Jesus and Nazimova
A slate-blue softcover catalogue for Jack Pierson's 2012 exhibition at Xavier Hufkens, Brussels, a melancholic hymn to fame, desire, and the passage of time built around two emblematic 'gods of love': the crucified Christ of Velázquez's Prado masterpiece and the silent-film idol Rudolph Valentino.
Published to accompany Pierson's third exhibition with the Brussels gallery (7 September – 13 October 2012), the 56-page volume carries an essay by the art historian and critic Elisabeth Lebovici. It documents word sculptures assembled from found sign letters (Nazimova, Fame, Symbolism, Souvenirs, Last Century) alongside a life-size photograph of Velázquez's crucifixion, folded pigment prints, automatic drawings, and an actual door salvaged from Falcon Lair, Valentino's Hollywood estate. The Nazimova of the title is Alla Nazimova (1879–1945), the Russian-born actress and queer Hollywood icon whose circle included Valentino's wife, the designer Natacha Rambova.
Pierson (b. 1960, Plymouth, Massachusetts) emerged from the Boston School alongside Nan Goldin, David Armstrong, and Mark Morrisroe, and is best known for the found-letter word sculptures and photographs that thread longing, glamour, and gay desire through American vernacular culture. His work is held by MoMA, the Whitney, and the Guggenheim, and this catalogue sits alongside Andre, Array (Miami Beach), and the Photology monograph in the collection.
