Mike Piscitelli
In “Devolution,” artist Mike
Piscitelli has re-rendered photographs in a striking collection of red and
black painted bitmaps. Bitmaps are
commonly used in image-editing computer programs to represent images through a
grid of small squares known as pixels. Piscitelli
has appropriated the bitmap technique to create paintings that reveal their
images by breaking them apart.
As the name suggests, the
works in “Devolution” follow a controlled pattern of deteriorating detail. As pixels are added and removed, the images
they represent are surrendered and re-rendered at varying distances.
The paintings take their
images from Piscitelli’s photographs of friends and models. The figures are starkly androgynous,
suggesting a sexual, as well as graphic, retrogression. Thin and free from curves or irregularities,
their bodies recall the innocent and straightforward, though nonetheless
charged, eroticism of adolescence. Simple, direct poses and a preference for
anonymous parts over expressive eyes reveal a decided rejection of the innuendo
and role playing typical of the figure in art and fashion photography.
Piscitelli is a young, New
York-based artist. Rather than the
university or art school, Piscitelli came up through the ranks of porn, fashion
photography, and music videos. His photography
and video work displays an unusually perceptive connection to youth culture. A series of promotional video shorts
Piscitelli directed for MTV earned him an Art Directors’ Club award for
Outstanding New Talent.
The connection between
popular and fine art is undeniable in contemporary culture. Rather than apprenticeships and a mastery of
classical painting techniques, today’s sharpest talent digests a canon of music
videos, movies, television, and fashion magazines. “Devolution” examines the source and product
of a contemporary artistic lineage.
“Devolution,” curated by Neil
Grayson, contains Piscitelli’s first collection of large-scale paintings, an
interactive installation, and a limited-edition hand-made chap book.
Opening Reception:
Exhibition Hours: Tuesday – Saturday