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7 Rising Art Stars To Watch: Jack Early

September 3, 2015

“It’s possible Jack Early is the art world’s best living poet.

There’s no single interpretation for every story he tells, song he sings, and artwork he builds. A musician in his own right, Early weaves melodies into all of his semi-autobiographical installations, which use 60s and 70s culture as its raw material. Paul McCartney, Yoko Ono, the show “Laugh-In”, and Pink Floyd’s prism, all become actors to build a mood—usually, a kind of heavy-hearted sweetness. In a recent installation,WWJD, which was shown at Frieze in 2013, Early presented a Jesus Christ, from the 1970s musical “Godspell,” on a neon cross; Early’s own Led Zeppelin-esque ballad drifted over the installation’s clouds from an ipod SoundDock. The title suggests “What Would Jesus Do?” but it could just as easily be interpreted as “What Would Jack Do?” The idea of redemption resonates with Early’s story.”

“It’s possible Jack Early is the art world’s best living poet.

There’s no single interpretation for every story he tells, song he sings, and artwork he builds. A musician in his own right, Early weaves melodies into all of his semi-autobiographical installations, which use 60s and 70s culture as its raw material. Paul McCartney, Yoko Ono, the show “Laugh-In”, and Pink Floyd’s prism, all become actors to build a mood—usually, a kind of heavy-hearted sweetness. In a recent installation,WWJD, which was shown at Frieze in 2013, Early presented a Jesus Christ, from the 1970s musical “Godspell,” on a neon cross; Early’s own Led Zeppelin-esque ballad drifted over the installation’s clouds from an ipod SoundDock. The title suggests “What Would Jesus Do?” but it could just as easily be interpreted as “What Would Jack Do?” The idea of redemption resonates with Early’s story.”

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