...D∃C∀D∃NT... an exhibition of new works by Chris Ritson

 

Decadence commonly refers to characteristics of overindulgence, decline or decay, as associated with historical epochs, political systems or character traits. Specifically referencing J.K. Huysmans’ novel Á rebours (Against Nature), Chris Ritson explores the contemporary relevance of this descriptive marker. Published in 1884, the French novel is recognized as the most iconic example of literature associated with the “decadent” movement. It is a novel in which very little happens; its narrative concentrates almost entirely on its principal character, and is mostly a catalogue of the tastes and inner life of an eccentric, reclusive aesthete and antihero. For the exhibit, Chris Ritson will be creating/growing an installation from organic refuse and crystal that appropriates the symbolic imagery found in Huysmans’ Against Nature. The installation will serve as stage sets for video that will be created on site, relying on both growth and decay of organic crystal sculptures to animate a revisited account of the decadent narrative.

 

 

Chris Ritson is a multidisciplinary artist, creating installations, objects and images as vehicles for video and documentation work. He uses materials that range from self-replicating animals and crystals to images of human bodies in discarded magazines and advertisements. Manifested as objects, Chris Ritson’s pieces are like scientific specimens that are cataloged and documented during the peak of their lives. Constructed from base materials and the detritus of the city, forest or beach, these works are necessarily ephemeral.