David Connelly AKA DOSSHAUS returns to the Corey Helford Gallery in downtown L.A. with a new exhibit entitled POP GOES . . ., available (online only) until July 3rd. If you’re not familiar with Connelly’s black & white painted and X-Acto knifed cardboard constructions, it’s time to check them out. Incredibly detailed and delightfully surreal, they have the look of vintage cartoons or ads that have sprung to life. After the success of his 2018 Paper Thin Hotel at the Corey Helford, Connelly turned to his idols such as Joe Strummer, Patti Smith and Jasper Johns for his inspiration for this new series.
As he states in the press release, the coronavirus pandemic and the nationwide protests have given the works some added resonance. Certainly we can all relate to the piece called “Bad News,” with its boot kicking the TV screen. Some of the works come in corresponding pairs, so there is a “Good News” piece that’s a nice fantasy for us Clash fans: a TV set announcing that Joe Strummer lives! The letters pop out when the piece is seen from the side, which is hard to capture in a photo. Another Clash piece is “The Future Is Unwritten,” a 3D version of the art from the band’s single “Know Your Rights,” with its very timely lyrics.
The collection also includes three Pop portraits: two classic typewriters, one with a famous Patti Smith lyric and the other with one from Leonard Cohen, and “Work In Progress,” a self-portrait that features a cardboard X-Acto knife cutting out the word “Self.” One of the most complex pieces, especially for something made of cardboard, is “Simple Solution,” an ATM with a crowbar smashed into the screen and money spilling out. “Simple Solution 2” shows a can of black paint pouring into a can of white, referencing both Connelly’s preferred color scheme and the dream of racial harmony.
(Photo gallery after the jump)
While the Corey Helford Gallery is closed for the time being, POP GOES . . . is available for viewing on the gallery’s website and Facebook, and also as a virtual tour. Here’s hoping they’ll be able to open their doors again soon.
Photos courtesy of Corey Helford Gallery
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- David Connelly
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- At Corey Helford Gallery
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- “Portrait of Leonard Cohen”
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- “Simple Solution” (1)
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- “Simple Solution” (2)
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- “The Future is Written in Code”
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- “Work In Progress” (self portrait)
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- “Cut Up”
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- “Bad News”
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- “Good News”
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- “Good News” from side angle.
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- DOSSHAUS Studio
