The Raft

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Generic Art Solutions
The Raft
2010

About the Item

This Generic Art Solutions (G.A.S) adaptation of Theodore Gericault’s "Raft of the Medusa" (1818-19), which depicts lives needlessly lost at sea under the restored French Monarchy, is fused with the modern day tragedy of thee leven men who died during the BP Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion on April 20, 2010. Parallel stories of anguish, waste and mismanagement are blended into a timeless panorama on human fallibility. Generic Art Solutions (G.A.S.) is the collaborative efforts of Matt Vis and Tony Campbell. This New Orleans-based art duo utilizes nearly every art medium as they examine the recurring themes of human drama and the (dis)functions of contemporary society. Always rooted in the performative, they play every character in their work. In their more distilled “duets” we see something of a yin and yang (a balance between individuals that aren’t quite interchangeable), but in their more elaborate stagings, the resultant effect is as epic as the subject matter itself. By combining Classical, Romantic, and Baroque compositional elements with contemporary pictorial techniques, they manage to illuminate the common thread that connects past histories with current events. This strategy creates something of a “Déjà Vu effect” that is driven by drama and surrealism with traces of levity. In this dialogue between the past and present the viewer realizes several things: 1) that the history of art is inextricably political, 2) that human behavior repeats itself no matter how tragic or brutal, and 3) that this cycle of repetition must be broken so personal and societal progress can be made. Despite all this, their work contains a glimmer of hope--a hope that through thoughtful examination (and armed with a commitment to change) we can indeed forge a better future. Their “Video Portraits” (Caesar and Caligula, Power and Shame, Tin Soldiers, etc.) are certainly no less poignant, if less visually complex. Shot in black and white and viewed in pairs, the near-identical figures (again, played by Vis and Campbell) resemble “living human sculpture” struggling to keep their composure. These nearly motionless figures portray disciplined characters as they accept their fate before our very eyes. Consequently, these looped real-time observations provide the viewer a feeling of control as they stand in silent critique of society’s power figures and their eventual corruption. Their public performances certainly contain their most humorous and irreverent commentary on the function of art and contemporary life itself. More absurd than comical, their performances engage the audience by playing carefully developed roles with a specific task at hand. Their best-known and longest-running performance is the “International Art Police”, or the “Art Cops”. Beginning in 2000, they have outfitted themselves in authentic police uniforms (complete with badges, police cruiser, and special ticket books) and have taken to the streets with the mission of “Safeguarding Art Communities Worldwide”. Dubbed a “Public Service Performance”, they patrol art galleries, museums, and events looking for suspicious art activities. They maintain professionalism with respect to their self-imposed duty, and issue a “Notice of Violation” only when both officers are in agreement. The list of infractions indicates that they don’t take themselves too seriously: “Too Art School”, “Formulaic”, “Too Trendy”, and “Even I Could Do That”, to name a few. Many artists familiar with their mission even request tickets at their openings, but although all fines are only $45, few artists actually pay. As in the rest of their work, the underlying message reminds us that every action has its consequences whether we address them or not. The “Art Cops” has been performed in numerous cities including: Venice, London, New York, Miami, New Orleans, etc. The performance at Art:Basel Miami Beach in 2012 was featured in publications such as the Art Newspaper and ARTNews. Generic Art Solutions (G.A.S) has also exhibited their work in numerous museums, galleries and art fairs. In 2010, the duo mounted a solo exhibition at the New Orleans Museum of Art entitled Déjà Vu All Over Again. Their most recent solo exhibition circa: now was on view at Jonathan Ferrara Gallery in December 2013. In 2014, The duo will be participating in a group show Fútbol: The Beautiful Game curated by Franklin Sirmans (Prospect.3 Biennial Director) at Los Angeles County Museum of Art which will include work by: Ai Weiwei, Paul Pfeiffer, Vik Muniz, Lyle Ashton Harris, Andy Warhol, Nelson Leirner, Andreas Gursky, Gabriel Orozco, Sam Taylor-Wood, Kelly Barrie, Kehinde Wiley, Mark Bradford, Jedediah Caesar, Chris Beas, Generic Art Solutions (Matt Vis and Tony Campbell), Liz Glynn, Karl Haendel, and Drew Heitzler. Also in 2014, G.A.S will be showing ten photographs in an exhibition at ZACHĘTA National Gallery of Art in Warsaw, Poland with artists including: Mike Kelly, Janine Antoni, and Paul Pfeiffer. Their work is in several notable collections including: New Britain Museum of American Art, New Orleans Museum of Art, Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg, and noted curator Dan Cameron.

Creator:
Generic Art Solutions (1965-, American)
Creation Year:
2010
Dimensions:
Height: 30 in (76.2 cm)Width: 45 in (114.3 cm)
More Editions & Sizes:
48 x 72 inches, Edition of 3 Framing is an additional $1,000Price: $7,000
Medium:
Archival Ink,Inkjet,Photographic Paper
Movement & Style:
Contemporary
Period:
21st Century
Condition:
Edition of 11, 3 APs Available Editions: Edition 11 of 11 - $4,000 AP 1 of 3 - $4,500 AP 2 of 3 - $4,500 AP 3 of 3 - $4,500 Pricing listed above is for unframed option, framing is an additional $500.
Gallery Location:
New Orleans, LA
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU1052332322

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