Why did you name your gallery “Superposition”?

Superposition is a physics term. It means that an object only exists when observed at that moment. I’ve been going by the phrase ‘’everywhere and nowhere” to fit in with the theme of being nomadic.

You list “building community” and increasing equity among your goals. How does having a nomadic gallery help you achieve that?

Many of the artists we work with are centralized—their programming is at school or at a residency—so working with Superposition makes it so that new audiences can learn about them while they work with the same gallery.

Can you tell us about your first exhibition and what you learned from it?

Our inaugural show was at a studio in downtown L.A. It was a consistent pop-up space and when we arrived the renters before us had not left and we had to help them load out and repaint everything before installing during the time we were originally allotted.

For my first show I was so steadfast on making it look as seamless and effortless as possible. Luckily the artists and my friends came to help. True team effort. I learned that I can’t expect a space that isn’t mine to be show ready—there’s always something to adjust or fix.

How do you scout for exhibition space?

Originally I would look on sites like Peerspace, Popshop and Appear Here. But now people usually reach out to me and tell me about a space that is looking to be activated.

What makes for a good gallery space?

At first, because I wanted to be taken seriously, white walls and good lighting were the most important. But now I'm more into experimenting with unique spaces that wouldn’t normally be seen as a gallery.

Do you negotiate with the owners of a space yourself?

Yes.

What stage of the curatorial practice thrills you most?

Hanging the show. It’s like making a collage of all my favorite people and their work.

How does running a gallery affect your own artistic practice?

I was painting a lot less at first but now that I’m done with my master’s program at Sotheby’s, I’ve been able to use [what had previously been time for my coursework as] studio time.

What would you say have been your most successful exhibitions?

“Labor of Love” for Frieze LA [held in February 2020] was an amazing turnout because everyone flew in from all over the country. It was our peak before the pandemic.

Might you expand your operations beyond L.A., New York and Miami?

Yes! I’m looking toward other countries and want to participate in traveling art fairs.

Would you turn down the opportunity to operate in a permanent space?

A lot of factors would have to be accounted for before agreeing to that because our main mission is to expand and contract.

How did the COVID-19 pandemic affect your operations?

We were already operating heavily online, so the transition was easier for Superposition than other spaces, I would imagine. Our sales were steady, too!

Tell us about the show(s) you’re currently working on.

Superposition is partnering with Artmatic Art Advisory in New York to bring together emerging and established artists for a fall exhibition titled “House of Crowns,” which will be sponsored by Phillips.

What is your grand vision for Superposition?

For it to be considered a movement.

Anne Quito (MFA 2014 Design Criticism) is a journalist and design critic based in New York City. She wrote Mag Men: Fifty Years of Making Magazines (Columbia University Press), a book about the glory days of magazine design as told by Walter Bernard (1961 Graphic Design) and Milton Glaser.

This interview has been condensed and edited. A version of this interview appears in the fall/winter 2021 Visual Arts Journal.

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