PRETEEN GALLERY IS PLEASED TO PRESENT ‘FAGGOTS’, THE FIRST SOLO EXHIBITION IN MEXICO OF BERLIN-BASED ARTIST DEAN SAMESHIMA.

DEAN SAMESHIMA’S WORK DERIVES FROM AN ONGOING INVESTIGATION ON POST-STONEWALL POPULAR DEPICTIONS OF HOMOSEXUAL DESIRE, PARTICULARLY THOSE OF GAY PUBLICATIONS THAT CIRCULATED IN THE UNITED STATES IN THE 1970’S.

HIS CHOICE OF IMAGES COMES FROM A TIME WHEN THE GAY COMMUNITY IN THE UNITED STATES HAD MOVED FROM REPRESSION TO CELEBRATION, FROM SHAME TO JOY. A TIME OF AN ON-GOING SEARCH FOR LOVE, NEW FRIENDSHIPS, A FEELING OF BROTHERHOOD, CRUISING, SEX IN PUBLIC PLACES, DRUGS, BARS AND SEX CLUBS. THIS WAS A TIME OF A FLOURISHING SEXUAL REVOLUTION, A TIME BEFORE THE HORROR OF AIDS.

SAMESHIMA APPROPIATES THIS DISTINCTIVE HOMOEROTIC IMAGERY BUT INSTEAD OF PORTRAYING JOY AND OPTIMISM, THE WORK SUGGESTS FEELINGS OF SOLITUDE, MELANCHOLY, AND A LONGING FOR A GLORIOUS PAST. THE SEEMINGLY FREE FLOWING LIBIDINAL PULSION FROM WHICH THESE IMAGES ORIGINATED SEEMS NOW FRUSTRATED AND REPLACED BY AN ANXIETY BROUGHT BY THE THOUGH OF DEATH. IN THIS WAY, SAMESHIMA NOT ONLY COMMUNICATES A PERSONAL STRUGGLE WITH THE EXISTENTIAL VOID AND THE ANGUISH THAT UNDERLIE DESIRE, HE ALSO SCRUTINIZES HISTORICAL NARRATIVES THAT OUTLINE QUEER DESIRE IN THE WESTERN WORLD.

‘FAGGOTS’ COMPRISES FOUR NEW SILK-SCREENS OF SAMESHIMA’S ONGOING CONNECT-THE-DOTS SERIES. THE ARTIST HAS BEEN COLLECTING THESE PUZZLES FROM 1970’S SEMINAL GAY LEATHER MAGAZINE DRUMMER. IF THE DOTS WERE CONNECTED, A SEXUALLY CHARGED IMAGE WOULD BE REVEALED. THE SCANT ABSTRACTION OF THESE PAINTINGS SUGGESTS A POTENTIAL PROGRESSION TOWARDS REPRESENTATION AND ACTIVATES THE ANXIOUS ANTICIPATION THAT CHARACTERIZES DESIRE.

DEAN SAMESHIMA'S WORK IS INCLUDED IN THE PERMANENT COLLECTION OF THE MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART, LOS ANGELES.

DEAN SAMESHIMA HAS BEEN FEATURED IN ART FORUM, FLASH ART, MODERN PAINTERS, ART IN AMERICA, I-D MAGAZINE, INDEX, FLASH PHOTO, I-D, SOMA, AND THE NEW YORK TIMES. INSTILLED AND LOST, FEATURING SELECTED WORKS, WAS JUST PUBLISHED BY PERES PROJECTS. HE WAS ALSO INCLUDED IN THE CREAM 3, 2003 CATALOGUE AND VITAMIN PH, NEW PERSPECTIVES IN PHOTOGRAPHY, 2006.

DEAN SAMESHIMA CATALOGUES INCLUDE HYSTERIC SEVEN (2002), AND YOUNG MEN AT PLAY, VOL. 1 & 2.

PRETEEN GALLERY PRESENTS 'BENT COCK', A SOLO EXHIBITION BY NEW YORK-BASED ARTIST MARCELO KRASILCIC.

LET'S SIN ON A TIGER SKIN OR IF YOU PREFER WE COULD ERR ON A DIFFERENT FURR MEGA BITES WAS WHAT MY GIRLFRIEND DID AND GIG WAS A SHOW AT NIGHT A RAM WAS A RANDY MAN OR GOAT WINDOWS JUST LET IN THE LIGHT AN APPLICATION WAS FOR EMPLOYMENT A PROGRAM WAS A TV SHOW A CURSER USED PROFANITY AND A KEYBOARD A PIANO MEMORY WAS SOMETHING YOU LOST WITH AGE A DISC WAS ROCK OR BLUES AND IF YOU HAD A 3 INCH FLOPPY YOU'D BE PEEING ON YOUR SHOES LOG ON WAS FUEL ON THE FIRE HARD DRIVE WAS TO INVERNESS A MOUSE PAD WAS WHERE A RODENT LIVED AND A BACK UP AN AWFUL MESS CUT YOU DID WITH A POCKET KNIFE PASTE YOU DID WITH GLUE A WEB WAS WHERE A SPIDER LIVED AND A VIRUS WAS THE FLU.

MARCELO KRASILCIC IS A BRAZILIAN AMERICAN ARTIST BORN IN SAO PAULO. HE MOVED TO NEW YORK IN 1990 TO STUDY ART AND PHOTOGRAPHY AT NEW YORK UNIVERSITY.

SOON AFTER GRADUATING FROM NYU, HE STARTED EXHIBITING HIS ART WORK AND CONTRIBUTING TO THE EARLY EFFORTS OF MAGAZINES SUCH AS PURPLE, DAZED & CONFUSED, SELF-SERVICE AND VISIONAIRE.

MARCELO CONTINUES TO LIVE IN NEW YORK, AND HE TRAVELS EXTENSIVELY WORKING IN-BETWEEN THE FIELDS OF ART, PORTRAITURE AND FASHION.

PRETEEN IS PLEASED TO PRESENT ‘SOMETHING TO DANCE TO’, AN EXHIBITION BY NEW YORK-BASED PAINTER LANDON METZ.

TIGHT FADED MALE ARSE DECADENCE AND ANARCHY HE SAID HE SMILED SOMETHING TO DANCE TO A CERTAIN STYLE SMILE SMILE SMILE SMILE MEAT ANIMALS SMILED SMILED PATCHWORK JACKET FROM THE TOP OF HIS EARS SHAVED RELATION WITH FELLOW AGE GROUP AND OPPOSITE BIRDS SMILES WANTS ANARCHY SMILED THE CLUB NERVE AND POSES PHYSICAL AWARENESS SMILES TAKE THE CHICKEN RUN TAKE THE CHICKEN RUN TO THE TOILET IN THE ABOVE DESIGNED FROM ABOVE CLUB MAKES GINGER GO ON YOU CAN DO IT SMILE SMILES WANTS ANARCHY SMILED IS THE FUNGUS DAMP IN THE CELLAR POSITIVE G B H SMILES WITH HIS FRIENDS ASK FOR CIGARETTES SMILES SPARKS OFF REPEAL GUN LAWS IN MY BRAIN SPARKS OFF GIVE US A GUN IF I GOT ONE DAMN GRIN DAMN GRIN UP UP UP UP UP UP UP UP UP UP SMILE SMILED WOULD ASK FOR A LAGER IN THE TOWN OF AUSCHWITZ SMILES DESIRES TRAVEL WELL FED IN A WELFARE WAY SMILES SMILED SMILES LOUSY CELEBRITY MAKES JOKE RECORD LICKSPITTLE SOUTHERNER WAITING FOR NEXT HOLIDAY BY GAS MISER SMILES SMILES POSITIVE G B H ROAR ENCORE SPECIAL VEXATION PROCESS WELL FED IN ROMAN NERO WAY LIKE THE WAY YOU IMAGINED IN THE ROMAN AND NERO KODAK FILMS.

PRETEEN IS PLEASED TO PRESENT ‘WHAT KIND OF DREAM IS THIS’, A NEW SOLO SHOW BY NEW YORK-BASED PAINTER LANDON METZ.

EVERY NIGHT I RUSH TO MY BED WITH HOPES THAT MAYBE I'LL GET A CHANCE TO SEE YOU WHEN I CLOSE MY EYES I'M GOING OUT OF MY HEAD LOST IN A FAIRYTALE CAN YOU HOLD MY HANDS AND BE MY GUIDE CLOUDS FILLED WITH STARS COVER YOUR SKIES AND I HOPE IT RAINS YOU'RE THE PERFECT LULLABY WHAT KIND OF DREAM IS THIS YOU COULD BE A SWEET DREAM OR A BEAUTIFUL NIGHTMARE EITHER WAY I DON'T WANNA WAKE UP FROM YOU SOMEBODY PINCH ME YOUR LOVE'S TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE MY GUILTY PLEASURE I AIN'T GOING NOWHERE BABY 'LONG AS YOU'RE HERE I'LL BE FLOATING ON AIR 'CAUSE YOU'RE MY I MENTION YOU WHEN I SAY MY PRAYERS I WRAP YOU AROUND ALL OF MY THOUGHTS BOY YOU'RE MY TEMPORARY HIGH I WISH THAT WHEN I WAKE UP YOU'RE THERE TO WRAP YOUR ARMS AROUND ME FOR REAL AND TELL ME YOU'LL STAY BY SIDE TATTOO YOUR NAME ACROSS MY HEART SO IT WILL REMAIN NOT EVEN DEATH CAN MAKE US PART WHAT KIND OF DREAM IS THIS.

PRETEEN IS VERY PROUD TO ANNOUNCE ‘EVERY WEBSITE IS A MONUMENT: MEXICO CITY,’ A SOLO EXHIBITION BY ATHENS-BASED ARTIST ANGELO PLESSAS.

IN HIS WORK, PLESSAS COMBINES ANIMATED DRAWINGS WITH DOMAIN NAMES TO CREATE WEBSITES. HE TREATS WEBSITES AS PLACES WHERE WE CAN IMAGINE MEANING AND EXPERIENCE OBJECTS, THE SAME WAY WE CAN ADMIRE A SCULPTURE IN A PUBLIC SPACE. THIS BECOMES PARTICULARLY URGENT AT A TIME WHEN THROUGH LIVING PART OF OUR LIVES ONLINE, WE QUESTION AND OFTEN BLUR WHAT IS PRIVATE AND WHAT IS PUBLIC. VISITING A WEBSITE BECOMES AS PUBLIC AS VISITING A TRADITIONAL MONUMENT. AT THE SAME TIME HE IS FASCINATED WITH TRADITIONAL MONUMENTS BECAUSE THEY ENGAGE US WITH SYMBOLS OF NOSTALGIC TENSION. IN THIS WAY WEBSITES SUGGEST A NEW KIND OF MONUMENTALITY WHERE NOTIONS OF CLASSICAL TIME AND SPACE ARE BEING QUESTIONED.

PRETEEN GALLERY IS PROUD TO PRESENT 'A 21ST CENTURY IDEA OF UNHAPPINESS,' SHOWING THE WORKS BY IAIN BALL, MICHELLE CEJA, HOPE EPOH, ADAM JACONO AND EMILY JONES.

CONTEMPORARY CULTURE WISH FOR OBJECTS CRITICISM, ALIENATION, HUMAN FAITH IN MACHINES AND MULTINATIONAL CORPORATIONS, GOOGLE AS AN ORACLE, THE REVITALIZATION OF ANCIENT SPIRITUAL ART ICONOGRAPHY THROUGH SOFTWARE INTERVENTION MAKE UP 'A 21ST CENTURY IDEA OF UNHAPPINESS.' A YOUNG, VULNERABLE, MISINFORMED CENTURY IN CRISIS BORN ON 9/11.