Syphilis Curated by Anton Kern and Adam Cohen!

Rental Gallery Presents SYPHILIS Curated by Anton Kern and Adam Cohen and Upstairs at Rental Gallery: HOLLY COULIS and RIDLEY HOWARD July 27 - August 22, 2018 Opening Reception: Friday, July 27, 6–8 pm Mark Heming, The Cowboy, Oil on canvas, 1954 SYPHILIS Works by: John Bellany, Robert Colescott, John Currin, Julie Curtiss, Carroll Dunham, Mark Grotjahn, Anthea Hamilton, Mark Heming, Cheyenne Julien, Mike Kuchar, Sam McKinniss, Alessandro Pessoli, Pablo Picasso, Richard Prince, Mika Rottenberg, Ed Ruscha, Emily Sundblad, Tabboo!, Henry Taylor, Andy Warhol There is an anxiety in all of us, because deep down we know that we're fucked. –The Curators Syphilis is an exhibition that reflects on hope and fear, pleasure and mortality. The idea originated from a conversation about this disease and how it can serve as a metaphor. Artists in the show explore themes of love and lechery in equal measure. A pair of silicone lips by Mika Rottenbergprotrude from the wall, parted slightly to reveal a kaleidoscopic video. Drawings by Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol and Carroll Dunham are unabashedly erotic. Works by John Currin and Julie Curtiss are seductive and sinister. Mike Kuchar’s paintings on paper are a Dionysian celebration of the male form while Sam McKinniss paints the beauty of internet celebrity without irony, laying bare a sense of danger hiding somewhere beneath the surface.  Richard Prince’s untitled (portrait) from 2015 is sourced from Instagram and translates the appropriation of the 1970s picture generation into a context where these tactics are now commonplace. In the world of the smart phone, indulgence takes many form, as does infection and disease. Over saturation and communication has led to disconnect. Human behavior shifts rapidly in this new environment and it is hard to know how to protect oneself or against what. Disease and destruction have always followed creation and reproduction. By addressing the symptoms of this cultural moment through art the curators hope to delay its progress a little while longer. The exhibition will be on view at the gallery through August 22nd. ----- UPSTAIRS AT RENTAL: HOLLY COULIS and RIDLEY HOWARD   Rental Gallery is also pleased to announce a two-person show by artists Holly Coulis and Ridley Howard in our upstairs gallery from July 27 - August 22, 2018. A reception for the artists will be held from 6-8pm on Friday July 27.  Holly Coulis depicts common objects in rhythmic and stylized arrangements. Playing with the tradition of still life, she elevates familiar themes into radiant and energetic compositions. The images are both minimal and visually dense. Her sense of color, line, and geometry creates pieces that appear simple, but reveal a complex interconnection. Historical predecessors include Morandi and William Scott, among many others- but her take on the subject is fresh and undeniably contemporary. Ridley Howard’s recent paintings portray imagined people and interactions in fictional spaces. They are painted with the subtle tones, finely tuned color, and specific details, evoking memory with an air of the surreal. They also feel at times like appropriated pop images or film stills, enhanced by elements of graphic abstraction. His work has been compared to artists as varied as Edward Hopper, Tom Wesselman, Rosalyn Drexler, and Josef Albers. Holly and Ridley lived for 17 years in Brooklyn, and recently moved to Athens, Georgia. They are co-founders of 106 Green in Brooklyn, and recently opened Howard’s in Athens. Holly has recently exhibited at Simon Lee in London, Cooper Cole in Toronto, Philip Martin Gallery in LA, and Klaus von Nichtssagend in NYC. Ridley recently exhibited with Marinaro Gallery in NYC, Andréhn-Schiptjenko at Art Basel in Switzerland, and has a forthcoming show with Night Gallery in LA. ABOUT RENTAL GALLERY Rental Gallery began in 2004 in Los Angeles as a way to bridge the New York and West Coast art communities, as well as to provide a venue for flexible and experimental programming, both by local curators and gallerists, and those from out of town. For more information, visit rentalgallery.us. 87 Newtown Lane, East Hampton, NY 11937 RENTAL GALLERY SUMMER HOURS 11am - 5pm By Appointment CLOSED TUESDAYS