Brian Belott's Exhibition at Gavin Brown's Enterprise Showcases 20 Years of Inventive Work

Brian Belott presented a solo exhibition at Gavin Brown's enterprise from November 15, 2018 to January 13, 2019. Located at 291 Grand Street in New York City, the show functioned as both a mid-career survey spanning two decades and a display of recent creations. Belott, recognized for his performance art and influence on downtown New York's neo-beat scene, demonstrated his archival approach by transforming everyday objects into art. Notable pieces included "Puuuuuuuuffs," large collaged paintings framed with paint-slathered cotton balls, some featuring box fans that blew air on viewers. Another work, "Can Opener Keyboard," consisted of vintage electric can openers mounted on a board, complete with petrified tomato sauce stains. The exhibition culminated in a darkened room with three commercial freezers containing colorful ice blocks embedded with assorted items like plastic hands, measuring cups, and puzzle pieces. These frozen compositions referenced artists Arthur Dove and Ed Kienholz. Belott's practice emphasizes material invention and a playful engagement with waste, creating works that balance formal precision with a sense of imminent collapse.