James Joyce – 100 Likes. A solo exhibition of works taking place at colette Paris from 1st – 27th February 2016.
Shown here, ‘6 Likes’, 300cm x 150cm, acrylic on canvas.
colette
213 rue Saint-Honoré
75001 Paris
If the youth of the 1960s and early 70s owned ‘Love’ as a word that summed up their generation, then perhaps it could be said that ‘Like’ is the equivalent defining word for the Internet age.
‘Like’ has become ubiquitous in recent years thanks to its use as the currency of popularity within social media platforms. In fact, it has become more than just a word; it has become an action, a reward, and an icon of sorts whereby status and ego are bolstered by the number of interactions or ‘Likes’ earned by social media users.
James Joyce’s Like paintings take a neutral and ambiguous position. They can be read as both a reflection of a vacuous culture defined by a word that has lost its meaning, endlessly and mechanically repeated, or as a celebration of ‘Like’ as a positive expression, transformed from its former passive status by its modern active context.
The title of the exhibition, ‘100 Likes’, reflects the total number of pieces included in the show, which comprises works arranged in various iterations and number groupings, appearing both as large-scale paintings and silkscreen prints.
‘100 Likes’ will occupy the gallery and first floor of the store, while other works will be exhibited on the ground floor from the 2nd until the 27th February 2016 – including five artist’s proofs of the sold-out screen-printed edition Joyce created for Banksy’s contemporary art show ‘Dismaland’. These will be on sale exclusively at colette for the duration of the exhibition.
Merchandise incorporating selected artwork will also be available in store.