Patrick Painter Inc. is pleased to present the first solo exhibition of new works by the Clayton Brothers at our East and West galleries at Bergamot Station in Santa Monica. Using the traditional subject matter of the still life fruit bowl as a point of departure, the large-scale paintings by Rob and Christian Clayton are an explosion of nuclear colors depicting fruits, figures, and a myriad of objects which all come together to form a cacophony that is both allegorical and nonsensical – due to each brothers solitary contributions. Independently, Rob and Christian inject a shot of slap stick adrenaline into the oft insipid, art historical convention of nature morte.
Rob and Christian Clayton, graduates of Art Center College of Design, Pasadena, began collaborating in 1996. During their process, they contribute to the mixed media pieces separately while continuously adapting, transforming, and re-working what the other has previously completed. Their unconventional process, in which they leave visual clues or messages for one another, strands of ideas for each to pick up on and elaborate upon, produces an organic flow of subverted content, that is finalized only when a fraternal consensus has been reached. Their process results in rich and dynamic work, filled with multiple marks, gestures and techniques, symbols and metaphors that delve into memory and subconscious, highly personal and idiosyncratic yet engaged with the culture that surrounds them.
The title of the show, Jumbo Fruit, highlights the artificiality and instant gratification of consumer society, the Bigger is better mantra of every day life, and Clayton Brother’s work is a testament to a society that is constantly adapting, transforming, and re-inventing itself to continue its progression and advance its achievements. The work is a reflection of the American psyche in its complexity and myriad of interpretive possibilities.
Though they have achieved an almost “cult hero” status in Los Angeles, this is their first show here in over half a decade and it is sure to feed the hunger of Angeleno art enthusiasts of all types. Bold and brilliant colors and crowded compositions create images that are simultaneously brash and beautiful and that reflect the visual tropes of this “Paradise Spleen.” This show, which will include larger works in the West Gallery and a host of smaller works in the East Gallery, marks the brothers’ bodacious return to the West Coast stage.
Both Rob and Christian serve as faculty at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. Their work has been exhibited across the globe, including major shows in China, the UK, and Denmark. They will be the subjects of an upcoming solo exhibition at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art in the fall of 2010.
Please visit www.claytonbrothers.com to see more work
Patrick Painter Inc. presents “Jumbo Fruit”
July 18 – August 29, 2009
