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Jack Smith (1932-1989)

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Jack Smith was a pioneer of underground cinema and widely considered the founding father of American performance art and drag culture. He helped to create the “trash cinema” aesthetic, literally working sans a budget, as well as being one of the earliest directors to incorporate the DIY ethos into his filmmaking. Smith’s transgressive films, including “Flaming Creatures,” were liberated expressions of a growing sexual awareness in American culture, bringing him into conflict with government censors who labeled them as pornographic and ultimately brought about a criminal trial. His work greatly influenced experimental filmmakers such as Andy Warhol, Ron Rice, and the enigmatic Kuchar brothers, among others, and inspired a multitude of future artists. In keeping with his manic creative output, Smith was also a collaborator in John Vaccaro’s Playhouse of the Ridiculous, creating sets and costumes for the elaborate productions.

Jimmy DeSana (1949-1990)

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Jimmy DeSana is one of a generation of artist-photographers including Cindy Sherman, Nan Goldin, and close friend Laurie Simmons, who came of age in 1970s New York City. In his lifetime, DeSana had over a dozen solo shows at Pat Hearn Gallery, Galerie Jablonka, and elsewhere. He was featured in over fifty group shows, including the seminal 1981 P.S.1 exhibition “New York/New Wave.” In recent years his work has been shown at Salon 94, the New Museum, the Whitney Museum of American Art, White Columns, Pioneer Works, and Steven Kasher Gallery. His monograph Submission (Scat Publications, 1979) is considered an essential photographic publication of the era. In 2015 Aperture published Jimmy DeSana: Suburban, with essays by Laurie Simmons and Elisabeth Sussman.

Andrew Brandou

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Andrew Brandou is a highly sought-after Los Angeles-based artist and illustrator known for his distinctive pop surrealism and “underground” art style. With a professional background in animation, including work on iconic shows like The Simpsons and SpongeBob SquarePants, Brandou’s art is a masterclass in visual storytelling. His paintings captivate audiences with their unique blend of adorable, childlike animal imagery and a dark, unsettling undercurrent. Brandou expertly tackles complex themes, incorporating elements of pop culture, history, and social commentary, and his use of jarring juxtapositions creates a compelling dialogue between innocence and a more somber reality. Fans of pop surrealist art, underground art, and narrative painting will find his work both beautiful and thought-provoking.

DeCordova Museum acquires Lori Nix print for permanent collection

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DeCordova Museum acquires Lori Nix print for permanent collection
Image: Lori Nix, “Search,” 2001, Chromogenic print.

ClampArt is pleased to announce that the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum in Lincoln, Massachusetts recently acquired a photograph titled “Search” by artist Lori Nix for their permanent collection. The artwork is from Nix’s early series Some Other Place.

View Lori Nix’s series Some Other Place
View all of Lori Nix’s work at ClampArt

Established in 1950, the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum is the largest park of its kind in New England encompassing 30 acres, 20 miles west of Boston. DeCordova fosters the creation, exhibition, and exploration of contemporary art through our exhibitions, learning opportunities, collection, and unique park setting.


Blog post by:
Brian Paul Clamp, Director

Jan Rattia exhibition opening at HCP

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This is a color photograph of shirtless men in a locker room with one at the mirror shaving his face.
Image: © Jan Rattia, “Smoke and Mirrors,” 2012, Chromogenic print.

Jan Rattia’s solo show “Tease” opens at the Houston Center for Photography on Friday, May 12, 2017.

HCP is pleased to announce the winners of their 2017 Fellowships, juried by Andy Adams of FlakFoto. Each winner will receive a $3,000 honorarium, a solo exhibition at HCP’s galleries, and a feature in spot magazine.

Jan Rattia, winner of the Carol Crow Memorial Fellowship, has produced his series of work “Tease” by traveling around the US to photograph members of a singularly and largely misunderstood fraternity: male strippers. In his images, he tries to go beyond what most people would expect and/or know of men in this profession and photograph backstage along with at-home portraits to create a richer depiction about the men and their stories.

Jan’s artworks will be on view through July 2, 2017, with an opening reception on Friday, May 12, 2017, from 5.30 – 8.00 pm, and an artist talk the same night at 6.00 pm.

For more information

Browse Jan Rattia’s series “Tease” at ClampArt

Blog post by:
Brian Paul Clamp, Director