Geniess
A commissioned project by London-based artist John Russell.
An important contemporary artist, John Russell’s work is involved with ideas of violence, spectacle and expressionism. Issues of violence, sexuality, science fiction, nudity and performance all inform the vast painting and prints that he has produced for this solo exhibition.
GENIESS presents one of many possible material instantiations of the virtual image in the form of a 28 x 8ft image-object entitled The Philosophy is in the Meat, including blood, entrails, internal organs of war victims and other forms of violence, as well as ecstatic uses of flesh such as child birth, orgasm, defecation and thinking. The ineluctable flatness of the image opens out onto an eventspace of affect and untimeliness, transforming all viewers into potential geniesses and visionaries.
John Russell was a founder member of the artists’ group BANK (1990-2000) and was responsible for exhibitions such as Zombie Golf (1994) and Cocaine Orgasm (1995). BANK artworks and publications from this period were shown at the Whitechapel Art Gallery and Tate Modern. Since January 2000 he has been working both independently and collaboratively with Fabienne Audeoud. Recent exhibitions include a 6 page artist project for Sleaze Nation Magazine in June 2004 and The Thinking, 2004, a film project at PS1/MoMA, New York (in collaboration with Mark Beasley).
There will be three talks given in association with the show on Wednesday 20th April at Duke Street Lecture Theatre, Norwich at 2.30pm:
Robert Garnett - ethics... to them it’s some county east of London
Simon O’Sullivan - From Aesthetics to Probeheads: Deleuze and Contemporary Art
johnny de philo - In God We Trust
For further information contact Gaynor Egan at Norwich Gallery NSAD telephone +44 (0)1603 756248 or e-mail g.egan@nsad.ac.uk
Opening Wednesday 20th April 5.30 – 7.30pm
Norwich Gallery
Norwich School of Art and Design
St. George Street
Norwich
Monday to Saturday 10am to 5pm Free Admission