Jason Rhoades

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Jason Rhoades (b. July 9, 1965 in Newcastle, California - d. August 1, 2006 in Los Angeles) was an installation artist who enjoyed critical acclaim, if not widespread public recognition, at the time of his death,[1] and who was eulogized by some critics as one of the most significant artists of his generation.[2][3] Better known in Europe, where he exhibited regularly for the last twelve years of his life, Rhoades was recently celebrated for his combination dinner party/exhibitions that feature violet neon signs with African, Caribbean, Creole and hip-hop slang for the female genitalia.

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[edit] Education & work

Rhoades received his MFA from UCLA in 1993 after studying at the California College of the Arts in Oakland, the San Francisco Art Institute and the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture. During the time of his studies at the San Francisco Art Institute he was one of the founders of a movement called "Funk o' Metric", also known as FOM or FOAM. The members of this group included Peter Warren, Bill Becchio, Laurie Steelink, Sebastian Clough, and Marshall Weber, among others.

Rhoades gained notoriety with an 1994 exhibit titled "Swedish Erotica and Fiero Parts," shown at the Rosamund Felsen Gallery in West Hollywood, California. The piece filled the building and included assemblages of cardboard, scrap wood, staples, paper clips, and yellow legal pads, as well as the artist's car, a fiberglass Pontiac Fiero, parked behind the building and considered part of the artwork. Rhoades work was shown at the Whitney Biennial exhibition in 1997, and at multiple museums and galleries in Europe. He frequently collaborated with artist Paul McCarthy and gallery owner David Zwirner, who represented the artist for 14 years. At the time of his death, Rhoades was working on an event in Portland, Oregon[4] that was to include a wrestling match between roller derby girls wallowing in a plastic tub filled with bath lotions, soaps and sexual lubricants.

[edit] Personal life

Rhoades was the son of Jack and Jackie Rhoades and had two brothers, Greg and Matt. He was married to Australian-born artist Rachel Khedoori and had a three-year-old daughter named Rubi. Rhoades' sister-in-law (and his wife's identical twin sister) is the painter Toba Khedoori.

[edit] Death

Rhoades was taken from his home to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center early on the morning of August 1, 2006, where he was pronounced dead. The cause of death was thought to be heart failure. According to the Los Angeles County coroner's office Jason Rhoades death was caused by accidental drug intoxication and heart disease.

A planned re-creation of "Black Pussy Soirée Cabaret Macramé" has been shown in New York City in November 2006, featuring recordings and photographs made at the original event from the artist's Los Angeles studio in early 2006. It featured at its center the artist's (empty) white suit, in which the artist photographed himself shortly before his death. "He never signed his work, because they weren't that kind of pieces. But that is in lieu of a signature," his dealer told the Los Angeles Times.

[edit] Notes

Diane Haithman. "Artist's death ruled accidental[2]", Los Angeles Times, October 7, 2006

  1. ^ Diane Haithman. "He left behind one last puzzle", Los Angeles Times, August 18, 2006. 
  2. ^ Diane Haithman. "Jason Rhoades, 41; Artist Combined Humor, Poignancy", Los Angeles Times, August 3, 2006. 
  3. ^ Jerry Saltz. "Jason Rhoades", The Guardian (UK), August 12, 2006. 
  4. ^ PORT [1], August 2 2006

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