14 Sep 2018

Annie Blazejack and Geddes Levenson: Swamp Reclaims the Pool

Deering Estate

Reviewed by Elisa Turner

Annie Blazejack and Geddes Levenson conceive their joyfully colored and disorienting paintings together, building upon a longtime history of working in sync, even when miles apart. Their imaginations rove among similar dream-like terrains. They upend realistic renderings with what they have called, for this exhibit, "sci-fi alternate realities" engulfing their backyards.

Shifting surfaces shimmer and multiply. Perspectives pierce upward through water to sky, or down through water to darkness. A classic South Florida suburban pool is no longer predictable and dull. The artists inject bizarre, rebellious humor, recalling the region's swampy origins and rising seas.

They show us a woman swimming at night. Upon reaching the surface, her head becomes an alligator's gaping mouth. Other figures tussle with a giant turtle in a strange water world. People gather in Midnight, Poolside (2018) to search and stare into the depths. Perhaps they see suburbia reverting to its ancient origins.