JASON RODINELLI
Spit Up from a Water Witch
a solo exhibition of new suclptures
OCTOBER 24 - NOVEMBER 29, 2020
Spit Up from a Water Witch
a solo exhibition of new suclptures
OCTOBER 24 - NOVEMBER 29, 2020
READINGS/SOUNDS_11/28/2020
Programming for Spit Up From a Water Witch concludes with online readings and performances from some of Jason Rondinelli's favorite artists! Michelle Hernandez, Matt Jones, and Patrick Mohundro will read recent texts, and James Chrzan will share a site specific sound piece.
ARTIST TALK II_11/20/2020
Jason Rondinelli presented his work and teaching methodologies to Peter Hoffmeister's sculpture class at Hunter College. This class is for students pursuing their Masters degree in Art Education. They discussed the relationship between Rondinelli’s active studio practice and his 16 years of experience as a public school teacher.
ARTIST TALK I_11/13/2020
JASON RONDINELLI + IRENE PLAX, Founder of The Smell Project
Jason Rondinelli, was recently interviewed by The Smell Project regarding the use of scent in his exhibition, Spit Up From a Water Witch.
The Smell Project is a documentary series that explores different aspect of the sense of smell through stories from regular people, celebrities, comedians, and experts. Follow @thesmellproject on Instagram and Twitter. Sign up for our newsletter at www.thesmellproject.com
Rondinelli’s material play explores the concept of tension between fighting failure versus surrendering to it. Abstracted patterns found in nature on the surfaces of the sculptures convey this conflict. In Blubber Head, the wood is partially chopped and burned, marked by a failed attempt to show what lies beneath the surface, and the beginning of destruction. In all three pieces, circular marks decorate the ceramic and wood, mimicking the injuries left on a whale by the squid trying to resist being devoured, and wavy patterns along the sides of each piece allude to the intestinal lining of the whale after the squid has been consumed. The battle results in the emission from the whale’s guts of ambergris, a prized perfume.
The parallels in Rondinelli’s work between natural phenomena and personal narrative extend beyond superficial markings. In Blubber Head and In my Stomachs, Pins and Needles, ceramic vessels filled with dripping mouthwash teeter atop the sculptures, referencing the suspense of the dynamic between shame of and acceptance of collapse. Emanating from portions of the sculpture are two distinct aromas that demonstrate catharsis in the act of spitting forth from within. The minty scent of Listerine and the earthy aroma of ambergris saturate the charred wood remains. Rondinelli highlights the act of spitting out liquid as a moment when what lies within is revealed, and though any interior liquid may be vile out of context in the exterior world, it has its own potency and function. Mouthwash is called upon to represent purity before a kiss, and in its sullied state, used to erase the traces of a sordid meeting with a lover in a bathroom stall. The destruction of burning produces its own scent, and smoke, too, is used to subside: a match in the bathroom or a cigarette to deal with stress.
Text by Irene Plax