"Nicky Nodjumi: The Formulaic Nature of Appearances" at Priska C. Juschka Fine Art

By: Leo Kepler

 

 

Nicky Nodjumi, Untitled, 2008.  Courtesy of Priska C. Juschka Fine Art.

Nodjoumi is an Iranian born artist living in New York. His work is about living in two worlds and between two worlds. In addition, the artist intends to provide social and political commentary on the present times.

Several keywords cruise through the artist’s statement, the press release and the catalogue essay, and formulate Nodjoumi’s subject matter according to the current popular template: power (struggle with) + conflict (confrontation) + ambiguity. I don’t think that these notions belong to the contemporary world alone, nor do I think that these states of human condition have become particularly pertinent today. But nowadays these concepts are harnessed into a fashionable troika. Their meaning is complex and non-concrete. They express a range of universal experiences. Therefore, they can be applied in many instances, and are thought to supply the missing depth. These words became an indispensable part of Newspeak of today’s art criticism, art theory and art PR.

Nodjoumi’s work boasts a cast of characters: suited and turbaned gentlemen (re-resenting West and East), nudes, frogs, donkeys, etc. The clothed gentlemen and the naked ladies are the most problematic. There are feet that don’t quite stand (in Show Me the Wicked—the feet in brown pants are a typical “almost there”), arms that are broken off (what is going on with the right shoulder of the gentleman in a turquoise jacket in The Smell of Sour Milk?) and body parts that do not hold together (in the Untitled, 2008 drawing the man holding red monkey has his left arm dwarfed; and the bended gentlemen has his back injured). And those are not chances taken in confrontation with form, but shortcuts.  The artist’s lines rarely cut through space, bridge it or bear weight. The space does not switch gears—it does not function as a building block, a window, a cloth in the wind or a ray of light, for instance. The paintings are akin to cardboard facades. Structurally, they are a mock-up.

The image of any single character is never distilled to its visual essence to become symbolic. Nor is it changing from work to work to acquire a life of  a character in a novel. The images repeat from painting to painting as if they were toy soldiers put in a different configuration each time.

The formal maneuvers operate in a similar manner. Look at one of the artist’s signature devices—a line that suddenly divides the space into above and below. Look at the painting reproduced in the catalogue, but not included in the show—Push and Pull. It works here. The incision establishes the tension, it ties the knot, and it channels the energy. But what is it doing in all other paintings? In most of them it has become a toy weapon.

I checked the Wikipedia definition of formula: “in mathematics and in sciences, a formula is concise way of expressing information symbolically, or general relationship between quantities.” Formulas make sense of the world through a set language which consists of signs and concepts. Two trains moving in the opposite directions at different speeds do not constitute a formula, but create a playground for its application. Similarly, the artist has to use his language to make sense of the world. That language is one of space, form, line, color, light, etc. The painting (the image that is created) is not a formula; it is an attempt at solving a problem using existing formulas and discovering new relationships between particulars  And it is the mastery of this language that, for instance, gives Goya’s political and social commentaries, The Capriccios and The Disasters of the War, their universal and timeless urgency.

It is hard not to notice one word in the definition of formula—“concise.” What a striking contrast to the art world’s “ambiguity!” To me, present widespread use of the word “ambiguity” reveals a misunderstanding of a powerful oscillation that produces energy capable of fueling confrontation, conflict or struggle with power, and of starting a transformation.  This energy comes from doubt, not from obfuscation.  I understand doubt as courage, effort and candor with which one is searching for deeper understanding of the world or confronting lies. And obfuscation is a modern version of Newspeak, a language reduced to code words and stock phrases, the goal of which is to limit the possibilities of expression, to format thought and ultimately to domesticate freedom and to neutralize rebellion. Nodjoumi is a master of visual Newspeak. If you have time for this, then go see the show

“Nicky Nodjoumi: The Formulaic Nature of Appearances” runs through March 28th

 

Priska C. Juschka Fine Art

547 West 27^th  Street, 2^nd floor

Take the C or E train to West 23rd Street and/or take the M23 bus to 23^rd Street and 11th Avenue

Gallery hours: Tues—Sat, 11am to 6 pm

Gallery website: www.priskajuschkafineart.com

Comments

[eric clapton]

this distillation-symbol idea seems off. it isn't the distillation, or perfection of an image that renders it symbolic. rather, distillation occurs to content and manifests as
image. suffering is an idea that can be symbolicaly expressed in a variety of ways perhaps none more powerfully than christ's crucifixion. perhaps the content this artist is
dealing w finds perfect expression in his imagery. when a street ends at an intersection a stop sign says it all.

[leo kepler]

If you are a painter working on a crucifixion, how do you separate the form from the content?
If we are talking about the creation of a new symbol - "the content manifests intself as image" - that is in some form (?) - how - as if not made by a human hand?
Isn't image a fusion of form and content?

[generic propecia]

As far as animals/birds, I ran across several references to rats,
bats, phoenix and peacocks (the birds themselves but not their plumage
which is said to carry bad luck).

[Kamagra]

What an interesting issue, I really loved everything related to art. Nick Nodjumi is such an amazing artist and writer, I have always admire him because of his facility to make art.

[Caverta]

Aloha, this really is awesome information, really worth my time. Good effort. Your way of narration is out of this world…really interesting! There's no doubt that you have invested a great deal of time in finding such intricate details. I am totally stunned…you left me speechless!!!

[São Paulo Para-brisa Reparo]

Check the reviews of other customers, and ask about the warranty offered.

[Miami Web Design]

I understand doubt as courage, effort and candor with which one is searching for deeper understanding of the world or confronting lies.

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