Perry Rubenstein Gallery is pleased to present an exhibition of new work by Matthew Day Jackson. This will be Jackson's first major New York solo show. The work of Matthew Day Jackson employs the history of the United States. Working primarily in large-scale sculpture and drawing, Jackson is part of a new generation of artists who are explicit about reclaiming their past by highlighting the often gruesome part of American history, such as the Civil War, American Expansionism, and Jingoism. Reoccurring motifs include the turkey vulture, Eleanor Roosevelt, Benjamin Franklin, Native American imagery, iconography found in the Civil Rights Movement, to name a few. Jackson uses this imagery as a way to highlight the fragility and power found in nature. For example, the turkey vulture represents both a bird of creation and decay, renewal and death that occurs in the ecosystem. This bird is majestic and strong but unable to kill due to its weak beak and talons. The Cherokees called the turkey vulture a "peace eagle" because of these physical attributes. The tangible effects of craftsmanship in Jackson's work is ever-present; the materials Jackson uses to create his sculptures are laboriously hand carved, wood pieces, and incorporate various arts and crafts elements such as needlepoint and Sculpey. In addition, tooled leather is a feature of his sculptures.
For the exhibition at Perry Rubenstein Gallery, Jackson will include several large sculptures, a drawing installation and a single channel video.
Jackson currently lives and works in New York City. Jackson completed his M.F.A. at Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University and has been included in several major New York group exhibitions such as Greater New York at P.S. 1, MoMA, New York; Studio: Seven Months of My Aesthetic Education (Plus Some), NYC Version, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Forthcoming projects include an exhibition at the Astrup Fearnely Museum in Oslo, Norway; and "You Are Here," The Ballroom, Marfa, Texas.
Perry Rubenstein Gallery
527 West 23rd Street and
526 West 24th Street
New York, NY 10011
T 212-627-8000, F 212-627-6336, E info@perryrubenstein.com
www.perryrubenstein.com
Gallery hours: Tuesday - Saturday, 10:00 am to 6:00 pm.
Members of the press please contact:
Sara Fitzmaurice / Daniel Tanzilli
FITZ & CO
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daniel@fitzandco.com