Book signing: Sunday, May 9, 2 pm

Extended hours during New York Gallery Week: Sunday, May 9 and Monday, May 10 open 11-6 pm

For his fourth solo show at Metro Pictures, T. J. Wilcox presents three new films installed within a series of free-standing collaged screens. In these films, Wilcox celebrates the eccentric, historic, personal and ephemeral using his signature romantic yet concise narrative. In each gallery space is one film and a series of related, large-scale collages mounted on hinged wooden panels reminiscent of traditional Japanese screens.

The Heir and Astaire tells the tale of Nebraska native Adele Astaire, sister of Fred and the biggest vaudeville star of her day, who became Lady Charles Cavendish upon her marriage to the second son of the Duke of Devonshire in 1932. The film explores Adele’s ill-fated fantasy of introducing American show business style to the English aristocracy at Lismore Castle, the family’s ancient home in the Irish countryside. Wilcox intercuts archival footage with his filmed interview with the 90-year-old Dowager Duchess of Devonshire, sister of Charles and the last of the famous Mitford sisters.

With a nod to nature films, L’eau de Vie strings together three stories: the tale of Wilcox’s young friend who discovers an endangered turtle in her swimming pool; a history of Ukai or bird fishing, a traditional method of Japanese river fishing that has been practiced for some 1300 years; and documentation of the artist’s own backyard-attempt at making eau de vie de poire, or pear brandy.

The third new film immortalizes the country and western star Patsy Cline whose wistful music of loss, sorrow and longing still captivates audiences nearly 50 years after her tragic death at age 30.

Wilcox was born in 1965 in Seattle and currently lives in New York. He attended the School of Visual Arts in New York (BFA 1989) and Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California (MFA 1995). One-person exhibitions include the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam; Museum Ludwig, Cologne; Kunstverein Munich; UC Berkeley Art Museum; Kunsthaus Glarus, Switzerland; and the Institute of Contemporary Art, London. His films have been screened at the Museum of Modern Art, New York, and the Tate Modern, London.