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拍品专文
"The paintings' clichéd imagery neutralizes their real endangered status making us less culpable in the creatures' pending extinction. And therein lies the beauty of the clichd image." M. Grabner, "Rob Pruitt", Frieze Magazine, Issue 160, June-August, 2001.
In 6:20 pm, late Summer, Rob Pruitt's iconic image of a panda is rendered with a combination of glitter over a subtle gradation of acrylic that transitions from one confectionary color to another down the canvas. The use of glitter recalls Andy Warhol's 'diamond dust' paintings both in process and material. The subject image is seemingly silkscreened from a photograph of this placid creature nestled comfortably in a forest while serenely chewing on stalks of bamboo. Unlike Warhol's Diamond Dust Shoes which coldly stresses the commercialization of culture, luxury and extravagant excess, 6:20 pm, late Summer, portrays an international symbol in a seductive manner that both draws the viewer in and at the same time suggests the fragility of the exotic ecosystem on display. 6:20 pm, late Summer, is a showcase of creativity and intimacy in which Pruitt demonstrates the ease with which a work of art can be created utilizing everyday materials with a Martha Stewart-like approach. "I've made hundreds of paintings out of glitter. I've really enjoyed letting the world know that not everything is so mystified or so regulated to expertise-that you can make something really beautiful with a little ingenuity and some supplies from Michaels" (R. Pruitt, Interview Magazine, October 2009). This is an extension of an idea that the artist forwarded with his 1999 series 101 Art Ideas You Can Do Yourself (Contemporary Art Center, Cincinnati), a practical guide to art making activities using commonly found items.
In creating a glittery clichéd image of beauty while focusing on an endangered species oblivious to the world of consumption around it, the artist engages in an exercise of connection and immediacy; an activity that Pruitt has performed throughout his career. His first foray came in the groundbreaking and controversial Red, Black, Green, Red, White and Blue show (Castelli Gallery, New York, 1992) where he and his partner, Early, attempted to connect the world of African-American culture to the high minded art community of the day; a dialogue that predicted the racial politics that would be on display at the 1993 Whitney Biennial. Other examples include a Flea Market (Frieze Art Fair, London, 2007) an art happening in which artists were invited to sell banal objects of their own making to the public, and Rumspringa Quilt: Double Double Rainbow (Gavin Brown's enterprise, New York, 2010) a show that was inspired by the Amish tradition of a period of freedom for teenagers before they join the church. Pruitt's artistic activity and visual flair demonstrate a spiritual elegance and an understanding of how to connect seemingly disparate contexts, giving the viewer the opportunity to be engaged in his or her own existence with an eye on the outside world.
In 6:20 pm, late Summer, Rob Pruitt's iconic image of a panda is rendered with a combination of glitter over a subtle gradation of acrylic that transitions from one confectionary color to another down the canvas. The use of glitter recalls Andy Warhol's 'diamond dust' paintings both in process and material. The subject image is seemingly silkscreened from a photograph of this placid creature nestled comfortably in a forest while serenely chewing on stalks of bamboo. Unlike Warhol's Diamond Dust Shoes which coldly stresses the commercialization of culture, luxury and extravagant excess, 6:20 pm, late Summer, portrays an international symbol in a seductive manner that both draws the viewer in and at the same time suggests the fragility of the exotic ecosystem on display. 6:20 pm, late Summer, is a showcase of creativity and intimacy in which Pruitt demonstrates the ease with which a work of art can be created utilizing everyday materials with a Martha Stewart-like approach. "I've made hundreds of paintings out of glitter. I've really enjoyed letting the world know that not everything is so mystified or so regulated to expertise-that you can make something really beautiful with a little ingenuity and some supplies from Michaels" (R. Pruitt, Interview Magazine, October 2009). This is an extension of an idea that the artist forwarded with his 1999 series 101 Art Ideas You Can Do Yourself (Contemporary Art Center, Cincinnati), a practical guide to art making activities using commonly found items.
In creating a glittery clichéd image of beauty while focusing on an endangered species oblivious to the world of consumption around it, the artist engages in an exercise of connection and immediacy; an activity that Pruitt has performed throughout his career. His first foray came in the groundbreaking and controversial Red, Black, Green, Red, White and Blue show (Castelli Gallery, New York, 1992) where he and his partner, Early, attempted to connect the world of African-American culture to the high minded art community of the day; a dialogue that predicted the racial politics that would be on display at the 1993 Whitney Biennial. Other examples include a Flea Market (Frieze Art Fair, London, 2007) an art happening in which artists were invited to sell banal objects of their own making to the public, and Rumspringa Quilt: Double Double Rainbow (Gavin Brown's enterprise, New York, 2010) a show that was inspired by the Amish tradition of a period of freedom for teenagers before they join the church. Pruitt's artistic activity and visual flair demonstrate a spiritual elegance and an understanding of how to connect seemingly disparate contexts, giving the viewer the opportunity to be engaged in his or her own existence with an eye on the outside world.