EAI x International Objects: An Evening with Jake Brush

Electronic Arts Intermix (EAI)

264 Canal Street #3W New York, NY 10013

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Electronic Arts Intermix and International Objects are pleased to present an evening with Jake Brush, whose dynamic practice stretches popular culture tropes to their most absurd. Brush has chosen videos from the EAI collection by Alex Bag, Michael Bell-Smith, and Ryan Trecartin and Lizzie Fitch to screen alongside his work. 
A former student of Bell-Smith, Brush sutures together the dizzying syntax of reality television, internet slang, drag sensibilities, and hometown lore to poke fun (and horror) at the dopamine-crazed tendencies of contemporary culture. In Petpourri (2023), Brush performs as a “genetic clone” of Marc Morrone, host of the titular Long Island public access show in which the local pet store owner advised live callers on animal rearing, simultaneously attempting to keep the peace between an assortment of domesticated animals. Laundry Detergent (Cheers!) (2023) stages a Real Housewives-esque interaction between three nouveau riche laundry detergent heiresses, each sporting a haphazardly pinned blonde wig and makeup smeared across their drooping synthetic skin. The video encompasses core facets of American reality TV: Egregious wealth, familial trauma and alcoholism, tactical self-mythologizing, bitter interpersonal conflict, and fleeting moments of human connection. Like much of Brush’s other work, both pieces draw from the artist’s childhood on Long Island, re-staging contemporary tragedies and family gossip in a setting where curious engagement precedes moral judgement.
There will be a Q&A with Bell-Smith and Brush following the program.

Electronic Arts Intermix (EAI)’s venue is located at 264 Canal Street, 3W, near several Canal Street subway stations. Our floor is accessible by elevator (63" × 60" car, 31" door) and stairway. Due to the age and other characteristics of the building, our bathrooms are not ADA-accessible, though several such bathrooms are located nearby. If you have questions about access, please contact cstrange@eai.org in advance of the event.