Spotlight: Controversial Camp Alpha In Iraq Inspires Artist (PHOTOS)

The layers of mixed media on the canvas represent the stacking of moments. Cristopher Pate's exhibition, Camp Alpha, touches upon the constant layering that happens between the past and the present. Everything we have now, emotional or physical, will one day fade in the name of process.

The artist sees the US military base Camp Alpha in Babylon, Iraq as a touch point for how history becomes fodder for progress. Camp Alpha was controversially constructed upon a sensitive archaeological site in which areas were leveled to accommodate helipads and parking lots for heavy vehicles. This layering, whether violent and destructive, or carefully considered and engineered, enables new forms while leaving behind an irreversible void and sense of loss.

Christopher Pate, "Camp Alpha," Marine Contemporary, 1733-A Abbot Kinney Blvd, Venice, CA 90291, through April 30, 2011.