Jonathan Trayte: MelonMelonTangerine

“MelonMelonTangerine” is Jonathan Trayte‘s second solo show with Friedman Benda in New York. The British artist was inspired by a recent road trip around the American West. Created while in isolation during the pandemic, Trayte references the Western landscape like Joshua trees, lichen, cacti, prickly pears, and sedimentary rock formations with his well-liked tongue-in-cheek approach. Meant to feel like an otherworldly botanical garden, lighting, seating, tables, chandelier, and sculpture are full of vivid color, texture, material, and shape. “Color is so important as a means of persuasion, persuading people to consume in particular kinds of ways, or in appealing to specific social groups. I create synthetic painted veneers and compositions of materials that either reflect or distort this language; they’re like skins of paint or textures that create a kind of chameleon appearance,” said Trayte.