.

L.A. Stories contrasts personal realities, with the images that Hollywood creates. Taking its form from story telling and drawing, this exhibit features drawings by Scherer, created from stories of real events—a mustard fight between Jack Black and Kyle Gass, Nicholas Cage buying cheap gas at ARCO, standing behind Bishop Magic Don Juan at the Hollywood post office—as told by Müller. Through emails and telephone conversations, Scherer draws her interpretations of Müller’s experiences combined with her own vicarious impressions of Hollywood and Los Angeles. Drawn on sheets of paper embossed by Müller from the streets and sidewalks of L.A., each drawing gives a literal imprint of the city, stains and all, over which a new reality is constructed.

Thomas Müller received his M.F.A. in Ceramics in 2000 from the Cranbrook Academy of Art. He has exhibited at the Santa Monica Museum of Art (Santa Monica, CA), the Kirkland Arts Center (Kirkland, WA) and Haus (Pasadena, CA).

Samantha Scherer received her M.F.A. in Printmaking in 1997 from the University of Washington. Her work has been shown at Davidson Contemporary (Seattle, WA), SOIL Art Gallery (Seattle, WA), and Kirkland Arts Center (Kirkland, WA). She was a recipient of the Artist Trust GAP Award in 2006.