Jess Exhibition at Tibor De Nagy Gallery Showcases Collages and Paintings from Nuclear Chemist-Turned-Artist
From May 22 to July 31, 2008, the Tibor De Nagy Gallery in New York City showcases a comprehensive exhibition of Jess's artwork, marking his first New York appearance since the 1994 Whitney retrospective. The display includes collages and paintings, featuring 'Paste-Ups' that incorporate engravings and celestial themes, drawing inspiration from Max Ernst. Additionally, oil paintings from his 'Translations' series are exhibited, including Ex.1- Laying a Standard: Translation #1 (1959) and Ex. 3- Fionn’s Finnegas: Translation #4 (1964). Born Burgess Collins, Jess was a nuclear chemist involved in the Manhattan Project before enrolling at the San Francisco Art Institute in 1949. His art uniquely merges gay occult esoterica with High Modernist poetics, setting him apart from peers like Jasper Johns and Robert Rauschenberg.
Key facts
- Exhibition runs from May 22 to July 31, 2008
- Held at Tibor De Nagy Gallery, 724 Fifth Avenue, New York City
- Features collages ('Paste-Ups') and oil paintings from Jess's career
- Jess's last New York show was a 1994 Whitney retrospective
- Jess was a nuclear chemist on the Manhattan Project before becoming an artist
- He enrolled at the San Francisco Art Institute in 1949 after a dream
- His work includes the 'Translations' series of 32 paintings over 19 years
- Influences include Max Ernst, with contrasts to Jasper Johns and Robert Rauschenberg
Entities
Artists
- Jess
- Burgess Collins
- Robert Duncan
- Jasper Johns
- Robert Rauschenberg
- Clifford Still
- Max Ernst
- William Burroughs
- Bryin Gysin
- Bruce Conner
- Wallace Berman
- Harry Smith
- Jay DeFeo
- Milton Resnick
- Alfred Jensen
Institutions
- Tibor De Nagy Gallery
- Whitney
- San Francisco Art Institute
- Jewish Museum
- Scientific American
Locations
- New York City
- United States
- San Francisco
- California