Friction and Mist
A Solo Exhibition by John Jacobsmeyer
24.02.24 - 30.03.24
“The woods near my home are littered with downed trees, some toppled by violent storms, others from pernicious vines. I do not paint the idyllic American sublime represented by artists like Thomas Cole, nor its Modern iteration like those of Georgia O’Keefe. These derelict woodlots between highways and shopping plazas where nature persists in toxic proximity to man display a well-known truth about life: that it comes from death. My work depicts the root systems of these forest denizens exposed, decaying, and, ultimately, transforming to their true selves, a collective vital system.”
John Jacobsmeyer, 2024
When the mist settles and the world believes that the earth rests, a woodland comes to life under the illuminated trees in John Jacobsmeyer’s fantastical universe, presenting aspects of the artist’s philosophical thoughts and imaginative childhood memories.
“Friction and Mist” marks Jacobsmeyer’s fourth solo exhibition at Gallery Poulsen since his debut in 2015. The American artist will travel across the Atlantic to attend the opening exhibition, where we are excited to welcome you on Saturday, February 24th, from 12:00 to 16:00 at Gallery Poulsen, Staldgade 32. Jacobsmeyer has been a consistent part of our ever-evolving constellation of international artists and has played a significant role in shaping Gallery Poulsen’s artistic identity over the years.
His evocative paintings, which often tend to draw upon various pop culture references, present a powerful narrative of life triumphant in death. He depicts highly saturated metaphysically charged scenes of dead, decaying, and fallen trees, where the sacred earth bears witness to every passing moment in time.
Jacobsmeyer, son of New Hampshire farmers, spent much of his childhood in vast abandoned woodlots adjacent to industrial zones and highways. Here, he and other children from the town invented adventurous games where they built elaborate clubhouses made from old branches and assorted debris. Among the trees and discarded matter, the forest presents a hidden place of refuge for societal misfits, tucked away from the gaze of society. We experience the unfolding of these narratives in a universe where fantasy and reality become intertwined.
In “Friction and Mist”, Jacobsmeyer’s work sheds light on a life force that exists in nature and proves resilient in the face of adversity. Although the works of the exhibition depict scenes of abandonment, there still echoes a story behind them. While Jacobsmeyer’s art moves through themes of deterioration and decay, there exists an underlying power that withstands this relentless force. The derelict woodland does not stand stagnant. Jacobsmeyer’s ability to create complex spatial configurations through his refined use of light and perspective unveils the powerful forces that lie beneath the earth to unsuspecting passersby.
“Years ago, I left Brooklyn to live just north of New York City in the cluster of villages dating back to Washington Irving’s tales of horror and magic. His work, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, took place just a mile from here. Even today, with the steady hum of semi-trucks on the interstate the fog-shrouded landscape evokes that sense of the supernatural. In the city, I painted a sort of ‘afterlife’ of trees using the pine plywood construction fencing that littered every corner of the city. Whereas here, among the river towns and commuter arteries, a tree’s afterlife follows a different cycle by extravagantly dying, turning up its roots into the air, inviting a host of organisms to partake. These dead trees are a forest's ancient ruins. And like ruins, they play host to scavengers, misfits, and dreamers. This is what I paint.”
John Jacobsmeyer, 2024
Since 2000, John Jacobsmeyer has actively contributed to the evolving discourse surrounding conceptual figurative art in New York. He received his BFA from the University of New Hampshire and an MFA in painting and printmaking from Yale University. Alongside his artistic career, Jacobsmeyer teaches printmaking, painting, and art theory at the New York Academy of Art’s Graduate School. Additionally, he has taught and lectured at over 40 universities and higher education institutions worldwide including Rhode Island School of Design, Central Academy of Fine Arts Beijing, Shanghai University, Vanderbilt University, and the Pratt Institute.
Friction and Mist
A Solo Exhibition by John Jacobsmeyer
24.02.24 – 30.03.24
Opening reception: Saturday, February 24th, 12.00 – 16.00
The Exhibition presents a series of new oil paintings
Contact the gallery at [email protected] or tel.+ 45 33 33 93 96 for more info
Installation Images
