Overview
TRANSFORMER launches its fourth exhibition season with Fair Game, a large scale video projection by DC based artist Jason Zimmerman that reflects on the nature of the criminal and punitive systems of contemporary American society and their relationship to the general public as viewed through popular media outlets.
In his first DC solo exhibition, Zimmerman culls from over 150 episodes of Fox TV's reality show COPS to create a looped video projection of foot chases edited into one continuous sequence. According to Zimmerman, "the fast paced movement, and rough-cuts of each clip, stream endlessly into one another creating a scenario where the police and the criminals are caught-up in an endless game of cat and mouse."
Fair Game cleverly touches upon the relationship between the police and criminals and, conversely, between criminals and the police. The work calls into question the very nature of US reform systems, exploring their relationship to the broader public and the overall socio-political ramifications in a time of rising fear and suspicion. "Programs like COPS, or any of the many reality-based police shows constantly cycling through the airwaves, remind the viewers of the profound societal concerns regarding law, order, and justice, or more specifically the fear of threats to these most sacred institutions," says Zimmerman. Zimmerman will also present, for the first time, the projects The Willing, Passport, and Disney in limited edition bound books.
The third artist to be presented in Transformer's DC artists' solo exhibition series, Jason Zimmerman moved to DC from York, PA in 1999. He received his BFA in photography from the Corcoran College of Art and Design in 2003. His photography, video, and sculptural work has been exhibited in numerous shows in and around the Washington area. Currently he is a Trawick Prize finalist with work exhibiting at The Creative Partners Gallery in Bethesda, MD. His work is also on view in the Faces of the Fallen exhibition at the Women's Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery.
