dennis hopper at MOCA, los angeles

dennis hopper double standard the geffen contemporary at MOCA, los angeles on now until september 26th, 2010

‘dennis hopper double standard’, jeffrey deitch‘s first show as incoming director of the museum of contemporary art, los angeles (MOCA), presents the first comprehensive survey exhibition of american artist, dennis hopper, who was best known for his film work and  producing an artistic oeuvre which blurred boundaries between art, film and popular culture.

dennis hopper mobil man, 2000 fiberglass, waterborn latex paint, steel, automotive clear coat 252 inches © the estate of dennis hopper, courtesy of the estate of dennis hopper

curated by julian schnabel, whose own work has been influenced by hopper’s fusion of art and film, the exhibition assembles key selections and bodies of work examining hopper’s creative development. it features more than 200 works, spanning his 60-year career, with a focus on artworks made between 1961 and present day – as many of his earlier paintings were destroyed in his studio by the 1961 bel air fire. included are photographs, sculpture and assemblages from the 1960s; graffiti-inspired wall constructions and large-scale billboard paintings from the 2000s – which borrow images from his earlier life and work; his most recent sculptures, series of abstract landscape photographs and film installations highlighting his career as a director and actor.

dennis hopper la salsa man, 2000 fiberglass, waterborn latex, paint, steel, automotive clear coat 312 inches © the estate of dennis hopper, courtesy of the estate of dennis hopper

organized into several sections, each reflects the cyclical and serial nature of his work. the overall layout of the exhibition brings together various groupings of work which emphasize hopper’s interest in duchampian appropriation of common objects and the dialogue between pop and progressive culture. it also highlights ways in which hopperutilized a range of styles – from abstraction, the ready-made, and pop art to conceptual and performance art – to further his investigation into the ‘return to the real’.

marcel duchamp and dennis hopper hotel green (entrance), 1963 oil paint on wood panel 21 x 27 x 2.5 inches © the estate of dennis hopper, courtesy of the estate of dennis hopper

dennis hopper coca cola sign (found object), 1962 tin sign with glass thermometers 24 x 36 x 3 inches © the estate of dennis hopper, courtesy of the estate of dennis hopper

dennis hopper prefigured the union of art, life and popular culture that characterizes much of the 21st century. he was a creative connector, introducing and collaborating with artists, actors, writers and muscisians. ‘L.A. was pop‘, hopper recalls, referring to the period in which ‘L.A. was the billboards. L.A. was the automobile culture. L.A. was the movie stars and L.A. was the whole idea of what ‘pop’ was about.’ ahead of his time in bringing the art of the street into the gallery, hopper’s work also constructs a dialogue between abstract expressionist painting and graffiti and gang signs from los angeles’ street culture.

dennis hopper draw me and win an art scholarship, 1964 / 2000 plexiglas 36 x 24 x 1 inches © the estate of dennis hopper, courtesy of the estate of dennis hopper

dennis hopper untitled (the chevy piece, 1956), 1965 / 2000 urethane foam, fiberglass, automobile paint 72 x 264 x 7 inches © the estate of dennis hopper, courtesy of the estate of dennis hopper

dennis hopper double standard, 1961 gelatin-silver print 16 x 24 inches © the estate of dennis hopper, courtesy of the estate of dennis hopper and tony shafrazi gallery, new york

the title of the exhibition is derived from hopper’s iconic 1961 photograph of the two standard oil signs seen through an automobile windshield at the intersection of santa monica boulevard, melrose avenue and north doheny rive on historic route 66 in los angeles.

dennis hopper robert rauschenberg, 1966 gelatin-silver print 16 x 24 inches © the estate of dennis hopper, courtesy of the estate of dennis hopper and tony shafrai gallery, new york

dennis hopper james rosenquist (with brunette billboard), 2009 oil on canvas 71.5 x 120 inches © the estate of dennis hopper, courtesy of the estate of dennis hopper and tony shafrazi gallery, new york

dennis hopper gelatin-silver print 16 x 24 inches © the estate of dennis hopper, courtesy of the estate of dennis hopper and tony shafrazi gallery, new york

dennis hopper martin luther king jr., 1965 gelatin-silver print, 16 x 24 inches © the estate of dennis hopper, courtesy of the estate of dennis hopper and tony shafrazi gallery, new york

dennis hopper (1936 – 2010) was centre of the los angeles creative community since 1955, when he befriended actor james dean on the set of ‘rebel without a cause’. from then, he had a prolific career working in film, photography, as a painter and sculptor. during his career, he directed numerous films including ‘easy rider’ (1969), ‘the last movie’ (1971) and ‘colors’ (1988), and acted in many others such as  ‘rebel without a cuase’ (1955), ‘giant’ (1956), ‘apocolypse now’ (1979), ‘speed’ (1994) and ‘basquiat’ (1966).

hopper’s work as an artist has been celebrated in monographic and group exhibitions around the world including the corcoran gallery of art, washington D.C.; the stedelijk museum, amsterdam; the state hermitage museum, st. petersburg; MAK vienna; the whitney museum of american art, new york to name a few.