FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
MATT JONES “MULTIVERSE” @ FREIGHT+VOLUME, MARCH 31st– MAY
7th, 2011
How and when does an image transcend its roots and become emblematic
– a symbol for an entire generation or movement? What constitutes an
archetype for a universal language - one instantly recognizable, and equally
embraced, by the art world as much as the general public? A Campbell's
soup can, a Bullseye target, a Shark suspended in formaldehyde, a poster of
Andre the Giant or Obama? This is just one of the many provocative
questions raised by Matt Jones in his forthcoming powerhouse solo at
Freight+Volume, “Multiverse”, opening Thursday, March 31st from
6-8pm.
In Jones’ case, one of the particular emblems in question is the
Black Flag T-shirt, a simple affair of four vertical black bars on a white
background (designed by Raymond Pettibon
in the late 70's), which
resonated – and arguably helped spawn - an entire punk/hardcore
consciousness. In his plywood cut-outs and large-scale works, Jones starts
with a basic premise, a single image - and proceeds to paint, photograph, scan,
Xerox, laminate with lo-fi Elmer’s glue, and draw over it again with
alcohol-based markers until the end result is multiple generations away from its
starting point. The technique itself becomes a gesture of boldness and
refinement, designed to challenge the viewer’s understanding of memory and
recognition in the digital/internet age. Peers of Jones, such as Wade
Guyton, Kelly Walker and Josh Smith, also utilize similar techniques of image
remove and repetition, but Jones takes the process one step further via his
obsessive vision, his Buddhist-inspired focus, and the three-dimensional
construct of his final
product.
The resulting work is remarkable with its in-your-face dichotomy: at once
indelible and fleeting; extremely loud and meditatively quiet; invigorating and
mind-numbing. After and beyond the immediate sensory impressions, Jones’
underlying concepts rise to the surface: Hawking’s exploration of space,
time, parallel universes and the Big Bang Theory; comic book X-Men’s
Wolverine; Henry Rollins and the graphic expression of anarchy; Ghostbusters,
Star Wars, Mischievous Spirits, Karma Chargers and Energy Reflectors. There
are strong mixed elements of chance and randomness, magic, control and organized
chaos in the preparation of his work. As Jones writes, “The [energy
works] arose from wanting to get to what paint is and what paint can do, only
with no paint in the final object”. Certain of these inventions have
filled his imagination from an early
age:
“When I was a kid I was obsessed with Ghostbusters. I salute
Bill Murray for providing a model of what a man can be. A lot of my spare time
was spent making a number of ghost- busting devices, proton packs, PKE meters,
and ghost traps. They of course didn’t actually catch ghosts, read
paranormal energy, or fire energy from nuclear accelerators. You couldn’t
tell me that, not really. I caught ghosts in the woods and cornfields behind my
house for hours and hours. It only took my belief in the imaginary technology
working for it to be
true.”
The adult Jones has achieved a vibrant realization of these childhood
musings in this impressive installation. Freight+Volume invites the viewer
to experience Matt Jones’ “Multiverse” firsthand, meander
through his free-standing plywood forest, bathe in the electric energy emanating
from his optic stripes and karma chargers, and view his accompanying
Baldessari-inspired video “Every Expression Possible (Wolverine Black
Flag)”.
Matt Jones lives and works in Brooklyn, NY. He’s participated in
numerous group and solo exhibitions in New York and internationally. In 2008
Jones formed The Atlantic Conference Press to publish artist books and
collaborations. He received a BFA in painting from the Cooper Union for the
Advancement of Science and Art and studied at the Yale/Norfolk Summer School of
Painting.
Please join us on Thursday, March 31st from 6-8pm for a slamming reception
for “Multiverse” and to meet and greet with the artist. For
further information please contact Nick Lawrence or Kevin Kay at 212-691-7700 or
info@freightandvolume.com.
RSVP to the event here or become a fan on Facebook