“I think my work can fall under quite a few names depending on who you ask, and I’d rather leave it up to others to define it.” — Jerkface
Growing up in New York City in the ‘80s and ‘90s has shaped American visual artist Jerkface’s conceptual mindset and vision. Through his artistic practice, he experiences vicariously and reimagines the tiny, insular yet prospective downtown world of Avant-garde artists such as Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat. The streets, be it harsh or pleasant, have always been his playground and his great escape.
“Almost all my compositions reflect something that relates to my childhood. If I can’t relate to it, the creative process isn’t enjoyable, and the work suffers.” — Jerkface
The iconic reputative composition of the present lot, Dr Seuss' Cat in the Hat, like most of the artist’s paintings, was inspired by vivid Pop Art palette and bright, unbridled ‘Memphis’ design style. The canvas is fully occupied by cartoon figures rendered with clean and dynamic geometric abstractions of reds and whites. A classic example of Jerkface’s oeuvre, and as the title suggests, this work depicts the cat protagonist in one of his childhood favourites – The Cat in the Hat. The magical, witty, and entertaining cat brings to the audience what he calls “fun that is funny”, which resonates with the artist’s approach as he creates works that delight and captivate the global contemporary art scene.
Born in 1982, Jerkface now lives and works in New York City. The artist was introduced to Asia with his first solo exhibition, Saturday Morning, which turned out to be a sell-out success, at Over the Influence Gallery, Hong Kong (20 October - 10 December 2016). His Anti Hero and Astrocat solo exhibitions were held at Taglialatella Galleries, New York (15 November – 13 December 2018 and 7 – 17 March 2019 respectively). His latest solo show, Villainy, was held at Maddox Gallery, London from 24 June to 15 July 2021.
The artist’s work titled Pooh was recently sold by Phillips Hong Kong forHK$441,000 Premium, which doubled the pre-sale high estimate of HK$200,000.
The Cat in the Hat opening theme song
Courtesy of CBS Productions
Provenance
Acquired directly from the artist by the present owner