Press release, May 2018

Patrick Parrish Gallery is pleased to present Don’t Know What Shape I’m In, a solo exhibition of new works by Danish sculptor Carl Emil Jacobsen, curated by Henriette Noermark. In preparation for the exhibition, Noermark has supplied Jacobsen with doctrines which challenged him to approach and relate to his highly tactile, material sculptures in new and unusual ways.

Carl Emil Jacobsen’s (b. 1987) works occupy the liminal overlap of nature, art and culture; they derive from an experimental approach to materiality and design, with a particular focus on the compositional, aesthetic and sensory properties of objects. His focus in recent years has centered primarily around sculptural works in fiber-reinforced concrete, painted with natural self-made pigments from locally-found, crushed bricks and stones. This results in an extraordinary color scheme, from bright marble and chalk to burnt-dark colors reminiscent of eggplants, dust, and deep reds. For this exhibition, Jacobsen has introduced iron to his range of components.

Through his practice, Jacobsen explores the embedded potentials within forms and materials, culminating in bold, non- referential objects. Inspired by the theories and material-investigative dictums of the late Danish sculptor Willy Ørskov, who said that "the sculpture's content is sculpture," Jacobsen was encouraged to look at each of his works as sculptures in their own right.

This is Carl Emil Jacobsen’s first solo show in the United States, and Henriette Noermark’s second exhibition at Patrick Parrish Gallery. Their collaboration dates back to the time Noermark invited Jacobsen to participate in a group show at The Curio - Chart Art Fair, Kunsthal Charlottenborg in Copenhagen, 2016 and since then he has shown in numerous group shows in Europe, such as the Mindcraft Exhibition in Milan, Maria Wettergren in Paris, PAD London, and many others.

Noermark has curated exhibitions at the Spring/Break Art Show in NYC, Heartland Festival, Les Gens Heureux and Charlottenborg among others. Don’t Know What Shape I’m In runs from May 17 - June 24, 2018, with an opening reception on May 17 from 6-8pm.

Exhibition period: May 17 – June 24, 2018.
Opening reception: Thursday, May 17, 2018 from 6–8 pm.

This exhibition is supported by The Danish Arts Foundation.