US artist and photographer Jack Pierson uses a mish-mash of materials and methods in work that encompasses everything from collage and painting to photography and sculpture.
Jack Pierson, collage in mixed materials
His first exhibition at New York’s Lisson Gallery draws on his personal experiences of nights out and days in the studio for pieces that flit between the factual and the fanciful. In his hands, everyday objects are recontextualised and nothing is as it seems; once-glamorous motifs, such as neon signage, are rethought as large-scale sculptures, imbuing a knowing wordplay with a wistful tangibility. Pierson builds on these references, celebrating unexpected motifs in an egalitarian cultural melting pot.
Jack Pierson, He goes to work, 1991
In this retrospective, photography joins large-scale collages composed of magazines, photos and memorabilia, as well as a new series of sculptures created from silver-painted plywood Pierson found in his studio.
‘Jack Pierson: Pomegranates’ is on show until 14 October at Lisson Gallery,
New York
This article appears in the October 2023 issue of Wallpaper*, available in print, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today
Jack Pierson, RAFAEL (1986), 2022
Jack Pierson, REAL LIFE, 2023
Jack Pierson, [PINK] ARRAY, 2023
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