Steve Turner is pleased to present The Great Escape, a solo exhibition by New York-based Nick Doyle, that features sculptural works depicting everyday objects including an oversized bottle of Advil; losing lottery tickets; a pressed dress shirt; a pair of Converse shoes; a miniature Chevron sign; a crushed Newport cigarette box; and two air fresheners. Inspired by the idea of the American road trip, Doyle meticulously assembled these works from a multitude of materials–steel, plywood, brass, paper, sandpaper, canvas, chain, tin foil, light bulbs, electrical wire, concrete, and most importantly, denim. Worn by miners, cowboys, hippies, bikers, punks and bad boys, denim represents westward expansion, rugged individualism and a kind of masculinity that Doyle questions with these works. Doyle also created three small kinetic “Executive Toys” in which he examines the underlying pressure and violence of corporate culture. Finally, there is a three-minute music video that combines puppetry and found footage. The main character is a spork dressed in a suit and tie who is on the road singing a song of lament. It ends with some Saguaro cacti singing Amazing Grace against a desert backdrop.
Nick Doyle (b. 1983 Los Angeles) received a BFA from the San Francisco Art Institute (2005) and an MFA from CUNY Hunter College (2013). He attended Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture (2014) and was a resident of Lower Manhattan Cultural Council’s Workspace Program (2014 – 17). He has had solo exhibitions at Mrs. Gallery, New York (2018) and Invisible Exports, New York (2014). His work has also been included in group shows at Perrotin, Seoul (2019); Steve Turner, Los Angeles (2018); Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft, Louisville (2017); Lucien Terras, New York (2016) and Pioneer Works, New York (2016). This is Doyle’s first solo exhibition at Steve Turner.