Jo Ann Callis
Circa 1976
ROSEGALLERY Bergamot Station Arts Center 2525 Michigan Ave G5 Santa Monica, CA 90404 t. 310.264.8440 e. info@rosegallery.net
Untitled, 1976 Sheet 16 x 20 inches/Image 9.75 x 12 inches Archival Pigment Print Signed and dated by the artist in pencil on verso Printed under the direct supervision of the artist In a limited edition of ten From the collection of the artist SOLD
ROSEGALLERY Bergamot Station Arts Center 2525 Michigan Ave G5 Santa Monica, CA 90404 t. 310.264.8440 e. info@rosegallery.net
Untitled, 1976 Sheet 16 x 20 inches/Image 9.75 x 12 inches Archival Pigment Print Signed and dated by the artist in pencil on verso Printed under the direct supervision of the artist In a limited edition of ten From the collection of the artist $7,500.
ROSEGALLERY Bergamot Station Arts Center 2525 Michigan Ave G5 Santa Monica, CA 90404 t. 310.264.8440 e. info@rosegallery.net
Untitled, 1976 Sheet 20 x 16 inches/Image 12 x 9.75 inches Archival Pigment Print Signed and dated by the artist in pencil on verso Printed under the direct supervision of the artist In a limited edition of ten From the collection of the artist $7,500.
ROSEGALLERY Bergamot Station Arts Center 2525 Michigan Ave G5 Santa Monica, CA 90404 t. 310.264.8440 e. info@rosegallery.net
Untitled, 1976 Sheet 20 x 16 inches/Image 12 x 9.75 inches Archival Pigment Print Signed and dated by the artist in pencil on verso Printed under the direct supervision of the artist In a limited edition of ten From the collection of the artist SOLD
ROSEGALLERY Bergamot Station Arts Center 2525 Michigan Ave G5 Santa Monica, CA 90404 t. 310.264.8440 e. info@rosegallery.net
Untitled, 1976 Sheet 16 x 20 inches/Image 9.75 x 12 inches Archival Pigment Print Signed and dated by the artist in pencil on verso Printed under the direct supervision of the artist In a limited edition of ten From the collection of the artist $7,500.
ROSEGALLERY Bergamot Station Arts Center 2525 Michigan Ave G5 Santa Monica, CA 90404 t. 310.264.8440 e. info@rosegallery.net
Untitled, 1976 Sheet 16 x 20 inches/Image 9.75 x 12 inches Archival Pigment Print Signed and dated by the artist in pencil on verso Printed under the direct supervision of the artist In a limited edition of ten From the collection of the artist $7,500.
ROSEGALLERY Bergamot Station Arts Center 2525 Michigan Ave G5 Santa Monica, CA 90404 t. 310.264.8440 e. info@rosegallery.net
Untitled, 1976 Sheet 20 x 16 inches/Image 12 x 9.75 inches Archival Pigment Print Signed and dated by the artist in pencil on verso Printed under the direct supervision of the artist In a limited edition of ten From the collection of the artist $7,500.
ROSEGALLERY Bergamot Station Arts Center 2525 Michigan Ave G5 Santa Monica, CA 90404 t. 310.264.8440 e. info@rosegallery.net
Untitled, 1976 Sheet 16 x 20 inches/Image 9.75 x 12 inches Archival Pigment Print Signed and dated by the artist in pencil on verso Printed under the direct supervision of the artist In a limited edition of ten From the collection of the artist $7,500.
ROSEGALLERY Bergamot Station Arts Center 2525 Michigan Ave G5 Santa Monica, CA 90404 t. 310.264.8440 e. info@rosegallery.net
Untitled, 1976 Sheet 16 x 20 inches/Image 9.75 x 12 inches Archival Pigment Print Signed and dated by the artist in pencil on verso Printed under the direct supervision of the artist In a limited edition of ten From the collection of the artist SOLD
ROSEGALLERY Bergamot Station Arts Center 2525 Michigan Ave G5 Santa Monica, CA 90404 t. 310.264.8440 e. info@rosegallery.net
Untitled, 1976 Sheet 16 x 20 inches/Image 9.75 x 12 inches Archival Pigment Print Signed and dated by the artist in pencil on verso Printed under the direct supervision of the artist In a limited edition of ten From the collection of the artist $7,500.
ROSEGALLERY Bergamot Station Arts Center 2525 Michigan Ave G5 Santa Monica, CA 90404 t. 310.264.8440 e. info@rosegallery.net
Untitled, 1976 Sheet 20 x 16 inches/Image 12 x 9.75 inches Archival Pigment Print Signed and dated by the artist in pencil on verso Printed under the direct supervision of the artist In a limited edition of ten From the collection of the artist $7,500.
ROSEGALLERY Bergamot Station Arts Center 2525 Michigan Ave G5 Santa Monica, CA 90404 t. 310.264.8440 e. info@rosegallery.net
Untitled, 1976 Sheet 20 x 16 inches/Image 12 x 9.75 inches Archival Pigment Print Signed and dated by the artist in pencil on verso Printed under the direct supervision of the artist In a limited edition of ten From the collection of the artist $7,500.
ROSEGALLERY Bergamot Station Arts Center 2525 Michigan Ave G5 Santa Monica, CA 90404 t. 310.264.8440 e. info@rosegallery.net
Untitled, 1976 Sheet 20 x 16 inches/Image 12 x 9.75 inches Archival Pigment Print Signed and dated by the artist in pencil on verso Printed under the direct supervision of the artist In a limited edition of ten From the collection of the artist $7,500.
ROSEGALLERY Bergamot Station Arts Center 2525 Michigan Ave G5 Santa Monica, CA 90404 t. 310.264.8440 e. info@rosegallery.net
Untitled, 1976 Sheet 16 x 20 inches/Image 9.75 x 12 inches Archival Pigment Print Signed and dated by the artist in pencil on verso Printed under the direct supervision of the artist In a limited edition of ten From the collection of the artist $7,500.
ROSEGALLERY Bergamot Station Arts Center 2525 Michigan Ave G5 Santa Monica, CA 90404 t. 310.264.8440 e. info@rosegallery.net
Untitled, 1976 Sheet 16 x 20 inches/Image 9.75 x 12 inches Archival Pigment Print Signed and dated by the artist in pencil on verso Printed under the direct supervision of the artist In a limited edition of ten From the collection of the artist $7,500.
ROSEGALLERY Bergamot Station Arts Center 2525 Michigan Ave G5 Santa Monica, CA 90404 t. 310.264.8440 e. info@rosegallery.net
Untitled, 1976 Sheet 20 x 16 inches/Image 12 x 9.75 inches Archival Pigment Print Signed and dated by the artist in pencil on verso Printed under the direct supervision of the artist In a limited edition of ten From the collection of the artist SOLD
ROSEGALLERY Bergamot Station Arts Center 2525 Michigan Ave G5 Santa Monica, CA 90404 t. 310.264.8440 e. info@rosegallery.net
Untitled, 1976 Sheet 20 x 16 inches/Image 12 x 9.75 inches Archival Pigment Print Signed and dated by the artist in pencil on verso Printed under the direct supervision of the artist In a limited edition of ten From the collection of the artist $7,500.
ROSEGALLERY Bergamot Station Arts Center 2525 Michigan Ave G5 Santa Monica, CA 90404 t. 310.264.8440 e. info@rosegallery.net
Untitled, 1976 Sheet 20 x 16 inches/Image 12 x 9.75 inches Archival Pigment Print Signed and dated by the artist in pencil on verso Printed under the direct supervision of the artist In a limited edition of ten From the collection of the artist $7,500.
ROSEGALLERY Bergamot Station Arts Center 2525 Michigan Ave G5 Santa Monica, CA 90404 t. 310.264.8440 e. info@rosegallery.net
Untitled, 1976 Sheet 20 x 16 inches/Image 12 x 9.75 inches Archival Pigment Print Signed and dated by the artist in pencil on verso Printed under the direct supervision of the artist In a limited edition of ten From the collection of the artist $7,500.
ROSEGALLERY Bergamot Station Arts Center 2525 Michigan Ave G5 Santa Monica, CA 90404 t. 310.264.8440 e. info@rosegallery.net
Untitled, 1976 Sheet 16 x 20 inches/Image 9.75 x 12 inches Archival Pigment Print Signed and dated by the artist in pencil on verso Printed under the direct supervision of the artist In a limited edition of ten From the collection of the artist $7,500.
ROSEGALLERY Bergamot Station Arts Center 2525 Michigan Ave G5 Santa Monica, CA 90404 t. 310.264.8440 e. info@rosegallery.net
Untitled, 1976 Sheet 20 x 16 inches/Image 12 x 9.75 inches Archival Pigment Print Signed and dated by the artist in pencil on verso Printed under the direct supervision of the artist In a limited edition of ten From the collection of the artist $7,500.
ROSEGALLERY Bergamot Station Arts Center 2525 Michigan Ave G5 Santa Monica, CA 90404 t. 310.264.8440 e. info@rosegallery.net
Untitled, 1976 Sheet 20 x 16 inches/Image 12 x 9.75 inches Archival Pigment Print Signed and dated by the artist in pencil on verso Printed under the direct supervision of the artist In a limited edition of ten From the collection of the artist SOLD
ROSEGALLERY Bergamot Station Arts Center 2525 Michigan Ave G5 Santa Monica, CA 90404 t. 310.264.8440 e. info@rosegallery.net
Ca. 1976 by Claudia Bohn-Spector
J’aime – je n’aime pas. – Roland Barthes
Human beings are creations of desire. We hope and yearn for what we have not, driven by thoughts of the people, things, and experiences we covet. Our longing, invariably mingled with fear and dread, may appear as a craving violently tearing through our hearts and stomachs. Conversely, it may crop up as but an innocent ripple, pleasantly skimming the surface of consciousness. Whatever its intensity, the push and pull of desire fuels all our endeavors, haunting our brains and infusing our actions with passion and urgency. When sexually invested, our longing accelerates, unleashing powerful urges, fantasies, and erotic fixations that unnerve as much as they titillate. Gripped by appetites both raw and compelling, we seek gratification and release from our obsessions, indulging in myriad sexual practices, however real or imagined. “My body is not the same as yours,” Roland Barthes once famously said, elucidating both the origins of our erotic attractions and the pulsing rush of human desire.
Jo Ann Callis’ color photographs from the mid-1970s take a fetishistic delight in human bodies. Naked, vulnerable, and tied in myriad places, the androgynous men and women in her pictures seem both enchanted and repelled by their physical incarnations. Inspired by Pierre Molinier’s doll-like self-portraits and the twisted mannequins of Hans Bellmer, they are engaged in therapeutic attempts to enhance their pleasure, sticking their hands into pools of honey, tying nylon threads around their breasts, and rubbing their cold, alabaster skin against luxurious fabrics. Fetishistic accoutrements, like belts and leather straps abound, while faces are
ROSEGALLERY Bergamot Station Arts Center 2525 Michigan Ave G5 Santa Monica, CA 90404 t. 310.264.8440 e. info@rosegallery.net
conspicuously absent, buried in pillows or covered under waves of hair and satin gloves. A line along a woman’s back recalls a surgical mark, a heap of black sand a malignant growth. Callis’ photographs are not for the squeamish, teetering as they do between the sumptuous display of physical pleasure and the sobering undercurrents of emotional pain.
Callis has long exploited the photographic process to narrative ends. A teacher at the California Institute of the Arts and widely regarded for her conceptual work with three-dimensional objects and images of people in mysterious settings, she has worked both in black & white and color photography, sculpture, painting, set design, and digital imagery. While she uses the camera often, she never pursues the medium as an end in and of itself, employing it instead as a studio tool to capture the pleasures and terrors of female life. The resulting pictures are both seductive and unsettling, tantalizing visions of interiors states that attest to Callis’ singular vision of the delicate tension between what feels good and what doesn’t, between what is desired and what is allowed. The photographs selected here are but a preview of Calli’s entire oeuvre: beautifully composed, with an unfailing eye toward color and texture, yet laced with the anguished shivers of sexual longing that run through her work like the sound of nails scraping on metal.
ROSEGALLERY Bergamot Station Arts Center 2525 Michigan Ave G5 Santa Monica, CA 90404 t. 310.264.8440 e. info@rosegallery.net