Amelia Lockwood at Maia’s Pool

From KCRW’s Art Insider Lindsay Preston Zappas:

“It’s not every day that you get to see some new art while taking a refreshing dip in a beautiful pool. Maia’s Pool allows viewers to do just that. It’s a new swimming pool gallery (literally!) in the Hollywood Dell.

Last week, I booked an appointment to swim amidst Amelia Lockwood’s solo exhibition of ceramic sculptures. With a swimsuit and pre-sanitized goggles on, and a laminated press release in hand, I set about to explore the exhibition by swimming around Lockwood’s textured objects.

The ceramic works sit on the bottom of the pool like sunken artifacts. Some pieces are large enough to kiss the water’s surface, while others (installed in the deep end) require a big breath and an exploratory underwater dive to see up close. The exhibition is surely viewable from a dry out-of-pool vantage point, but like snorkeling around a coral reef, the works unfold and offer new intimate details for the brave swimmer. Each vessel is coded with symbols and swirling interiors that reward a deep-dive.

The experience of wearing goggles, holding my breath, and diving down to look at these works for a few seconds before kicking off the bottom of the pool to catch my breath provided a novel and interactive mode of art viewing. I was constantly reapproaching the same object to get a better look at a different angle. At Maia’s Pool, the viewer is gleefully activated into the role of explorer or curious child.

There are only a few more days to make an appointment to swim with Lockwood’s work, and a new exhibition, ‘Deep End’ is slated to open October 31.”