Jonathan DeDecker & Grace Rosario Perkins, "Lifeeeee Is For Ever"

Marvin Gardens is pleased to present “Lifeeeee Is For Ever,” a two-person exhibition by Jonathan DeDecker and Grace Rosario Perkins. The nine paintings on view leap from the white walls with a contrast so great it’s almost as if they were cut from the encrusted graffiti on the exterior of the building. Both painters build up layers of colorful shapes, web-like and word-like, and in many cases actual written language is used as compositional structures. With each layer referencing the last, the result is a surface that operates similarly to the built up textures of urban surfaces. The paintings as finished works seem to have arrived at a place that is deeply personal, although starting from possibly more recognizable sources. Grace
Rosario Perkins adds a variety of elements the viewer can recognize: web-like lattice structures, bits of nature rendered such as flowers, and some materials collaged onto the surface. Jonathan DeDecker relies more on lettering structure for his compositional armature from which to abstract and build upon. Both artists study and explore their own identities within painting from very different angles, but with a surprising visual affinity in the results. It’s no wonder they’ve become friends and mutually support each other. The title of the show feels like one last shot from the urban experience, something that could just as easily have been scribbled on a notebook or on a wall. We’re not entirely sure who “Ever” is, but life is definitely for them.