ROB PRUITT: HOLY CRAP
Press Release
Art Production Fund is honored to present “Holy Crap” by Rob Pruitt in association with Sotheby’s. This public art installation will coincide with the exhibition “Divine Comedy” opening at Sotheby’s September 30, 2010. Sotheby's invited Art Production Fund to bring art onto the street by commissioning an artist to create a site-specific project in the front windows of their York Avenue headquarters. By taking place in the street level windows, the exhibition is available to the public and Sotheby’s visitors alike.
“We are thrilled to be working with Rob Pruitt, to introduce his “Holy Crap” series in New York City. This public art initiative takes the “Divine Comedy” exhibition beyond the walls of Sotheby’s and in to the public realm.” says Co-founders of Art Production Fund, Yvonne Force Villareal & Doreen Remen.
“Divine Comedy” will encompass art from antiquity to the present, dealing rather specifically with renditions of hell, purgatory, and paradise – but all with a slight comic twist – irreverent, wry, and often dark humor. This commissioned work, through the partnership with Art Production Fund, becomes a beacon for the exhibition.
“I love multitasking, like driving and having a religious experience at the same time. I love jokes. I love advertising and billboards. I love Jenny Holzer. I love advice and rules and adages and reminders and lists, like the 10 commandments. I love big bold larger then life characters like God and Satan. I love horror movies and stories of the supernatural and high drama narratives distilled into a handful of words, like “He died for your sins.” But what follows is a whole new testament... “ Rob Pruitt, June 2010, NYC
Rob Pruitt (b. 1964, Washington, D.C.) is rooted in a pop sensibility and a playful critique of art world structures. His conceptual projects have encompassed sensational staged events as well as simple gestures that promote possibilities for creativity in everyday life. From his glittering paintings of panda bears and sculptural formations of blue jeans to his operative flea markets, Pruitt’s work is always characterized by an incisive humor and exuberant visual flair. Solo exhibitions include: Contemporary Art Center, Cincinnati (2001); the American Academy in Rome (2008). Group exhibitions include: Greater New York, P.S. 1, Long Island City, New York (2000); Post-POP, Post-PUNK, Museum of Contemporary Art, Washington, D.C. (2000); Protest and Survive, Whitechapel Art Gallery, London (2000); The Americans New Art, Barbican Gallery, London (2001); Shanghai Biennale, Shanghai Art Museum (2002); Trade, White Columns, New York (2005); Seeing Double, Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh (2005); The Inside Game, Portland Art Center (2006); and The Station, Art Basel Miami (2008). Pruitt lives and works in New York and is represented by Gavin Brown Enterprise.
Art Production Fund (APF) is a non-profit organization dedicated to producing ambitious public art projects, reaching new audiences and expanding awareness through contemporary art. Co-Founders: Yvonne Force Villareal & Doreen Remen; Director: Casey Fremont
