“We have two studios. One in Isle of Wight Virginia, and the other in the Green Point neighborhood of Brooklyn New York.”

“Images 1-4 are from the Green Point studio, while Images 5 and 6 (below) are from VA. You are looking at an abundance of material and ongoing projects ranging from sheets of plexiglass, wood, and flares to painting studies for larger works which may not get produced.”

Jules Marquis is the collaborative work of Colin Snapp and Daniel Turner.

Colin Snapp (Lopez Island, WA 1982) has exhibited throughout the United States and abroad including Brooklyn Academy of Music, Times Square AEO LED Billboard Project, Sculpture Center, The Whitney Museum of American Art, Recess Activities, White Box Gallery, Jericho Ditch, Triple Canopy, and Proyectos Ultravioleta.

Daniel Turner (Portsmouth, VA 1983) has participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions. Selected shows include: Wallspace Gallery, West Street Gallery, Whitney Museum of American Art, New Jersey Museum of Contemporary Art, The Chrysler Museum Of Art, Jericho Ditch, Walter and Mcbean Gallery, Prague Biennale 5 and Pianissimo Gallery.

FROM YOUR DESKS: In the true spirit of a collaboration, how do you work? 

JULES MARQUIS: Most of the ideas for the works emerge while traveling. The realization of these works is generally produced either in the studio or in the case of video in the field. Over the last decade the two of us have shared an ongoing dialogue shifting between our separate practices, thus shaping Jules Marquis.

FYD: What’s on display at this month’s show at Martos Gallery?

JM: Colin will be showing a new series of enlarged video stills shot while filming in the Hoh Rain Forest. Daniel will be exhibiting a massive iron oxide stain upon the gallery floor.

FYD: Individually, must you both be on the same page (at least work ethic wise) to come together on ideas? 

JM: Yes.

FYD: How did the name Jules Marquis come about? 

JM: Jules Marquis is Colin Snapp’s grandmothers name.

FYD: Out of curiosity, what are the names of Daniel Turner’s grandmothers? 

JM: Ema Jean Dale and Marjory Turner.

FYD: What noise of the City do you dislike?

JM: Most of the noise is irritating, though in time you learn to tune it out.

FYD: And what noise do you like? 

JM: The occasional cricket chirp is always refreshing.

FYD: Were either of you little leaguers or boy scouts and what are your thoughts on organized team sports?  

JM: Neither of us ever played sports. However, organized athletic practices do pose interesting questions. Our approach stems from a ritualistic and physiological interest rather than the social aspect of sports.

FYD: What about the ritualistic portion interests you–the game itself, the rules, the discipline? 

JM: To a certain extent modern-day sports have tribal qualities. Our focus was to take these gestures a step further, through isolating and repeating aspects of these games. In this case by looping an age old tradition of sportsmanship.

The occasional cricket chirp is always refreshing.

FYD: When losers mutter “good game” is it out of politeness or some American idealism to be nice to the losing team? Let’s be honest, people can be sore losers.

JM: This piece is neither about politeness or American idealism, yet the focus is rather on a gesture that is often overlooked. By looping the two teams as you would in film, the performance became somewhat of hypnotic modern dance.

FYD: Is the gesture the art of sport?   

JM: The gesture is not entirely the art of the sport, although certain qualities within these gestural traditions do effect the outcome of the sport and its relationship to society. 

FYD: What sport is most like modern dance? 

JM: Commercial fishing.

The two of us have shared an ongoing dialogue shifting between our separate practices…

FYD: Does moving from the City to Virginia help you unplug and reconsider the mass consumer culture that is Manhattan?

JM: The refuge of Virgina is the foundation that roots our entire practice. The contrast between the two locations is a key source of stimulation within our working process. The two of us were raised in rural communities. One being Virginia and the other an island off of Washington State, a factor that will continually play a role in the development as artist.

FYD: How do your rural roots keep you humble in a city like Manhattan?

JM: I’m not sure how our rural roots keep us humble, but one thing that does is moving to Manhattan after the developmental stages in our careers.

See Jules Marquis at Martos Gallery (NYC) from JUNE 30 – JULY 29, 2011.