John Cederquist Treachery of an Economy
September 10 - October 10, 2009
September 10 – October 10, 2009
Franklin Parrasch Gallery is pleased to present its eleventh solo exhibition of sculpture in furniture form by Southern California artist John Cederquist. The exhibition's title - Treachery of an Economy - references the visual conundrum of painting and two-dimensional representation reflected in Rene Magritte's iconic work Treachery of Images, (1928-29). In this show, Cederquist expands his trope with functional furniture forms incorporating imagery that exploits our preconceived perceptions of two and three-dimensional imagery.
Delving into perceptions of the abstract and the literal Cederquist posits scenarios in which the two might sometimes overlap. Images of U.S. currency – cut, bound, burned and crumbled – create a malleable emblem for the abstract structure of an economic system. Playing with comparisons, both visual and conceptual, Cederquist metaphorically links the fragility of public faith in economic stability with an unchallenged acceptance of perceptions and cues that form this faith.
A work entitled The Fate of Discretionary Income depicts an image of a free standing six foot tall dollar bill wrapped in a coil of rope. Upon opening any of its six separate drawers demarked within each layer of coiled rope the perceived dimensions of the image is broken. The façade appears three dimensional, then upon close inspection appears two dimensional, and finally reveals three dimensionality that is different than what was originally perceived.
Volume, texture, depth and light are deftly rendered using combined applications of inlay, pigmentation, bleaching and other chromatic techniques upon two dimensional wood veneer surfaces. From the vantage of a fixed point, the viewer experiences the strange sensation of absorbing an image that, while only partially realistic, is utterly convincing. As critic Nancy Princenthal, notes: Cederquist's illusionism has progressed to the point where it becomes nearly impossible to mentally reconstruct the relationship between actual and depicted forms.
For images, biography, and further information please contact the gallery Tue – Sat, 10am – 6pm.
20 West 57th Street 7th floor t 212-246-5360 info@franklinparrasch.com