This photographic work of Jack Pierson with the Hollywood star Channing Tatum was created on the occasion of a cover story for GQ magazine in 2012. In the background you can see a Ford Thunderbird 1959 which, like many other US Mid Century cars (for example the Vintage convertible Oldsmobile, Starfire, Chevrolet Impala) enjoys cult status.

Jack Pierson works in various media: sculpture, photography, video and drawing. The American artist, born in 1960 in Plymouth, Massachusetts, is internationally renowned for his artist’s books such as “The Hungry Years” and installations of letter and word signs. In 1991, Pierson first combined old letters, once advertising lettering or inscriptions on buildings, to create new words or sentences. His short statements have an equally political and poetic effect on the viewer. His photographs are also diverse. Pierson has photographed celebrities such as Naomi Campbell, Snoop Dogg and Brad Pitt. He also attracted attention with his publication “Self-Portrait” (2003), for which he photographed good-looking men of different ages, but not himself. While this shows a pronounced sense of irony, emotions also play an important role in Pierson’s work. He studied at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design in Boston and was part of the Boston School around Nan Goldin and Philip-Lorca diCorcia. Today the artist lives in New York City and Southern California. His works are represented in museum collections around the world, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Guggenheim Museum in New York alone.

“I have this fan relationship to showbiz.” Jack Pierson has a soft spot for celebrities, but is also aware of the risks and transience of fame. “I chose this old fan magazine as my book project because I like everything about it – the design, the printing and the photography,” says the US artist about his artist’s book “Stardust”, published by Salon Verlag. “I love the subject matter – the stars we remember and the ones we do not. Men, who obviously held a place for a while in the evanescence of Hollywood and youth. I seek to preserve, come what may, the ephemeral.” Channing Tatum, who started out as a stripper before being discovered as a model and making a career as an actor, is certainly also aware of the tough bandages and volatility of the acting business. In addition to the portrait of the young man leaning casually against a car hood, the collector’s edition from 2012 also includes a photo portrait of the star, who was voted “Sexiest Man Alive” by Jack Pierson in the same year. And even if Tatum is one of those who have not been forgotten: Pierson’s work is often overshadowed by the beautiful shadow of melancholy. “One of the things that’s a disappointment to me about art is that it’s always a memory of something that happened.” But with the help of his art, you can always escape transience for a few moments.

EXHIBITIONS Jack Pierson:

Nan Goldin and Jack Pierson
19 September 2023 – 19 March 2024
Institute of Contemporary Art, Third Floor Lobby
Boston, Massachusetts

The Myth of Normal, A Celebration of Authentic Expression
Group Exhibition
5 October 2023 – 19 May 2024
MassArt Art Museum
Boston, Massachusetts

Copy Machine Manifestos: Artists Who Make Zines
Group Exhibition
17 November 2023 – 31 March 2024
Brooklyn Museum
Brooklyn, New York