Post by Commissioner on Sept 13, 2015 14:27:22 GMT
Jonathan LeVine Gallery is pleased to present Three-Planet Lifestyle, a solo exhibition of new works by Sao Paulo-based Brazilian artist Stephan Doitschinoff (Calma), in what will be his third solo exhibition at the gallery.
At first glance, Doitschinoff’s work appears to be a visual narrative infused with religious and esoteric references but closer examination reveals a process of appropriation and re-signification. He uses recognizable religious icons such as the altar, the procession and anthropomorphic characters but removes all mystic and ideological content, appropriating the imagery and adding contemporary symbols created from personal reflection and observation. In Three-Planet Lifestyle, sinking boats full of books, moons studded with flags and collapsing skyscrapers allude to the rupture of a strict system and the consequences of unintentional actions.
For this series of paintings, drawings and sculptures, Doitschinoff was inspired by the teachings of Estonian writer and activist Kalle Lasn. As the founder and editor of Ad Busters, a publication dedicated to advance a new social activist movement for the information age, Lasn blames consumer culture for transforming humanity into a selfish species on the verge of ecological crisis. In 2006, the World Wildlife Fund confirmed his concerns in the Living Planet Report, outlining how mankind will need at least two planets’ worth of resources by 2050.
Multiple pieces carry the artists signature inscription, ‘CRAS’, referring to the human habit of procrastination. Doitschinoff states, “The clearest symptom of our time is procrastination and the strange idea that the future will fix itself. Since the complexity of environmental issues is so massive, society would rather deal with everyday tasks. Recycling, pedaling bikes and buying fair trade is only creating a falsely optimistic future and being used as a balm to alleviate individual guilt. While we tidy up our drawers and do the dishes – inside the house is on fire”
ABOUT THE ARTIST Stephan Doitschinoff was named Most Promising Artist by the Sao Paulo Art Critics Association and has exhibited at institutions worldwide, such as the San Diego Contemporary Art Museum, Foundation Cartier, the Museum of Sao Paulo, Museum of Modern Art Sao Paulo, the Afro Museum and the Vergueiro Cultural Center. The documentary film TEMPORAL (2008) documents the research Doitschinoff conducted in Bahia, Brazil, regarding religion syncretism, African animism and Brazilian folklore, as well as the site-specific work he created throughout the village over the course of three years. In 2008, Gestalten published CALMA: The Art of Stephan Doitschinoff, followed by CRAS in 2012.
ABOUT JONATHAN LEVINE GALLERY
Jonathan LeVine Gallery is committed to new and cutting edge art. Our roots go back to 1995, when Jonathan’s life-long participation in punk and underground music grew into a curatorial experiment with the visual culture that surrounded him. We moved to Chelsea in 2005, with an eye towards honoring and connecting with the history and context of Post War art. We contribute to the dialogue by challenging the conventions of the canon – exploring the terrain of the high/low and everything in between.
Jonathan LeVine Gallery is located at 529 West 20th Street and 557C West 23rd Street, New York, NY 10011. For further information, please visit: www.jonathanlevinegallery.com, email: info@jonathanlevinegallery.com or call: 212.243.3822