
Sophie Ullrich
Sophie Ullrich’s That Neighbor, painted during her time at The Cabin LA in March of 2022, is all about Ullrich’s hypothetical relationship with wealthy neighbors who have infinity pools in or near Runyon Canyon in Los Angeles. While hiking along the canyon trail, Ullrich reached a point where she saw the famous Hollywood sign as well as several mansions with infinity pools in the distance. She then imagined the residents of those huge homes relaxing while viewing Ullrich as a “pool-less” neighbor on the “wrong” side of the canyon. In That Neighbor, the central image is a strange figure whose body resembles a pool chair with a singular red floatie wrapped around one arm implying that an alcoholic drink has already been consumed. The ring around one of the chair figure’s nipples indicates the genderfluidity of this entity. Shooting out of the top of the blocky chair-like body is a long skinny neck at the top of which is perched a vibrant Aloe Vera plant. The Aloe Vera plant is a classic for the region and is itself a natural beauty; it is the singular green element in an otherwise very dusty milieu. The more pared-down almost abstracted nature of the background of this work coupled with the stark lines of the figure’s body over-emphasize the details in the Aloe Vera plant and the floatie making the whole composition feel delightfully awkward, and yet, still balanced and harmonious. Ullrich is represented by Piero Atchugarry Gallery.