Ry Rocklen house of return Sep 9 - Oct 25, 2009

RY ROCKLEN, HOUSE OF RETURN

September 9 - October 17, 2009

PARKER JONES is pleased to announce the solo exhibition by Ry Rocklen, House of Return.

Rocklen's practice is one of discovery by means of scavenging, searching, finding or inheriting objects that by way of their pasts and inherent formal qualities possess powerful psychic and poetic potential. After the initial introduction to the object, Rocklen's process takes any direction it needs to preserve the physical and emotional integrity of the original while pushing it into the meta-object status of fine art and imbuing it with an aura that transcends it's inanimate nature.

This exhibition's title, House of Return, carries multiple references for Rocklen. It refers to his artistic practice as a whole (forlorned objects returning as sculpture), the location of the exhibition (Rocklen was born and raised in Los Angeles, thus making this show something of a homecoming) and is taken from a specific thrift store in his neighborhood. Most importantly, though, it points to the subject of the exhibition: home. Conceived as a counterpoint to his recent solo exhibition in New York, which Rocklen describes as ‘the temple,’ House of Return unites found objects and old carpet to create the mental and physical space of the domestic. Consisting of a home’s essential components--a place to sleep, a dish to eat from, something to wear, and a window to look through--House of Return presents a distilled, haunting, and enigmatic portrait of the dwelling.

Ry Rocklen received his MFA from the University of Southern California in 2006. Notable recent group exhibitions include The Athens Biennale 2009: Heaven, Second Nature: The Valentine-Adelson Collection (The Hammer Museum, 2009) and The Whitney Biennial (The Whitney Museum of American Art, 2008). Recent solo exhibitions include Marc Jancou Contemporary (2009), Bernier/Eliades (2008) and Baronian Francey (2008). The artist lives and works in Los Angeles.