42 Social Club is pleased to present a summer group exhibition, FORCED COLLABORATION: COUPLES EDITION, curated by the fabulous Jacob Rhodes (director of Field Projects Gallery NYC). In his work, as well as in his life, Jacob examines codes of masculinity, class and the inherent violence in homo-social interaction. For this show, Jacob asked artist couples (who normally don’t work together) to collaborate on an artwork for this show! The results are surprising, whimsical, and anything but “forced”.

Caroline Wells Chandler & Manal Abu-Shaheen | Maureen Drennan & Paul Gagner | Amanda Nedham & Kyle Hittmeier | Lisa Schilling & Eric LoPresti | Harriet Salmon & Jesse David Penridge | McKendree Keys & Shaun Leonardo & Anaís McKendree Leonardo | Jac Lahav & Nora Lynn

OPENING
SATURDAY, JUNE 15, 3PM - 5PM

SHOW RUNS
JUNE 15 - SEPT 13
(or by appointment)

This exhibitions pairs sixteen artists with distinctly different practices resulting in eight collaborations. The artists are not strangers but couples/partners outside the studio.

In the highly competitive contemporary art world, both success and failure are continually on display and are often signaled by proximity to known successes or failures. A single group show with a known success can make a career. An unfortunate collaboration can break it.

Our novel form of interaction raises questions about the nature of collaboration and competition, success and failure. Is competition inherent in collaboration? Will the artists move toward unity and resolution, merging opposed disciplines, practices, and aesthetic sensibilities, or will they subjugate and corrupt the other artist’s work? And which would be best for each artist? Should they trust the other artist to treat their work in a collaborative way or should they forcibly impose their vision to dominate the collaboration?

Jacob Rhodes was born in Oxnard, California, to a junior-high cafeteria cook and a car mechanic. He played drums in various Nard Core bands for 7 years after high school at which point he joined the ranks of art students at Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles. Upon receiving his BFA in New Genres, Rhodes joined the US Army 172 Infantry Brigade. After 3 years of service (2002-2005) he put back on his student uniform to attend Yale School of Art, earning an MFA from the sculpture department. In his work, as well as in his life, Rhodes explores codes of masculinity, class and the inherent violence in homo-social interaction.