Dianna Molzan
The Case of the Strand
November 8th, 2009–January 9th, 2010

Opening Reception: Sunday, November 8th, 6–8pm

Overduin and Kite
6693 Sunset Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90028

From Overduin and Kite:

Overduin and Kite presents The Case of the Strand, an exhibition of new paintings by Los Angeles-based artist Dianna Molzan. This is the artist's first solo exhibition in Los Angeles.

Suggesting the title of an Agatha Christie novel, The Case of the Strand brings the conventions of the classic murder mystery to bear upon the eight paintings of the exhibition as well as the gallery space itself. In a typical whodunit, we are introduced to a varying range of characters that mostly appear at odds with their surroundings and each other. Each character is presented in a highly stylized and contrasting manner - a dowdy introverted woman is seated in the same dining car as a glamorous aristocratic couple and a crude businessman - each character countering and balancing the next. "Types" are further accentuated by limiting the number of characters introduced, usually by secluding them in a controlled setting, be it a ship, a remote estate, or an elegant train stopped on a snowy-mountain pass.

The eight paintings in the exhibition all begin with a traditional stretched canvas or linen. From there, Molzan slices, unravels, models and sculpts them into paintings that are both images and objects, surfaces and interiors, visual and physical provocations.

The title, The Case of the Strand, references the history of the whodunit and the various techniques and color palettes Molzan uses draw from early 1980's design and music, fashion and textiles. Each canvas presents a distinct and singular approach and outcome, often through the combination of what seem to be opposing forces.