The Perfect Ride (Dam), 2003 Steel, aluminum, and plastic, 102 x 108 x 153 in. (259.1 x 274.3 x 388.6 cm) Jennifer Pastor The Contemporary Series Los Angeles–based artist Jennifer Pastor's latest project, "The Perfect Ride", is the Whitney's final offering this year in "The Contemporary Series" curated by Debra Singer. With a sensibility that falls somewhere between Pop art and kitsch, Pastor's new work reinterprets strangely unexpected and banal subject matter through meticulously crafted work. Created over a period of several years, "The Perfect Ride" is a three-part installation that features an enlarged, sculptural, pseudo-scientific interpretation of the human inner ear; a steel, aluminum and cast-fiberglass sculpture inspired by the circulation system of the Hoover Dam; and a projected line animation depicting what would be a perfect, but literally impossible, ride on a rodeo bull. Linking these seemingly disconnected forms is the idea of armatures, which can balance and direct systems of movement or circulation. Instead of proposing a clear narrative link between the installation's three components, Pastor indirectly explores instances of man's triumph over nature (scientific, athletic, or cerebral) as well as the attendant notions of awe and "perfection" that such grandiose feats may inspire. Pastor's meticulous attention to detail is evident in "The Perfect Ride", her first major installation since "The Four Seasons". While her works often appear to have the look of a prefabricated object, she always extensively researches and then recreates her subjects by hand. Pastor's intricate craftsmanship skews boundaries between reality and fantasy as she renders familiar subjects into unsettling new objects. Her works offer a surface spectacle that trigger a rich web of associations, as well as skepticism towards the limits of perception. Curated by Debra Singer Exhibition: 6 October 2004 - 2 January 2005 Opening hours: Wed/Thu 11 am - 6 pm Fri 1 - 9 pm (6 - 9 pm pay-what-you-wish admission) Mon-Tue Closed Whitney Museum of American Art 945 Madison Avenue at 75th Street New York, NY 10021 Telephone: General Information: 1 (800) Whitney Ticketing: 1 (877) Whitney www.whitney.org |
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