Jonathan Meese: Sculpture December 12, 2010

For artist Jonathan Meese, there are no sacred cows, just the battle between good and evil. In his multifarious practice, which includes drawing, painting, performances, installations, set designs, traditional sculpture, and film, the wildly eclectic German artist remains ferociously committed to the dueling forces populating his head. But his complex installations, a teenager’s filthy bedroom aesthetic, and impenetrable layer of references, which draw from ancient myth, history, and contemporary pop culture, can end up feeling like trying to find a matching sock in a pile of unwashed laundry. “Jonathan Meese: Sculpture,” on view at the Museum of Contemporary Art, marks the artist's first major solo museum show in the United States. It also pops open the lid on the enigmatic talent’s cranial gearbox offering a clearer perspective on how Meese’s brain-pan operates. “We are exhibiting the sculptures that are at the root of his performances and installations,” the show’s curator and MOCA director, Bonnie Clearwater says. “This comes at a very important time in Meese’s development. It is an opportunity for people to slow down their looking and observe one work at a time,” she adds. See it through February 13. The museum is open Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Wednesday from 1 to 9 p.m.; and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.

Official Website: http://mocanomi.org/events/