Opening Reception: Friday, September 9, 6–8 pm
“There comes a time in every boy’s life,” says Jameson Green, “when he starts to see just how powerless he is.” This is the prelude for understanding With Regards, Without Regrets, Green’s second solo exhibition of paintings at Derek Eller Gallery.
In this show, Green explores the tail end of boyhood and the process of becoming a man. What does that mean—to be a man—to obtain this power of adulthood and independence? Where can that road lead for one who is misguided? Some boys may become doggish, like Green’s ubiquitous wolf men, chasing after only momentary pleasure and living off impulse. Some boys do not make it to manhood at all. With steady guidance and some luck, some may end up like the blue man, strutting across the canvas in a style reminiscent of old cartoons, each movement accompanied by the flutter of a flute. His squashed form and raised foot build anticipation, as a yellow cloud blowing in from the right, drags us along with him on his journey. It’s almost as if we can see the steps he has taken and has yet to take, as he balances, frozen within the bounds of the canvas. This man has already grown from a boy, but he still has long to go in his pursuit of power, stuck in perpetual motion.
Sampling art historical references ranging from Picasso and Kokoschka to Goya and Rembrandt, Green creates a form of visual hip-hop infused with momentum and energy. Juxtaposing elements that “shouldn’t” be together, like cartoonish drama within a baroque composition, or black figures wearing black face and Klan hoods, or children brandishing guns, Green demonstrates the possible challenges which may exist for him and many men in their fight for control in a colorful, unforgiving world.
– Amber Green
Jameson Green (b. 1992) lives and works in New York, NY. He received a BFA from School of Visual Arts in 2014 and an MFA from Hunter College in 2019. He will have a concurrent solo exhibition at Almine Rech, London, and recently had a solo show at Sorry We're Closed, Brussels. Green's work has been featured in "Some Kind of Monster Roster" at Analog Diary, Beacon, NY; "Fire Figure Fantasy: Selections from ICA Miami's Collection" at ICA Miami; and "THIS IS AMERICA" at Kunstraum, Potsdam, Germany. His paintings are included in the permanent collections of Dallas Museum of Art, Pérez Art Museum, Miami, and ICA Miami.
A fully illustrated catalogue with an essay by Dan Nadel will be published by the gallery in conjunction with this exhibition.