For those who live in cities like Los Angeles, a car is an indispensable part of daily life. It’s the primary means to get from point A to B, and has in effect played a decisive role in paving both the physical landscape of many world metropolis’, along with the unspoken class codes tied to consumer culture. Hauser & Wirth LA is showcasing a new exhibition at its Downtown space that aptly examines the semiotics of car culture by conceptual artist Jason Rhoades.
Born in Northern California, Rhoades, whose short career spanned the 1990s till his death in 2006, created highly ornate installations — often conflating neon signage, found objects and materials inspired by LA’s car culture to comment on themes pertaining sexuality, consumer culture and more. In DRIVE, the show comprises of sculptures, drawings, videos and multiples, such as a concrete car stop with the word “SPORTSCAR” humorously airbrushed on it, to mini vehicles — from a Ligier microcar to a Ferrari 328 GTS — each symbolizing a functioning sculpture, as Rhoades once believed, that one could sit and interact with.
Mirroring Rhaodes’ shape-shifting oeuvre, the Hauser exhibition will also transform during the duration of the show. The current iteration spotlights “THE PARKING SPACE”, delving into the romanticization of the car as an art object. Whereas, in April, “THE PIT” will see the space reconfigured to include a lounge, as the show looks back on various archived periods in Rhoades’ career. Third in line is “THE RACETRACK”, an off-site showcase to complement the exhibition, which will feature half-scale NASCAR cars staged at the Willow Springs speedway by Lancaster, California this summer. Lastly, September will bring the show full circle with “THE GARAGE”, the symbolic ending point for a car’s day-to-day, featuring a number of framed works on paper, as well as monumental sculptural installation.
DRIVE is on view now at Hauser & Wirth in DTLA until January 14, 2025.
Hauser & Wirth
901 E 3rd St,
Los Angeles, CA 90013
