Check out Javier Perés’ fist solo show at the Grimmuseum in Berlin

On January 4, 2012 · Leave a Comment · In Europe

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It’s about time we get to see Javier Perés’ own art! Everyone in the art world is talking about it! The Grimmuseum, Berlin, presents “One of ours”, the first solo exhibition of the Berlin/Los Angles based, Cuban born artist, gallerist and writer, Javier Perés. If anyone knows contemporary art it’s Perés, a man already highly respected in the industry for his ability to make superstars of the artists he chooses to represent. His artist roster includes or has included among others, assume vivid astro focus, Terence Koh, Kirstine Roepstorff, Dan Colen, Joe Bradley, Mark Titchner, Agathe Snow, Mark Flood and the late Dash Snow.

With “One of ours”, Perés expands his trajectory in the contemporary art field and presents himself as a practicing artist. Perés´ primary artistic concern is that of memory – both his own personal memories, and what he deems to be the collective memories and concerns of his generation. Rio and Too many Rivers (all works 2011) are two series’ of paintings depicting the iconic actor River Phoenix. Phoenix, who died in 1993 at the young age of 23, serves as both the inspiration and focus of all of Perés´ recent works. Perés approaches the image of a young River, with his bleached out platinum hair, as if he were a saint, a martyr of his day and time. In the Rio series he depicts Phoenix in the same manner, changing only the background image and colors. In the Too many Rivers series he depicts the young actor in different poses taken from publicity images found on the Internet – the repository and increasingly the source of our collective memories. Phoenix, still rocking the same platinum blonde hair, is presented in different aspects from a confident young man to a shy and vulnerable persona, less at ease with the viewer’s gaze and the public´s interest in his private life. River was our James Dean and Perés’ work clearly expresses that and explores the connection between art, artist, icon, and saint all one. I feel Javier captures the freedom that River possessed and presents him in a very approachable way, the way he made you feel in his films…like he was a friend, not an inaccessible movie star. I am also a huge River Phoenix fan and I remember clearly the second I heard that he had overdosed in 1993… it was early in the morning. I was deeply saddened because he was my favorite actor and because some of his films had really affected the way I perceived life and the decisions I made in it.

“One of ours” opens on January 12^th and runs through February 5^th. It should be an exciting show and I regret that it won’t be in NYC where I could view the work in person.

Javier Perés (b. 1972, Havana) is best known for his work as an art dealer and gallerist with Perés Projects, the art gallery he founded in 2002. Perés obtained a Bachelors of Arts degree with Honors from the School of International Service at The American University, Washington, D.C.; and a Juris Doctorate degree from The George Washington University School of Law. In addition to his education in diplomacy and law, Perés has studied art history and art practice throughout his life without pursuing formal degrees in either field. His foray into art making first became known to the general public with the self-published ‘zine cum art book, DADDY, the magazine which he published quarterly from 2007 to 2009. Perés currently also serves as the Arts Editor at GQ Style (UK). He lives and works in Berlin while still maintaining close ties to Los Angeles.

Jamie Martinez