Corey Escoto “Deeper and More Troublesome”

Taymour Grahne Gallery

[Image: Corey Escoto "Run For It" (2016) Impossible silver shade instant film (Polaroid type), 24 1/2 x 19 1/4 in.]

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Deeper and More Troublesome, the sequel to Corey Escoto’s solo exhibition Deep Trouble at Regina Rex Gallery in Fall 2015, highlights Corey’s fascination with the influence of the Hollywood film industry, the mainstream media, and their connection to the governing political apparatus. Corey’s work begins with a series of 8x10 Polaroid prints which are made through a process of cutting and registering stencils, in camera, and sequentially exposing the entire film to engineer graphic and photographic illusions of space, form, and text. These laboriously crafted photographs subvert their own instantaneity and further the longstanding dialogue between the mediums of painting and photography. Oftentimes the resulting images become the blueprint for sculpture or immersive installations.

Through works such as “Let Me Break It Down For You,” “Smoking Gun,” and “Run for It,” Corey reflects on the current global state of tension across class, race, and religion that is often manifested through the potent mixture of masculinity and violence. Taken all together, scriptwriting strategies of creating conflict, entertainment, and suspense contribute to the overall tone of a blockbuster action film. With a specific interest in large production houses and their documented affiliation and collaboration with the Pentagon, the centerpiece of the show is a urethane resin and foam extrusion of the iconic 20th century fox logo. The logo, first envisioned and painted by Emil Kosa Jr. in 1933 (and later appropriated by Ed Rusca in his iconic 1962 painting, Large Trademark with Eight Spotlights), alongside the triumphant fanfare, acts as a necessary cue to direct the audience’s attention while priming the viewer for a willing suspension of their disbelief. The upended logo, translated to an exaggerated sculptural form, further reinforces its own monumental status while suggesting the power and cultural influence of the moving image.

Corey’s works are currently held in several major museum collections, including: MIT List Visual Arts Center (Cambridge, MA), Carnegie Museum of Art (Pittsburgh, PA), and the Museum of Contemporary Art (Chicago, IL). Recent solo and group exhibitions include Regina Rex (New York, NY), Halsey McKay Gallery (East Hampton, NY), Samson Projects, (Boston, MA), and Corbett vs Dempsey (Chicago, IL - December 2016). Corey is represented by Regina Rex, NY.