New Pictures of Common Objects
October 21, 2012—April 14, 2013
Artists today have a very different relationship to mass consumption and images than artists who first engaged with these topics in the 1960s. Recent technology has created a vast archive of images that is easily accessible by computer, smartphone, and other devices. Technology has also amplified the flexible nature of pictures—early pop culture envisioned throngs of passive consumers while individuals today engage with imagery as active participants. Twenty-first century images are not only distributed from central hubs, but are rapidly circulated and exchanged among peers. The decentralized model has flattened hierarchies, fostering a sense of equivalence and ambiguity in which making, consuming, and sharing are all regarded as creative acts. The five emerging artists in the exhibition engage with images as raw material to create sculptures, videos, photographs, and installations. They recognize the elastic and diffuse nature of images, utilizing pictures to challenge expectations of genre, form, and meaning.
The exhibition features artists Trisha Baga, Lucas Blalock, Josh Kline, Margaret Lee, and Helen Marten.
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Josh Kline. Tastemaker's Choice. 2012. 6 3-D printed sculptures in acrylic-based photopolymer, various liquids, commercial shelving with LED lights. Courtesy the artist and 47 Canal. Photograph: Joerg Lohse.
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Lucas Blalock. Tenting. 2011. 28 x 23 inches. Chromogenic print. Courtesy the artist and Ramiken Crucible.
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Lucas Blalock. Strange Loop. 2009. Chromogenic print. 40 x 30 inches. Courtesy the artist and Ramiken Crucible.
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Margaret Lee. Cucumber (phone). 2012. Courtesy of the artist and The Green Gallery.
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Helen Marten. Dust and Piranhas. 2011. Video (animation still). Courtesy the artist and Johann König, Berlin; Sadie Coles HQ, London; T293, Naples/Rome.
New Pictures of Common Objects is supported in part by Matthew McNulty.
The exhibition is organized by MoMA PS1 Assistant Curator Christopher Y. Lew.