 Billy and his friend Tammy happened upon a group of horny little bastards. Aside from having the head of a mule, Billy thought Tammy was nice. Perhaps one day Billy, too, will find her to be a sweet piece of ass., 2006 ink, collage on paper, 23" x 29" Frederick Jesser Up (light), Down (heavy) Lyons Wier · Ortt Contemporary Art is pleased to announce "Up (light), Down (heavy)," Frederick Jesser's first New York solo exhibition. "Up (light), Down (heavy)" is the latest installment of works by Fred Jesser that further denotes his ongoing exploration of visual and literary juxtapositions of language and image. With this body, the artist has created the first chapter of a story that acts as a fable. "Up (light), Down (heavy)" is essentially a story of many stories that brings to light the experiences and observations of a boy named Billy. There are lessons learned, questions asked and statements made which become shared, common experiences with the viewer. Most can relate to the things Billy has learned. Much like a fable, these tales are told with animal characters (and sometimes personified objects) being somehow involved wherein the characters act either as manifestations of Billy's character or the antagonist who intends to disrupt Billy's status quo. Fortunately Billy learns valuable lessons from all of the characters, no matter what their purpose. Aside from Billy, there are four additional main characters within this story: the bird, the cloud, the lamb (which is sometimes a goat), and the storage shelf. Other character elements include various hybrid creatures and the target. Lyons Wier Ortt cordially invites you to stop by and see how this fable unfolds. The key: Billy: Billy is a boy who learns by living. He is the main character for whom education is assisted by different experiences with many characters. The Bird: The bird is light (nearly weightless), free and burdened, curious, dream-like, heaven-bound, both strong and weak and working toward some as-of-yet unrealized goal. (The Bird is Billy) The Lamb: The lamb (sometimes portrayed as a goat) is grounded, innocent, earthly, vulnerable yet strong. The lamb is rational and makes a lot of sense most of the time. (The lamb is Billy) The Cloud: The cloud serves as the only non-earthly base for both the bird and the lamb. The cloud is the pedestal for earthly lessons, spiritual realizations: a canvas for experimentation and mistakes. The Storage Shelf: The shelving unit (from Ikea) serves to tie the bird, the cloud and the lamb all to earth. The shelf is a vessel for storing and cataloging all experiences, lessons, happenings and observations. (It is also easy to put together) It is heavy with information and thus ties all the playing characters, appropriately, to the earth. It is gravity, support, concrete, systematic, structural and earthly. If the other characters are heaven bound, then the storage unit is earth bound. If other elements are raised, the shelf is fallen. It is a rock tied to a helium balloon. Other extraneous (imaginary) characters can include: hybrid animals, pigs, dots and targets. The hybrid animals or pigs or any other animal character generally represent various lessons learned by billy or various identities that billy finds within himself. They are also symbols of fears, insecurities and anything that is false within billy's understanding. The targets and dots are also heavy and tend to represent "target" goals, ideals or expectations identified for the playing characters. This body of work acts as the first chapter in a three or more chapter of Billy's experiences. And coming soon… please note that the next installment is currently in production and will include the stories of The Rabbit, the Packmule / Workhorse, The Serving Platter and the Wolf. Born in 1971, Frederick Jesser earned his M.F.A. from Savannah College of Art and Design in 2002. This is his first solo exhibition in New York City. Exhibition: November 16 - December 22, 2006 Gallery hours: Tues-Sat 11 am - 6 pm Lyons Wier · Ortt Contemporary Art 511 W 25th St., No. 205 USA-New York, NY 10001 Telephone +1 212 242 62 20 Fax +1 212 242 62 38 Email lyonswier@hotmail.com www.lyonswierortt.com |
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