Ikon presents the first major exhibition in the UK of work by the Californian artist Lee Jaffe, providing the only opportunity to see his work here in the early 90s. The nucleus of the exhibition, The Harder They Come, The Harder They Fall; a full-scale boxing ring complete with a soundtrack of the roaring crowd and the fighters’ grunts and punches. On the surrounding walls are large paintings containing images of famous boxers. The installation provokes questions about involvement and observation, presence and passivity. As well as being an artist, Jaffe is also an accomplished musician. He played with Bob Marley and the Wailers for five years, living in Jamaica, producing records at the time of this exhibition. Jaffe’s art communicates his identification with music as well as the hope of oppressed peoples. Included in the exhibition are works from a series on famous blind blues singers, some with soundtracks. Jaffe’s art is firmly rooted in the social concerns of the day, yet he presents these in The harder they come, the harder they fall’, within an aesthetic framework which is startlingly beautiful, often seductive and sometimes disturbing.  

In collaboration with Moderna Museet, Stockholm, ICA, Amsterdam, Irish Museum of Modern Art, Dublin.