Justin Hansch

Surfing and Art are the same; they’re both Cool
23 May - 28 June 2008
Opening Reception: Friday, 23 May 6-9pm

Pawnshop presents the debut solo exhibition of Los Angeles based artist, Justin Hansch.

For this exhibition, Hansch estimates the validity of his observations on a set of facts in order to set forth evidence about the whole. More than process or material, language is the culprit of the tensions between depicted reality and the actuality of painting. Like being stuck in the fog without any reference points, the sum of Hansch’s equation ultimately leads back to the particulars without solution; the painting is a rumination on the fallacy that there exists a representation for which the answer is immediately obvious.

Though his paintings and sculptures imbue the pleasure with which they appear to be made, it is difficult to deny the solipsistic universe from whence they came and the enormous individual survival value of their presence. Hansch’s works seem to feed off the counter-intuitive while revealing it for what it is, simultaneously capturing the isomorphic similarity between the two. Whether his intention be to mark the realm of his personal environment, or to re-imagine the communal, the choice of what to make is inextricably linked to the questions: how -and with whom- to make it?

Justin Hansch is founder and director of JMOCA (Justin’s Museum of Contemporary Art), a museum located in his Los Angeles home. His work has been included in a group shows at CoLab in Copenhagen and Kunstraum Kreuzberg/Bethanien in Berlin. Most recently, he was a part of a two-person show at China Art Objects in Los Angeles. He holds a BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

JH: On the contrary, I do think there is something in there about the fundamental act of creating. In order to create you have to believe, in spite of the fact that the notion of perfect communication is deeply flawed and ultimately, would be boring anyways. People make things to express themselves. That’s cool. … and they believe othersmay get something out of it … the possibility of communication.

PS: Maybe it can express a sign of the times, a political point, etc. It’s pretty delusional to think that others get something out of it.

JH: The crazy thing is that every now and then, it actually does work. Or at least I believe it does. I see something and it changes everything and art is awesome. For an individual, this drawing may only happen once or twice a year, perhaps less or more, but it is enough to keep a community going for a couple millennia.

Justin Hansch is exhibited concurrently with the Video Library (on show in the east gallery) screening the permanent collection of video works alongside each exhibition in the main gallery.

Gereon Krebber’s solo exhibition opens July 11th - August 17th 2008.

August 2008, PawnShop closes and re-opens as CRISP LONDON LOS ANGELES; based in Westwood, Los Angeles and opening in Fitzrovia, London.

Installation view, June 2008