I am fascinated by the bedroom. You spend about one-third of your time in bed. Young in my adolescence I can recall having significant breakthroughs in my own quest for identity and purpose. In the privacy of a bedroom we can examine and pick apart ourselves. A bedroom can feel like an impenetrable sanctuary, ignorant of stresses, the future and others. Inviting someone into your bedroom is its own unique experience, sex and intimacy can allow us to reacquaint ourselves, reveal our vulnerabilities to one another and these particular encounters can even significantly impact our lives and future. “Big Girl” by Gretchen Nuechter, the artist’s re-imagining of her teenage bedroom/ BFA Thesis show at CalArts this past winter, has been the catalyst for this group exhibition, encouraging viewers to indulge in states of nostalgia, intimacy and self reflection.
After reading James Baldwin’s “Giovanni’s Room” at the age of 16, I had often imagined myself in character as Giovanni, feeling eager to invite someone into my space, into my psyche — to then be left painfully saddened and solemn when vexed by most love/lust interests. I swiftly grew out of angst and quickly nosedived into self discovery and imagination.
“Bedroom” will be on view from April 3 - May 4, 2024. Included artists are Stephen Buscemi, Patrick Carroll, Juan José Heredia, Jeremy Jaspers, Gretchen Nuechter, Erica Vincenzi, Rikkí Wright.
Further Reading:
https://www.artforum.com/columns/andrea-fraser-2-218192/
https://www.artforum.com/features/rack-talk-202166/
https://www.felixgonzalez-torresfoundation.org/works/untitled57
https://www.maxhetzler.com/exhibitions/katharina-grosse-the-bedroom-2023
https://www.anothermag.com/fashion-beauty/1084/katharina-grosses-painted-bed-installation
https://www.blind-magazine.com/news/peter-hujar-multiplying-connections/
https://www.newyorker.com/books/under-review/sophie-calle-and-the-art-of-leaving-a-trace
https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/the-unsparing-confessions-of-giovannis-room
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