TORCH Gallery is pleased to present ‘Cross Currents’, an exhibition that showcases the wide scope of artworks created by Terry Rodgers. For over forty years, Terry has been building a unique artistic universe. He addresses the tensions and confusions endemic to today’s society. His paintings are known for their rich decorations and sensual nudity, but these are but veneer, covering a raw, existential emotional state. The exhibition accompanies the new publication ‘The Works – 1962 to 2023’, to be launched during the opening on 9 September.
The work of Terry Rodgers has only increased in meaning and relevance over the years. As technologies progress, we are surrounded by an increasing variety of experiences – stadium performances, selfie addictions, altercations, love affairs, over-the-top-advertisements, shiny objects parading as art, warfare, miraculous sunsets. In this morass of details, we don’t always appreciate the many things we possess or have access to, which can result in a state of spoiled and uninterested decadence. The half-naked protagonists in their fancy homes don’t seem to connect with each other, or even enjoy their circumstances.
Cross Currents introduces 10 new and recent large-scale oil paintings. It also presents an extensive collection of very diverse artworks spanning the 1970s until now: different types of smaller paintings, photography, sculpture, drawings and painted-over magazine pages named ‘MagWerks’. These multiple modes of creating are inspired by the muchness of our experiences. Each expression has its autonomous authority – a different way for Terry to observe something that catches his attention, and to discover what his tools can reveal. A black-and-white photograph displays stunning aspects that colour distracts from; a pencil drawing can be meticulous or magically unrealistic; clay and bronze make inner workings appear on the outside.
About the Artist
Terry Rodgers (b. 1947, lives and works in Columbus, OH) has acquired considerable fame as the creator of large-scale cinematic paintings of a disenchanted world where beauty, sex and money do not seem to bring happiness. His work has been represented in numerous museum and gallery exhibitions from New York and Los Angeles to Brussels and Milan, and at art fairs such as Art Basel. TORCH has worked with Terry since 2004. Together, they have published books such as Dimensions of Ambiguity, The Apotheosis of Pleasure and Solo Spaces.
The Works
‘The Works – 1962 to 2023’, published by TORCH, provides the first overview of the entire career of Terry Rodgers, ranging from the earliest to the most recent paintings, drawings, photographs and more. The limited edition of 100 signed & numbered copies includes a print and a unique drawing on black paper, presented in a high-quality slipcase that also features a unique drawing. The regular and limited edtions of ‘The Works’ premiere at the exhibition opening on Saturday, 9 September. They will be available to purchase at torchwebshop.com from Sunday, 10 September.
