EAST HAMPTON, NY.- Syphilis is an exhibition that reflects on hope and fear, pleasure and mortality. The idea originated from a conversation about this disease and how it can serve as a metaphor. Artists in the show explore themes of love and lechery in equal measure. A pair of silicone lips by Mika Rottenberg protrude from the wall, parted slightly to reveal a kaleidoscopic video. Drawings by Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol and Carroll Dunham are unabashedly erotic. Works by John Currin and Julie Curtiss are seductive and sinister. Mike Kuchar’s paintings on paper are a Dionysian celebration of the male form while Sam McKinniss paints the beauty of internet celebrity without irony, laying bare a sense of danger hiding somewhere beneath the surface.
Richard Prince’s untitled (portrait) from 2015 is sourced from Instagram and translates the appropriation of the 1970s picture generation into a context where these tactics are now commonplace. In the world of the smart phone, indulgence takes many form, as does infection and disease. Over saturation and communication has led to disconnect. Human behavior shifts rapidly in this new environment and it is hard to know how to protect oneself or against what. Disease and destruction have always followed creation and reproduction. By addressing the symptoms of this cultural moment through art the curators hope to delay its progress a little while longer.
Works by: John Bellany, Robert Colescott, John Currin, Julie Curtiss, Carroll Dunham, Mark Grotjahn, Anthea Hamilton, Mark Heming, Cheyenne Julien, Mike Kuchar, Sam McKinniss, Alessandro Pessoli, Pablo Picasso, Richard Prince, Mika Rottenberg, Ed Ruscha, Emily Sundblad, Tabboo!, Henry Taylor, Andy Warhol
The exhibition is on view at the gallery through August 22nd.
Rental Gallery is also presenting a two-person show by artists Holly Coulis and Ridley Howard in its upstairs gallery from July 27 - August 22, 2018.
Holly Coulis depicts common objects in rhythmic and stylized arrangements. Playing with the tradition of still life, she elevates familiar themes into radiant and energetic compositions. The images are both minimal and visually dense. Her sense of color, line, and geometry creates pieces that appear simple, but reveal a complex interconnection. Historical predecessors include Morandi and William Scott, among many others- but her take on the subject is fresh and undeniably contemporary.
Ridley Howard’s recent paintings portray imagined people and interactions in fictional spaces. They are painted with the subtle tones, finely tuned color, and specific details, evoking memory with an air of the surreal. They also feel at times like appropriated pop images or film stills, enhanced by elements of graphic abstraction. His work has been compared to artists as varied as Edward Hopper, Tom Wesselman, Rosalyn Drexler, and Josef Albers.
Holly and Ridley lived for 17 years in Brooklyn, and recently moved to Athens, Georgia. They are co-founders of 106 Green in Brooklyn, and recently opened Howard’s in Athens. Holly has recently exhibited at Simon Lee in London, Cooper Cole in Toronto, Philip Martin Gallery in LA, and Klaus von Nichtssagend in NYC. Ridley recently exhibited with Marinaro Gallery in NYC, Andréhn-Schiptjenko at Art Basel in Switzerland, and has a forthcoming show with Night Gallery in LA.
