Jon Pylypchuk

The Crying, No Arms, Mournful Thoughts Society

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

JON PYLYPCHUK AKA RUDY BUST
"The Crying, No Arms, Mournful Thoughts Society"
January 13 - February 17, 2001
Opening reception: Saturday, January 13, 6-8 pm

Friedrich Petzel Gallery is pleased to announce the first New York solo exhibition of work by Jon Pylypchuk aka Rudy Bust. The Crying, No Arms, Mournful Thoughts Society will be comprised of 38 collage paintings and a group of wire sculptures.

Jon Pylypchuk was raised in Winnipeg, Canada but now lives and works in Los Angeles, where he adopted the pseudonym "Rudy Bust". The work has a raw look suggestive of early Jean Dubuffet and Enrico Baj but also embodies an undeniable Southern California sensibility. His materials consist primarily of scrap plywood, wallpaper remnants and various fabrics to which he glues sand, glitter and matchsticks. Instead of a paintbrush, Pylypchuk uses a screw-gun to fabricate his paintings and a pencil to inscribe dialogue onto them. This crude look is balanced by the fragility of characters that make appearances in different settings such as seascapes and interiors. Floating hearts debate the tragedies of love's labor lost with elongated torsos that respond with obscenities and self-pitying remarks.

Like any great pop song, the beauty of Pylypchuk's work is in his fearless use of themes and materials—nothing is considered too trivial or pathetic. Similar to Sigmar Polke's early work from the 1960s, Pylypchuk's images paraphrase all kinds of mediated clichés, mapping out a comedy of errors with an oddly sincere voice.

The Crying, No Arms, Mournful Thoughts Society will be on view from January 13 through February 17, 2001. A catalogue will be available in conjunction with the exhibition. For further information, please contact the gallery at 212.680.9467.