Benjamin Weissman and Ravi Jackson

The Pit II

January 7 - February 18

Opening reception Sunday Jan 7 4-7pm

The Pit is pleased to announce a two-person exhibition by Los Angeles based artists Ravi Jackson and Benjamin Weissman in The Pit II. Pulling from their shared love of drawing and its central role in both artists’ studio practice, the exhibition features a site specific installation of works with a central unifying aspect; the drawn line. The exhibition will feature collaborative drawings along with works by each individual artist. An immersive salon style installation covers the walls of the small gallery space.

Jackson and Weissman’s friendship began while Jackson was a teaching assistant for Weissman in his UCLA drawing class. At that time the two began drawing sessions while in class, and started collaborating on joint works.

An esoteric humor runs throughout the works with references to personal dreams, subcultural iconography, psychedelia, and under recognized cultural histories. Textiles, cartoon characters, apes, playful kittens, and more can be found throughout the works.

Ravi Jackson lives and works in Los Angeles. He recently completed his MFA at the University of California, Los Angeles. He also holds a BFA from Hunter College, New York and a BA from Oberlin College, Ohio. Group exhibitions include Givens, AALA, Los Angeles; Paper Paper, Ditch Projects, Springfield, Oregon; Green Gallery, Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Z-ing, Richard Telles Fine Art, Los Angeles; and Topcoat, The Pit, Los Angeles.

Benjamin Weissman lives and works in Los Angeles. He graduated from Cal Arts in 1981. He’s part of a generation of visual artists, including Mike Kelley and Raymond Pettibon, who integrated textual and visual elements into their art practice. Weissman is well known for his writing, including two books of short fiction, Headless (2004, Akashic Books) and Dear Dead Person (1994, High Risk Books/Serpent’s Tale). He has participated in group shows at The Box LA, 356 Mission, Mark Selwyn, Galerie Krinzinger in Vienna.