Edge of Seventeen

Dan Colen, known for his satirical themes and unconventional materiality, oscillates between painterly technique and serendipitous aesthetics. His abstraction of oil paint mimicking bird droppings and gum, gives consideration to the symbolic resonances that relate to the creative output in the Lower East Side during this transformative period. Colen states “A mark is just a decision, a touch that can go in so many different directions. . . . There’s so much that you’re not seeing, so many decisions. That’s where the art happens. . . . The viewer doesn’t ever get to witness it, but they have to know that it was there and there has to be a space for the imagination.” He serves as the subject for numerous works by Ryan McGinley and Dash Snow in this exhibition. 

 

Several works by Ryan McGinley in this exhibition were part of his 2003 Whitney Museum exhibition titled "The Kids Are Alright.” McGinley, at the time, was 25, making him the youngest artist to present a solo body of work at the Whitney. The photograph shighlight a five year period of documenting those closest to him, as well as strangers, against the backdrop of a city in flux. His work, steeped in enigmatic subjects and raw emotion, effervescently capture the essence of a generation navigating the complexities of urban life. His subjects, liberated from societal expectations, are allowed to fully indulge in the pleasure of being in the moment. The freedom of those documented, whether by clothing or the world at large, grants the viewer a reflection on the notions of youth.

 

Dash Snow, a luminary of the downtown scene tragically lost to us, left an indelible mark with his daring and rebellious creations. Snow spoke for a generation navigating a reality post 9/11. His work, a reactionary commentary of the heightened political and paranoid landscape of America, articulated his own unadulterated vision. His utilization of found imagery, broad and pointed, satirized the rhetoric of governance and absurdity in the media, specifically the tabloids within New York City. Snow’s multimedia works echoed the raw energy of the Lower East Side, encapsulating the microcosm of downtown Manhattan. His contribution to the exhibition serves as a powerful reminder of his enduring impact on the New York art scene.

 

"Edge of Seventeen" is an examination of creativity, rebellion, and the end of an era— one that continues to resonate in the hearts of those who experienced the magic of downtown New York during that transformative time. In someways, the New York Magazine article, 17 years ago, was the beginning of the end in regards to this era of creative rebellious expression.

 

The works in this exhibition are from the collection of Mike De Paola.

 

Exhibition curated by Sienna Berritto.