A self-taught artist with roots in graffiti, REVOK’s career has expanded over several decades to illuminate new possibilities in dialogue between process-driven art forms. His latest body of work reflects the impact of the artist’s transition from the West Coast to the Midwest, blending inspiration from various cultural and artist-driven movements. Specifically, this exhibition addresses the effect of automation and factory-based labor across the United States, including these machines’ phenomenal impact on artistic practice. Considering the relationship between humans and technology, REVOK has created a series of instruments that act as an extension of his body.
This enormous piece initially appears to be a machine produced repetitive pattern. Upon close inspection, each iteration possesses its own characteristics. Irregular hand-painted lines and consequential dribbles are unique to each design set revealing its human-made origin.
Children of a certain generation possessed playthings like Tinker Toys and Lincoln Logs, Playdoh and Spirographs that encouraged young developing minds to build, generate, explore handmade beauty. This work exemplifies that mindset with layers of attempts painted over and tried again. Their residue in marks and drips illustrate an artist’s process of continuously working out visual solutions.
Relief From the Heat presents Detroit-based artist Rashaun Rucker’s ruminations on intergenerational identity and kinship sustained within the Black Church. Born and raised in the American South, Rucker reminisces on the church as a space for communal gathering, familial intimacy, and identity development. Nationally recognized for his printmaking and draftsman work, this exhibition is a return to Rucker’s roots as a photojournalist, the career that brought him to the Midwest via a job at the Detroit Free Press. Reflecting on his journey as a creative, Rucker expands the medium of documentary photography and drawing to present an installation of brand new multi-medium works. Relief From the Heat is a nod to the aunties, uncles, and cousins who created a village that grew Rucker into the artist he is today.
Not merely a tool to cool a church goer before the advent of air conditioning, the church fan was used for advertising, presented positive images of the Black community and the manner in which it was used might indicate the sermon was particularly good that day. Rucker employs this quintessential accessory to continue his narrative on his search for a completely safe place to rest.
Pure love and joy.
Both of these artists are exploring what it means to be human, which includes universal conditions of pain, uncertainty, constant work and the search for momentary reprieve. Machines that were supposed to make life easier only created more work. Rest and comfort come in our togetherness where we love and support each other as we negotiate our lives.
On view through March 26th at MOCAD 4454 Woodward Ave, Detroit
Jason REVOK appears courtesy of Library Street Collective
Rashaun Rucker appears courtesy of M Contemporary
*images are mine
direct quote from gallery materials
SHOWS OPEN THIS WEEKEND
Noel Night December 3rd