Pee-wee's Big Adventure
One of my best friends suggested this title when I told him about the selection of artist for this show. (so thank you Wim). It is truth that all the work on display could belong to the universe of Pee-wee Herman. And besides this, the name has a catch to it… Pee-wee at Pizza (there’s a ring to it no?)
Through the works on display, we almost enter the imaginary universe of Pee-wee. It is not hard to think about his fantastic Playhouse in Puppet land when gazing at this exhibition.
Pizza gallery is filled with works that remind us of the toys, talking furniture and puppet characters that inhabit Herman’s world. We see the comical, in works by Karel and Dieter, the animated in the work by Josse Pyl who’s teeth almost devour the space itself, or the work by Veronika that translate our daily reality in animation stills. Almost literal in, the work of Julien Meert transforms us into space.
Fionas work also hints towards a human, erotic undertone of the Pee-wee Herman character, and it’s world. The erotic tone of her work could pinpoint to the scandal in the 90s that questioned the sanitized portraiture of the actor behind the Pee-wee personage. He (the actor) got caught in an adult theater, and by so reminded us that we all by our human nature are imperfect.
Maybe a puritan American wasn’t ready for the curtain to be pulled in that way. It took the actor and therefore also the character a decade to reemerge on our radar. But we’re happy he got back in the end!
This show was curated by Michiel Ceulers for Lesage invited by Pizza Gallery. Thanks to everybody involved.
Works left to right
Veronika Bezdenejnykh Rode Heuvels 2020
Digital print on aluminium
25h x 18w cm edition 10
Fiona Mackay
Famous 2021
Pressed drawing behind glass
42h x 29,7w cm
Fiona Mackay
Promises 2021
Pressed drawing behind glass
42h x 29,7w cm
Karel Thienpont
Lazy sater 2022
Acrylic on cardboard
27,5h x 21w cm
Karel Thienpont
Desert intercepted by telefoon van Jonas & Femke 2021
Oil on cardboard
11,5h x 21w cm
Dieter Ravyts
untitled 2022
Inkt on Paper, artist frame; cardboard
25h x 32w cm
Dieter Ravyts
untitled 2021
Gouache, tape on paper, artist frame; cardboard
28h x 30w cm
Veronika Bezdenejnykh
Over ateliervloer 2021
Digital print on aluminium
36h x 34w cm edition 10
Dieter Ravyts untitled 2022
Inkt on Paper, artist frame; cardboard 25h x 32w cm
Julien Meert
The Fall 2020
Flatscreen mounted into wooden pedestal 5” 170h x 38l x 60w cm
Karel Thienpont
the quantum darkness 2021
Oil on cardboard
33,5h x 43,5w cm
Josse Pyl
Eating Grammar, 2020
Polymer