Roland Reiss: The Castle of Perseverance

Curated by Jorin Bossen 

Diane Rosenstein Gallery

April 24 — May 8, 2021

The Castle of Perseverance is a posthumous solo exhibition of the work of LA-based artist Roland Reiss (1929-2020), on view at Diane Rosenstein Gallery and curated by Jorin Bossen. The exhibition features two distinct bodies of work which merge together in micro/macro juxtaposition. Most notably, eleven miniature scenes (including three of his Morality Plays) and one life-sized diorama interplay with each other, allowing the viewer to assume both the roles of spectator and participant, audience and actor.

Viewed at the dusk of the global Coronavirus pandemic, when we have collectively spent what feels like a lifetime in our respective living rooms, this exhibition is circumstantially imbued with additional layers of meaning. The known becomes the unknown as the viewer is interpellated into questioning the oddity of human nature, excess vs. abundance, and the reality of domesticated everyday life.

The miniatures are inclosed in plexiglass boxes and displayed either on the wall or placed on plinths throughout the gallery. These miniatures act as strange and wonderful mise-en-scènes, complete with mini human ‘actors’, animals, lighting and props. Pillars engraved with words are situated casually about the detritus, which suggest themes that either support or negate initial assumptions. For example, words such as “Leisure,” “Difficulty,” “Sincerity,” and ”Desire,” act as cues to the riddles embedded in Reiss’ adult dramas.

The size of the miniatures evokes a childhood nostalgia through their comparison in size to lego characters and dollhouses. Yet upon closer inspection the scenes revel philosophical complexity and are abound with a tongue-in-cheek humor. Although Reiss is best known for these playful and detailed miniatures, the exhibition’s namesake and predominate feature is a life-sized replica of a “typical American middle-class living room of the 1970s” (as stated in the press release). 

Originally created in 1978, The Castle of Perseverance offers the viewer a chance to partake in an unknown narrative as they traverse through the space. The facsimiled pieces of furniture are made seamlessly out of a monochromatic particleboard. Objects include the expected objects of a lived-in room: mugs and books scattered amongst sofas, lamps and side-tables.

However along with the expected objects, a few unexpected objects—such as a handsaw and gun—lay mysteriously camouflaged amid the clutter. The unnerving discovery of these violent object invite one to question the situation of the scene at large (ex. what would be revealed if the scene were in color?). Even though the pieces are left unadulterated, the attention to detail adds an uncanny dimension to this “typical” living room, creating a lot more questions than it answers.

May 8, 2021