California Stars, acrylic and lacquer on panel
Marine Contemporary Presents Jow: A California Minute
C – the dit dit dah of Morse code travels through the
A – dark blue water, white tipped waves beneath the moonlight
L – displaced in a foreign land
I – longing to be back in California
F – distance + desire
O – comforted by the lyrics from that familiar tune
R – sunshine, sand, blue skies, palm trees, LEMONS
N – soul, stars, girls, nights
I – slow pace, laid back, dreamin’
A – California minute
The predominant focus of this show is lyrics from songs about California from the 1960’s and early 1970’s. For the last five years, a significant part of Jow’s work has focused on text and word play with a special emphasis on signs and symbols. More known for her witty and irreverent drawings on vintage letterhead paper, this show marks a departure from that body of work and focuses more on the artist’s love for language in its purest visual form.
For A California Minute, Jow explores the complexity of California’s allure and fantasies about the Golden State’s promise through the simple dots and dashes that articulate Morse code. Extending out of her earlier work with Braille, Jow became interested in Morsecode, not only for its capacity to communicate language and its romantic sense of nostalgia, but also because its graphic qualities are reminiscent of work by minimalist artists of the same period.
For A California Minute, Jow explores the complexity of California’s allure and fantasies about the Golden State’s promise through the simple dots and dashes that articulate Morse code. Extending out of her earlier work with Braille, Jow became interested in Morsecode, not only for its capacity to communicate language and its romantic sense of nostalgia, but also because its graphic qualities are reminiscent of work by minimalist artists of the same period.
On view September 10 – October 15 2011.
Opening Reception September 10 6-9.
