The David Allen Gallery on Smith Street is raising some eyebrows
with its exhibition of paintings by Jennifer Ross, which opens
this weekend.
Is the surveillance tape of actress Winona Ryder’s sticky fingers
in action, or the eerily lit bedroom romp of heiress Paris Hilton
the stuff of art? Ross seems to think so, as these women – caught
as much by their celebrity as by their self destructive behavior
– have inspired her paintings, which are on display at the gallery
now through April 25.
The artist is also intrigued by reality TV programming, using
a television image of "The Osbournes" boarding a jet
with the family pooch as a departure point for the 2002 acrylic
on Lexan called "Kelly, Sharon & Maggie Getting on Plane"
(pictured).
According to Gallery Director David Allen, Ross has recorded
on video her own imaginary office drama, "Day Job,"
and (paint on vellum) storyboards from that project, depicting
more attractive 20-somethings, are on display in the gallery,
too.
Ross’ impressionistic works exploring young, wealthy women’s
fall from grace and society’s rubbernecking fascination with
watching the accidents are exquisitely explored in a series of
small acrylic on Lexan paintings of Hilton’s haunting, turquoise
face peering out of Lego frames and a large canvas of a coolly
beautiful Christina Aguilera being ogled by a second figure while
Eminem, made up as Marilyn Manson, rears his fearsomely painted
face from the bottom of the composition toward the sycophantic
scene above.
In this show, Ross’ fascination with America’s bloodthirsty
cult of celebrity quickly makes a viewer hungry for more.
The David Allen Gallery is located at 331 Smith St., between
Carroll and President streets, in Carroll Gardens. The gallery
is open Wednesday through Sunday, noon to 6 pm. For more information,
call (718) 488-5568.
OZZFEST ON SMITH
