Ross + Kramer is happy to current Of Mud and Breath, a solo exhibition of latest work by Los Angeles primarily based artist Devon DeJardin. Of Mud and Breath, on view Might 08–June 28, 2025 in New York, marks DeJardin’s first solo exhibition with Ross + Kramer. DeJardin’s examine of world faith and non secular traditions informs a lot of his inventive observe. With Of Mud and Breath, the artist turns his focus towards beginnings, reflecting on ideas of creation, divine intention, and human transgression. The exhibition’s title refers back to the biblical notion that humanity was shaped from the mud (or clay) of the earth and given life via the breath of spirit.
Central to his work are summary, anthropomorphic figures which DeJardin phrases “Guardians” that stand as non-theological symbols of safety. Architectural of their dimensionality and type, DeJardin’s Guardian figures are composed of strong geometric shapes harking back to early Analytical Cubism. The Guardians gaze is usually instantly towards the viewer, imparting a way of profoundly benevolent confrontation. These figures appear to supply up a path of communication between themselves and the viewer, and in doing so, encourage deep introspection. His Guardian figures describe a geometrical order that doesn’t exist as a singular type of protecting symbolism however reaches to be understood throughout ideologies, no matter one’s private perception system.
On this physique of labor, DeJardin’s Guardians are seen embedded inside sprawling, ethereal landscapes, pointing to the duality of human existence—being directly earthly and divine, fragile but immutable. The artist’s landscapes, with their managed palette and specific emphasis on environment, are evocative of the enigmatic landscapes of seventeenth century Dutch Golden Age painters equivalent to Aelbert Cuyp, Jan Each, and Aert van der Neer. Very similar to these previous masters, DeJardin integrates symbolic qualities to replicate on ethical and non secular themes that transcend time. Redolent of this propensity for covert meanings, the Guardian figures in these works seem hid inside the work—whether or not shrouded in vegetation or tucked away inside huge surroundings—encouraging the viewer’s eye to wander, actively in search of out an interplay with these figures.
