April 5 – May 5, 2012

I am merely traveling around this information age with an eye to the not-too-distant-past, a digital camera, a good ear, and an insatiable appetite to create unique evidence of my take on it all.
– J Ivcevich

At Suite 207, garvey|simon ART ACCESS is proud to present a solo exhibition for artist J. Ivcevich. This will be the artist’s first solo show in New York. The exhibition will run from April 5 – May 5, 2012 with a planned reception on Thursday, April 5, 6-8pm. This is the first solo show organized by garvey|simon ART ACCESS in their new Chelsea location: Suite 207, 547 West 27th Street, New York, 10001.

This exhibition will feature a range of new works that the artist has produced over the last two years. In these paintings, Ivcevich has stripped his imagery down to its barest and most essential elements more than ever before, often leaving parts of the canvas completely raw and unpainted. In these paintings, the artist continues his pursuit for a peculiar beauty, serenity, and profoundness in otherwise overlooked and mundane surroundings. Many of the newest paintings were inspired by his recent trip to Mali in West Africa. The show will also feature sculptural installation and soundtrack elements.

Entirely self-taught, Ivcevich has always experimented with various painting techniques, photography, video and installation. He started his career as an artist in Atlanta after graduation from Emory University, where he received a degree in sociology. During that time, he was also pursuing life as a music producer and DJ. He continues to feel that the musician in him has a lyrical influence on his art.

The artist’s painting style has morphed over the years, but one constant is his distinct use of the syringe as a painting tool, whereby the artist “draws” with paint to create relief elements that meander through his compositions – outlining various shapes and imagery.

Through the presentation of distilled and interpreted imagery extracted from places as varied as his own Brooklyn neighborhood, Southeast Asia and the far reaches of Africa, the artist forges cross-cultural and universal connections via his experience as a sociological observer. Cultural tradition, urban detritus, religious ritual, ambiguous architecture and spirit of place are all fodder that fuels his work.

He defines his art as a cultural bricolage, using whatever is on hand while changing the original purpose to inform and comment. He is interested in portraying, via subtle allegory, subjects such as life and death, unknown tales past and present, and odd beauty in the ordinary. Iconic imagery of urban deterioration and isolated scenes removed from their context explore the triviality of modern culture. The artist doesn’t like to reveal too much about his own experiences with the subjects, but enjoys leaving room for interpretation in his work. The simplified elements have a universal appeal and we as viewers can add our own experiences and histories to them, bringing fresh new perspective on the work.

For more information or high resolution images, please contact Elizabeth Garvey, 917 796 2146, liz@gsartaccess.com
Gallery hours: Tuesday – Saturday 10-6.
www.gsartaccess.com