16/5/2007
Two exhibitions
ClampArt, New York
Exploring facets of his personal relationships, his sexuality, and his identity, John Arsenault constructs varied scanarios that not only tell the story of his experiences. Utilizing a traditional confectionary technique for chocolate-coating cakes, Frederic Lebain covered a variety of objects related to his childhood.
John Arsenault
Filthy Gorgeous: Self Portraits
ClampArt is happy to present "Filthy Gorgeous: Self Portraits
by John Arsenault" - - the artist’s second solo exhibition at
the gallery.
Raised in a small town in northern Massachusetts, John
Arsenault moved to New York City in 1997 to pursue a degree
in photography at the School of Visual Arts. Since that time,
he has been routinely turning his camera’s lens back upon
himself, producing an outlandish and absurd, wild and exotic
account of his life as a young, gay artist. Exploring facets of
his personal relationships, his sexuality, and his identity,
Arsenault constructs varied scanarios that not only tell the
story of his experiences, but also comment upon society at
large. Arsenault’s work is a fresh and unusual hybrid of
documentary and constructed photography, an apt reflection
of our culture’s current fascination with the layering of reality
and fiction.
Arsenault has a great eye for the strange, the unexpected, and
the laugh-out-loud ridiculous. He is not afraid to poke fun at
himself, and thus, is able to comment upon matters of broad
cultural import without seeming shrill or pedantic.
As writer Dan Halm has concluded, “One can learn a lot about
oneself through another’s eyes."
*****
Frederic Lebain
Freddie and the Chocolate Factory: Photographs
ClampArt is pleased to announce "Freddie and the Chocolate
Factory," an exhibition of photographs by French artist,
Frédéric Lebain.
Originally trained as a chef, Lebain then worked as a food
stylist before finally becoming a professional photographer.
This trajectory is particularly compelling when one considers
his newest body of work. Utilizing a traditional confectionary
technique for chocolate-coating cakes, Lebain completely
covered a variety of objects related to his childhood. First
freezing the items for a period of several days, Lebain then
employed an airbrush to spray the objects with hot, melted
chocolate. Backgrounds for the still-lifes were also coated
in a similar fashion, and the resultant photographs, printed
on a slightly textured rag paper, have a uniform, velvety
finish, providing a distinctly tactile curiosity.
Lebain’s subjects include, among other things, a turntable,
an Atari game, a disco ball, and an early Apple computer—
highly coveted objects of his youth. By covering them in
chocolate the artist not only visually accentuates their
modernist design, he also plays upon the double-meaning
of these objects representing consumable commodities.
"Freddie and the Chocolate Factory" is Frédéric Lebain’s
first solo show in the United States. He has been exhibiting
seriously for nearly a decade with shows throughout Europe
and Asia.
Opening reception: Thursday, May 17th, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.
ClampArt
521-531 West 25th Street, Ground Floor - New York