An Idea of God, or a Toothbrush.
miniatures shown at Postmasters Gallery and Museum of Contemporary Art, Detroit. Notable collections: Brooklyn Museum and Stephanie Ingrassia
Large sculptures: Brooklyn Museum and Postmasters Gallery
Jen Catron & Paul Outlaw present a contradictory show of the tragic and the mundane, of logic that breaks down into absurdity. Dada artist Tristan Tzara once said dada can be god, or his toothbrush. It is with this perfectly sensible nonsensical logic that the artists present works that are both endearing and insane, from a miniaturized version of Alex Jones’ bathroom to a massive euphoric ice cream chocolate fountain. Reflecting upon the surreality of the past years’ daily mundanity being punctuated by insanity, the works oscillate between tragedies in belief (such as tiny replicas of cult suicides), to humorously absurd monumental objects.
Approaching 2019, the world feels like it mightcrumble, or triumphantly save itself. It’s within this state of limbo and chaos that Catron & Outlaw present oversized sculptures outfitted with fountains and participatory elements that monumentalize the confusion and surreality that comes from discerning truth from truthiness. The audience is invited to dive into an exploration in belief systems in an attempt to discern how we have arrived at this uneasy tipping point. Swim-able oversized sinks contrast with miniaturized evangelical end-of-world money-making pyramid schemes and conspiracies. Viewers will pay witness to historical rituals and be drawn into microcosms of bizarre yet normalized world views while considering, and ultimately giving in to, the absurdity of our own creations. The works are both everything and nothing, logic and nonsense, spiritual and nihilistic, god or a toothbrush.
Miniatures:
In the Future the Past Will be Different (part 2), 2016 mixed media 5 x 28 x 28 inches (13 x 71 x 71 cm) Postmasters Gallery is located at 54 Franklin Street in Tribeca | Tuesday through Saturday 11 -- 6 PM with Thursday hours extended to 8 PM Please contact Magdalena Sawon or Manan Ter-Grigoryan with inquiries and image requests at postmasters@thing.net | www.postmastersart.com This piece is a miniature reproduction of the final death scene for the cult Heaven’s Gate, whose cult suicide occured in 1997. Their beliefs included a faith in ancient astronauts who would come to receive the prized few into a highly developed, transhuman state. The artists became interested in the cult after corresponding via email with two remaining members were “left behind to answer correspondence”. The miniature piece portrays the scene of the 39 suicides, compete with bunk beds, purple cloths, and the black Nike shoes they wore in their final days.
909 Solo Cups, 2017 mixed media dimensions variable The 909 solo cups, at first glance, resemble a scene of a riotous frat party, but actually portrays the Jonestown massacre led by the charismatic cult leader Jim Jones. The 909 cups found at Jonestown, containing kool-aid spiked with poison, was the horrific final scene of a utopian religious community that moved to the jungle in Guyana.
Congrats!! (Operations Crossroads), 2018 mixed media 9 x 10 x 10 inches (23 x 25.5 x 25.5 cm) Following the nuclear tests on Bikini Island (in which United States moved an entire island of native people to another island where they subsequently suffered malnutrition, then to an even smaller island where food shipments had to be made to keep them from starving due to insufficient food sources, then back to Bikini where they experienced health problems due to the radioactivity found in the food supply) a cake was made in celebration of the nuclear testing success. The cake, shaped like the bomb “Baker” and its radioactive geyser, was cut by Vice Admiral Richard P Blandy, and his wife while Rear Admiral Frank J Lowry looked on, Nov 7, 1946.
Child’s Dollhouse #pizzagate (What Really Happened at Comet Ping Pong), 2018 ceramics and mixed media 30 x 15 x 16 inches (76 x 38 x 40.5 cm) This miniature dollhouse replicates what followers of the Pizzagate conspiracy theory believe is really happening at the popular DC restaurant Comet Ping Pong. Levels of basement and dungeon beneath the restaurant are believed by some ardent theorists to host a child pornography ring involving Hillary Clinton, John Podesta, Marina Abramovic, etc. The artists have included heavily loaded pieces of the conspiracy in the dollhouse, all believed to be at the actual location. The conspiracy theory led to an actual shooting within the pizza restaurant as a fanatical conspiracy theorist attempted to free the children trapped by Clinton and fellow democrats.
Soothing Desk Fountain I (The Last Meal for the Movement of the Restoration of Ten Commandments of God), 2018 ceramics and mixed media 15 x 14 x 13.5 inche (38 x 35.5 x 34 cm) This “soothing desk fountain” alludes to the last meal of the Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments of God, a cult that led to the deaths (suicide and murder) of 924 of the cult’s members and non-members. The night before the tragedy, a huge and festive party of slaughtered cows and sodas served as their last meal. The desk fountain, traditionally used as a tool for relaxation, is paired with this contradictory tragedy.
Bananas on sale! (Banana Massacre), 2018 mixed media 17 x 16 x 14 inches (43 x 40.5 x 35.5 cm) This miniature piece alludes to both a charming banana stand found on the side of the road as well as a grocery store display that could be found in Target, promoting the exceptionally cheap and popular fruit in the United States. The bananas, branded as Chiquita, which originated from the company United Fruit, represent a long and violent past of the company’s practices including ousting democratically elected Jacobo Arbenz Guzmán of Guatemala, creating banana republics, using environmentally degrading practices, and the killing of thousands of striking laborers protesting unfair working environments in the Banana Massacre. The piece contains 347 bananas, each representing a family who recently sued Chiquita in 2007 for funding a terrorist organization that killed their family members, to which Chiquita pled guilty. The piece, tropical and inviting, alludes to the darker history of how we are so easily able to buy this fruit.
Child’s Dollhouse #pizzagate (What Really Happened at Comet Ping Pong), 2018 ceramics and mixed media 30 x 15 x 16 inches (76 x 38 x 40.5 cm) This miniature dollhouse replicates what followers of the Pizzagate conspiracy theory believe is really happening at the popular DC restaurant Comet Ping Pong. Levels of basement and dungeon beneath the restaurant are believed by some ardent theorists to host a child pornography ring involving Hillary Clinton, John Podesta, Marina Abramovic, etc. The artists have included heavily loaded pieces of the conspiracy in the dollhouse, all believed to be at the actual location. The conspiracy theory led to an actual shooting within the pizza restaurant as a fanatical conspiracy theorist attempted to free the children trapped by Clinton and fellow democrats.
How do we discuss a tragedy and a conspiracy?, 2018 Resin and acrylic paint 24 x 15 inches (61 x 38 cm) Following the shooting of Sandy Hook, many conspiracy theorists such as Alex Jones, an avid gun rights advocate, proclaimed the shooting to be a complete fabrication, concocted by gun control advocates and liberal media. The children were actors, the parents were faking. Donald Trump subsequently praised Alex Jones lavishly on his radio show while on his campaign, giving further backing to the man behind the conspiracy theory. The conspiracy theory to this day continues to fester, causing some families of the victims to move in order to avoid the followers of the conspiracy theory harassment and death threats. This piece, though small in nature, is a tribute not only to the victims, but to the continuing reminders of pain the families endure.
Child’s Dollhouse #infowars (Alex Jones’ Bathroom), 2018 ceramics and mixed media Wallpaper by Ryan Brennan 8 x 7 x 7.5 inches (20.5 x 18 x 19 cm) This miniature imagines what the controversial conspiracy theorist and right wing radio anchor Alex Jones’ bathroom might look like in dollhouse format, complete with his purchasable line of quackery products. The products, meant to defend you from chem trails and impending government collapse, comprise many objects from protective “shield” pills to alt-right hero comic books. The bathroom, cute and collectible with cat references, contrasts with the over the top anger from this character’s very popular belief-based monologues.
Congrats!! (Operations Crossroads), 2018 mixed media 9 x 10 x 10 inches (23 x 25.5 x 25.5 cm) Following the nuclear tests on Bikini Island (in which United States moved an entire island of native people to another island where they subsequently suffered malnutrition, then to an even smaller island where food shipments had to be made to keep them from starving due to insufficient food sources, then back to Bikini where they experienced health problems due to the radioactivity found in the food supply) a cake was made in celebration of the nuclear testing success. The cake, shaped like the bomb “Baker” and its radioactive geyser, was cut by Vice Admiral Richard P Blandy, and his wife while Rear Admiral Frank J Lowry looked on, Nov 7, 1946.
The Jim Bakker Show! ( Time Has Come: How to Prepare Now for Epic Events Ahead.), 2018 ceramics and mixed media 10 x 23 x 23 inches (25.5 x 58.5 x 58.5 cm) Jim Bakker, a tv evangelist, convicted felon, and once again tv evangelist, re-emerged from jail with a message of impending doom and coming apocalypse. To truly prepare for these inevitabilities, followers must purchase buckets of dried food, prep kits, and Jim Bakker property in the Ozarks. This miniature version of The Jim Bakker Show set contains end of times products and books by the Bakkers that are actually available for purchase through his broadcasts. The empty stage references the future disappearance/reward of those who have believed in the Bakker’s message. The curtains open and close continuously, referencing the multiple theatrical end of times dates included in Jim Bakker’s message.
Turkey Pot Pie Special Only at Marie Callender’s (The Last Supper), 2018 ceramics and mixed media 3.5 x 51.5 x 6.5 inches (9 x 131 x 16.5 cm) This piece re-imagines the real-life last meal of the cult Heaven’s Gate, of whose 39 members ordered the identical meal of Turkey Pot Pie, side salad, and iced tea with lemon at the chain restaurant Marie Calendars as a last meal before committing group suicide. The last supper has always been a richly loaded meal used throughout history to memorialize important events, and this piece marks the occasion of the religious cult’s last meal, before their death/desired ascension, in an American chain restaurant.
Soothing Desk Fountain I (The Last Meal for the Movement of the Restoration of Ten Commandments of God), 2018 ceramics and mixed media 15 x 14 x 13.5 inche (38 x 35.5 x 34 cm) This “soothing desk fountain” alludes to the last meal of the Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments of God, a cult that led to the deaths (suicide and murder) of 924 of the cult’s members and non-members. The night before the tragedy, a huge and festive party of slaughtered cows and sodas served as their last meal. The desk fountain, traditionally used as a tool for relaxation, is paired with this contradictory tragedy.
Soothing Desk Fountain I (The Last Meal for the Movement of the Restoration of Ten Commandments of God), 2018 ceramics and mixed media 15 x 14 x 13.5 inche (38 x 35.5 x 34 cm) This “soothing desk fountain” alludes to the last meal of the Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments of God, a cult that led to the deaths (suicide and murder) of 924 of the cult’s members and non-members. The night before the tragedy, a huge and festive party of slaughtered cows and sodas served as their last meal. The desk fountain, traditionally used as a tool for relaxation, is paired with this contradictory tragedy.
Bananas on sale! (Banana Massacre), 2018 mixed media 17 x 16 x 14 inches (43 x 40.5 x 35.5 cm) This miniature piece alludes to both a charming banana stand found on the side of the road as well as a grocery store display that could be found in Target, promoting the exceptionally cheap and popular fruit in the United States. The bananas, branded as Chiquita, which originated from the company United Fruit, represent a long and violent past of the company’s practices including ousting democratically elected Jacobo Arbenz Guzmán of Guatemala, creating banana republics, using environmentally degrading practices, and the killing of thousands of striking laborers protesting unfair working environments in the Banana Massacre. The piece contains 347 bananas, each representing a family who recently sued Chiquita in 2007 for funding a terrorist organization that killed their family members, to which Chiquita pled guilty. The piece, tropical and inviting, alludes to the darker history of how we are so easily able to buy this fruit.
The Jim Bakker Show! ( Time Has Come: How to Prepare Now for Epic Events Ahead.), 2018 ceramics and mixed media 10 x 23 x 23 inches (25.5 x 58.5 x 58.5 cm) Jim Bakker, a tv evangelist, convicted felon, and once again tv evangelist, re-emerged from jail with a message of impending doom and coming apocalypse. To truly prepare for these inevitabilities, followers must purchase buckets of dried food, prep kits, and Jim Bakker property in the Ozarks. This miniature version of The Jim Bakker Show set contains end of times products and books by the Bakkers that are actually available for purchase through his broadcasts. The empty stage references the future disappearance/reward of those who have believed in the Bakker’s message. The curtains open and close continuously, referencing the multiple theatrical end of times dates included in Jim Bakker’s message.
Justice Scalia’s Room (and the conspiracy and discourse that followed), 2018 ceramics and mixed media 6.5 x 26 x 14 inches (16.5 x 66 x 35.5 cm) Following the death of Justice Antonin Scalia at Cibolo Creek Ranch in Texas, a series of conspiracy theories, including Obama killing Scalia, followed. The piece refers to a number of these theories and beliefs in the miniature replica of the room in minute clues and details. Scalia’s Room, while referencing the many conspiracies held by some, also represents beliefs held by the masses. A contentious Congressional show-down, reflective of the contemporary political turmoil, was occuring as Obama-nominee Merrick Garland was being refused a Senate hearing by Republicans, claiming Obama’s last year of presidency shouldn’t be considered. Scalia’s vacancy was eventually filled by Neil Gorsuch, a conservative Justice appointed by Trump.
Large Works:
Sin(k). 2019
Brooklyn Museum.
Tipping Point. 2019.
Back: Edible marzipan within a fridge, everyone invited to take one.
