PRESS RELEASE

Primary is proud to present Pencils & Cigarettes, a solo exhibition of new sculptures and paintings by the Stockholm-based artist Peter Jeppson, his first project with the gallery. 

The pencil, an implement for writing or drawing, creates marks by physical abrasion. The cigarette, a thin cylinder of finely cut tobacco, rolled in paper for smoking. One is lovingly associated with creativity, documentation, and the liberal arts; the other is associated initially with glamour, pleasure, relaxation, good health, and rebellion. 

Jeppson personifies these objects, utilizing their physical appearance and nature as vessels. Symbolically, through their long and thin physical forms, Jeppson sees himself and considers each object's function a measurement of time.

"The more I draw, the more the pencil tip wears down, the more the tool must be sharpened, with the instrument eventually meeting its end. The more one smokes, the less remains, adding to the smoker's physical decay. One productive, the other destructive, both a gauge on existence."

In this story, these two autobiographical protagonists, pencil and cigarette, are flanked by a gang of softly painted personalities on paper and carnivalesque mixed-media sculptures. Each delivering its own balance of humor and emotion. 

"I tend to paint and repaint their appearance in search of insecurity. Feelings rarely exist on their own; simultaneously, we experience happiness with confusion, gladness book-ended by stress and tranquility, nervousness accompanied by laughter. I prefer the uncertain look of my creations. And I know I have found the right expression when I have trouble describing the exact feeling or situation that is taking place. Years from now, when we visit these works, there will be room for the viewer to reconsider what each expression is trying to convey."

Opens September 4 at 5 PM
On view until October 2, 2021

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Peter Jeppson (b. 1985) is a visual artist from Stockholm, Sweden working within the field of figurative art. His works are loosely autobiographical with recurring characters that arguably fall into the style of faux-naif. Exuding bright contrasting colors, humorous titles, and a sense of anarchy, Jeppson creates crude paintings and sculptures powered by a narrative that addresses human production, pleasure & relaxation, gloom, decay, and the ability to approach existence with a touch of humor

Primary (Est. 2007) is a context and research-driven curatorial collective with an emphasis on public art. We thrive amongst the self-taught, working-class misfits, who explore the margins of a new Americana through pungent, human-focused narratives. Our program engages with the raw and uncanny, celebrating border voices, bootleg culture, and intergenerational commentary, connecting the new and unseen with broader audiences and evolving collections.

For further information, please contact info@thisisprimary.com