Jason Rhoades
Encyclopedia
Jason Rhoades was an installation art
ist who enjoyed critical acclaim, if not widespread public recognition, at the time of his death, and who was eulogized by some critics as one of the most significant artists of his generation. Better known in Europe, where he exhibited regularly for the last twelve years of his life, Rhoades was recently celebrated for his combination dinner party/exhibition
s that feature violet neon signs with African, Caribbean, Creole and hip-hop slang for the female genitalia. His work remains part of the permanent collection in the Rubell Family Collection in Miami, where he was a part of exhibit "Beg Borrow and Steal" at the time of his death.
from UCLA in 1993 after studying at the California College of the Arts
in Oakland
, the San Francisco Art Institute
and the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture. During the time of his studies at the San Francisco Art Institute he was one of the founders of a movement called "Funk o' Metric", also known as FOM or FOAM. The members of this group included Peter Warren, Bill Becchio, Laurie Steelink, Sebastian Clough, and Marshall Weber, among others.
Rhoades gained notoriety with an 1994 exhibit titled "Swedish Erotica and Fiero Parts," shown at the Rosamund Felsen Gallery
in West Hollywood, California
. The piece filled the building and included assemblages of cardboard, scrap wood, staples, paper clips, and yellow legal pads, as well as the artist's car, a fiberglass Pontiac Fiero
, parked behind the building and considered part of the artwork. Rhoades work was shown at the Whitney Biennial
exhibition in 1997, and at multiple museums and galleries in Europe
. He frequently collaborated with artist Paul McCarthy
and gallery
owner David Zwirner
, who represented the artist for 14 years. At the time of his death, Rhoades was working on an event in Portland, Oregon
that was to include a wrestling match between roller derby girls wallowing in a plastic tub filled with bath lotions, soaps and sexual lubricants.
and had a three-year-old daughter named Rubi. Rhoades' sister-in-law (and his wife's identical twin sister) is the painter Toba Khedoori
.
early on the morning of August 1, 2006, where he was pronounced dead. The cause of death was thought to be heart failure. According to the Los Angeles County coroner's office Jason Rhoades' death was caused by accidental drug intoxication and heart disease.
A planned re-creation of "Black Pussy Soirée Cabaret Macramé" has been shown in New York City in November 2006, featuring recordings and photographs made at the original event from the artist's Los Angeles studio in early 2006. It featured at its center the artist's (empty) white suit, in which the artist photographed himself shortly before his death. "He never signed his work, because they weren't that kind of pieces. But that is in lieu of a signature," his dealer told the Los Angeles Times.
Installation art
Installation art describes an artistic genre of three-dimensional works that are often site-specific and designed to transform the perception of a space. Generally, the term is applied to interior spaces, whereas exterior interventions are often called Land art; however, the boundaries between...
ist who enjoyed critical acclaim, if not widespread public recognition, at the time of his death, and who was eulogized by some critics as one of the most significant artists of his generation. Better known in Europe, where he exhibited regularly for the last twelve years of his life, Rhoades was recently celebrated for his combination dinner party/exhibition
Art exhibition
Art exhibitions are traditionally the space in which art objects meet an audience. The exhibit is universally understood to be for some temporary period unless, as is rarely true, it is stated to be a "permanent exhibition". In American English, they may be called "exhibit", "exposition" or...
s that feature violet neon signs with African, Caribbean, Creole and hip-hop slang for the female genitalia. His work remains part of the permanent collection in the Rubell Family Collection in Miami, where he was a part of exhibit "Beg Borrow and Steal" at the time of his death.
Education & work
Rhoades received his MFAMaster of Fine Arts
A Master of Fine Arts is a graduate degree typically requiring 2–3 years of postgraduate study beyond the bachelor's degree , although the term of study will vary by country or by university. The MFA is usually awarded in visual arts, creative writing, filmmaking, dance, or theatre/performing arts...
from UCLA in 1993 after studying at the California College of the Arts
California College of the Arts
California College of the Arts , founded in 1907, is known for its broad, interdisciplinary programs in art, design, architecture, and writing. It has two campuses, one in Oakland and one in San Francisco, California, USA...
in Oakland
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
, the San Francisco Art Institute
San Francisco Art Institute
San Francisco Art Institute is a school of higher education in contemporary art with the main campus in the Russian Hill district of San Francisco, California. Its graduate center is in the Dogpatch neighborhood. The private, non-profit institution is accredited by WASC and is a member of the...
and the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture. During the time of his studies at the San Francisco Art Institute he was one of the founders of a movement called "Funk o' Metric", also known as FOM or FOAM. The members of this group included Peter Warren, Bill Becchio, Laurie Steelink, Sebastian Clough, and Marshall Weber, among others.
Rhoades gained notoriety with an 1994 exhibit titled "Swedish Erotica and Fiero Parts," shown at the Rosamund Felsen Gallery
Rosamund Felsen Gallery
Rosamund Felsen Gallery is an American art gallery that has been involved in and has influenced the art community in Los Angeles, California since the late seventies...
in West Hollywood, California
West Hollywood, California
West Hollywood, a city of Los Angeles County, California, was incorporated on November 29, 1984, with a population of 34,399 at the 2010 census. 41% of the city's population is made up of gay men according to a 2002 demographic analysis by Sara Kocher Consulting for the City of West Hollywood...
. The piece filled the building and included assemblages of cardboard, scrap wood, staples, paper clips, and yellow legal pads, as well as the artist's car, a fiberglass Pontiac Fiero
Pontiac Fiero
The Pontiac Fiero is a mid-engined sports car that was built by the Pontiac division of General Motors from 1984 to 1988. The Fiero—meaning "proud" in Italian and "wild", "fierce", or "ferocious" in Spanish—was designed by George Milidrag and Hulki Aldikacti as a Pontiac sports car...
, parked behind the building and considered part of the artwork. Rhoades work was shown at the Whitney Biennial
Whitney Biennial
The Whitney Biennial is a biennale exhibition of contemporary American art, typically by young and lesser known artists, on display at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City, USA. The event began as an annual exhibition in 1932, the first biennial was in 1973...
exhibition in 1997, and at multiple museums and galleries in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. He frequently collaborated with artist Paul McCarthy
Paul McCarthy
Paul McCarthy , is a contemporary artist who lives and works in Los Angeles, California.-Life:McCarthy was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, and studied art at the University of Utah in 1969. He went on to study at the San Francisco Art Institute receiving a BFA in painting...
and gallery
Art gallery
An art gallery or art museum is a building or space for the exhibition of art, usually visual art.Museums can be public or private, but what distinguishes a museum is the ownership of a collection...
owner David Zwirner
David Zwirner
David Zwirner is a gallerist and art dealer and owner of the David Zwirner Gallery in New York City. In 2010 Zwirner was listed at number four in the ArtReview annual "Power 100" list.-Early Life:...
, who represented the artist for 14 years. At the time of his death, Rhoades was working on an event in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
that was to include a wrestling match between roller derby girls wallowing in a plastic tub filled with bath lotions, soaps and sexual lubricants.
Personal life
Rhoades was the son of Jack and Jackie Rhoades and had two brothers, Greg and Matt. He was married to Australian-born artist Rachel KhedooriRachel Khedoori
Rachel Khedoori is an Australian-born contemporary artist of Iraqi heritage.Khedoori was born in Sydney and raised in Australia, and currently lives and works in Los Angeles, California. She received her MFA from UCLA in 1994...
and had a three-year-old daughter named Rubi. Rhoades' sister-in-law (and his wife's identical twin sister) is the painter Toba Khedoori
Toba Khedoori
Toba Khedoori is an Australian-born artist of Iraqi heritage, known primarily for highly-detailed mixed-media paintings executed on large sheets of wax-coated paper. Khedoori's works often fill the spectator's entire field of vision; a 'typical' Khedoori painting combines elements of drawing,...
.
Death
Rhoades was taken from his home to Cedars-Sinai Medical CenterCedars-Sinai Medical Center
Originally established as Kaspare Cohn Hospital in 1902, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is a non-profit, tertiary 958-bed hospital and multi-specialty academic health science centre located in Los Angeles, California, US. Part of the Cedars-Sinai Health System, the hospital employs a staff of over...
early on the morning of August 1, 2006, where he was pronounced dead. The cause of death was thought to be heart failure. According to the Los Angeles County coroner's office Jason Rhoades' death was caused by accidental drug intoxication and heart disease.
A planned re-creation of "Black Pussy Soirée Cabaret Macramé" has been shown in New York City in November 2006, featuring recordings and photographs made at the original event from the artist's Los Angeles studio in early 2006. It featured at its center the artist's (empty) white suit, in which the artist photographed himself shortly before his death. "He never signed his work, because they weren't that kind of pieces. But that is in lieu of a signature," his dealer told the Los Angeles Times.