![Installation view of JTT’s entryway containing two paintings,](https://jttnyc.com/media/pages/exhibitions/2023/capacity/e3c1a357d9-1684607638/yd-capacity-installation-001-3000x3000-q80.jpg)
In a rapacious economy of micro-trends and perpetual vibe shifts, an artwork may seem like the ultimate slow medium. But as a cultural artifact inescapably marked by its zeitgeist, it is as temporal in nature as any viral blip encountered in the maelstrom of the content industrial complex.[1] For more than a decade, Dena Yago has studied this parallel in her simultaneous practices as artist and trend forecaster. Capacity, Yago’s first solo exhibition at JTT, reflects on the implicitly shared logics of these image-centered practices, both rooted in a logic of extreme presence, one contingent on perception and prediction.
Capacity comprises a series of inkjet printed and painted canvases depicting lonesome, haunted urban landscapes and scenes. Two characters that recur in Yago’s recent work make an appearance: the stuffed, oversized teddy bear (who, during the COVID pandemic were used as stand-ins for social distancing at cafes) and the spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula, a beautiful but invasive species from Asia which first descended upon New York City in swarms in June 2020 in the midst of COVID and Black Lives Matter protests, prompting a public “if you see them, swat them” campaign). While the bears are seated together at quintessential checkered tableclothed tables enjoying Martini’s, the lanternfly is seen buzzing around the city, busy networking in various urban locales. These image-figures are like memes, perpetually re-appearing in their media network, where they begin to function as mediated quasi-subjects, somehow emblematic of their time.
The stylized DIY language of the canvases, synthesizing text and image on color planes in dyed bleeds of burnt orange and livid blue, resemble Situationist comics of the late 1960s, but also the album cover of This Nation’s Saving Grace (1985) by UK punk band The Fall. Twenty years apart, both drew allegorically on hyper-familiar cultural motifs in acid-tongued critiques of consumer capitalism. Every style returns, first as tragedy and then as farce, even in art—or at least it seems so if you line it up in teleological understandings of history. But Yago replaces a postmodern temporal logic of acceleration and “returns” with something closer to Walter Benjamin’s “angel of history.” This version of time sees change vibrationally, resembling the wings of a humming bird: when something moves fast enough, it eventually appears to stand still. Indeed, Benjamin’s angel (famously inspired by a Paul Klee painting) materializes in the exhibition’s central painting of the same name, where a lanternfly rests on a piling mass of last-mile delivery boxes. Yago’s paintings hint at the fact that there is nothing more static than the rapacious capitalist contemporary, an era of the perpetual now that has already lasted for almost three decades.
In this society, the artist—much like the trend forecaster—is herself an artifact of certain material processes and social effects, effectively tasked with predicting the future by producing it. This is a precarious position, an economy of capitalizing on media flows in order to survive. Yago’s canvases depict these slippery temporal dynamics allegorically, and not without a sense of tragic comedy. Capacity, here, gestures not only to the worker of the image, but that of the artwork itself.
Text by Jeppe Ugelvig
_____________________________________________
[1] Dena Yago, “Content Industrial Complex” in e-flux, Issue #89, March 2018.
![Painting of two brown stuffed teddy bears with red ribbons tied around their neck sitting upright in chairs at tables. One of the bears faces towards the left side of the painting.](https://jttnyc.com/media/pages/exhibitions/2023/capacity/3d68a99719-1684607573/yd-2023-167-01-3000x3000-q80.jpg)
acrylic and inkjet on canvas
54 x 80 in
137 x 203 cm
![](https://jttnyc.com/media/pages/exhibitions/2023/capacity/e1c328760c-1684607576/yd-2023-167-02-3000x3000-q80.jpg)
acrylic and inkjet on canvas
54 x 80 in
137 x 203 cm
![Painting of brown stuffed teddy bears sat at three outdoor dinner tables in a diagonal row. Three yellow and red triangular banners hang above the tables. The banner at the top right-hand corner displays the word, ‘Present.’ Below another banner says, ‘An Anemic,’ while intersecting with the last banner that says, ‘Bloodletting.’](https://jttnyc.com/media/pages/exhibitions/2023/capacity/836102c96c-1684607568/yd-2023-162-01-3000x3000-q80.jpg)
acrylic and inkjet on canvas
54 x 74 in
137 x 188 cm
![](https://jttnyc.com/media/pages/exhibitions/2023/capacity/69c0f45f8e-1684607574/yd-2023-162-04-3000x3000-q80.jpg)
acrylic and inkjet on canvas
54 x 74 in
137 x 188 cm
![Installation view of the painting titled](https://jttnyc.com/media/pages/exhibitions/2023/capacity/2fc4472468-1684607640/yd-capacity-installation-004-3000x3000-q80.jpg)
![Painting of a yellow stuffed teddy bear’s ovular and stretched head with a red ribbon tied around its neck. Black specks and smudges decorate the surface of the bear and the light yellow background.](https://jttnyc.com/media/pages/exhibitions/2023/capacity/ca97aa6163-1684607557/yd-2023-168-01-3000x3000-q80.jpg)
acrylic and inkjet on canvas
54 x 80 in
137 x 203 cm
![](https://jttnyc.com/media/pages/exhibitions/2023/capacity/2b6c8887a6-1684607559/yd-2023-168-02-3000x3000-q80.jpg)
acrylic and inkjet on canvas
54 x 80 in
137 x 203 cm
![Installation view of JTT’s main gallery with five paintings on the left wall.](https://jttnyc.com/media/pages/exhibitions/2023/capacity/4466c5286b-1684607640/yd-capacity-installation-005-3000x3000-q80.jpg)
![Installation view of two paintings, “Flight Muscle” on the left and “Bad Luck” on the right.](https://jttnyc.com/media/pages/exhibitions/2023/capacity/7e9d31dc49-1684607640/yd-capacity-installation-006-3000x3000-q80.jpg)
![Painting of a splashing martini glass with two olives pierced by a toothpick with the writing ‘Bad’ and ‘Luck.’ The background is a graphic of a red and salmon checkered tablecloth print.](https://jttnyc.com/media/pages/exhibitions/2023/capacity/9c1046f36a-1684607562/yd-2023-169-01-3000x3000-q80.jpg)
acrylic and inkjet on canvas
54 x 54 in
137 x 137 cm
![](https://jttnyc.com/media/pages/exhibitions/2023/capacity/ac3c64bb83-1684607560/yd-2023-169-02-3000x3000-q80.jpg)
acrylic and inkjet on canvas
54 x 54 in
137 x 137 cm
![Installation view of three paintings:](https://jttnyc.com/media/pages/exhibitions/2023/capacity/28c34c206d-1684607645/yd-capacity-installation-007-3000x3000-q80.jpg)
![Painting of a black, yellow, and light purple cityscape with three spotted lanternflies painted on the surface foreground. The spotted lanternflies’ left wings are mauve with blue and black vertical stripes at the bottom, and the right wings’ are red and pink with sporadic black spots.](https://jttnyc.com/media/pages/exhibitions/2023/capacity/b0366869e6-1684607561/yd-2023-170-01-3000x3000-q80.jpg)
acrylic and inkjet on canvas, stainless steel rings
54 x 90 in
137 x 228.5 cm
![](https://jttnyc.com/media/pages/exhibitions/2023/capacity/e34c31dddc-1684607560/yd-2023-170-02-3000x3000-q80.jpg)
acrylic and inkjet on canvas, stainless steel rings
54 x 90 in
137 x 228.5 cm
![Painting of two spotted lanternflies with their wings expanded clustered together on top of a multi-colored cobblestone street. In the background to the left, a blue painted circular manhole cover has black text that reads, 'Blunt Force Now' in capital letters.](https://jttnyc.com/media/pages/exhibitions/2023/capacity/c056c1355e-1684607574/yd-2023-171-01-3000x3000-q80.jpg)
acrylic and inkjet on canvas
54 x 90 in
137 x 228.5 cm
![](https://jttnyc.com/media/pages/exhibitions/2023/capacity/8f034140db-1684607575/yd-2023-171-02-3000x3000-q80.jpg)
acrylic and inkjet on canvas
54 x 90 in
137 x 228.5 cm
![](https://jttnyc.com/media/pages/exhibitions/2023/capacity/efdfeeb514-1684607575/yd-2023-172-01-3000x3000-q80.jpg)
acrylic and inkjet on canvas, stainless steel rings
54 x 90 in
137 x 228.5 cm
![](https://jttnyc.com/media/pages/exhibitions/2023/capacity/94cf2b6e33-1684607566/yd-2023-172-02-3000x3000-q80.jpg)
acrylic and inkjet on canvas, stainless steel rings
54 x 90 in
137 x 228.5 cm
![Installation view of JTT’s main gallery with five paintings on the three walls.](https://jttnyc.com/media/pages/exhibitions/2023/capacity/becc444ff6-1684607645/yd-capacity-installation-009-3000x3000-q80.jpg)
![Installation view of two paintings,](https://jttnyc.com/media/pages/exhibitions/2023/capacity/2925e1b492-1684607644/yd-capacity-installation-010-3000x3000-q80.jpg)
![Painting of black last mile boxes spray painted purple and yellow, stacked in a pyramid formation. A large spotted lanternfly poses on top of the pyramid with its wings facing to the left side of the canvas.](https://jttnyc.com/media/pages/exhibitions/2023/capacity/fa41ff1fb4-1684607573/yd-2023-163-01-3000x3000-q80.jpg)
acrylic and inkjet on canvas
54 x 100 in
137 x 254 cm
![](https://jttnyc.com/media/pages/exhibitions/2023/capacity/9aa165a00e-1684607575/yd-2023-163-02-3000x3000-q80.jpg)
acrylic and inkjet on canvas
54 x 100 in
137 x 254 cm
![](https://jttnyc.com/media/pages/exhibitions/2023/capacity/d254802f12-1684607568/yd-2023-163-04-3000x3000-q80.jpg)
acrylic and inkjet on canvas
54 x 100 in
137 x 254 cm
![Painting of a martini glass from a top perspective looking down into a martini glass that has an olive at the bottom of the glass with black text that reads ‘Time Spent.’ A reddish checkered print decorates the background.](https://jttnyc.com/media/pages/exhibitions/2023/capacity/c9516416cc-1684607572/yd-2023-173-01-3000x3000-q80.jpg)
acrylic and inkjet on canvas
54 x 54 in
137 x 137 cm
![](https://jttnyc.com/media/pages/exhibitions/2023/capacity/d5567b1755-1684607569/yd-2023-173-02-3000x3000-q80.jpg)
acrylic and inkjet on canvas
54 x 54 in
137 x 137 cm
![Installation view of JTT’s main gallery with four paintings.](https://jttnyc.com/media/pages/exhibitions/2023/capacity/448e976945-1684607644/yd-capacity-installation-011-3000x3000-q80.jpg)
![Installation view of three paintings, ‘Taste for Gristle,’ ‘Capacity,’ and ‘After Hours,’ from left to right.](https://jttnyc.com/media/pages/exhibitions/2023/capacity/57f2960406-1684607645/yd-capacity-installation-012-3000x3000-q80.jpg)
![Painting of an outdoor dinner table with a red and black checkered tablecloth and a singular martini glass with two olives that read ‘After Hours.’ A spotted lanternfly sits on the edge of the martini glass and red, yellow, and purple leaves drift from the top left with text ‘Intervals Prolong Duration Timely Unprecisions Delay Anticipation Deviations Pause For Effect,’ from left to right.](https://jttnyc.com/media/pages/exhibitions/2023/capacity/ec7190d08f-1684607576/yd-2023-174-01-3000x3000-q80.jpg)
acrylic and inkjet on canvas, stainless steel rings
54 x 80 in
137 x 203 cm
![](https://jttnyc.com/media/pages/exhibitions/2023/capacity/77ccef2e46-1684607577/yd-2023-174-02-3000x3000-q80.jpg)
acrylic and inkjet on canvas, stainless steel rings
54 x 80 in
137 x 203 cm
![Painting of the New York City skyline outlined in black with the word ‘Capacity’ overlaying the entire canvas in bright red.](https://jttnyc.com/media/pages/exhibitions/2023/capacity/0879288b81-1681398873/yd-2023-161-01-3000x3000-q80.jpg)
acrylic and inkjet on canvas
54 x 100 in
137 x 254 cm
![](https://jttnyc.com/media/pages/exhibitions/2023/capacity/2799655166-1684607572/yd-2023-161-03-3000x3000-q80.jpg)
acrylic and inkjet on canvas
54 x 100 in
137 x 254 cm
![Painting of the New York City skyline outlined in black while leaves with text drift from the top left. The leaves write ‘Taste For Gristle Leaves Lapping Particles Those Licking Filings Scrapings Filters Until Nothing But Remnant’s Of Dust Remain.’](https://jttnyc.com/media/pages/exhibitions/2023/capacity/0f11549c2a-1684607576/yd-2023-175-01-3000x3000-q80.jpg)
acrylic and inkjet on canvas, stainless steel rings
54 x 90 in
137 x 228.5 cm
![](https://jttnyc.com/media/pages/exhibitions/2023/capacity/621e8c3d98-1684607577/yd-2023-175-02-3000x3000-q80.jpg)
acrylic and inkjet on canvas, stainless steel rings
54 x 90 in
137 x 228.5 cm
![](https://jttnyc.com/media/pages/exhibitions/2023/capacity/17fbb70f7a-1684607578/yd-2023-175-03-3000x3000-q80.jpg)
acrylic and inkjet on canvas, stainless steel rings
54 x 90 in
137 x 228.5 cm