THE DAMNED AND THE BEAUTIFUL

Somehow, yesterday evening, I ended up on Charing Cross Road looking at dusty art books while waiting for a friend who does not seem to own a watch. Her lack of punctuality resulted in a very interesting rediscovery: the American artist Terry Rodgers. Known for his hyper realist depictions of American culture and notably Hollywood's privileged youth, his vision of the super glossy exclusive night life of VIPs, familiar top models and celebrities is like a social reportage into the world of the damned and the beautiful. The empty excesses and tensions emanating from the scenes he paints have always made me feel uncomfortable. His characters seem to live in a disillusioned world of depravation, money, sex, beauty and fashion where models crank out lustful poses in lacy Prada while sipping champagne. Characters are fully engaged in their own complex little bubbles while never interacting with each other, highly reminiscent of front row seats at shows where everyone is looking at each other while pretending that they're not ... There is also a sense of hellish dislocation in his work. A sense of frustration that fascinates me. 

I hope you'll check out his work http://www.terryrodgers.com/