American Pharoahs, curated by William Crump
October 30 – December 6, 2015
Opening Friday, October 30, 6-9pm

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TSA New York is pleased to present American Pharoahs, a three person exhibition curated by William Crump that features work by artists Mariah Dekkenga, Robbie Mcdonald and Ian Pedigo.

“Artists in their stables will fight like gladiators in a network of white-walled arenas for winner-take-all exhibition privileges. The weapon, their art. Only master artists, skilled in every medium, who know the true meaning of the forms, can compete.” -Kerry James Marshall

American Pharoahs takes its name from this year’s Triple Crown winner. Playing on the idea of a triple threat, the three artists featured in this exhibition all work and excel in at least three disciplines.

Mariah Dekkenga, Robbie McDonald, and Ian Pedigo each choose to grow across mediums, expanding their visions to produce work across the artistic spectrum including, painting, sculpture, performance, collage, photography, installation, and digital media.

These artists purposely shy away from repetition, derivation, and even their own comfort. Although their approach can allow for traditional methods of art making, painting, drawing and sculpture, time and again, they have formed their own visual language in each new genre. They successfully reinvent themselves at every turn as they seek to push the boundaries of their work out of interest rather than need.

Dekkenga, Mcdonald, and Pedigo are more akin to Duchamp than to the old masters in that they refuse to be affiliated with any specific movement. Instead, their work embraces a playful, modernist sensibility, while also working decidedly against any popular current aesthetic or any wish to fulfill a particular niche. American Pharoahs showcases the manner in which these three artists execute their vision. Each in relationship to their three chosen mediums.