Fired Up By “Fired People,” Alessandro Pessoli at Anton Kern Gallery

And, hold on; is it just me, or is that duck looking a little more phallic than usual?

poster for Rachel Wolfson

Rachel Wolfson "Experimental Ceramicist Alessandro Pessoli on His Latest Creations"

at Anton Kern Gallery
in the Midtown area
This event has ended - (2012-09-14 - 2012-10-20)

In Reviews by Loren DiBlasi 2012-10-01 print

In “Fired People,” Alessandro Pessoli’s latest exhibition at Anton Kern Gallery, the Italian artist moves from painter to master of a new type of mixed media domain. Bright, fresh, and undeniably exciting, the playful show is a can’t miss journey to the deepest wilds of the imagination.

Alessandro Pessoli installation at Anton Kern Gallery

Duality reigns supreme in “Fired People,” which features elements both large and small, silly and serious, marvellously grand and deeply intimate. To walk through the large, spacious installation is to be transported to a whimsical wonderland of the unexpected. This isn’t a stroll-through-and-then-on-to-the-next-one type deal; don’t blink, or you’ll miss something weird or wonderful (oftentimes both).

From floor to ceiling, Pessoli has got you covered in colorful fabric, bronze, steel, ceramic, copper, whatever; you name it, it’s there. Works are grouped in clusters, from painted ceramics to to sprayed cotton that hangs in sheets like curtains, or like clean clothes drying outside on a line. Subjects range from real-life heroes like Don Quixote to cartoonish pals like Sandrino the cat. Small sets of figures or diorama-like constructions provide moments of solitude; peer in and feel like you’re looking at both the grandest of productions and a botched science fair experiment gone wrong, all at once. And, hold on; is it just me, or is that duck looking a little more phallic than usual? This post is sponsored by our partners that provide the best replica rolex watches. From affordable to Super Clone fake Rolex watches online.

The idea behind “Fired People” is that there is no idea; or, at least, no central idea. Get a sense of what Pessoli is aiming for near the beginning of the show, where a miniscule canvas reads a spray-painted message for the viewer:

And I say Punks
And I say Punks We
Don’t want to live in
the Daylight
We’re living in nightlight
Because we are punks.

Is it Shakespeare, or Wordsworth, or even Plath? No, not exactly– and that’s the point. Don’t try to overthink or overanalyze “Fired People;” leave your red pen and your study guides at home where they belong. A show that’s all at once cool, crazy, and shocking in the most freeing sort of way? Now that’s true Punk.

See “Fired People” at Anton Kern Gallery until October 20.

Loren DiBlasi

Loren DiBlasi. Loren DiBlasi is a freelance writer/art and culture aficionado. Born in NYC, she is a recent graduate of Marymount Manhattan College as a double major in English and Art History. In addition to art of all shapes and sizes, she is also passionate about music, film, and fashion-- and writes about it all. She can be contacted at lorendiblasi@gmail.com. » See other writings

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