Itai Doron at Jay Jopling / White Cube & the Passmore Building, London (1993)

The following is the press release of the inaugural exhibitions organized by the London gallery that soon became an international art powerhouse.

ADC staff
Art Design Publicity at ADC | 29 October 2010

Itai Doron

The Immaculate Stereoscopic Conception of Mr. D.
Presented by Jay Jopling
The Passmore Building, Canary Wharf, London

The Secret Life and Archaic Times of Mr. D.
Presented by Jay Jopling
44 Duke Street, St. James’s, London

Press release text by Jay Jopling (White Cube)

…Two shows as human and as heart-felt as the love of a boy for a dog.
They’re both new and they’re both true…

“…Okay, if you really want to hear about it I first got into the movies when I was about six or seven. One Saturday evening, my Grandma and Grandpa took me to see ‘City Lights’ and sitting there watching Charlie Chaplin and this girl, I can’t remember her name anymore, it didn’t take me long to understand I could watch this kind of stuff all day and all night long. Years later I was going through a sort of crying phase in movies, for different reasons though. I mean ‘King Kong’, ‘Ben Hur’ and ‘The Champ’ were pretty depressing and got me into, like, great distress and concern for animal and human rights. From that moment on I knew I was ready to face the world. I’m not going to tell you my whole goddamn autobiography or anything, I’ll just tell you about this madman stuff that happened to me one time in this movie. The first place I went into had ‘Sinbad’ or ‘Guliver’ but I didn’t care. I don’t remember it so hot but all I know is I met Mr. D. Boy, was I lucky. The minute I went in I thought the place was empty but all of a sudden there he was, floating in the middle of the auditorium, and all this light over and around him, like as if he’s an orb or something and everything smelled like Bazooka gum and suddenly I realized I was glowing as well, like my body is a fucking Christmas tree or something, so I kept standing there looking down, knowing I wouldn’t be alone anymore. Well… he became my brother and all, and if there’s one thing we love it’s the movies. I mean all that crying and blowing our gum—but I don’t feel like going into it. Anyway, he’s in Hollywood now. That isn’t too far from here, and he comes over and visits me practically every year. He’s going to take me home next weekend. He just got a spaceship…”—Itai Doron, 1967

The Immaculate Stereoscopic Conception of Mr. D and The Secret Life and Archaic Times of Mr. D are the first solo exhibitions by London-based artist Itai Doron.

Set in 12,000 square foot abandoned warehouse in London’s East End. The Immaculate Stereoscopic Conception of Mr. D is a three-part installation incorporating painting, sculptural special-effects, video and sound. Drawing on images gleaned from the cinema and presented in an environment that resembles a B-movie film set, Itai Doron introduces us for the very first time to his long-standing friend and ally, the incomparable Mr. D and his luminous presence.

Showing simultaneously in the centre of London is The Secret Life and Archaic Times of Mr. D, a series of works on paper in which we are given a glimpse into some of the private, cinematic encounters of Itai Doron’s friend— seventeen recently-found film-stills from Mr. D’s glamorous, secret past.

The Immaculate Stereoscopic Conception of Mr. D will be presented by Jay Jopling at The Passmore Building, Mastmaker Road, Canary Wharf, London E14 whilst The Secret Life and Archaic Times of Mr. D will be shown at 44 Duke Street, St. James’s, London SW1. Both exhibitions will be open to the public from Friday 14th May and will run until the end of June. They will be open every Friday and Saturday between 12 and 6pm or else by appointment.

Sponsored by Becks and Jacob’s Island Company.

For additional information please call Julia Royse on...