Saturday, October 9, 2010

Jeff Schaller Exhibition Information - Palimpsest - @ Serpentine Gallery


ジェフ・シャーラー (Jeff Schaller) から個展についての案内が届いていた。
すでに開催中とのこと。
ペンシルバニアのウェストチェシャーにある Serpentine Gallery で10月29日までの開催。
メールには、この "Palimpsest" についてのレヴューも添付されていたので引用しておこう。


Jeff Schaller
Solo Exhibition
"Palimpsest"
October 01 - October 29

In View - Daily Local - by John Chambless

There's something very appropriate about Jeff Schaller's new medium. Called "Palimpsest," the show references an ancient technique of painting which allows the surface to be reworked and reused, sometimes leaving traces of previous images. That's how Schaller works anyway, in a visual sense, as he wittily juxtaposes pop-culture icons, tacky advertising and glamorous Hollywood women.

For this solo show at the new Serpentine Gallery in West Chester, he used elements from his past works, re-imagined them and came up with a new direction. Known best locally for his vibrant murals inside the Iron Hill locations, Schaller makes paintings that people love. Nostalgic but sufficiently cynical, these paintings toy with the past and mix it with modern attitude.

"Gool Ol' USA" combines a 1960s Amoco gas station, John Wayne and a graffiti-like spray-painted dividing line. "Lawn Gnome" is just what the title says: A placid-looking gnome with the word "LAWN" painted across his belly in grass-green paint. Likewise, "Early Bird" puts the word "Early" over a hovering hummingbird. But Schaller's not always so literal. "Ready" is a square color portrait of a younger Judy Garland, but she could be just about any woman. So she's ready, but ready for what? It's up to you to fill in the pieces. "Go Green" shows a 1960s fashion model with the word "GO" next to her. The answer to the puzzle is the green dress the model is wearing. There's a consistent air of fun in Schaller's paintings, such as "Date Night," which combines a grinning, wholesome 1960s couple with the dancing bellhop guy from those movie popcorn containers we all remember from our youth. "You're Back" lines up classic cocktails along the bottom of the frame, while a woman gives the viewer a saucy smile. Or is it a mocking, disdainful glance? Schaller's not saying. 'Last Call" puts a classic Sean Connery in with a sturdy glass of booze, a phone booth sign and a red target. Put the elements together, and we get a whole James Bond memory rush.

The surfaces of these works have a satiny depth that's very interesting, and it's fun to see how Schaller has added dots, stripes and bits of other images to make the paintings pop. And, if you get close enough, the sweet scent of the wax gives them another appealing dimension.

Serpentine Gallery
138 E. Gay Street West Chester, PA 19380
http://www.serpentinegallerywc.com/

Gallery hours:
Tuesday and Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Thursday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.


Jeff Schaller

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