Joel Ross: A Place Some People Call America

You all remember moniquemeloche’s inaugural show in 2001 when Joel Ross borrowed his mother’s bedroom? Well, don’t miss his first solo show in 4 years A Place Some People Call America at moniquemeloche gallery opening next Friday, October 14th.  The obsessive and often subversive nature of this Texas-born artist continues to be revealed, but the current political climate cannot be avoided. From a major wall installation “Replicas of Flags I’ve Burned” to blinking light boxes of the US and Iraqi flags, Ross navigates the rugged emotional and intellectual terrain of a country caught between glory and shame. As usual, text plays an important part in Ross’ work and manifests itself in a series of black on black drawings taken from ubiquitous bumper stickers like “United We Stand,” “My SUV luvs Iraqi Oil” and “God Guns Glory.”