The critics write…
"A spot-on hilarious send-up of upscale galleries and postmodern art. The ARTIST is a priceless production! Incisive, immersive, and wonderfully interactive!" DC METRO
"Joel Jeske is a terrific physical comedian with a superb sense of comic timing...brilliant as ever. A masterful performer and a superb actor as well!” OFF BROADWAY REVIEW
"Uproarious, clever, and thoughtful; The ARTIST is a wonderfully intelligent entertainment." THEATERSCENE.NET
"Comedy and commentary worthy of the New Yorker. Jeske effortlessly keeps his audience in a giddy state of amusement." LIGHT AND SOUND AMERICA.COM
You are Cordially invited to a gallery opening…
The ARTIST will be with you in a Moment is an immersive solo comedy performance centered on a career long retrospective of the artist known as Joel Jeske. You must have heard of him. He’s been around for years creating conceptual art and mixed media in his unique comedic style: absurd, insightful, and utter genius. The evening is a mixed affair of art show and live performance. If you don’t understand, don’t worry. He will explain it to you. He’s sitting over to your left, installed as a work of art in his own art show. In the end, all will be revealed. The artist, Joel Jeske, believes art is achieved through inspiration, understanding, and hard work. He provides the inspiration and the understanding. You provide the hard work.
Combining conceptual art and mixed media with live performance, The ARTIST Will Be With You In A Moment is a highly original and unforgettable evening. It begins, as with all traditional art shows, with a brief history of the artist, his vision, and a diverse collection of artworks ranging from video experimentation to conceptual sculpture and photography. As the audience wanders the gallery, they soon realize the artist himself is on display, a frozen and comic icon, the living embodiment of his philosophy and work.
Once we are asked to take our seats, a series of live performance art pieces begins. These diverse works are designed not only to entertain but to allow us, the audience, to take part and perhaps find our own artistic voice. We witness tuba impersonations, a prat falling Mark Twain, foreboding coconuts, an unpredictable props closet, and a game of musical chairs that is not just for children. The Artist, three-time Drama Desk nominee Joel Jeske, fully utilizes his years as an international performer and master clown to empower, embolden, and celebrate us, the audience; and to encourage us to embrace art and our personal creativity. Joel Jeske makes it clear. To him, we are all artists and we are as vital as ever.
(Tap the right hand image to see more production photos of THE ARTIST will be with you in a Moment.)
A Note About The ARTIST’S Flexibility:
The Artist will be with you in a Moment is a gallery showing, a live performance, and an immersive experience that is not necessarily confined to a theater or performance space of more traditional productions. The ARTIST has flexibility and can fit comfortably and effectively in a gallery space, black box, or non-traditional setting as long as there is room to perform and walls to display the art. Due to its unique presentation and structure, the show can literally be custom designed to fit the space offered.
In New York City, the lobby and theater were transformed into a modern art gallery complete with white walls, track lighting, and gallery security staff.
In Baltimore, the production was a multi-room presentation where the audience followed the artist from room to room. The immersive quality allowed the audience to control how they viewed the works and made for a different experience at every performance.
In times when strict guidelines dictate how audiences can assemble and how art can be viewed, The ARTIST will be with you in a Moment offers countless options in presenting the production. With the show’s themes focusing on individual creativity and inspiration; there is nothing more inspiring for audience and presenters alike than to see how it all comes together with each performance and subsequent productions of this original show.