REDCAT

Perhaps best known for his live, unpredictable performances, John Bock blurs artistic convention, constructing a boundless world all his own. The artist often employs uncanny costumes, assemblages, and props that both reference and examine a range of social, political, philosophical, and aesthetic interests. Gravitating more recently towards multi-media works, Bock’s new project, Palms, co-commissioned by REDCAT and the Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt, reflects the artist’s current interest in the narrative structure and genre conventions of film. The film noir¬-inspired, feature-length work follows two German killers as they navigate the landscape of Southern California from iconic Schindler and Neutra residences in Los Angeles to sleepy old town bars in Twentynine Palms and the formidable landscape of Joshua Tree National Park. For its U.S. premiere at REDCAT, Palms will be presented in the context of an expansive sculptural environment with new three-dimensional work.

Bock (b. 1965 Gribbohm, Germany) attended the Hochschule für Bildende Künste (HfBK) in Hamburg. He has exhibited internationally for the last 15 years including solo exhibitions at the Schirn Kunsthalle in Frankfurt, The Moore Loft in Miami, Institute of Contemporary Arts in London and Arken Museum of Modern Art in Denmark. He also participated in Documenta 11 (2002), the 2001 Yokohama Triennial, and the 48th Venice Biennale (1999). Bock lives and works in Berlin.