In a nod to the peaceful work of women, Los Angeles artist Karen Hochman Brown’s solo exhibition, Vexilla Florum, at LAAA is a mixed-media and multi-media presentation incorporating diverse processes such as handcrafting and digital photo-manipulation. The opening reception will be held on September 14 from 6-9pm at the Los Angeles Art Association.

A vexillum is a flag and, as something that can be seen from far away, it was an early form of communication, a way to direct troops or identify a faction. Vexilla are a relic of war. Hochman Brown has created vexilla standards using floral motifs that pay homage to the flower children of the sixties, who promoted their power through gentle acts. The pieces are a remembrance of the women who constructed the flags of war while maintaining peace at home.

Hochman Brown’s creative process uses photographic images of nature and transforms them into kaleidoscopic creations of uncanny realism. In Vexilla Florum, the digital artwork is constructed from photographs of flowers from around the world. The main motif is a distorted and reflected multi-layered meditation on each subject flower.

Hochman Brown uses the computer throughout the artistic process, employing a variety of specialized software to create the main imagery, construct animations, and designing the intricate laser-cut headpiece. She has control over the whole process, using a Glowforge laser printer to make the wood cuts, hand-sewing the banners and assembling the pieces.

Vexilla Florum runs September 14 – October 19 at Los Angeles Art Association | Gallery 825, 825 N La Cienega Blvd, Los Angeles. The opening reception is September 14, 6-9pm.