“Icons of the Sixties” at Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac Paris Pantin showcases the creative talents of the renowned American actor, director, photographer, and painter Dennis Hopper (1936 – 2010). The exhibition features a selection photographs taken by Hopper in the 1960, an emblematic sculpture, a film installation, as well as a group of ephemera and memorabilia, which together provides a fascinating insight into Hopper’s art and his life as a member of the Los Angeles Avant-garde.
At the centre of the exhibition is a selection of 30 hand-signed vintage photographic prints of celebrities and artists including the likes of Jasper Johns, Andy Warhol, Paul Newman, Jane Fonda, and Ike and Tina Turner. Commenting on the revealing and painterly photos, in which he experiments with the use of an irregular black frame, Hopper said: “I had been taking photographs because I hoped to be able to direct movies. That’s why I never cropped any of the photographs; they are all full frame.”
Another highlight is Hopper’s 1967 anti-war sculpture “Bomb Drop” which was entirely restored for the exhibition. Originally created for art patron Betty Freeman, it is composed of plexiglass, neon and stainless steel, as well as a large scale replica of a World War II bomb drop switch. “I made it in a big plastic thing with lights inside and went through the primary colours – blue, yellow, red – and this big phallus with these big balls would go from arm to safe, arm to safe,” Hopper said.
The exhibition also includes Hopper’s film installation “Life After on Canvas” (1997) which documents his 1983 performance at Houston Big H Speedway. Signifying his return to painting and the end of his self-destructive lifestyle, the performance consists of Hopper blowing himself up with dynamite. “I put twenty sticks of dynamite around myself in this race car arena, and I blow myself up, and the dynamite won’t blow in on itself, and I do this performance,” Hopper explained.
Dennis Hopper“Icons of the Sixties” is at Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac Paris Pantin from October 21, 2015 until January 9, 2016.
Click the slideshow to see some of the works in the exhibition
