JOSH JEFFERSON: Not for Nothing
January 4 – February 23, 2019
Steven Zevitas Gallery is pleased to present Not for Nothing, an exhibition of new paintings by Josh Jefferson. The exhibition will run from January 4 – February 23, 2019 with an opening reception Friday, January 4 from 5:30 – 8 PM.
Over time, Jefferson’s work has been defined by a continual evolution of process. His most recent work is a type of experimentation built from the process of accumulation and conjugation. Jefferson describes the process of assembling each work as “a type of alchemy,” wherein a certain pressure is exerted by the application of independent elements to the canvas, a force that fuses together disparate parts and transforms their materiality.
Each work is meticulously constructed with cut pieces of painted canvas. In some works, Jefferson’s process yields the effect of leather, or a bronzed piece of metal. Bold brushstrokes are juxtaposed with large collaged pieces, using a dissimulation of technique that fools the eye and demands closer inspection. In this process, boundaries are being simultaneously eaten and advanced as Jefferson bends toward and away from a personal vernacular to refine and innovate. In Not for Nothing we see more internal structure in Jefferson’s work than ever before, an order of almost-functioning moving parts. As in his previous work, the figure is present, but urgent eccentricities are replaced with optical mechanics, soft industrial figuration, and dark, inviting space.
JOSH JEFFERSON has been the focus of numerous articles, including a full feature in the April 2016 issue of Juxtapoz. This year he received the highest level of Artist Fellowship from the Massachusetts Cultural Council in Painting. Recent exhibitions include one-man shows at Zevitas Marcus in Los Angeles, Gallery 16 in San Francisco, and TURN Gallery in New York City, as well as group exhibitions at Zieher Smith in New York City and Zevitas Marcus in Los Angeles. This is Jefferson’s second solo show at Steven Zevitas Gallery.
SELECTED WORKS:
