Opening on Wednesday, October 28.
This exhibition brings together artists working across disciplines and generations—Anna-Sophie Berger, Anthea Hamilton, Maren Hassinger, Charles LeDray (CRF 2011), Pat Oleszko (CRF 2011, DG 2019) and William Teason—whose work draws on the everyday things that make up our surroundings. As conveyors of meaning and action, objects tend to play an outsized role in our lives. Whether by repurposing common things, removing them from their functional orbits, exploring their absurdity and gravity, or pushing them to their cognitive limits, these artists reveal a myriad of ways that objects can serve to embody their beholders. As sociologist Bruno Latour has suggested, “things do not exist without being full of people.”
Several works on view demonstrate this through literal embodiment. Pat Oleszko’s costumes transform their wearer into absurd entities; in this case, an anthropomorphized household tool and cluster of inflated breasts. Throughout her career, Oleszko has used satire and theatre to revolt against a male-dominated society and respond to urgent issues. These costumes correspond to Mike Hammer and Udder Delight, two characters imagined by Oleszko in the 1980s as part of her experimental performances and videos, which she has been writing, directing, performing, and creating elaborate sets and costumes for for over four decades. Three videos on view from this period reveal her dynamic productions in action. Often taking on the role of the jester, Oleszko considers the artist’s position as someone who, in her words, can “speak the truth—and get away with it.”
Our personal relationships to objects is central to the work of Charles LeDray, whose sculptures of common household items are meticulously replicated on a miniature scale. In Free Public Library discarded books spill from boxes and tote bags, littering a city sidewalk for the perusal of passers-by. Collectively, the titles begin to reveal a story of their own. The scale shift invokes a dizzying awareness of our presence before these objects: they are in our physical proximity, and yet, inaccessible. This effect is further intensified by LeDray’s convincing fabrication of weathering and wear.
Guidelines for visiting JTT:
Masks are required for all visitors. Please note that the gallery is only admitting four people into the gallery at a time, and they regret no large groups or tours are allowed at the moment. All guests must sign in upon arrival. To be sure you don’t have to wait to enter you can make an appointment through See Saw. For more info please visit jttnyc.com