Jason Rhoades

Hauser and Wirth London are pleased to announce the first major UK solo exhibition by Los Angeles-based artist Jason Rhoades. The Black Pussy… and the Pagan Idol Workshop refers to a specific group of 360 lonely sculptures and idols, constructed from a core collection, as well as other elements assembled by the artist. This diverse array of objects serves as a type of palette, or pool, from which the artist reconstructs the collection of idols once housed within the Ka’bah in the time before Mohammad. The Black Pussy is an interpretation of, and sequel to, the 360 pagan idols destroyed in the 7th century when he declared that there is only One God and that he cannot be represented in material form. The resulting moiré of chrome shelves, coloured chandeliers, pure UV black light, and ancient stones is an interpretation of the intersection between commerce and belief that the artist sees reoccurring throughout history. Rhoades proffers that the seemingly simple idea that culture must be protected is, in fact, a complex and problematic notion in pre-Islamic history, as well as in our own time. As with present-day museums, the Ka’bah once existed as a kind of safe haven; a holy place for various idolatry cults and tribes located in the region. The Ka’bah was originally built by Abraham and then adapted by local tribes as a landmark along the Arabian trade routes. For a fee, these clans would house and then tend to the idols as Mecca became a significant site of worship and commerce. (Copyright © 2009 Hauser & Wirth)