Nic Hess: [Together Now}

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tape.S00ty, andadhesive drawings materials-charcoal NicHesspairstwo unlikely Tocreatehisinstallations a of rendering materials, capable of drawing is arguably themostelemental charcoal andforgiving, smudgy, history, andmasterful messy character charcoal's means.

Unlike through singular rangeof effects dramatic offandseparates toolthatseals precise expansive aningenious, andutilitarian, tapeis comparatively adhesive Byusingtapeto tackupdrawleaving fewtraces. it is easilydiscarded, 0ncedeployed onethingfromanother. provisional. tapeandcharIntheseinstances, thatis purposefully setsthetoneforanenvironment ings,Hess Yet stage. two-dimensional onto the holding up the other roles, one traditional more in slightly coalengage to estabfunctions to demarcate properties lts capacity less expected service. of tapeinto Hessalsocallsthe graphic tape yetworkable Withinthisstructure syntax. a fragmented structure, andmalleable lisha makeshift alongside images slotthemselves Tape-based to origami. turned role,likepaper isfreedfromitssupportive attenf lowintoeachotherorjostleformomentary lmages either assemblage. a jumbled onesforming charcoal congenial unexpectedly mutually irreverent-an become tapeandcharcoal theyarecombined, tion.However itsworkaday existence. therealm of highart,theotherfrom team-oneonholidayfrom in Mexico, China, timetraveling much buthehasspent wherehelivestoday, wasbornin 1968inZurich, Hess poolsof visualinformation.

Hessis pardifferent freelythrough hisworkmoves Likewise, andpartsof Europe.

Thethematic to another. witheasefromoneplace thatcirculate icons, images cultural tialto widelyrecognized irons. suchassteam objects, aswellascomm0n hisworks, presence is prominent among andanimals of sports yet geographic many circulate and and social, references, number of specific with any are loaded These images of corporate fromthevocabulary trueof formsappropriated Thisis particularly arena. aswellin theglobal "swoosh" coninto thepublic's have soaked as these lmages such others. cat,am0ng andPuma logos, theNike In Hess's readable. andareinstantly of thefamiliar theyofferthecomfort to thepointof indelibility; sciousness to retain a conthelogos colors allows of standardized ofthetapein itsarray clarity thegraphic installations, and,seencloseup,the in charcoal rendered butthedrawnelements existence, to theirdav-to-dav nection ln Coupe de canbehumorous. roomfor play.Theresults pieced-together 0f thetapeitself,provide aesthetic protruded fromtheothert0ngues likeprankish Nike"swooshes" Zurich, 1998at theKunsthaus Mondefrom perhaps Ina workdrawnin thestyleof orjudges. profiles of umpires of a groupof bustportraits, wisedignified "pictures (literally, lightlygrasps a "swoosh" female figure world"), a print the floating of ukiyo-e theJapanese of be capable form should surely aerodynamic thatsucha slippery, suggesting comically bybothitsends, grace project, andspeed emerges to thelog0of givena jobto dorather animage thansimply music.

Suddenly back t0 d0uble threaten of the"tongues" shapes boomerang-like thestylized awkwardness: withanendearing codes. setof stylistic withanother mutely blends Theswoosh-as-instrument 0ntheir6wners. (the (theappeal product) andsameness of theunique onoriginality identity is based Thenotionof a corporate todaydateback in circulation thelogos behind techniques Themarketing recognition). lureof habitandbrand images.

Anyartistwh0 c0rporate ironclad to construct whendesigners began century, t0 theearlytwentieth thecodes of originality mixing andtechniques, themes toyswithsimilar of appropriation takesupthepractice identities visual markers of corporate Hessbrings forms, recognizable Alongwithothereasily andauthorship. interthe corporation the history of Within this environment convention. forming a cacophonous int60neroom, graphics moveof certain with the declarative which is charged work, of Hess's sectswiththevisuallineage evenimmeparticularly of whichwerequickly, aspects Constructivism, avant-garde, mentsof thefirstEuropean of advertising. intothelanguage absorbed diately, alchemy of thedime-store practice Simichascalled to whatthepoetCharles canbecompared Hess's Likewise, junk shop. the corner forum over a worldwide wider net, choosing casta Hess's installations Cornell.

Joseph Despite their nature of hispractice. theprovisional ffow-conveys installation-Together Thetitleof Hess's works funcHess's of meaning. quality, of flux,thecontingency graphic, theinevitably theyconcern stop-moti0n Theyareappropriaandsocial. economic, cultural, elements of exchange: of reciprocal tionasrepresentations witha Assuchtheygreettheviewer commerce. linked byglobal andindisputably tionsfora worldincreasingly in partof thathavebeencomprised trueof pastinstallati0ns Thisis particularly banality. kindof purposeful partialwalls. suggest, onebrickat a time Assuchimages pieces tapeforming of brownpacking brick-shaped joins game visual communications. of too, the Hess,

both of drawings, to focussolelyontheexhibition inthecountry institution istheonlynot-for-profit TheDrawing Center artists; andunder-recognized foremerging opportunities in 1976to provide lt wasestablished andhistoric. contemporary public onissues dialogue andtostimulate history; throughout ofdrawings anddiversity thesignificance todemgnstrate ofartandculture. and s exhibitions TheDrawing Center documenting ofpublications Papers, a series 5 oftheDrawing Thisisnumber programs forthestudy ofdrawing. public a forum andproviding BOABD OFDIRECTORS DitaAmory Negroponte George Co-Chairmen Adler Beatty Frances M.Clark, Jr. James Dittmer Frances Eisler Colin Bruce W.Ferguson Michael lovenko Werner H.Kramarsky AbbyLeigh William S.Lieberman Ligon Glenn Lynne Michael Pingree Engelhard Sally Rohatyn* Elizabeth Eric C.Budin Allen Sessoms C.Thayer* Jeanne H.Tuck Edward Weir Elizabeth Woodner Andrea deZegher Catherine Director Executive *Emerita

possible ARTS COUNCIL 0FSWITZERLAND. HELVETIA, byPRO made hasbeen Thisexhibition to Ziegler. thanks Serge Special generously hasbeen Papers oftheDrawing andpresentation forthedevelopment Major support Dittmer. byFrances contributed paper. publication onMonadnock isprinted series Papers TheDrawing

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