Saturday, July 24, 2010

The 3rd Eye

The Radiant Guest, works by Paul P. and Scott Trevealen at Edsel Williams' Fireplace Project examines the kind of visual conundrums that erupt when two distinct idioms find a shared cadence. In this case the two artists are also partners so the poetry that has emerged from this, their first collaboration, is especially poignant. The artists, both widely lauded, share a variety of convergences in their art, but they differ widely in methodology.

While both Paul and Scott deal with issues of cultural and sexual identity, Trevealen works in collage, film, installation, photography, video and various book forms, lending a diversity that has resulted in collaborations with artists such as AA Bronson and G.B. Jones, among others. A full reprint of his ground-breaking zine project, This Is The Salivation Army, (1996-99) was published in 2006 by Printed Matter. Google Treleaven, and you'll find a bevy of accolades going back to the 1990s.

Paul P. makes small, sensuous paintings that seem to hover in between moments. They are romantic, nostalgic and so specific that you can feel the artist's breath. The works here, mostly of places, respond to beauty and longing.

Ken Johnson said of P.'s earlier portraits of young men: 
"There is more spiritual yearning than carnal desire in P.'s work. The play with conventions of visual and literary romanticism and the codes of former sexual undergrounds adds a sophisticated intellectual dimension that Oscar Wilde would surely appreciate."

A muse of Paul P.'s, John Singer Sargent painted numerous ocean side scenes as well as his renown portraits. What artist could be more germane? Check out the Royal Academy of Arts show at the Sackler on view thru September 12: Royal Academy/Sargent

I had a chance to talk with Paul and Scott last week. Here they talk about chance, reinventing content and reveling in the divine accidents within this show. Check it out:


All of the works were executed independently, so the collaborative aspect of the hang revolved almost completely around chance:


Here, Scott talks about the pronouncement of the 3rd Mind. I love this part:


FYI: I have no idea where the soundtrack came from. Very magical, like the work.       JMG

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