CORY REYNOLDS | DATE 10/23/2023

David Lewis presents Mel Odom and Jarrett Earnest in Conversation with Michael Bullock

Monday, October 23 at 6:30 PM, David Lewis presents Mel Odom in conversation with writer and artist Jarrett Earnest, introduced by Michael Bullock, curator of Odom’s exhibition Blind Tongue. The talk will be followed by a signing of The Archaeology of Eros, featuring poetry by Jorge Socarras and art by Mel Odom.

"An Odom image is known for burning into your brain like a hit pop song and like all successful iconography, each singular scene inspires its audience to construct an entire world around it. Odom’s unique tone combines decadence with earnestness, fetish and innocence, the camp of Hollywood noir with the decadence of the discotheque. These elements create a tension that doesn't invite simple conclusions. To understand this rare formation one can look to Odom’s biography. As a boy he grew up enjoying 'a happy and supportive childhood' in a rural farming town with only 4000 residents. As a young newly out gay man he moved to NYC at the height of gay liberation, in the mid 1970s. Despite living and thriving throughout those legendary pre-AIDS, years of disco and hedonism, the young artist maintained a sense of humble small town awe and enthusiasm; a vantage point that allowed him to experience the spirit of his times with enough reverence and passion to canonize them. Throughout the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s Odom’s commercial assignments were presented in high profile magazines. This mainstream distribution allowed his artwork to impact the zeitgeist actualizing the dreams, lifestyles, and subconscious longings of his generation.

At the start of his career Odom developed a rigorous technique in which each drawing is recreated seven times and layered upon itself, producing a sensitive, dream-like quality that, Alex Jovanovich, described in Artforum as looking like they have been 'tenderly reinforced with light.' While the prolific artist continues to draw daily, at 73, the labor and time it takes to produce his signature style is extensive. Odom no longer utilizes this seven-step process, making these important archival works the last of their kind.

This month, Dark Entries Editions releases The Archaeology of Eros, a book of poetry by Jorge Socarras with a cover and illustrations by Mel Odom."

—Michael Bullock

Featured image is from The Archaeology of Eros, published by Dark Entries Records.

Mel Odom and Jarrett Earnest in Conversation with Michael Bullock
David Lewis
Monday, October 23: 6:30 PM
111 Reade Street
New York, NY, USA