Zefrey Throwell “Dream Battles”
Garis & Hahn
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Garis & Hahn presents DREAM BATTLES, a series of new mixed-media paintings by Zefrey Throwell, the New York City based artist’s first solo show with the gallery. From John Wayne to Joseph Goebbels, Throwell depicts duels between some of the most iconic and infamous symbols of the past century in his latest series of 20 silkscreen and acrylic paintings on fabric. He co-opts the spectacle of the prizefight by pitting opponents of ideological extremes against each other; a philosophical battle that examines the underpinnings of modern society. Conceived after Throwell’s recent visit to Auschwitz/Birkenau, the DREAM BATTLES series came about as a remedy to the artist’s crisis of faith in humanity after witnessing the indescribable horror and sinister history of the Holocaust. Especially unnerving for him was the idea that, while the Nazis were defeated, their violent and domineering tactics can still be found in a new, more clandestine modern fascism. Throwell has invented an alternative framework to consider the undercurrents of contemporary totalitarianism by creating ideological face-offs. Inspired by the penetrating humor and iconoclastic chaos of Woody Allen movies, Throwell depicts unconventional pairings that resonate with a deeper conflict, such as: Oscar Wilde vs. John Wayne, Woody Allen vs. The Nazis: Annie Hall - Himmler, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show vs. Goldman Sachs. The outcome of the fights is based on qualifiers such as: What is this person/thing/movement known for? What did they actually do? Did they enlighten or diminish human compassion and understanding? And, were they honestly funny? With the score tallied at the bottom of the paintings, the viewer is given an immediate read on the contributions of the figurative fighters, and prompted to more broadly consider how we are progressing or regressing in society. In this way, Throwell is engaged in a battle for hearts and minds, subverting the ‘necessary evils’ and good intentions that pave the path to hell with an alternative strategy utilizing wit, humor and aesthetics to deflect the violence, small mindedness and insecurity of contemporary fascism.
About the Artist
Zefrey Throwell was born in 1975 at home in Oregon. He received his B.A. from San Francisco State University. A multi-media artist working in performance and film in addition to visual art, his work and performances have been exhibited in international institutions including the Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY; the Cannes Film Festival, France; the Venice Biennale, Italy; the Los Angeles Nomadic Division (LAND), CA; the Leopold Hoesch Museum, Dueren, Germany; The Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh, PA; and the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY; with solo exhibitions at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, CA; This Red Door, Berlin, Germany; the 92 Street Y, New York, NY; and the Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY; among others. Zefrey Throwell currently lives and works in New York City.
[Image:Zefrey Throwell “Oscar Wilde vs. John Wayne”, 2014, silkscreen and acrylic paint on fabric, 82 x 82 cm.]
Media
Schedule
from February 28, 2014 to March 29, 2014
Opening Reception on 2014-02-28 from 18:00 to 20:00