Manga Meets Modern In The Work of Jessica Lichtenstein.

Antique chairs paired with risqué textiles and large mounted word sculptures, inside of which lie stylized fetishized illustrations of women frolicking in landscapes, are the some of the ways in which Manga and Modern are incorporated into the work of artist Jessica Lichtenstein. The artist also has a current series of Manga figurines in plexiglass boxes that I am not including in this post.

Yum:

details:

above: UV Printed on Acrylic, 45 x 81 1/2 x 2 in | 114.3 x 207 x 5 cm

Play:



detail:

above: UV Printed on Acrylic, 37 x 89 1/2 x 2 in | 94 x 227.3 x 5 cm

XOXO:

detail:

above: UV printed on acrylic, 22 x 48 x 4 inches | 56 x 122 x 10

Lust:

detail:


above: UV Printed on Acrylic, 38 x 88 1/4 x 4 in | 96.5 x 221.5 x 10.2 cm

War:


detail:

above: UV Printed on Acrylic, 45 x 91 x 4 1/4 in | 114.3 x 231 x 10.7 cm

Bloom:


detail:

close-ups:

above: UV printed on acrylic, LED lights, and stainless steel, 33 x 75 x 4 in | 84 x 190.5 x 10.3 cm


The Chairs:





King Chair:


textile detail:

above: Twill fabric, fiberglass and resin, 56 x 29 1/2 x 25 in | 142.3 x 74.9 x 63.5 cm


Queen Chair:


Textile detail:


above: Twill fabric, fiberglass and resin, 38 1/2 x 34 x 27 in | 97.8 x 86.3 x 68.6 cm


Princess Chair:


textile detail:

above: Twill fabric, fiberglass and resin, 43 3/4 x 37 x 31 in | 111 x 94 x 79 cm

Porter Chairs:


above: twill fabric, fiberglass, resin, leather and metal studs, measurements unknown

Jessica is presently showing at Gallery Nine5:



Gallery Nine 5

About the artist:

photo by ©Sunnie Rizzolo

Jessica Lichtenstein, above, lives and works in New York City.

Using the female body as a mechanism to explore deeper themes of power, female representation, fetishism and objectification, usually in an ironic and cheerful way, Lichtenstein’s work embodies the very paradox she is trying to explore. Her work consciously plays with the boundaries of power, commercialization, consumerism, fantasy and propriety, provoking tensions that challenge the viewer to confront his or her own gaze.

Lichtenstein expands her media to include graphic design, 3D text sculptures, light boxes and fabric. The artist strives for the presentation of her work to echo her ideas – art should ultimately entertain. Lichtenstein reveals her playful nature with complex pieces that divulge their depth only with a closer look – a cherry tree image on a light box is actually a composite of X-rated sirens. The viewer is asked to re-examine the nature of enticement – are the accompanying phrases and speech bubbles amatory or garish? Each vignette in Lichtenstein’s installations is a slate upon which the viewer may consider his or her own notions of sexuality. (courtesy of Gallerynine5)

images courtesy of the artist
Jessica Lichtenstein

Manifest Destiny! A Rustic Cabin Is Mounted On The Side Of A Downtown San Francisco Highrise.

Manifest Destiny! is a temporary rustic cabin occupying one of the last remaining unclaimed spaces of downtown San Francisco --- above and between other properties.



The project is a commentary/critique on the unwavering perseverance of San Francisco’s early settlers. During the mid 19th century, as the eastern United States became over-crowded and expensive, the West offered limitless possibilities for those willing and able to make the journey. The drive to seek new possibilities and establish a better life at any cost is the conceptual motivation for this project.





The tiny cabin can be seen affixed to the side of the Hotel des Arts, floating above the restaurant Le Central like an anomalous outgrowth of the contemporary streetscape.



Using a nineteenth-century architectural style and vintage building materials, the structure is both homage to the romantic spirit of the Western Myth and a commentary on the arrogance of Westward expansion.

The Building of the Cabin and Installation:









The interior space of the house can be seen day and night through the curtained windows, a lonely beacon in the city's dense landscape, and an incongruous, haunting vision from below.




The installation will remain in place and be slowly transformed by the elements through October 2012.



Manifest Destiny! is a temporary site specific installation in San Francisco, California by artists Mark Reigelman and Jenny Chapman with Structural engineering by Paul Endres. The project was commissioned by Southern Exposure and funded by the Graue Family Foundation. It is on view through October 28th, 2012.

images and information courtesy of artists Mark Reigelman and Jenny Chapman