Alex Israel: Upside Down

Four Plexiglas fin sculptures, enlarged from surfboard designs, suspended upside down to evoke Southern California surf culture and postwar Los Angeles art movements.

Why go

Israel's fins reference Finish Fetish and Light and Space aesthetics while drawing on surf-brand pop imagery; the inverted installation transforms the gallery into a fish-tank-like space, positioning viewers at an underwater vantage point.

What to expect

Four large Plexiglas sculptures in varying degrees of reflectivity and transparency, suspended from the ceiling in inverted positions. The works, titled after pop songs, combine sleek production with pop-inflected colors evoking Southern California's coastal lifestyle and optimism.

Things to know

• Four new fin sculptures, enlarged versions of those first exhibited at Gagosian Rome in 2023.
• Each work titled after a beloved pop song, including Crush and Good Day Sunshine.
• Sculptures carved from Plexiglas in varying degrees of reflectivity and transparency.
• Inverted positioning recalls surfers performing a turtle roll or going over the falls.
• Gallery's street-facing windows create a fish-tank-like appearance with the installation.
• Works engage with 1960s Finish Fetish and Light and Space movements of Los Angeles.

Plan your visit

Open Tuesday–Saturday, 10am–6pm. Located at 17–19 Davies Street, London. Contact +44 20 7493 3020 or london@gagosian.com for inquiries.