P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center is pleased to present a new body of work by California-based photographer Ari Marcopoulos. Best known for his anthropological, insider look at snowboarding, skateboarding and hip-hop cultures, Marcopoulos' photographs reflect a casual, self-taught aesthetic. This exhibition is on view from October 23, 2005 through January 23, 2006.
An opportunity for insight into a more private aspect of the artist's life, the twenty color photographs shown at P.S.1 might seem a deliberate departure from Marcopoulos' previous work. But whether tracking the nomadic packs of professional snowboarders or the Beastie Boys on tour, Marcopoulos has always been drawn to the spontaneous and genuine dynamic of alternative incarnations of family. For the first time he explores what it means to be a member of his own domestic tribe.
Both the natural landscapes and the family portraits are marked by an innate stillness and isolation. Lush colors and textures of his often imposing landscapes are reflected in portraits of his two young sons, who are represented in images that express the universal challenges of growing up. Though such a concentration on his domestic life may seem contradictory to his reputation as a denizen of the worlds of music and extreme sports, it becomes evident that these photographs celebrate his ability to synthesize and document the quotidian with the wide appeal of music and sport subcultures. While the moments that Marcopoulos captures are undeniably personal, a signature aesthetic objectivity prevails. Marcopoulos attempts to locate an element of "otherness" in the everyday, thereby creating a certain level of detachment in such intimate imagery.
These interior and exterior glimpses Marcopoulos' home life in the bucolic surrounds of Northern California reveal a maturing and ultimately affecting view of the artist.
Ari Marcopoulos was born in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, in 1957. He currently works and lives in Sonoma, California. His work has been published in The New York Times Magazine, Interview, Paper, Blind Spot, Transworld Snowboarding, and Snowboarder. Films include the documentary Larry Wright; a longform video for the Beastie Boys; and Key to the Riddle, a documentary on Forrest Bess. Marcopoulos' photographs have been acquired by the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York and SFMOMA. Books include Out and About, 2005; Kids Born out of Fire, 2004; Pass the Mic: Beastie Boys 1991-1996, 2001; and Transitions and Exits, 2000.
This exhibition is curated by Alanna Heiss. In conjunction with the exhibition, JRP-Ringier will publish a book featuring an essay by Matsui Midori.