Noon Has No Shadows

November 12 – December 23, 2023

Hannah Hoffman Gallery

Los Angeles, California

“Noon Has No Shadows” is a two-part exhibition at Marc Selwyn Fine Art and Hannah Hoffman Gallery that marks Mayer’s California debut. The exhibitions present sculptures and works on paper from a broad span of time — many of them presented for the first time since the period in which they were created —that highlight her various interests and her experimental use of materials.

An essay by scholar and writer Tausif Noor, entitled “The Presences of Rosemary Mayer,” was commissioned for the occasion and provides new insight into the works in both exhibitions.

In collaboration with both galleries, the Estate of Rosemary Mayer also organized a temporary outdoor installation with balloons. The installation, called Connections, was based on Mayer’s works with balloons from the late 1970s. It took place on November 11 at the Wallis Center for Performing Arts in Beverly Hills. More on Connections here.

The presentation at Hannah Hoffman includes works spanning almost 25 years as well as a site-responsive Ghost sculpture created for the exhibition. The earliest works, from 1971, are a series of drawings envisioning imaginary fabric constructions and relate to Mayer’s most well-known body of work, sculptures constructed primarily with fabric. These drawings also relate to Portae, a large wood structure with various apertures through which fabric and aluminum screening are threaded, which also connects to Mayer's interest in Mannerist painting. It is inspired by Rosso Florentino's  The Descent from the Cross, completed in 1521.

1924 Ghost was inspired by the building in which the gallery is housed. Built in 1924, it is prime example of the Spanish Colonial Revival style, with exuberant and ornate decoration surrounding the doors and windows on its façade inspired by a form of Spanish Baroque called “Churrigueresque” also known as the “Ultra Baroque.” 1924 Ghost connects to the building and Rosemary’s interest in Baroque and Rococo architecture and ornamentation.

The title of the show is drawn from a series of watercolors from 1984 depicting flowers accompanied by various foreboding phrases, including “Pain,” “Icy Dark Broke,” and “Harmless Days.” The latest work is from 1994, a series of sculptures called Flotsam, made of cheesecloth and rabbit skin glue, which are pinned to the wall.