While mostly comprised of paintings—Heyer is inspired by the history of painting, which captured his imagination as a young child—the exhibition also presents his recent sculptural work, including a constellation of brooms that hangs in a circle above the viewer, suggesting a psychedelic fantasy. The brooms are charred matte black, dipped in shiny resin, and adorned with pearlescent shells – a process Heyer describes as dressing the objects in drag. The sculpture is surrounded by airy, opalescent renderings of daytime sky, with written phrases such as “Time Isn’t Real” and “I Am the Sky” suggesting a contemplative, timeless space.
An additional sculpture consists of metallic lamé fabric draped across a bed-like platform in the center of the gallery. The silky material and sheen provide another reference to the opulence of drag culture, and Heyer’s experiences of drug-induced euphoria at night-long raves and dance clubs. Together, the works create a balance between gravity and levity, light and dark, and past and future, prompting viewers to reflect upon an utopian model of the universe.
