It’s been a good year for Jayson Musson. In 2009 he was unknown, and by 2012 thousands on YouTube were watching his bling-wearing alter ego Hennessy Youngman slag Damien Hirst for posing in photos like a “complete fucking asshole.”
His work before now has been comprised of satirical and politicised text and image, from his 2002 posters from the Too Black for B.E.T. series stating “THE FASTEST ROUTE BETWEEN OBSCURITY AND FAME IS A STRAIGHT LINE OF COCAINE WITH THE RIGHT PERSON” to his 2008 paintings of Obama saving unicorns from Abu Ghraib.
Whatever Musson (or Hennessey) does, crowds follow. In April this year he co-curated It’s a Small, Small World at pop-up gallery Family Business with Marilyn Minter, Maurizio Cattelan, and Massimiliano Gioni; the “simple ass shit” premise of the show: if you dropped your off your artwork on the allotted date, you were in. Things didn’t end up working out as “simple ass shit” when the tiny gallery was flooded with people wanting wall space, and had to close it doors to new work.
It seems that Musson has taken a entirely different direction this summer. Opening this evening at Salon 94, Halcyon Days exhibits Musson’s new body of work, inspired by Coogi Sweaters. According to the press release from Salon 94’s website, Musson was drawn to the sweaters because of their strength as a status symbol and the allure of their painterly qualities, which Musson joked made them “look like a Pollock.”
So what’s he up to then? We’re not sure, but we like his style, so we’re heading out to see the show tonight. We’ll report back tomorrow.
{ 1 comment }
amazing – i headed over to this post to note that this jayson musson person was ripping off my boy hennessy youngman before i realized that i actually had no idea what hennessy youngman’s real name was. wish i could see this myself!
Comments on this entry are closed.