Inside P·P·O·W’s Lana Del Rey-Inspired Group Show

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No matter where you stand on the scale between loving and disliking pop music, its catchy tunes are hard to ignore. Although it’s often criticized for being artificial, overly emotional, and even excessive at times, this genre has always walked a fine line – not in spite of but because of its numerous contradictions that make it so intriguing.

At P·P·O·W Gallery’s most recent group exhibit titled “Hope is a dangerous thing“, we peel back the glossy veneer of pop culture to delve into its more contemplative, introverted aspects. This exhibition finds inspiration in the closing song from Lana Del Rey’s 2019 studio album “Norman F*cking Rockwell“. It reflects the album as a poignant portrayal of millennial youth, late-stage capitalism, and the peculiar peace that can emerge after desolation.

As a devoted admirer, I’d like to highlight a fascinating exhibition, meticulously put together by Eden Deering. This unique show brings together a dream ensemble, affectionately known as my “artist Spice Girls”, comprising Kyle Dunn, Raque Ford, Paul Kopkau, Diane Severin Nguyen, Kayode Ojo, Marianna Simnett, and Robin F. Williams. Each artist embodies their own captivating pop persona.

In this exhibition, the collective works explore the complex contradictions and dualities that define our perception of the elusive yet omnipresent entity – the contemporary pop star. They grapple with the intricate tensions that shape our understanding of this enigmatic figure.

Expressing a blend of 2000’s enthusiasm and digitally-crafted sadness, a mutual admiration for camp, sincerity, and personal transformation resonates throughout this area. Williams’ “Siri Serving” portrays an inaccessible singer amid a serenade, poised between reality and illusion. Dunn’s “Happiness is a butterfly,” with Lana Del Rey’s album in the spotlight, narrates the tale of a star-shaped glass whose desire for beauty is tempered by the raw, unglamorous truth it’s confined within.

Works beyond simple pop music often evoke a wider cultural longing. For instance, Ford’s artworks, like “In the Ocean, In Da Club, and In my Dreams,” weave an unfulfilled story of a Rihanna-Beyoncé fan fiction onto radiant sculptural pieces. Meanwhile, Ojo’s notable sculptures delve into the allure of fast fashion and its fleeting nature – not everything that sparkles is genuine gold.

The idea that hope is risky embodies the paradoxes inherent in popular culture: the belief that beauty, or the semblance of it, could rescue us, and the optimism that perhaps, just perhaps, it could yet do so. As Deering put it, the series navigates “the border between faith, hope, and aspiration. There’s a tenacity to keep pressing forward, and there’s something captivating about this persistence.

The exhibition is now on view through July 11.

P·P·O·W Gallery
392 Broadway,
New York, NY 10013

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2025-07-02 19:25