David Risley Gallery Copenhagen
is delighted to announce
davidrisleygallery.com
‘In the Pines’
James Aldridge, Anna Bjerger, Anthony Campuzano
Graham Dolphin, Carl Fredrik Hill, Eri Itoi
Wes Lang, Ashley Macomber, John Stezaker
Johan Thurfjell, Charlie Woolley, Anonymous drawing.
‘In the Pines’ takes its title from a folk song which has retained
its mystery and mythology despite being interpreted thousands of
times by an astounding array of musicians over at least the last 150 years.
Bringing together artists we represent, artists we have collaborated with
previously and artists new to the gallery alongside historical and anonymous
work the exhibition presents a self-portrait of the gallery. It is a statement of intent in our new context, presenting the interests and concerns we hope to explore through the exhibition programme here.
‘In the Pines’ is a deceptively simple song which has been dated back to
1870 in the U.S but is believed to be older and British in origin. Hundreds
of singers have used the song‘s openness and anonymity to render it in
their own style, notably Leadbelly, The Louvin Brothers, Bill Monroe,
Dolly Parton, Nirvana, Smog etc. Its timeless lyrics speak of loneliness,
death, fear, landscape, weather, time, eternity, mystery, trains and change.
It has endured trans-atlantic travel, time, cultural change and manifested
itself across diverse genres; Country Blues, Bluegrass, Punk, Grunge,
Alt.Country, Folk, Jazz. As with the singers of the song, the artists in this
show present a seemingly similar content which, through their individual
voices and techniques, produce a broad range of interpretation and atmosphere.