Christy Karacas
GAGOOTZ!
June 4 - June 24, 2024
Milan, Italy
MILAN, Italy — Lattuada Gallery is pleased to announce the debut solo exhibition of Christy Karacas. This exhibition showcases a compelling collection of work that encapsulate the vibrant and kinetic energy of Karacas’s unique artistic vision.
In the Italian-American vernacular of Staten Island, "GAGOOTZ!" is an exclamation meaning "crazy in the head." It is also a bastardization of the Southern Italian word cucuzza, a long type of squash, and also Italian slang for ‘head’. The multiplicity of this word captures the essence of Karacas’s work, which embodies a multitude of emotions, themes and styles simultaneously. It’s much a response to the madness of life and a nod to the spirit of Dada-everything is nonsense.
Drawing on his background as a time-based multi-media artist, animator and performer, Karacas’s work takes the movement and pacing of time-based media and the excitement of live performance and distills them into static, singular images. Utilizing techniques like scratching into wet paint, mark-making to add texture and layers, Karacas explores the physicality of the medium striving to transfer visible energy into the final work. These methods create a dialogue between the deliberate and the accidental, reflecting the multifaceted nature of existence and inviting viewers to engage with the layers and textures that tell a story beyond the surface. Time stands still, yet the energy remains.
Karacas's work draws inspiration from preceding art movements, resulting in a dynamic fusion of styles. Embracing the spontaneous, subconscious-driven techniques of Abstract Expressionism, the raw emotion and vivid colors of Neo-Expressionism, the absurd and unconventional attitude of Dada, and the authenticity of Art Brut, Karacas often channels his fears, anxieties, and emotions in a deeply personal manner, offering a profound perspective on the depth and complexity of human experience. “GAGOOTZ!” and Karacas embrace the Dada manifesto: art without pretension, reflecting life as it should be!
Through "GAGOOTZ!", Karacas creates a space where viewers can experience the unfiltered beauty of his vision, where art and life collide in a celebration of the absurd and the extraordinary. This exhibition is a testament to the unpredictable yet beautiful nature of our existence and a celebration of the artist's own journey and creative process.
Christy Karacas is an American artist, filmmaker, and musician well-known as the force behind the cult hit and highly influential animated television show SUPERJAIL! Having emerged from the seminal art scene in Providence, Rhode Island, in the early aughts, Karacas became known for his tightly hand-drawn animations, SPACE WAR and BARFIGHT, while simultaneously charting a path to commercial success with works such as BALLMASTRZ: 9009, BALLMASTRZ: RUBICON, and music videos for influential bands MGMT, ROYAL BLOOD, and LES SAVY FAV.
His work has been shown in screenings and festivals around the world, including the Annecy International Animation Festival, Ottawa International Animation Festival, P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center, Deitch Projects, Galleri Loyal, Tribeca Film Festival, MTV, Cartoon Sushi, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Vice, and Playboy magazines. He lives and works in Providence, Rhode Island, where he received his B.F.A. from the Rhode Island School of Design and also enjoys teaching.