Poets, Gamblers, Fools

Parker Ito, visions of the Pilgrim’s Printer Progress from this world, to that which is to come (the suggestion of a Gesamtkunstwerk or a formal study on the beauty of reflective surfaces?), 2023, Ink, acrylic, modeling paste, and varnish on canvas
64 x 46 inches

In Poets, Gamblers, Fools, artists Parker Ito and Jon Rafman re-evaluate the label of “Post-Internet”, which they consider outdated, while simultaneously re-thinking what their “art dreams” were a decade and a half ago. Eternity, death and nostalgia become a thread connecting the works, using a language of Renaissance-reminiscent or religious iconography. Reflecting their general attitude of the internet’s corruption of the “sacred”, the imagery in the paintings and the video installations are transmuted with AI, the new technological uncharted territory. Even the soundtrack playing continuously for the exhibition conceived by Rafman, was created by AI. 

At the beginning of their careers, their source content was found imagery that lived on the fringes of the Internet but had an existence before, while AI is able to conjure images that had never existed in the real world before. I’m excited that they continue being curious about the relationship between art technology and culture, just as they did at the beginning of their careers a decade and a half ago when they were considered pioneers of Post-Internet art. Poets, Gamblers, Fools, organized by Grant Tyler, is currently on view at Lubov, New York.

Parker Ito, visions of the Pilgrim’s Printer Progress from this world, to that which is to come (genres: from this reticulation, to that which is to come) 2023, Ink, acrylic, modeling paste, paper, and varnish on canvas
64 x 46 inches

Parker Ito, visions of the Pilgrim’s Printer Progress from this world, to that which is to come (energy angel) 2023, Photosensitive dyes, ink, acrylic, paper, and gac 100 on jute
64 x 46 inches

Parker Ito, visions of the Pilgrim’s Printer Progress from this world, to that which is to come (Liquitex’s modeling paste vs. Golden’s molding paste), 2023, Ink, acrylic, flashe, modeling paste, paper, and varnish on canvas, 64 x 46 inches

Jon Rafman, Punctured Sky,2021
2K video, stereo sound 21:09 min

Jon Rafman, Egregore I-III, 2021
2K video, stereo sound 21:42 min

Parker Ito, visions of the Pilgrim’s Printer Progress from this world, to that which is to come (the only known self-portrait made by Seurat) 2023, Ink, acrylic, flashe, modeling paste, paper, and varnish on canvas
64 x 46 inches

Parker Ito, visions of the Pilgrim’s Printer Progress from this world, to that which is to come (tilt angel / death) 2023, Ink, acrylic, modeling paste, paper, and varnish on canvas
64 x 46 inches