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John Waters

Rear Projection

April 11–May 22, 2009
Beverly Hills

John Waters: Rear Projection Installation view, photo by Douglas M. Parker Studio

John Waters: Rear Projection

Installation view, photo by Douglas M. Parker Studio

John Waters: Rear Projection Installation view, photo by Douglas M. Parker Studio

John Waters: Rear Projection

Installation view, photo by Douglas M. Parker Studio

John Waters: Rear Projection Installation view, photo by Douglas M. Parker Studio

John Waters: Rear Projection

Installation view, photo by Douglas M. Parker Studio

John Waters: Rear Projection Installation view, photo by Douglas M. Parker Studio

John Waters: Rear Projection

Installation view, photo by Douglas M. Parker Studio

John Waters: Rear Projection Installation view, photo by Douglas M. Parker Studio

John Waters: Rear Projection

Installation view, photo by Douglas M. Parker Studio

John Waters: Rear Projection Installation view, photo by Douglas M. Parker Studio

John Waters: Rear Projection

Installation view, photo by Douglas M. Parker Studio

John Waters: Rear Projection Installation view, photo by Douglas M. Parker Studio

John Waters: Rear Projection

Installation view, photo by Douglas M. Parker Studio

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Works Exhibited

John Waters, Children Who Smoke, 2009 Chromogenic color print, 8 photos: 20 × 14 inches overall (50.8 × 35.6 cm), edition of 5

John Waters, Children Who Smoke, 2009

Chromogenic color print, 8 photos: 20 × 14 inches overall (50.8 × 35.6 cm), edition of 5

John Waters, ...And Your Family Too, 2009 Chromogenic color print, 4 photos: 18 ¾ × 62 ¾ inches overall (framed) (47.6 × 159.4cm), edition of 5

John Waters, ...And Your Family Too, 2009

Chromogenic color print, 4 photos: 18 ¾ × 62 ¾ inches overall (framed) (47.6 × 159.4cm), edition of 5

John Waters, Cult Leader, 2009 Chromogenic color print, 16 ¾ × 14 ¾ inches framed (42.5 × 37.5cm), edition of 5

John Waters, Cult Leader, 2009

Chromogenic color print, 16 ¾ × 14 ¾ inches framed (42.5 × 37.5cm), edition of 5

John Waters, Green Light, 2009 Chromogenic color print, 8 photos: 11 ¾ × 62 ¾ inches overall (framed) (29.8 × 159.4cm), edition of 5

John Waters, Green Light, 2009

Chromogenic color print, 8 photos: 11 ¾ × 62 ¾ inches overall (framed) (29.8 × 159.4cm), edition of 5

John Waters, Hetero Flower Shop, 2009 Chromogenic color print, 10 photos: 76 ¾ × 34 ¾ inches overall (framed) (194.9 × 88.3cm), edition of 5

John Waters, Hetero Flower Shop, 2009

Chromogenic color print, 10 photos: 76 ¾ × 34 ¾ inches overall (framed) (194.9 × 88.3cm), edition of 5

John Waters, Hollywood Smile Train, 2009 Chromogenic color print, 8 photos: 26 ¾ × 20 ¾ inches overall (framed) (67.9 × 52.7cm), edition of 5

John Waters, Hollywood Smile Train, 2009

Chromogenic color print, 8 photos: 26 ¾ × 20 ¾ inches overall (framed) (67.9 × 52.7cm), edition of 5

John Waters, John Jr., 2009 Chromogenic color print, 47 × 41 ¼ inches framed (119.4 × 104.8cm), edition of 5

John Waters, John Jr., 2009

Chromogenic color print, 47 × 41 ¼ inches framed (119.4 × 104.8cm), edition of 5

John Waters, Old Chickens, 2009 Chromogenic color print, 9 photos: 11 ¾ × 69 ¾ inches overall (framed) (29.8 × 177.2cm), edition of 5

John Waters, Old Chickens, 2009

Chromogenic color print, 9 photos: 11 ¾ × 69 ¾ inches overall (framed) (29.8 × 177.2cm), edition of 5

John Waters, Pig Latin, 2009 Chromogenic color print, 8 photos: 14 ¾ × 86 ¾ inches overall (framed) (37.5 × 220.3cm), edition of 5

John Waters, Pig Latin, 2009

Chromogenic color print, 8 photos: 14 ¾ × 86 ¾ inches overall (framed) (37.5 × 220.3cm), edition of 5

John Waters, Pig Latin, 2009 (detail) Chromogenic color print, 8 photos: 14 ¾ × 86 ¾ inches overall (framed) (37.5 × 220.3cm), edition of 5

John Waters, Pig Latin, 2009 (detail)

Chromogenic color print, 8 photos: 14 ¾ × 86 ¾ inches overall (framed) (37.5 × 220.3cm), edition of 5

John Waters, Product Placement, 2009 Chromogenic color print, 8 photos: 13 ¾ × 86 ¾ inches overall (framed) (34.9 × 220.3cm), edition of 5

John Waters, Product Placement, 2009

Chromogenic color print, 8 photos: 13 ¾ × 86 ¾ inches overall (framed) (34.9 × 220.3cm), edition of 5

John Waters, Rear Projection, 2009 Chromogenic color print, 9 photos: 14 ¾ × 96 ¾ inches overall (framed) (37.5 × 245.7cm), edition of 5

John Waters, Rear Projection, 2009

Chromogenic color print, 9 photos: 14 ¾ × 96 ¾ inches overall (framed) (37.5 × 245.7cm), edition of 5

John Waters, Shooting Script, 2009 Chromogenic color print, 51 ¼ × 34 ¼ inches framed (130.2 × 87cm), edition of 5

John Waters, Shooting Script, 2009

Chromogenic color print, 51 ¼ × 34 ¼ inches framed (130.2 × 87cm), edition of 5

John Waters, Stalker, 2009 Chromogenic color print, 32 ¾ × 30 ½ inches framed (83.2 × 77.5cm), edition of 5

John Waters, Stalker, 2009

Chromogenic color print, 32 ¾ × 30 ½ inches framed (83.2 × 77.5cm), edition of 5

John Waters, The Rope Collection, 2009 Chromogenic color print, 5 photos: 13 ¾ × 56 ¾ inches overall (framed) (34.9 × 144.1cm), edition of 5

John Waters, The Rope Collection, 2009

Chromogenic color print, 5 photos: 13 ¾ × 56 ¾ inches overall (framed) (34.9 × 144.1cm), edition of 5

About

There is no such thing as a bad movie frame.
—John Waters

Gagosian Gallery is pleased to announce "Rear Projection", an exhibition of new photographs and sculpture by John Waters.

"Rear projection" is a movie term for the process whereby a foreground action is combined with a background scene filmed earlier to give the impression the actors are on location when they are, in fact, working inside a studio. In Waters' latest work, this artificial and outdated visual effect is embraced, attacked and taken to extremes.

Glorifying the struggle, humiliation, and wild excitement of a life in show business, Waters uses an insider's bag of film tricks and trade lingo to celebrate the excess of the movie industry. Rewriting and redirecting existing film imagery snapped off the TV screen, he assaults, elevates, subtitles, and startlingly alters these one time classic, respected, even honored movies to attain a new kind of equality: a cult film that only needs one viewer – John Waters himself. Child stars are given bad habits (Children Who Smoke); innocent movies are perverted by editing out just a few frames (Santa Molester); even traditionally beautiful movie stars are glamorously deformed by suspiciously over-budgeted charity advertising campaigns (Hollywood Smile Train). The cult of religion and the religion of cult are the same in Waters's world, as in The Process (a cult that worshipped both Satan and Jesus) and Idol #2, Waters's un-ironic beatification of singer Johnny Mathis. He sneaks into other movies like a spy to photograph the very details that their original directors didn't notice. Waters revels in the terrible frustrations of today's film business combined with the hostility that outsiders feel towards the contemporary art world, hoping to bring into focus a fresh breed of humor, cheap (but satisfying) sexual thrills, and a shabbily elevated artistic appreciation that must always start from the back of the line.

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