JOSEPH HART
NERVOUS SYSTEMS
OPENING RECEPTION:
NOVEMBER 6TH, 1:00 - 4:00PM
EXHIBITION DATES:
NOVEMBER 6 - DECEMBER 18, 2021
Romer Young Gallery is pleased to present Nervous Systems, a solo exhibition of paintings by New York artist Joseph Hart. This is the artist’s fourth solo exhibition with the gallery. The exhibition will be on view Saturday, November 6th through Saturday, December 18, 2021 with an opening reception on Saturday, November 6th, 1-4pm.
Nervous Systems is centered around Hart’s love for drawing. Earnestly using only oil sticks on primed stretched canvas, the eight paintings on view highlight Hart’s signature linework and capture a sense of curiosity, complexity and simplicity. “While making this body of work, I thought about the thousands of drawings I’ve made in my lifetime and the development, care, and dedication that went into all that work. At times I caught myself tracing some of those memories in an effort to tease out my history. I trusted and believed in my moves and marks as I was making them. I didn’t feel compelled to edit, erase, or sex up any of that honesty. No second guessing. The crawl and curve and touch of a wandering line on an empty ground holds mountains of power and information. Nothing is hiding. It’s all right there in the delivery and character of the thing.
I thought about tempo as an illusion—these marks and actions happened relatively slowly but read as quick. Imagine a (break) dancer mimicking an aggressive movement as if it were in slow motion. I appreciate the craft behind those physical and visual tricks. And how it feels to stylize and repeat a mark—all that wonderful practice and control that can be applied in different ways and at different times. I thought about nervous systems, armatures and our bones as super structures of protection and support. I wanted to describe a posture and translate an unnamable feeling into dynamic marks on the surface.”
Joseph Hart is a New York (unceded land of the Lenape peoples) based visual artist. His work can be found in the public collections of the RISD Museum, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Davis Museum at Wellesley College and The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Hart received a B.F.A. from the Rhode Island School of Design in 1999. Hart lives in Brooklyn, New York, with his partner and two children.
Concurrent with his studio practice, Hart is the founder and producer of Deep Color™--an independent oral history project and podcast that features artists and arts professionals discussing their work, ideas and lives. Deep Color™ has participated in public programming at On Air Fest, The Armory Show and New Art Dealers Alliance (NADA).
For additional information please contact the gallery at 415.550.7483 or email info@romeryounggallery.com.
EXHIBITION IMAGES:
