NYAB Event - “Urbanology” Exhibition

“Urbanology” Exhibition

Joseph Gross Gallery

This event has ended.

ArtNowNY present Urbanology, a group exhibition with works of Jessica Hess, Kevin Peterson, Rodrigo Valles and Christian Jaquet. The term Urbanology comes from a combination of “urban” (of cities) and “-logy” (the study of). In light of what “urbanology” means, the title of the exhibition refers to city life, urban esthetic and the unpredictable sceneries that can take form in a metropolis.

Urbanology is an invitation to understand how reality can be observed, documented, manipulated and interpreted in relation to the urban environment. With a critical and yet imaginative take on architecture, graffiti art and the ongoing debate about “illegal” art, Jessica Hess, Kevin Peterson Rodrigo Valles, and Christian Jaquet have depicted the remains of a lost paradise where the walls are covered in tags, drawings and throw ups.

“We are all inspired by the color and depth given to these otherwise dull subjects”, says Jessica Hess. “Our production is meant to celebrate and preserve these fleeting public works in a way that is, for me, more meaningful than a simple photograph. Painting graffiti laden sites is also a way of collaborating with these often anonymous artists”, she concludes.

The fantasy world that Kevin Peterson represents can be defined as an alternate reality, kids and animals coexist pacifically and treat each other with respect. “My work”, says the artist, “is about the varied journeys we take through life. It’s about growing up and living in a world that is broken. These paintings are about trauma, fear and loneliness and the strength that it takes to survive and thrive.”

Rodrigo Valles’s visual interpretation of urban landscapes talks about the history and impact of graffiti on the mainstream contemporary art world. “A hundred years ago landscapes represented the current era”, he says. “Now landscape represents the good and bad side of Modern America”.

Christian Jaquet’s work revolves around the architecture and socio-historical context of buildings located in Brooklyn, NY. “The connecting link between all pieces is the fact that the original structures have been knocked down or altered since I made miniatures of them. It is proof of how fragile the urban landscape is”, he says.
Obsessed with his attention to detail Jaquet seeks inspiration in snapshots of the grimy environment, creating to scale models of neighborhoods and buildings located in Brooklyn, New York. His work is focused on the buildings that go unnoted until they fall victim of the ever changing cityscape.

Media

• Painting

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