White Walls Presents: Control, a Solo Show by Nick Flatt

White Walls is pleased to present Control, a solo show by Nick Flatt. The opening reception will be held Saturday, May 11, 2013 from 7-11pm with the exhibit free and open to the public through June 01, 2013.
At its core, Nick Flatt’s Control is a response to Guy Debord’s book Society of the Spectacle, where Debord expounds that authentic experience has been subverted by the mere representation of it, outlining the spectacle as a system feed by the mass media’s control of images and the social relationship people have with these images.

Flatt opens a dialogue on the pseudo needs and boundless pursuit of gratification this type of system has supported with a series of 5ft x 7ft oil paintings which depict models sporting necklaces that read “MORE” resting on their chests. Three different 10 layered stencils displayed in duplicate form seem to comment on the production and commodification of desire, the fact that, in Debord’s words “In a consumer society, social life is not about living, but about having […]”

By placing the stereotypical ideals of beauty used in advertisements, and showing specifically, without illusion, what is being sold, Flatt attempts to draw attention to how art, sex, and even rebellion are reduced to commodities. A grandiose installation featuring a crushed car built by Flatt himself instills the show with an air of threat, but whether the threat is in denying the spectacle or feeding into it is left unclear.

From the Artist:
The person to the left of you has more than you do. The guy to the right’s girlfriend has bigger tits than yours. The averages seemed to have been raised, and you’re left wanting more. The bombardment of advertisements is a constant source of corporate bullying. People that are prettier and happier than you telling you to buy stuff that will make you pretty and happy. So go whiten your teeth, get a job producing more shit, strive to drive a luxury car, and maybe, just maybe the next time you’re in public your girlfriend will have the biggest boobs in the room. Control.

Texas-born Nick Flatt, is known for his large scale photorealistic black and white portraits, often with provocative themes gleaned from titles like Blow Me, Pussy Fingers, and Nip Slip. By using models who physically resemble the prototype of those commonly used in mainstream advertising, Flatt whets the viewer’s unconscious appetite for consumption. However, their extreme, lascivious gestures distort our desire to the point of discomfort. By exposing the cheap triggers employed by these glossy glamazons, Flatt invites us to be repulsed by their honest unmasking.

Media Opportunities: 
Interview with artist Nick Flatt
Interview with owner/founder/curator Justin Giarla
High-resolution images available upon request

Event Information:
Control, a Solo Show by Nick Flatt
Opening Reception – May 11, 2013, 7-11 pm
On View Through June 01, 2013,
@ White Walls (www.whitewallssf.com)
886 Geary
San Francisco, CA